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Michelle - Pilates Instructor |
Michelle Hawes, Pilates Instructor - www.pilates4you.org.uk
As most women know, being married to the army makes it extremely difficult to build a career of your own. As soon as you start one thing and begin to think that you are getting somewhere, hubby arrives home one evening and suddenly announces you are getting posted in two months time!
If you are in your first posting since getting married you may have been in a similar situation to myself. I spent a few years building my career as a single lady (at this time I was a primary teacher) before marrying and moving to Germany. Like many teachers I found it extremely difficult to gain a permanent job straight away (that I wanted!) and had to content myself with supply teaching as and when it arrived. The not knowing when I was going to work from one day to the next, combined with adjusting to life in a new country took its toll. I began to feel depressed and felt that I had failed.
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I didn’t have children to keep me busy and after speaking to a lot of my contemporaries was surprised to find that they also felt at a loose end. As educated women we were used to being independent, and a career that was ours and that we were good at, formed a large part of that independent lifestyle.
I realised that I had two choices if I wanted a job of my own:
1) Either being flexible and taking the available jobs in garrison which did have a lot of advantages. There were always jobs available and most of these could be slotted in with army life. If you left one posting there would always be jobs at another.
2) Personally I needed something that I could really get my teeth into and decided to set up my own business. I qualified as a Pilates teacher a few years earlier and had taught Pilates classes in addition to classroom teaching back in the UK. The advantage of my own business was that I could set my own hours (and holidays!) and my skill was transferable – if we were re-posted then I could set up classes elsewhere.I also decided that a business that was internet based would be a lot easier to transfer and would also provide me with an income whilst I relocated.
Initially business was a little slow but as word of mouth spread my classes became busier. Three months into my new career we were posted back to the UK. Again I was faced with getting myself known as ‘The Pilates Lady’ but one year on I am getting approached by clients to run workshops and classes in village halls and therapy centres. At the moment I am working on my website, adding an online shop and running Pilates retreats, so wherever I do go eventually these aspects will keep ticking over.
Looking back at what I have achieved over the last year I feel really proud that I am doing something that I love and that makes a difference to someone’s life and well-being. The hardest part has been making a name for myself and the need to advertise, advertise, advertise to get my name out there.
Initially I did have a drop in salary while I launched the business and I am extremely grateful to my husband for taking on the lion’s share of the bills during this time. I did contemplate taking on a part time job as well but found it difficult to fit around my growing business. Having the opportunity to dedicate myself to the business full time meant that I could mould it in the way that I wanted.
I am also extremely grateful to Nicola who has been there with me every step of the way. From the very beginning when I was looking into alternative career options and was unsure which way to turn, to giving gentle encouragement and inspiring me to think outside the box when planning my next business move, I can honestly say that I couldn’t have done it without her. Whenever I am unsure what to do or am lacking in confidence about the next step Nicola helps me to believe in myself and see that I am more than capable of achieving my goals.
So what’s next for me? World domination? Let’s hope so, at the moment I am content to build on my successes and continue to deliver quality Pilates sessions that make a difference.
If you would like to attend a Pilates 4 You session in Brecon, please contact Michelle on 0044 7973 870508 or email
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This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or you can check out my website www.pilates4you.org.
Would you like to become a Pilates Instructor? Here are Michelle's recommended contacts:
www.pilatestrainingsolutions.co.uk
www.icandc.com - Insight Coaching
www.pilates-institute.com |
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