Today we’d like to introduce you to Melanie Archer
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started taking Pilates in 2005 when my daughter was just two years old. I still had about 15 pounds left to loose and to get my body back to where it was before. I had gone back to running and the gym, but nothing was working. After doing Pilates three times a week for three months my body was better than ever. I absolutely fell in love with it and wanted to share it with other new Moms to get them back to where they were before too. It was so hard to find the time with a young child so I started my training and got a reformer for my garage. I started practicing on my friends then they referred their friends and it all grew from there. I had the new Moms bring their baby’s and kids with them so they didn’t have to worry about child care. I held the babies if needed to be held while I taught. I had toys & blankets for them to play with or lay on while their Mom’s got to do Pilates. After doing it in my garage for three years I opened my big studio in the Dinah’s plaza in 2009. They are unfortunately now turning that plaza into apartments so I have found a new home in Westchester. I’m very happy with the new location even though it’s smaller it’s intimate and cozy with a lovely view into the courtyard.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. I took a leap of faith purchasing my first reformer for my garage as I was newly divorced with a three year old. I had custody the majority of the time so juggling being a Mom and teaching enough to pay the rent was a struggle. Thankfully when my daughter started school I was able to grow enough where I felt I needed a bigger space. Finding that space in 2009 was a challenge as I wanted it to be fairly close to school for drop off & pick and in case I ever got a call from the school to pick her up. I got super lucky with the location eventually and a decent price for LA. I had a pretty good private clientele by this point, but to keep up with the rent I still needed to grow. I pounded the pavement old school style with flyers to local businesses. I had to renovate the space because it had been a PR company previously. I was fortunate to know a good contractor that helped me prepare the space. Money was super tight so he worked with me & we got it ready fairly quickly. Building a class clientele was a challenge, but slowly & steadily my business grew mostly through word of mouth. I tried advertising through Groupon for a while, but unfortunately they make you offer 50% off your class packages & they then take 50% off the top too. It turned out to also be not the best audience. Then Covid hit & I was forced to close down for an entire year. I only had myself on payroll, but thankfully at least got PPP loan. That didn’t come anywhere close to covering all of my expenses. I had to take out a pretty big SBA loan to make it through. Then business was really rough for the following two years. It just came back in 2023 when I was told I had to find a new location. That search was unbelievably challenging considering how much rent had gone up and knowing I had to stay very local for my clients to follow me. Some how I have survived and things are going well. My biggest challenge now is finding staff. I’ve been interviewing for months and still can’t find any really good instructors. I have my own training course, but I don’t have the time to train anyone at the moment. I have high hopes that the right instructor will come along soon.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m now a very experienced and well educated owner/Master Trainer. With 18 years of teaching under my belt & having had many injuries of my own I’m able to help a lot of people. I specialize in form and alignment of the body. I’m not a physical therapist, but I help rehab people from shoulder surgery, back surgery, hip surgery, knee surgery and many other ailments. Anyone can do Pilates and it helps everyone with different things. I can also work with top athletes competing in all kinds of sports. I’m most proud of the wonderful business I have built and to be a part of such a great community. Our clients are dedicated and loyal. What sets my studio apart from the others is our focus on form and alignment. We pride ourselves in making corrections throughout our clients sessions to keep them safe from injuries and help prevent them in their daily lives. We have specialty classes & doctors refer their patients to us.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
My clients make me happy because we share our lives with eachother and they truly value what I do.
Pricing:
- 3 introductory privates for $234
- 6 introductory privates for $450
- 5 introductory classes for $110
- First unlimited month of classes $235
- Monthly memberships 16 classes per month $305
Contact Info:
- Website: HTTPS://Archerpilates.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archerpilates?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
- Facebook: HTTPS:://m.facebook.com/ArcherPilatesLA/
Image Credits
Melanie Archer, Kat Walsh
