Finding Community Through Club Pilates
Opening a Pilates studio wasn’t originally part of Krista Borg’s plan. In fact, before discovering Club Pilates, Pilates itself wasn’t even a major part of her life.
“To be honest, my relationship with Pilates before opening my studio was almost non-existent,” Krista says. “It was when I first started looking at a Club Pilates franchise that I began taking some classes.”
Like many people, her relationship with movement had evolved over time.
“I’ve always been very active and have been doing bootcamp style training for years, however, as I started to get older I felt that I needed something different that grows with me,” she explains. “Exercise has played a huge role in helping me manage stress, anxiety, and even work through injuries with modifications when needed, so Pilates was a natural fit.”
“One motto I’ve always tried to live by is: ‘Don’t stop moving.’ That mindset naturally fitted with the Pilates method.”
For Krista, the decision to open a studio came from wanting to build something meaningful of her own.
“I had always thought about owning my own business, but the right opportunity had never really come up,” she says. “Having never owned a business before made this a new and exciting challenge, but I knew I would be able to bring transferable skills from my previous career into a wellness environment.”
She also says helping people has always been a major part of what motivates her.
“I’m also heavily involved with the Mother’s Day Classic as Chair of the Parramatta Volunteer Committee, in Sydney’s South West,” she says. “Helping people improve their wellbeing and quality of life is something I’m genuinely passionate about.”
When conversations with Club Pilates began, the model immediately stood out.
“I was immediately drawn to the strength of the business model, but it was more than that,” Krista explains. “The Club Pilates philosophy that ‘Pilates is for every Body’ really resonated with me and was something I wanted to be able to deliver to those in my community.”
For a first-time business owner, having an established system behind the Pilates business made the leap feel far less overwhelming.
“The nearly 20-year history of the brand, the 1,300+ studios worldwide, and the variety of class offerings were all very reassuring,” she says. “Everything had already been tried and tested, which gave us confidence as first-time studio owners.”
“As someone who isn’t an instructor myself, having access to support from the Head of Education, the Master Trainer, and the wider franchise network was also a major advantage.”
Still, opening the studio came with plenty of unexpected challenges.
“Our journey was quite long as it took us a long time to secure our location,” Krista says. “Funnily, where we are now was the very first location we looked at and wanted, but for one reason or another it took many, many months to secure.”
“My previous project management experience definitely helped me navigate a lot of the process confidently,” she says. “At the same time, I quickly learned that ‘you don’t know what you don’t know.’”
But perhaps what’s most refreshing is her honesty about the experience. She doesn’t attempt to romanticise business ownership.
“Exhausting,” she says when describing the first two months. “The first month involved a lot of very long days, often up to 16-hour client-facing shifts.”
Yet alongside the exhaustion sits something equally clear: fulfilment.
“Without a doubt, it’s the community we’re building,” she says. “Meeting so many wonderful people, hearing about their goals, and already seeing members experience progress and health benefits within just the first eight weeks has been incredibly inspiring.”
Krista also says the wider Club Pilates network has continued to reinforce why they made the decision to join the franchise.
“The systems and operational processes developed by Head Office have been fantastic and provide a really strong foundation for running the business,” she explains. “Beyond that, the willingness of other Club Pilates franchise owners to share advice, feedback, and support has been incredibly valuable. It truly feels like a collaborative community.”
Looking ahead, Krista says her focus is simple - continuing to help people feel stronger, healthier and more confident through movement.
“I’m really looking forward to hearing more success stories from our members - the achievements, the health improvements, and the confidence people gain through Pilates,” she says.
Find out more about becoming a Club Pilates Franchisee in Australia here.