Pilates Guru, Author & Founder of Real Pilates
www.realpilatesnyc.com

Ah, the New Year. The time when sugar cookies and Champagne weigh on your conscience, much like the Buche de Noel does on your derriere.

Here to help is Pilates guru and Ladies Who Launch New York Incubator member Alycea Ungaro, author of “The Pilates Promise – 10 Weeks to a Whole New Body” and founder of Real Pilates, the largest studio in New York City dedicated to the Pilates method.

Alycea believes that every body can benefit from Pilates - regardless of where you live, your fitness level or budget. In January, her book “Pilates: Body in Motion” is scheduled for release in a convenient deck-of-cards format.

Recently Alycea spoke with Ladies Who Launch about how you can use Pilates as a foundation for fitness and how she launched her Pilates “empire” from her living room.

Ballet Dancer Becomes Pilates Believer

Alycea: “I danced from the time I was six and when I was 12, I began at New York City’s School of American Ballet. I was plagued with injuries to my ankles. At 14, I had developed recurrent tendonitis and the school referred me (as well as other injured dancers) to Pilates for what they described as an incredible system of strength training.

“I continued to dance, continued to have periodic injuries, and the school continued to refer me to Pilates. When I was 18, something clicked, and I thought, ‘If I were to do this as a preventative measure, I might not get injured.’ So I took it up once a week and never stopped.”

Dance Career Ends

“My career took me out of the City. I danced with the ballet in New Orleans as well as Cincinnati. When I was 25 or so, I decided to hang up my pointe shoes… I was in love and wanted to stay in New York and get married. I had dreams of becoming a physical therapist, but had no skills to pay for school.”

Living-Room Business Launches

“I decided to get Pilates certified and use it as a means to put myself through school. I trained as a Pilates teacher in ‘93 and started teaching Pilates in studios around town. By ‘95, I had decided to teach out of my home. The moment that I ordered my first Reformer was terrifying. I took out my trusty credit card… about to spend $2500… I buried my face in my hands and thought, ‘What am I doing?’”

“My husband would look at the piece of equipment each day in my living room and say, ‘Has that thing paid for itself yet?’ For the next year I had an increasing number of clients, and an increasing amount of Pilates equipment, right in the middle of our living room.”

One Year Later - a New Location

“In ‘96, I applied to New York University’s physical therapy program and was accepted.
The program was rigorous - I had school Mondays through Fridays from 10–6. I knew it would be a mistake to give up my client base, which had grown to about 30 people a week. Either I had to get a space and find teachers, or I risked losing my entire client base.”

Start-Up Finding

“I had never been a risk taker - I’m a conservative gambler at best. I had some equipment and $10,000 in savings at that point. Over the next two years, we grew steadily from 30 appointments a week to 250 appointments per week. I was ready to graduate and incorporate my physical therapy into the business, so it was time for a major change.”

From Then to Now

“In ‘98, having outgrown our space, we moved a block and a half away to what was to become Real Pilates. A classic Tribeca landmark, it is a 3,000-square-foot loft on two levels. From then to now, our staff has grown from a handful of instructors to about 22 people. 2006 marked our 10-year anniversary in a commercial location and our first million-dollar year.”

Secrets of Success

“Two things - I have a great team. I love the people I work with, so I’m not afraid to gather them ’round and let them have free reign to develop the business. The more I give them artistic license, the more they produce. Surrounding myself with people I respect and enjoy is one great secret.

“My other secret weapon is the written word. I read everything I can get my hands on about Pilates. I read the daily news about what celebrities are in town to get them into the studio. I read entrepreneurial magazines to find information about marketing. I’m constantly researching teeny tiny ways to stay on top of my game. No matter what industry you are in, you have to know your topic intimately. You simply must know your product so well, that you can explain its unique appeal to each and every person you meet.”

Greatest Challenge

“For me personally, the greatest challenge is personnel management. I have a large staff and can’t help feeling personally responsible for them. My business provides their livelihood and I take that burden seriously. On the flip side, protecting the business from others is not to be taken lightly. Having non-competes in place protects you from employees coming in, and then leaving with your clients.

“It was also a long. hard road for me to learn to hire well. I used to hire based solely on qualifications, but these days, I hire strictly on personality. I look for personalities (who) are genuinely comfortable in their skin and enthusiastic about what they do.”

Words of Advice

“My mantra for the past few years is, ‘It’s about the relationship.’ No matter what, always preserve the relationship above all else. Whether it’s a client you’re losing, or someone who you don’t think can help you… if you put the relationship above the outcome, you always win.”

Rocky Start in Book Writing

“In 2000, I had a concept for a book. I had pitched it to William Morrow, and they quickly signed me up. Sadly, my editor got fired and the deal fell through, but I was paid the advance anyway. I decided to produce a book and CD kit called ‘Portable Pilates.’ I wanted people to be able to take it anywhere. It was the beginning of a long line of product development for me.”

Misadventures in Self-Publishing

“After a nightmare in self-publishing, I decided that shrink-wrapping in (my) basement was not where I wanted to be spending my day. I didn’t understand the industry enough to know that you have to send galleys (pre-publication versions of upcoming books) out in advance.”

Finally, Bestselling Success!

“Luckily, about a year later, a client had a friend visiting from DK Publishing in the U.K. who had seen ‘Portable Pilates.’ They contacted me to author a Pilates title for them and we began a long-standing relationship. My first title with DK, ‘Pilates: Body in Motion’ has now been published in 17 languages and in 2004, I authored ‘The Pilates Promise,’ testing Joseph Pilates’ original theory that in 30 sessions Pilates can change your body.”

Doing Pilates Via iPod and DVD

“Technology is bringing Pilates everywhere. Lately, I’m busy recording original workouts for www.iamplify.com and www.podfitness.com. They work for anyone because you can download them to your iPod, MP3 or desktop. And my long -awaited DVD is in the works and scheduled for release in January of 2008.”

What Pilates Can Do for You

“My belief about Pilates is that it can enhance every other activity you participate in, because it’s symmetrical, and anatomically sound. Pilates forces you to mentally engage while performing movements. It gives you a body-awareness that I haven’t found anywhere else. It truly is a foundation for fitness.”

Fitness Tips for 2007

“Current fitness wisdom suggests you can do three 10-minute clips (of movement) as a perfectly viable alternative to a 30-minute workout. It’s also a good idea to schedule exercise as you would a meeting or other appointment. One practice I routinely put into play is to dress for exercise. You’ll feel silly walking around in exercise attire unless you actually do get to your workout.

“The best exercise routine you can do is the one you will do - something you consider fun and rewarding. And remember that people need an average of 20 minutes of sunlight and fresh air each day to be optimally functioning human beings. Each day, be sure to get outside and get your blood pumping.”