Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Dodd.
Hi Michelle, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My mother was morbidly obese for as long as I can remember. So not surprisingly, my sister and I always struggled with our weight as well. We were never active as kids – no sports, not much activity other than watching TV. I have gone through periods of going to gyms, Jazzercize, etc. off and on for most of my adult life, but never with much consistency or joy.
In February of 2020, my 25-year career in marketing research came to an end when I was let go from a company that was not a good fit. This was right at the beginning of Covid and shut-downs. As I tried to gear up to start job searching and interviewing in this field, I realized that I no longer enjoyed it or had any passion left for it. As I thought about what my next chapter might be, I decided that I wanted to find a form of exercise that I could enjoy into my later adulthood, and then share that with others. So I discovered Pilates, and more specifically, IM=X Pilates and Fitness, which is a more athletic and strength-focused form of Pilates.
I spent the rest of 2020 learning how to do Pilates as well as how to teach it. My studio space was built out and I opened my franchise location in Mansfield, Texas (suburb of DFW) in January 2021. For the past 4 years, I have worked hard to build a wonderful community where everyone feels welcome, despite their gender, age, fitness level, size, shape, ethnicity, etc. My staff of instructors are extremely caring and supportive of our wonderful members, greeting everyone by name, and checking in on them when we haven’t seen them in class for a while. This is so much more than just a “gym” or “a place to workout”. It has become a 2nd or 3rd home for many of our members, who feel that they have finally found the workout that they can actually stick with for the long-term.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, definitely not a smooth road. One of the biggest challenges is finding and hiring good instructors. Trying to find people who are A. interested in becoming an instructor, B. have the right personality for it, C. have the availability and finances to take the certification training course, D. have the time to put in for all of the practice hours and studying and then E. are available at the days and times I need…it’s like looking for unicorns! And not just 1….several!
It’s also not easy building the membership. Despite adding some new members each month, you are also losing some each month as well due to illness, moving out of the area, interest that drops off, changes in job/financial situations, injuries, busy schedules with the kids, etc. So it’s a non-stop juggling act to at least just keep replacing the members lost each month, let alone grow larger.
And as the owner, I find that my schedule is now LESS flexible than when I worked in a corporate job. It’s hard to take time off for vacations and such when I am usually the back-up for when other instructors need time off.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
IMX Pilates and Fitness is a more modern and athletic approach to Pilates. Our reformer is a proprietary piece of equipment, called an Xercizer. It is more durable, larger and more versatile than reformers at other Pilates studios. Our workouts include 5 fundamentals to teach our members how to elongate their spine, breath with purpose, and stabilize their pelvis, ribcage and spine. This results in a workout that strengthens the core and helps to protect the back & spine during strength training.
Our studio has 2 rooms – one features 12 Xercizers while the other has 10 Towers, which allows us to offer a wider variety of class types and can have 2 classes running at the same time. Other studios have classes that are constantly full, which means many of their members do not get into the classes they wish to take. We make sure our members have as much access to our classes as they need and want.
What’s next?
We are always trying to evolve and meet the demands and desires of our members. This might mean some new equipment, new exercises, new props, additional class times, partnering with other companies that offer complementary services like nutritional help, etc.
Pricing:
- Unlimited classes for $209/month
- 8 classes a month for $184/month
- Save when you pre-pay for 3, 6 or 12 months
- 5-pack of classes for $140
- 10-pack of classes for $260
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.imxpilates.com/texas/mansfield
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imxmansfield/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/imxmansfield
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@imxpilatesmansfield6013
