You Never Really Know Where One Small Decision Might Lead
Kimmy teaching a handful of friends on her Brooklyn apartment rooftop in 2014, before East River Pilates and SPRING began.
What We've Learned After Teaching Hundreds of Pilates Instructors
By Kimmy Smith
When I think back to my own beginning over twelve years ago, I couldn't have imagined where that first class would eventually lead.
I was teaching a handful of friends on a rooftop in Brooklyn because I loved what Pilates did for my mind and body and wanted to share it with people I cared about. I wasn't thinking about building a business or opening studios. I certainly wasn't imagining that one day East River Pilates would grow into five thriving studios across New York City, or that SPRING would become a global teacher training community supporting students around the world. At the time, success simply meant hoping someone would come back to class the following week.
Looking back now, it's incredible how much can grow from one small decision to begin. The funny thing is, if you'd asked me back then what success looked like, I probably would have said, "Hopefully someone comes to class next week." It's remarkable how our dreams have a way of growing alongside us, often taking us somewhere we never expected to go.
Every graduate's journey unfolds differently, and that's exactly how it should be. Some teach one class a week alongside another career they already love. Others build thriving full-time businesses. Some specialize in rehabilitation, while others discover a passion for prenatal Pilates, athletic performance, or mentoring future teachers.
None of us really knows where our first "yes" might lead. And perhaps that's one of the most exciting parts.
There Isn't One Version of a Great Pilates Instructor
After teaching hundreds of students over the years, one thing has become abundantly clear.
There isn't one personality that's naturally better at teaching Pilates, there isn't one career path that guarantees success, and there isn't one type of person who belongs in teacher training.
SPRING graduates celebrating the completion of their Reformer Pilates Teacher Training at East River Pilates in Brooklyn, New York.
Walk into one of our teaching labs and you'll probably find a nurse chatting with an accountant over coffee. A new mum practicing cueing with a lawyer. A school teacher and a business owner exchanging ideas, asking questions, and discovering that they each bring something unique to the room. It's one of our favorite parts of teaching.
If you came back six months later, you might be surprised by who had become the most confident teacher. It isn't always the loudest person in the room. It isn't necessarily the student with years of fitness experience either. More often than not, it's the person who stayed curious, kept showing up, and gradually found their own voice.
That's the beautiful thing about teaching Pilates. There isn't one version of a great instructor. There are thousands.
Growth Rarely Looks Like We Expect
Most people begin teacher training expecting to learn anatomy, movement science, programming, and cueing. They absolutely do. Along the way, though, they also begin to see movement, and even themselves, a little differently.
SPRING students studying, taking notes and learning together.
You start noticing movement differently. You become more observant. You listen to teachers with fresh ears. You begin asking questions you never would have thought to ask before. Even your own Pilates practice starts to feel different because you understand not only what you're doing, but why.
Then there are the moments that no curriculum could ever promise. The cue that finally lands after weeks of practicing. The assessment you were convinced you'd never feel ready for. The first client who says, "That made so much sense." Those are the moments that build confidence.
Perfection Has Never Been the Goal
Students practice teaching in Brooklyn.
One of the biggest misconceptions about becoming an instructor is that everyone else seems to know what they're doing. They don't.
Learning to teach Pilates is wonderfully humbling. There are moments when your mind goes blank halfway through a series, a cue comes out differently than you intended, or you leave class already replaying what you'd change next time. Every experienced instructor has been there, and every one of those moments becomes part of the teacher you're growing into.
In fact, one of the biggest mindset shifts we see in our students happens when they stop trying to be perfect and start becoming curious instead.
Curiosity creates far better teachers than perfectionism ever could.
The instructors who continue growing throughout their careers aren't the ones who get everything right the first time. They're the ones who stay humble enough to keep learning.
The Friendships Are One of the Best Parts
People often expect to leave teacher training with a qualification. What they don't always expect is the community.
SPRING graduates celebrating the completion of their Reformer Pilates teacher training together in Sydney at Scout Studios.
Somewhere between practicing cueing, sharing coffee during teaching labs, celebrating assessment milestones, and laughing about the muscles everyone keeps forgetting, strangers become friends. It's one of the greatest privileges of what we do.
Years later, we still see graduates teaching together, referring clients to one another, opening studios together, attending each other's workshops, and celebrating milestones well beyond Pilates.
There is something incredibly special about learning alongside people who are all choosing growth at the same time.
It's a reminder that while teacher training is certainly a personal journey, it was never meant to be a lonely one.
The Moment Every Instructor Remembers
There comes a point in almost every student's journey when everything just clicks.
SPRING students practice teaching a group Reformer Pilates class.
One day you're trying to remember muscle attachments. The next, you're walking out of your own Pilates class thinking, That cue was brilliant. I wonder why it worked so well?
You begin watching movement differently, you become endlessly curious, and then comes the moment every instructor remembers.
You teach someone an exercise, see it click as their shoulders soften, their movement changes and they smile, and suddenly realise you’re no longer just learning Pilates, you’re sharing it with someone else.
It's difficult to put into words just how rewarding that feels. Helping someone feel stronger, move with more confidence, or simply leave a class feeling better than when they arrived is one of the greatest privileges of this profession.
It’s often the moment people realise they’ve found more than a way to teach Pilates, they’ve found work that feels genuinely meaningful.
More Than a Qualification
For many of our students, teacher training begins with a simple thought.
"I've always loved Pilates. I wonder what it would be like to teach?"
By graduation, it's often become something much bigger than they ever expected.
Talia and our SPRING Educator team together at Power Moves in Brisbane, supporting the next generation of Pilates teachers through hands-on learning, mentorship and community.
What begins as curiosity quietly grows into a new career, a thriving business, a creative outlet, or simply a way of spending more of the week doing something they genuinely love. Along the way, we've watched confidence grow with every teaching lab, strangers become lifelong friends, and students who once questioned whether they belonged begin leading rooms with remarkable warmth, generosity, and authenticity.
One of the greatest privileges of teaching at SPRING is watching someone who once quietly said, "I don't think I could ever do this," stand at the front of a room with quiet confidence, teaching in a way that feels entirely their own.
You Never Really Know Where One Small Decision Might Lead
Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I'd waited a little longer before teaching that first rooftop class in Brooklyn.
There's every chance I wouldn't be writing this article, East River Pilates may never have grown into what it is today, and SPRING may never have existed.
Hundreds of teachers may never have graduated through our programs, and thousands of clients may never have discovered Pilates through the incredible educators who once nervously walked into their very first teaching lab.
Looking back, it's remarkable how much can grow from one small decision to begin.
If you've been thinking about becoming a Pilates instructor, perhaps this is simply your invitation to explore what's possible. Whether you're dreaming of teaching one class a week, building a new career, or you're simply curious to learn more, we'd love to help you discover the pathway that's right for you.
After all, you never really know where one small decision might lead.
We hope to see you in a teaching lab very soon.
From all of us here at SPRING 🌱
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