Today we’d like to introduce you to Abby Phelps.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’m a lifelong Chicagoan who grew up playing sports year-round and then fell in love with boutique fitness as an adult. After a career in Management Consulting, I completed my MBA at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, then transitioned into Brand Management, working on brands like Skittles, Juicy Fruit, and Orbit. After a reminder that “life is precious and you have to live now”, my husband, Mason, and I quit our jobs and travelled the world for 1.5 years. Upon returning to Chicago, I had opportunities to return to CPG brand management but realized I didn’t want to be back in Corporate America. We started a family shortly thereafter and I stayed at home with my two girls for a couple of years.
I’d looked on and off at franchises for a couple of years and in early 2015, I worked with brokers once again to explore the available opportunities. I wanted something that would leverage my marketing and strategy background, was scalable, could allow me to “do well, while doing good”, and that would allow me a flexible schedule to be a present mom as well. Club Pilates was one of many concepts I explored and the more I learned, the more it felt like a perfect fit for me. I’d always looked around the boutique studios I attended thinking what a cool business it would be to own. Now, I had the opportunity to actually do it myself… and in a modality that was tried for nearly a century. I LOVED Allison’s Beardsley’s initial model of making Pilates more accessible. For so long, it had been an exercise of the elite due to the high price point for private lessons. By taking Pilates into a small group setting and creating a membership model that fostered community and inclusivity, Alison made it more accessible from a price point, schedule, and comfort perspective.
I signed on in 2016 to open three Club Pilates on the north sides of Chicago. I opened the first studio in Illinois in Lincoln Park in October 2016. It has been incredibly rewarding to demystify Pilates for people who thought the Reformer looked more like a torture device than a piece of exercise equipment. Each month we celebrate a “member of the month” and their stories inspire me and make me so proud of what we’re doing. This spring, I opened my second studio in North Center after seeing the growth and energy in the area as many of my friends settled families in North Center, Lincoln Square, and Roscoe Village. I love the personal and community-oriented feel of the area and have loved getting to know fellow small business owners on Lincoln, supporting the local schools, and welcoming neighbors into the studio since we opened in April.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I opened my first studio 6 months pregnant with my 3rd child, so balancing work and home was a pretty delicate balance in the early months at Lincoln Park. It’s also been a bumpy road getting the right General Managers on board, but I have two amazing partners now and feel grateful for my amazing team!
Club Pilates Lincoln Park and Club Pilates North Center – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Club Pilates Lincoln Park is a boutique Pilates studio specializing in reformer fusion classes for anyone, at any age or fitness level. Pure to Joseph Pilates’ original Reformer-based Contrology Method, but modernized with group practice and expanded state-of-the-art equipment, Club Pilates offers high-quality, life-changing training at a surprisingly affordable price.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I define success as a studio that’s full of happy staff and members who are falling more deeply in love with Pilates day by day and week by week. I am incredibly proud of our great reviews and frequent referrals as they’re signs that people appreciate what we’re doing. On a more personal level, success is finding a balance between being a mom of three kids five and under, an entrepreneur, and a wife while taking a little time for myself. My members and staff are incredibly important to me, but one of the reasons I left corporate America was to have the flexibility to be a present and involved mom. I’m not sure I’ve found that perfect balance but perfect is likely an unattainable goal. If everyone around me is happy, I’m happy.
Pricing:
- Unlimited Monthly Membership – $229
- 8 Class Monthly Membership – $199
- 4 Class Monthly Membership – $109
- Intro to Private Training – $230
Contact Info:
- Address: Club Pilates Lincoln Park
2047 N Clybourn
Chicago, IL 60614Club Pilates North Center
4023 N Lincoln
Chicago, IL 60618 - Website: www.clubpilates.com/lincolnpark AND www.clubpilates.com/northcenter
- Phone: 312.734.1070 (LP) AND 773.789.7507 (NC)
- Email: lincolnpark@clubpilates.com AND northcenter@clubpilates.com
- Instagram: @cplincolnpark AND @cpnorthcenter
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/clubpilateslincolnpark AND www.facebook.com/clubpilatesnorthcenter/
- Yelp: www.yelp.com/biz/club-pilates-chicago-2 AND www.yelp.com/biz/club-pilates-north-center-chicago
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
