February 6, 2017

Meet Lana House of House Pilates in Pacific Palisades

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lana House.

Lana, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I went to college at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts to study drama. While there I was exposed to all different types of movement including Tai Chi, Tai Kwon Do, Capoeira, Yoga, Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop, Pop and Lock and Pilates was also on that list. I immediately loved the way I felt warm on the inside from the work in a way that no other form of movement or exercise gave me! (I consistently worked out at a gym weekly starting in junior high as I was always very passionate about health and fitness). Upon graduating I moved back home to Los Angeles to pursue my acting career. The stars aligned to take Pilates classes with a teacher in training and became hooked. I decided it would be a great part-time job while pursuing my love of acting but over time I found my passion to be greater in health and wellness than in acting. I also knew I wanted to become a mom someday with job flexibility so I could spend some quality time with my kids. Once I became a certified instructor in my early 20’s I began teaching at Equinox immediately and within that year left the gym to start my own business. I worked on my own renting studio space from other teachers in Santa Monica for 4+ years. Now, over a decade since my Pilates teaching career began, I have my business on the side of my house in Pacific Palisades where it has been successfully running for 6.5 years. Having my business at home has allowed me to fulfill my dream of spending quality time with my children when I am not working and maintain a great work/life balance.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I’m not sure any business owner can say they have had a struggle free experience starting their business. I have been very fortunate to only have a few bumps on the road and the main one would be the difficulty of building a business from scratch…getting the word out there to gain new clients without spending a fortune. I also really struggled with being comfortable raising rates, setting a value for my work and discussing financial issues with clients. Fortunately, as time has gone on I have become better at handling the financial side and learning to really value my work.

Because my business is attached to my home, there has always been less pressure financially which is great because a fitness business has slow seasons and peak seasons and not always predictable in terms of financial success. To this day I still have to be mindful of letting go of the fear of the studio being slow and the feeling of not having enough which I am sure others can relate to that run their own business.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
House Pilates is an intimate Classical Pilates Studio in the heart of Pacific Palisades. Unlike so many studios out there now, we teach our clients pilates the way it was taught by its creator, Joseph Pilates. This makes it classical or traditional. When Joseph Pilates passed away he did not protect the name Pilates so nowadays anyone can open a fitness center and call it pilates. It is a little worrisome as it can be dangerous if not taught the way it was intended. We really have seen the benefits of his work as he created it so we strive to work in a way that would make Joe proud everyday. I am proud that we have maintained the integrity of his original work – with so many trends coming and going in fitness it is tempting to tag on some sort of “cardio boost” or “meditative mix” in an attempt to stay popular and relevant but we have stayed true to who we have been since the beginning. And it has paid off! People love the work they do here and we are proud to see clients feeling stronger, living without the pain they once had, and changing their lives for the better.

People love coming to the studio because unlike most studios, there is nobody else in the room during their session (unless of course, they are working with a partner). It is a very private experience.

What were you like growing up?
I was very outgoing and driven as a child. As the middle child of three girls, I worked hard to stand out and be the best at everything I did – probably at times to a fault. But I also had a lot of fun growing up, too so there was a balance. I have to admit I was also very bossy and liked to be in control. A lot of Pilates instructors joke about how type A personalities tend to gravitate to Pilates and I am no exception! I was athletic and played many different sports, including cheerleading. The cheerleader in me has definitely come in handy in teaching sessions and helping prep clients up! I was always involved in a lot of activities – sports, a mother-daughter charity organization, yearbook staff, piano, etc…you know the classic overachiever 😉 I did always have an interest in health and wellness, though, too. I was mindful of what I ate and spent a lot of time exercising and loved it.

Pricing: