You may recognise Gemma from our Insta live pilates class in celebration of hitting 50K! She regularly swaps her impressive lycra gear for her favourite Beyond Nine pieces, when living life and mumming her three lovely kids. We know her pretty well here at Beyond Nine HQ with our weekly pilates dates, so we thought it was about time you did too. We caught up with Gemma to have a little chat and dig a little deeper.
TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF?
I’m a mum of 3 and a Pilates instructor, living in South East London.
WHAT'S YOUR CAREER HISTORY?
I studied media production in Bristol and after a few years jumping around Soho in production houses, I started a career in online advertising. This spanned over 10 years and I worked in content and marketing. After having kids I knew I needed more flexibility, so I trained in Pilates. The pandemic opened up online classes and I created Shape Pilates. The rest is history!
WHAT SERVICES DO YOU OFFER AT SHAPE PILATES?
Shape is a predominately on demand Pilates subscription platform with over 150 videos. You can choose the duration and style of class to fit your mood and lifestyle. This could mean a 10 minute Abs class or a 55 minute classical full body. This year I’ll be adding more pre and postnatal classes to the platform too. At £7.50 a month I wanted it to be high quality yet accessible.
WHAT DOES A TYPICAL WEEK LOOK LIKE FOR YOU JUGGLING YOUR BUSINESS AND MOTHERHOOD?
My littlest is at preschool Mon-Weds so those are my main working days. I focus on filming for and marketing Shape, with the addition of some private sessions and a corporate class with the lovely ladies at Beyond Nine! Realistically the work continues throughout the week, but I’ve accepted the fact that during these early years with the kids, I’m not going to have enough time to do it all. I love the fact the business can grow with the family and is flexible to school holidays etc.
WHAT'S BEEN THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN YOUR BUSINESS SO FAR?
Cutting through all the competition! There is just so much out there in fitness. As a 40 year old mum there are definitely some waves of self doubt about how far I can go in this industry. It’s hard not to compare to younger people with more time on their hands to build businesses. I hope I have created something that people can relate to, particularly my fellow mums who deserve to spend time on their mind and body recovery post kids. Also, Instagram!! What a slog 😂
TELL US WHAT YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT BEYOND NINE?
I’m embarrassed at how much I have worn my Laura. That piece of fabric has taken me from pregnancy and beyond, and 3 years postpartum I still love it. I own 3 other Beyond Nine pieces, and what they all offer is comfort with a funky twist. So versatile (and wash so well). The fact the company is independent and run by women is just the cherry on the top.
Gemma wears the original Boilersuit
WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE PIECE?
Laura…so many years of wear and emotions and memories attached to it. I’m hoping to pass this one to my daughter in the future.
Gemma wears the Laura jumpsuit
ANY TIPS FOR OUR COMMUNITY FOR MOVING MORE WITH PILATES IN 2023 AND BEYOND?
Just start! It can sometimes feel a bit complicated, but really Pilates is whatever you want it to be. You don’t need to be flexible or strong or any body type. Pilates will keep you moving through any season of your life, and potentially your kids too. So just starting is a small step towards a future with more energy, and strength, less injury and an increased mind body connection.
We can’t recommend Gemma enough, head over to her Instagram to see what pilates is all about.
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