oh hello again!
I’m Terriell, and I would love to get better acquainted.
‘round my corner of the virtual Pilates studio, I’m known for giving smart and detailed workouts that are both challenging and accessible with the right balance of mobility and strength work.
I create a warm and welcoming space for all clients to feel supported in reaching their movement and fitness goals.
big picture?
I am committed to creating a non-intimidating and encouraging environment for all who work with me.
My bigger vision is to help shepherd an era of a more inclusive and accessible Pilates industry that will serve more than just those already comfortable in traditional fitness spaces.
Read more about my mission and values here>
To learn more about what it’s like to take Pilates with me, click the button below.
over the years, I’ve had the privilege of having a front row seat to the processes and techniques of some of the industry’s most prolific educators and savvy business owners.
I learned the ropes of studio management and operations from the biggest players in the Pilates and fitness game. I helped establish and grow an international teacher training. I managed a studio and a team of teachers. All while teaching some damn cool clients.
I’ve hustled all around New York City as an independent contractor, private in-home Pilates teacher, front-desk aficionado, studio manager, and more recently, full time entrepreneur as virtual studio owner and Pilates business mentor.
Day to day, I teach a full roster of clients who I love, mentor fellow Pilates teachers on their craft and businesses, and lead a professional network of fitness professionals committed to growth and learning.
You might humbly say that I’ve put in my time in this industry, but like you, dear Pilates teacher, I have busted my plump tush at this Pilates game from the start, and I have some strong opinions to share in this “about me” section.
Buckle up, babes.
As you might expect, I am completely obsessed with the technique of teaching Pilates, the business of Pilates, and Pilates Continuing Education.
But! It doesn’t take a very hard look to see that a lot of our current training and continuing education standards don’t really serve us in growth long term as professionals.
The system is broken, ok?! And a lot of my professional experience before working for myself was learning by example of what not to do.
I said what I said...
Let’s be real. The Pilates world doesn’t need more continuing education workshops, pilates teacher trainings, or hyped up conferences.
What we really need is... YOU
More specifically: education that brings out the absolute best in what you do. That gives you the tools to be more effective in your teaching, more confident in your expertise, and more aligned in your purpose, so that you can help your clients progress from where they are today, to where they want to be tomorrow.
That’s where I come in..
Helping Pilates teachers find joy and confidence in their teaching, and ease and abundance in their businesses LIGHTS ME THE EFF UP.
I love getting to the heart of what we do as teachers of this method, by tailoring experiences based on what a teacher needs most in order to grow.
I help teachers who are stressed out, burned out, or not quite feeling the good-Pilates-vibes find that equilibrium where career fulfillment meets healthy bank accounts, and where expertise meets more effective and confident teaching.
Together we will identify your biggest challenges and blocks, then take all of your goals, huge ideas, and aspirations and weave them together to form a framework that prioritizes YOU, your success, and the success of your clients.
As a Pilates business mentor, I’m not into teaching a one-size-fits-all approach. You won’t get cookie-cutter strategy or a business model to follow based on what has worked for me, because what has worked for me won’t work for you.
You are unique and what you want to put out in the world is unique to you. I am here to help you get clear on your gifts and how to share them (and also make a satisfying living— lets be honest!).
Ready to get started?
But that’s not all… Curious to know how I got here?
I earned my Pilates teaching chops under the tutelage of Alycea Ungaro at Real Pilates in NYC.
Upon completing her comprehensive teacher training, I was inducted into the Real Pilates lineage, and proudly became a third generation Pilates instructor, having been taught by Alycea, who learned directly from our Pilates elder, Romana Krysanowska, who in turn, was the protege of Joseph Pilates himself.
SIDE NOTE - As a history buff, I think Pilates lineage is cool, but it doesn’t make me a better teacher than folks who are certified through different backgrounds. What makes a great teacher is their commitment to being excellent and how they serve their clients.
Like most journeys, mine to becoming a Pilates teacher was not a straight line.
I got my first taste of Pilates as a pre-teen, having pooled my pocket change with my older sister to purchase Mari Winsor’s famous in-home Pilates workouts on VHS.
My instincts, and the burn in my abs, told me there was something real in this work.
So, I continued to practice the mat exercises from memory over my high school and college dancing years as warm-ups and of course, to keep working on that ever elusive 6-pack of abs.
Speaking of dance warm-ups… I used Pilates as a conditioning tool before I even knew much about it, or even that it was considered Pilates.
I danced all throughout my high school and college years.
I taught and choreographed movement to all walks of life, ages 2-89 years old, in community, studio and academic settings.
After a move across the Pacific to Hawaii and back, 3 schools, and 6 years (I know, I like to do it my own way), I earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance at Western Washington University, and a Bachelor of Arts in History and Secondary Education.
After college, I packed everything I owned in 2 suitcases and moved to New York City to pursue a career in dance.
I had a few companies in mind that I wanted with all my heart to dance for. As you can imagine, my family didn’t really ‘get’ why I wanted to make such a big move for such an uncertain career choice, but I knew that dancing made me feel happy and alive like nothing else did.
It wasn’t at all the performing, the lifestyle, and, although I enjoyed the creative aspect of it, the rehearsal time that drew me to dancing… I liked dancing because it made me feel amazing.
Physically powerful, mentally focussed, hyper-aware of my spacial senses, and awake to my energetics both inside and outside of my body. It was a rush, a buzz, an injection of joy, a gratifying mental challenge, a physical sweaty endeavor — all in one.
I wished over and over that I would one day be in a position to provide that feeling to everyday people, so they could understand how awesome it was!
While choreographing and producing my own work, and “hanging out” with my favorite dance companies, I got certified to teach yoga, because, as you may know, dance didn’t quite pay the bills (it actually didn’t pay the bills at all, if I’m being honest).
And what was yoga? It was a great way to get your movement “fix” that everyday people engaged in.
I thought it was an excellent opportunity to provide people with the same feel-good-feeling I got while dancing that I wanted so much to share.
Luckily, I landed my first private client right out of teacher training and transitioned into teaching yoga 1x1 through word of mouth, making house calls all over the city.
Private teaching was challenging, but it was much more gratifying than teaching in group settings, because I got to give my full attention and focus to one person, and control almost all aspects of their experience.
So how exactly did I come to teach Pilates out of Dance and Yoga?
Like all responsible adults needing to pay rent, I had get a part-time job while I was building my Yoga business, and serendipitously found myself working a front desk position at a Pilates studio that I knew pretty much nothing about (free group classes, yesss!). What a great compliment to my dancing and yoga!
After a private session with one of their most popular instructors, being put through the ringer for a full hour, it became clear that Pilates was WAY MORE than just a compliment to my other movement practices. It was the key to doing everything in life better.
I decided to go through that studio’s teacher training program.
…and the rest, as they say, is history.
Nowadays, I work with phenomenal Pilates teachers and clients alike.
The teachers that I guide are passionate individuals who want to teach their clients and build their businesses their own way.
They value their individuality and believe, like I do, that Pilates is a vehicle for anything they want to do in life.
They’re rebels. Renegades. Entrepreneurs who teach and do business their own way, because they value their freedom and their work just that much.
They’re anything but “industry standard” — and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I’m so proud to be a part of their universe, and help them serve more, scale higher, and do what they do even better.
Sound like your cup of tea?
Our work together can start right here, right now.
