Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Kassar.
Hi Amanda, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My pilates journey didn’t start off easy by any means. I remember leaving my career as an events director and being scared to start over in a field I wasn’t familiar with. I had been a dancer during my adolescence but never really practiced pilates until I left my events job.
Every day I would attend pilates classes all over the city and fell in love with the practice. I loved how different each studio was and I began understanding what I liked from each place. One day I saw a teacher training sign at one of the studios and I came home and asked my husband if I should do it. He was so supportive from day 1 and told me I should look into getting certified.
After completing my certification, I thought I’d be able to get a job anywhere! Unfortunately, it wasn’t as easy as I thought. I remember calling and emailing studios asking if they were hiring and to my dismay, no one called me back or emailed me. I felt discouraged and thought I’d never get the chance to teach. About a month later during the holidays, my friend went to a local studio and heard the owner talk about how she was low in staff because everyone was leaving for the holidays. She told the owner about me and I was able to get an interview. I was hired and was able to teach right away.
I remember how nervous I felt to teach my first class but I remember the feeling of providing a great workout. To be able to make someone forget about whatever was going on in their day and to focus on themselves. I knew I was changing someone’s day in a good way and it fueled me to continue my passion. I started teaching at a few studios, building my classes up and eventually adding private house calls to my day. I was working 40-50 hours a week and I loved every minute of it.
When my husband and I bought our home, I was specifically looking for a guest house that I could put a couple of reformers and teach private clients there. I remember starting off with solos then duets and eventually filling up all three reformers. I was teaching 8+ hours a day and I knew I needed to expand. I decided to convert my garage, which was attached to my guest house, into a bigger studio. I added three more machines and within a week filled the spots. The new space felt good, it felt like my own studio and I couldn’t believe what I had built and the relationships I formed.
After having the new space for about a year, the pandemic hit and I had to close my group classes. I had to find a way to keep current clients and new connected to Pilates by Amanda, and that’s how Core Club was born.
Core Club is my new digital platform of challenging mat-based pilates you can do anywhere. I curated videos from learning my fundamentals to using no equipment to advanced moves with props, pre and postnatal and more! Although the pandemic came with many challenges in grateful, I was able to pivot my pilates business. Now that in person sessions are back, I’m able to teach in studio in addition to creating new content for Core Club. You can find the digital platform at www.coreclubpilates.com!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am known for having the hardest pilates class in the city. What separates me from others is my ability to listen to my client’s needs and plan a specific routine tailored to their goals. My classes are 60 minutes of intense slow movements. I don’t just teach a killer workout, I change the shape of my client’s bodies. It’s also not just physical when you walk into my studio or take my online class, I get into clients mentally. I can change their whole day around for the better and there’s nothing that feels better. I love seeing my clients progress. I love seeing how strong they’ve become and how much more confident they feel in their skin. I am proud of the community I’ve built and I’m excited to reach so many more people because of my App Core Club. Core Club is a monthly subscription of all my curated pilates mat routines. I have over 115 video ranging from beginner to advanced, pre/postnatal and more!
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
The lesson I learn during the Covid-19 Crisis is that sometimes you have to pivot and as long as you continue to adapt, you’ll still be able to make a difference in someone’s life.
Pricing:
- 34.99/month for my Core Club subscription
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.coreclubpilates.com
- Instagram: Coreclubpilates
Image Credits:
Photography by Emma Bassill
