Karen Lord set her eyes on the horizon from day one as the founder of her eponymous Pilates studio.<\/p>\n
Having started out in New York\u2019s Meatpacking District in 2010, the former fashion and arts veteran soon attracted the interests of celebrity clients and expanded her modernized Pilates business to a 3,200-square-foot studio in the hip neighborhood of Tribeca. Then, in 2019, she took her boutique to the West Coast on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice \u2013 and has been growing in Los Angeles ever since.<\/p>\n
Last month marked the opening of her fourth studio in Hancock Park, less than a year since a Redondo Beach location took root.<\/p>\n
Lord sat down with the Business Journal to discuss her journey to and from Pilates, moving to L.A. as a New Yorker and the importance of stepping out of one\u2019s comfort zone with intention and poise.<\/p>\n
What is the founding story behind Karen Lord Pilates Movement?<\/p>\n
My journey in starting this company was really to better understand my own body when doctors were failing me.<\/p>\n
When I was back in New York, I was struggling from (endometriosis and chronic illness), and it was really affecting my quality of life. I was doing everything at the highest level but still suffering. And I ended up finding Pilates through a friend needing it.<\/p>\n
I suggested he go. He took me with him to a class, and then I also did somatic work with a therapist.<\/p>\n
And I said, \u2018This is really where it\u2019s at. I\u2019m finding myself coming back into my body in a way that I hadn\u2019t been since I was a competitive gymnast as a kid.\u2019 It was beautiful to go from a very cerebral arts background back to using my body as an expression of art, just like I was in gymnastics. Pilates brought me back to that, and then I said \u2018this is something that I would really love to make my life\u2019s work.\u2019<\/p>\n
I sought out a great school in New York. I had a clear vision for what I wanted to do. I remember somebody in the room saying, \u2018I just want to be a teacher. I don\u2019t want to start an empire.\u2019 And I said back, \u2018I do.\u2019<\/p>\n
You have a background in psychology, arts and fashion. How did that background translate into how you manage your business?<\/p>\n
The psychology piece is definitely useful, and I know it\u2019s a tremendous part of our success. It\u2019s simply the psychology of managing groups, the psychology of helping people be seen, the psychology of designing a space. It\u2019s so crucial to bring that into this new space and new arena. I think it\u2019s really set us apart through the years \u2013 keeping our clients safe, keeping our trainers safe and everybody having a really beautiful experience.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m thinking very much about these third spaces that we\u2019re talking a lot about because there\u2019s a lot of loneliness in the world. I design all of the studios myself. I\u2019m a little bit \u2018crazy\u2019 and don\u2019t even use renderings.<\/p>\n
Just whatever comes out of my heart and my head, we put it onto paper and then into place. I absolutely love interior design, and that comes from my visual arts background.<\/p>\n
I think that creating a beautiful space isn\u2019t to be exclusive or to keep people out. It\u2019s to invite people in. It\u2019s to say, \u2018Hey, I cared enough about you and your experience to share something that I love with you.\u2019<\/p>\n
Not only is design a big part of that mental wellness; I believe strongly that clutter creates chaos. I don\u2019t allow that in my studios. One of the main principles (of Pilates) is breath. I want you to walk in and feel like you\u2019ve taken a breath of this inviting space. It\u2019s crucial not only to the experience of a client from the moment they walk into the studio, but then it translates to the type of workout and my specific method of Pilates.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s structured, but it\u2019s beautiful, and that\u2019s what my method is as well.<\/p>\n
You are a New Yorker who came to L.A. What is it about the City of Angels that attracts you and your business interests?<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t mean to be out here. I ended up here because the original plan was to be bicoastal, and then (COVID-19) closed the studios for a year. And I just kept flowing with L.A. It\u2019s a more challenging city for me because I\u2019m so used to the New York systems \u2026 there\u2019s a whole different flow to L.A. I think it can be very isolating sometimes, so it was really important to me to have this community aspect that isn\u2019t just innate. In New York, everybody looked out for each other. In L.A., you have to really find and create that for people.<\/p>\n
Nature was important. When everything was closed down, (I was) getting into nature, going on hikes, immersing myself in the ocean. Coming back to L.A., it was like I found myself as a kid again. I grew up in Massachusetts, riding bikes and playing outside in the woods, and I think L.A. brought a little bit of that humanness back to me that New York had maybe pulled out. What\u2019s important about these Pilates studios is (the practice) does \u2026 really form a community.<\/p>\n
Here you have to seek it, and these Pilates studios are really doing that.<\/p>\n
Pilates is a huge market, and people are getting more interested in wellness. Within this competitive market, how do you find a niche to grow into? What makes Karen Lord stand out?<\/p>\n
We deliver the best client experience. We have world renowned trainers. It\u2019s a founder-led company, so I\u2019m not only (doing) the design, but I\u2019m in every Pilates sequence that gets approved, every move that gets made in that studio, from the way that the front desk greets people to the way that our trainers conduct a class to the way that we open and close curtains, all the playlists are curated by myself.<\/p>\n
I specifically make (all the playlists) to send the client on a journey.<\/p>\n
Since New York, and since day one, we\u2019ve constantly delivered an excellent product, and it really I think it absolutely sets us apart because we\u2019re not chasing trends \u2013 we\u2019re starting them and we\u2019ve started it. I was one of the first people to do this resurgence of \u2018boutique fitness,\u2019 where studios are modern and beautiful, and you\u2019re taking a more modern approach. There wasn\u2019t that when I did it, and I saw a really empty space in that market \u2013 we made it slightly more contemporary, so it was more palatable for the masses.<\/p>\n
And now look at what happened. Look at the way it blew up, right?<\/p>\n
What are some core ideas, motivations and work ethics that guided you throughout the years in the business?<\/p>\n
I believe in working really hard and not giving up. We have very creative spaces, I have a strong sense of what\u2019s right, and I stick to that. I\u2019m incredibly direct. I treat the people that work with and for me extremely well. I think you have to pay fairly.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s very, very important to treat your team well and not have just this transient, ever-changing team. You have to have people that care. I wouldn\u2019t be able to own this ever-growing company without a strong team, and I wouldn\u2019t be able to have a strong team unless the company was founder-led. I was working with my team every single day to better ourselves and I\u2019ve done that since day one. It\u2019s crucial. Even if I can\u2019t be there physically, I\u2019m talking with my director of training and development every single day.<\/p>\n
To me, the biggest pillar of growth is emotional, psychological growth within the team.<\/p>\n
I think you (should) look at your clients over your numbers because they\u2019re going to guide you to bigger numbers. You have to know what they need but also make sure you\u2019re listening and pivoting if something isn\u2019t working. I\u2019ve got my hands in everything, and I think that\u2019s the answer. There isn\u2019t a day where I don\u2019t know what\u2019s going on at each studio.<\/p>\n
In the next five years, do you see Karen Lord Pilates growing to a bigger number fast, or is it more of a sustainable, slower approach?<\/p>\n
Growth is absolutely in our future. In one year, we opened two huge studios. We\u2019re taking a little time right now to nurture the communities of the two spaces that we\u2019ve just opened, and that\u2019s really important. But expansion is absolutely in our future. We are talking about (opening) a studio a year, but I think this year since we opened two, we\u2019re going to take a tiny bit of space. We\u2019re going to expand into different and possibly secondary markets as well. We\u2019re looking everywhere.<\/p>\n
Throughout the years that you\u2019re building this studio, what are some challenges on the way and how did you navigate that?<\/p>\n
There\u2019s supposed to be challenges in business. Those challenges teach you, and they toughen you. Some of them keep you up all night crying. It\u2019s always a beautiful journey, but all business is tough. This is an especially tough business because the fitness market, especially in big major cities, is so heavily saturated. You have to stay absolutely up to the minute on your game, or somebody else will take over.<\/p>\n
We really struggled when we were closed for a year during COVID. I certainly wasn\u2019t expecting to have a global pandemic. At that moment, we pivoted. We had online classes at that moment, and we started an online plat- form at that time too. We stayed the course.<\/p>\n
We made some smart financial decisions. I think hiring is (also) one of the biggest challenges. When I\u2019m hiring, I look at talent, but I know that we have a program internally that can develop that talent. (The trainers) have to really love people. They have to have a good heart. They have to be a team player, and that\u2019s not easy to find. But I\u2019m great at finding those people and developing them into really good trainers. And we\u2019re very studio centered \u2013 our people aren\u2019t necessarily devoted specifically to the trainer, but to the studio. While somebody\u2019s personality and cadence may change, you\u2019ll (always) get a strong core workout with a kind leader.<\/p>\n
I think part of having a business with a bunch of people moving their bodies and letting out all of this emotion potentially, you have to be prepared. And you have to be prepared to treat people with a level of support that isn\u2019t just fitness informed, you have to be psychology and trauma informed as well.<\/p>\n
In your experience, how have people\u2019s attitudes towards health and wellness changed in recent years, and how have that changed your business practice?<\/p>\n
People are at once both more discerning and less informed, meaning that they want more, but they don\u2019t necessarily know what they want because there\u2019s so much noise out there. It\u2019s our job to educate.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s important is structuring those 50 minutes that you have with a person, plus a little bit in the beginning and a little bit at the end to make these connections. Trainers have to be on point as both ambassadors to the company and a proxy for the client, so that they\u2019re getting their questions met, and also so you can explain, hey, come back again and try it three times before you decide. Tell me what you love. Tell me what you didn\u2019t love.<\/p>\n
We have a little bit less time, so we really have to be on our game.<\/p>\n
After 16 years in the business and more years doing Pilates, what is your biggest takeaway and how do you view your business legacy?<\/p>\n
I\u2019m so proud of what we\u2019ve created. I\u2019m proud of myself as a founder, pivoting in the face of absolute adversity. I\u2019m proud of the team that I\u2019ve created. I just feel proud that the client can look at a Karen Lord studio \u2026 and know that they\u2019re going to get an excellent experience and they know what they\u2019re getting. They\u2019re going to get classical Pilates with a contemporary approach.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m right there taking class alongside them whenever I can, and I\u2019m proud of our ethos. We care about people, and we care about diversity.<\/p>\n
We care about inclusion. That\u2019s something that I\u2019m incredibly proud of; we\u2019ve stayed true to who we are through all of these years.<\/p>\n
The only thing that\u2019s changing is we\u2019re getting better.<\/p>\n
If there\u2019s a young entrepreneur who\u2019s just starting out with their own business, what would you say as advice to them?<\/p>\n
My advice is first to have a vision but be prepared for your experience to not quite match the vision. If you have a strong vision, be prepared to pivot. I certainly wasn\u2019t expecting all of the challenges I\u2019ve had in business. Know that there will be challenges and know that it\u2019s going to be the most rewarding and also hardest thing you\u2019ll ever do.<\/p>\n
I remember somebody once saying, \u2018It\u2019s cute that you have your own name on the wall.\u2019 And I\u2019m like, \u2018What? Whoa! There\u2019s nothing cute about this. It\u2019s hard.\u2019 I don\u2019t know if they would have said that to me if I was a man. Be prepared for the misogyny that comes with all of it. As women, I think we are prepared.<\/p>\n
Offer to work for free. Be an apprentice. Watch somebody working. I really think that if you\u2019re a woman, learn from other women entrepreneurs that have succeeded. Seek out the best, work for free, be willing to do anything it takes. You\u2019re going to have to get really comfortable with being uncomfortable and asking people for help and offering your services. There\u2019s going to be really uncomfortable moments, and you can\u2019t prepare for that. It\u2019s going to change you, and it\u2019s going to change you for the better. There\u2019s going to be tears, and you do really have to put yourself out there, and you really have to ask questions and create a community of advisers. Get ready to ask a million people a million different questions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Karen Lord set her eyes on the horizon from day one as the founder of her eponymous Pilates…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":405082,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[162447,48,52,51,47,50,49],"class_list":["post-405081","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-los-angeles","tag-karen-lord-pilates","tag-la","tag-la-headlines","tag-la-news","tag-los-angeles","tag-los-angeles-headlines","tag-los-angeles-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/405081","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=405081"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/405081\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/405082"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=405081"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=405081"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=405081"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}