Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Teter.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Amy. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Everyone realized on September 11, 2001 that the world would never be the same. On August 13, 2001–a little less than a month before 9/11–my life changed forever.
I will never forget that gorgeous summer day. I drove home with the top down on my Mustang convertible to let my three dogs out of their kennels on my lunch hour. I remember feeling perplexed that my then husband’s car was in the garage. We took turns coming home, and he knew it was my day. As I walked upstairs he approached me and tried to grab my hand. I immediately sensed something was wrong and refused to walk with him to the couch. I simply said, “just tell me.” All he said is, ” Julie is gone.” I clearly remember my knees buckling and an otherworldly cry escaping the depths of my soul through my throat.
He went on to explain that my sister had taken her life the day before in her apartment in Nashville. You see, I was just 2 1/2 when my mom gave birth to fraternal twins. And I took on a very maternal role with them–especially after my dad died in a tragic car accident five days after my 5th birthday. To say that Julie’s death was the most devastating loss of my life is an understatement of epic proportions. This all transpired just days before my 29th birthday.
I was blessed that my best friend during that time was a mental health therapist. She recognized early on that my depression was deep. In an effort to keep me moving forward, she took me to my first Pilates class in September of 2001 at the American Academy of Ballet in Charleston, WV. I was hooked! However, all of those firsts (first Thanksgiving, Christmas and birthday) turned me into a Pilates drop out. I was literally coming home from work every day and numbing my pain with whatever I could get my hands on until bed. I hit my lowest point in February of 2002, and was sort of forced to decide if I wanted to live or not. In short, I chose life. I sought mental health therapy and returned to my Pilates class of April 1st of 2002. I remember telling my instructor (who is now a dear friend), “this is not an April Fool’s joke. I’m back and I’m never leaving.”
I realized in the next few years that even though I was a very good Forensic Economist (expert witness) that it was NOT my passion. In an effort to return to life, I was practicing Pilates three days per week, seeing a mental health therapist weekly and reading every self-help book I could get my hands on. Two books, in particular, were life-changing for me: 1. Marianne Williamson’s A Return to Love and 2. The Power of Intention by Wayne Dyer.
I found myself following Dr. Wayne Dyer’s advice and stating aloud (aka setting my intentions) to family and friends that I was not fulfilled being an economic expert witness or teaching Economics as an Adjunct Professor for local colleges and universities. I just kept saying that I love to teach and I love Pilates. By this time, five years had passed. My first marriage did not survive my sister’s death. I was divorced from my first husband and married to my second. I think my new husband thought it was just talk–so he encouraged me to get certified in Pilates. I took my first certification in April of 2007 through the PhysicalMind Institute at a training in San Diego, CA.
After years of knowing economics was not my passion, it only took me 3 months after that Pilates certification course to give my boss/uncle notice that I was leaving the business that he had spent 10 years training me to take over. I still can’t believe how understanding he was. It was meant to be. I opened my first Pilates studio in my home in August of 2007. By the next summer, I had 80+ clients and was ready to expand. My first official studio–Centered–opened on West Washington Street in Charleston on August 1, 2008. The power of intention was hard at work in my life.
I gave birth to my son on August 9, 2010. I had some difficulty dropping the nearly 45 pounds I put on during my pregnancy. One of my clients had heard great things about TRX Suspension training from a friend of his that owned a Pilates studio in South Carolina. By January 2011, I had an instructor in place and received my TRX certification in May of 2011. Later that year, at the suggestion of one of my staff members, I obtained a Core Barre certification. I now had a staff of four working for me and was offering Pilates, barre, and suspension training classes.
Kismetly, two of my clients owned a space in downtown Charleston and Centered moved there on January 1, 2012. Due to some plumbing issues with the Hale Street location, I moved Centered to 108 Capitol Street in February of 2015. We have made our home there since that time.
It is important to know that during the time from August 2001 through November 2013, a lot changed. I totally switched careers and became a mother. Honestly, I became a totally different–stronger and more spiritual person. I credit Mr. Pilates largely for my “return to life”. My second marriage did not weather these changes.
I met my current husband through a dear mutual friend in late 2013. After an unsuccessful job search in WV, my then boyfriend was offered the job of a lifetime in Las Colinas, TX. I had been stating out loud for years that I wanted the experience of living in a larger city. I knew immediately that he was supposed to take the job and that we would find a way to make it work. Gabriel moved to Dallas in November of 2017, and I began traveling between WV and TX every other week. I live in WV on the weeks that I have my son and I live in TX with Gabe when my son is with his father.
When I first began travelling back and forth, my only Pilates contact in Dallas had yet to open a studio so I was seeking a place to call my fitness home in Dallas. I read an article on Meghan Markle and she talked at length about her love for the Megaformer and Lagree Fitness. I had heard of the Megaformer, but we didn’t have any studios in the state of WV. I googled it and lo and behold there was a Studio 6 Fitness in Preston Hollow less than 3 miles from my townhouse. I took my first class in December of 2017. I knew immediately upon meeting the instructor sitting at the front desk, feeling the positivity in that studio and experiencing the hardest workout of my life up to that point that I was home. The law of attraction had steered me in the right direction. I literally looked at the young lady at the front desk (my inspiring friend Heather Plassman) when I walked out of class and said, “How do I work here?” She told me they had a training program kicking off in February. After speaking with the studio owner, Elizabeth Lindberg, she graciously accepted me into the program–even though my every other week schedule made me a less than a desirable employee. She finally concluded that I could at least teach private sessions.
I spent the time from February through June 2018 completing Studio 6’s 100-hour Lagree Fitness training program. During this time, Elizabeth and our wonderful training coordinator Kerry McStay agreed to find trainers to alternate with me so that I could actually teach Megaformer classes on my weeks in Dallas. I now teach 10 classes for Studio 6 Fitness every other week. I teach two classes in the Plano studio and eight at the Preston Hollow Studio. Studio 6 has amazing trainers, so my clients feel happy to have me when I’m there and they are in amazing hands when I’m in WV.
I’ve learned in my years of teaching that “if you don’t use it, you lose it.” So, on my weeks in WV, I began asking clients if they would be open to me practicing the Lagree Fitness exercises in a modified format on my Balanced Body studio reformers. They loved the workout and helping me practice. In June of 2018, a nine-year Pilates client and friend informed me that she absolutely couldn’t live without Lagree when I was in TX. One month later, Jennifer Mize traveled with me to Dallas to take Megaformer classes at Studio 6. At first, we thought we would simply open a separate Lagree studio together in WV. We decided to become 50/50 business partners in Centered over lunch at Flower Child that week.
It was important to me that I had Elizabeth Lindberg’s support because she had been so generous and kind to me. Her response came without hesitation–that is WV this is TX. Go for it! By October 31st, Centered became WV’s only licensed Lagree studio and we kicked Lagree classes off in WV with four Megaformers in our studio space.
Taking Jennifer on as a business partner was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Not only is she a great Lagree Fitness instructor–my business now has someone at the helm of the ship when I’m in TX. Over 6 months into our partnership, Lagree now accounts for a whopping 35% of our gross revenue and we just celebrated our highest month of sales ever in May. Centered is on a mission to get Charleston, WV happier and healthier!
It is important to note that in July of 2015 I received an email out of the blue (one of my favorite power of intention fruition moments of ALL time) from Pilates Academy International in NYC. I was convinced during my first Pilates certification course in 2007 that my ultimate goal was to be a teacher trainer. PAI invited me to become a teacher trainer for them and a satellite training center. I was thrilled and traveled to NYC in October of 2015 to complete the PAI Pilates Teacher Trainer course. Lesley Wehrle of Dallas was also at the same course. We friended each other on Instagram but never thought we would cross paths. I reached out to Lesley when I moved to Dallas and she called me in late March of 2018 to tell me that her dream of opening Train Pilates Studio inside Sweat Dallas in the Inwood Shopping Village had been realized. Once again, the power of intention came to my rescue. Because of PAI, I was able to train the right people at Centered to take over my WV clients when I’m in TX and I met the person that would provide my Pilates home in Dallas.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I know it sounds like everything just “fell into place” along the way but there is no such thing as an overnight success. My path was paved with trials and tribulations.
When a dear client mentioned her brother-in-law had studio space for rent in 2008 there was no doubt in my mind that Centered was meant to open at 311 West Washington Street. As I began cleaning up the space, it became clear that mold remediation was necessary. What was supposed to be a simple paint job turned into a 3-week delay in opening and undesirable tension with my new landlord from the outset of my lease.
That studio had other problems as well, from a floor that partially buckled and had to be pulled up to some small plumbing issues. When in 2011, some other clients agreed to build to suit 225 Hale Street to my need–I was thrilled. I was set to move Centered in August of 2011. Due to construction delays, we actually didn’t move into that space until January 2012. When I tell you that my 3 years on Hale Street were riddled with problems, I’m not fudging one bit. During this time, my second marriage was failing; I had a toddler; I had some very unfortunate issues with instructors leaving; and plumbing problem after plumbing problem. We had 2 bathrooms equipped with residential style toilets. But when 10+ women were rolling into class and everyone was using the bathrooms, the plumbing kept backing up. Every time my landlords looked at the situation they blamed my clients for throwing feminine products in the toilets. They finally refused to handle the issue. So I was forced for months on end to drive to Sunbelt Rentals (at times more than once weekly), rent an eel and eel the toilets and plumbing myself. I LITERALLY fought to hold it together during this time.
Personally and professionally those 3 years were some of the hardest of my life. I feel like the Universe was asking me “how much do you really want this?” I fought back. The toilets backed up several times leaking onto the studio floor. My landlords refused to repair the flooring. So my brother, my boyfriend and I literally laid flooring. There was also the MCHM chemical spill in January of 2014 that caused at least 2 weeks of business interruption. The straw that broke the camel’s back was the final studio flood in November of 2014. There was a residential loft above the studio space that was for sale. During the loft inspection, the inspector filled the jacuzzi tub in the loft and instead of draining into the plumbing–it drained into my main studio floor. I had at least a 1″ of water in the space. Not only did the floor (that I had already relaid once) completely buckle–mold was a major issue as well. Fortunately, my landlord’s took responsibility and fixed the issue. But, my studio was closed for weeks leading up to the Christmas holidays. It was financially devastating for my business. I literally could have sued my landlords/friends for business interruption multiple times during the 3-year lease but chose not to because of the friendship. I did finally receive a small settlement for Centered from the class action suit related to the chemical spill last year.
When the new owner of the loft/building asked me to renew a 3-year lease, I actually considered it. She seemed like a nice person and I did love the space. My staff literally told me that if I didn’t find a new space I was crazy. Thank goodness I listened. I shopped spaces and found a much more suitable space in a better foot traffic location on Capitol Street. The owners of the space agreed to a $35,000 gorgeous tailored build out if I would sign a 5-year lease and (knock on wood) I have had no issues in the 4.5 years we have been on Capitol Street. Our studio space is a dream and RERI (the building management company) has been amazing to us.
As I look back over my journey, my advice for young women is to fight for what you know you were put on this planet to do. It will not be easy. Nothing worthwhile EVER is. And, be careful what you set your intentions for because, in my opinion, it WILL come true.
Please tell us more about what you do, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I am the Founder and Co-Owner of Charleston, WV’s premier movement studio. I am certified in Active Isolated Stretching, Core Barre, Core Suspend, Lagree Fitness, Pilates and TRX Suspension training. The majority of my time in WV is spent teaching private and duet Pilates apparatus sessions, as well as Lagree Fitness. I am also a Teacher Trainer for Pilates Academy International. Centered serves as a satellite training center. In other words, I train Pilates instructors to teach others. I am currently working with two trainees in WV that are completing our PAI All Populations Reformer 1 & 2 training.
On the weeks I am in Dallas, I teach for Studio 6 Fitness and Train Pilates Studio. I currently teach 10 classes at Studio 6. I’m in Plano every other Thursday morning teaching 2 classes (9:30 and 10:30). The other 8 classes I teach are at the Preston Hollow studio. You can find me at Studio 6 Fitness Preston Hollow every other Thursday evening (4:30, 5:30 & 6:30 p.m.); Friday afternoon (2 and 4:30 p.m.) and Saturday morning (10, 11 and Noon).
I am at Train Pilates Studio every other Tuesday and Wednesday. Train Pilates serves as the PAI Satellite Teacher Training Center for Dallas. Lesley Wehrle (owner) and I are currently taking two trainees through a comprehensive Pilates certification. In addition to serving as a Teacher Trainer for Train Pilates Studio’s satellite center, I offer Active Isolated Stretching sessions and am a sub for Group Reformer Classes.
I am proud of the movement studio I have built in Charleston. It’s amazing to have a thriving studio (did I mention we just had our highest month of sales ever?) in the heart of the nation’s 3rd most unhappy and unhealthy city. I know I am doing my part to help us get off that list and it feels wonderful.
I think you will find that whether I am in WV or TX it is my energy and passion for what I do that sets me apart from the pack. I also think that with my Pilates background, I bring additional knowledge of proper biomechanics/form/posture to my Megaformer classes. I truly believe when you love what you do–others feel it. And that is the feedback I get from all of my clients that I am blessed to work with.
So much of the media coverage is focused on the challenges facing women today, but what about the opportunities? Do you feel there are any opportunities that women are particularly well positioned for?
I have a different take on this. I think the only thing standing in the way of ANY human being is that person. You can truly create the life you want with your thoughts/intentions. I learned that from Dr. Wayne Dyer and his book The Power of Intention. I’m living proof of that. I’m not saying it will happen overnight or that it won’t come with obstacles and challenges. Clearly, I have had my fair share. But when you choose to do what you love–the Universe does the rest. Of that, I am 100% certain. One of my favorite quotes is from the movie Field of Dreams. “If you build it, they will come.” You better believe it!
Contact Info:
- Website: centeredwv.com
- Email: centeredpilates@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amy_teter/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amy.t.goins?ref=bookmarks
- Other: https://www.pilatesstyle.com/moves-month-driving/
Image Credit:
I am standing in front of our Capitol Street location the year we opened–in July of 2015. That was taken by my friend and wonderful photographer Lauren Stonestreet
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