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00:02it is 105 when the bounce what up doe we are back with another Detroit culture shifters
00:08and this one is what I'm very very excited to talk to because my girl has been whipping me
00:12into shape every Sunday I'm at Pilates I become a Pilates mommy now and I'm really loving it
00:17so I want to introduce you or remind you of my good sis Alexis Ho how you doing hey how
00:23are you
00:24thanks for having me thank you first of all like I said ever since I've been going to push
00:28I've been very very very excited about fitness again so I wanted to talk to you and start off
00:34with what got you into fitness yeah I don't think a lot of people like just start working out for
00:40the
00:40heck of it so what did you do exactly so I'm a former collegiate track and field athlete so I
00:44ran track at high school and then in college I had a full ride so that kind of was my
00:49base for working
00:50out in fitness I have a son he's five years old but during my postpartum journey I was going through
00:55it and that's where I found Pilates and it kind of stuck with me the more I started taking classes
01:01I'm like I don't see any spaces where people look like me where I want it like where I would
01:06want
01:07to go and spend my money so I decided to create that and then the rest was history I love
01:11that
01:11and what about Pilates because I know there's different ways that you can get into fitness from
01:15strength training to rowing but like why was Pilates the one that really stuck with you
01:21um I think it's because it's accessible for all fitness levels like all ages it's beginner
01:26friendly you can always ramp it up there's so many different styles you could do classical I'm
01:30sure you heard of the reformer which is the machine and then also like I teach hit at my studio
01:35so I
01:35love like cardio type Pilates um it's also not very impactful on your bones like running or other
01:42high you know intensity workouts so Pilates was just kind of like perfect middle ground for the type of
01:48workouts I like to do I love that so I love that it went from being a college athlete to
01:52then being
01:53like okay well I need to fill a void that I'm seeing so what was the next step did you
01:57just
01:58start taking clients or did you just immediately get to this brick and mortar that you have today
02:01so I started to do research like what does it look like to take to be certified in Pilates so
02:06I started
02:07I didn't even know that you hadn't been certified well duh that makes sense so I was looking into that
02:11and then um one of my friends was like you should do this I'm like what they're like be a
02:16Pilates
02:16instructor I'm like huh and so once that got dropped into my head I became obsessed with like
02:21researching it and so I did a program online it was Australian based a certification program I did
02:27that at home again still postpartum but I was able to do it virtually and then I started to create
02:33push
02:33push Pilates I'm like okay let me do small classes with family and friends I started to do that then
02:39my
02:39classes started to get full then I expanded to renting out someone's space and then it just started
02:44to grow from there and I think what made push so special and different is like we are truly
02:49community based like those girls who come in there they're leaving out friends I be sitting on my
02:53Instagram hanging out I'm like y'all are friends but it's so rich in um community and I think a
03:00lot
03:00of times we go into these spaces especially um you know workout spaces and it's very intimidating
03:05and no that's not that at all but we also really get a good workout in but you also leaving
03:10powerful confident and then support it too you know for sure I will say my experience specifically
03:16here in metro area has been like specifically with gyms it's really hard to like want to get in there
03:22and get a good workout because either you're comparing yourself to other people who have been
03:26working out longer than you or you feel like you don't even know how to use the equipment let alone
03:30like I can imagine a reformer is probably you know not as beginner friendly so when I did find out
03:36about studio push Pilates I got really excited because one black woman I'm going what you mean
03:41and then I will say after every class I do feel like I've met a new person or I feel
03:47more confident
03:48in like going back because it's a it's an environment that not only plays the music that I listen to
03:53but it also feels freeing safe exactly and it feels safe so why was that so important for you to
04:01do I
04:02know that you're obviously saying that you wanted to fill a space and that Pilates can be
04:05intimidating but why was it so important for you to challenge and take on that challenge
04:10so I'm gonna give you the real tea okay so when I was doing you know taking my certification and
04:15I
04:15was like okay let me dive head first and go into these local studios as a client to see what
04:20I like
04:20what I don't like so I kind of did my own informal case study right and I remember vividly I
04:26will call a
04:27studio it was a reformer studio I'm certified an informer in Mac by the way and I was like hey
04:31I'm
04:32interested in trying and they were like well have you done it before and I was like no but and
04:36she's
04:36like yeah like maybe like find another studio we don't want you to get hurt and when I got off
04:41that
04:41call I felt a pit in my stomach because I'm like if I if I'm feeling like this like isn't
04:47this a space
04:48where we should be able to say hey you haven't done it before come on in let's try it it
04:52seemed that
04:53they were closing the door on me for whatever reason and I did not like the way that felt so
04:58that's
04:58what really put the battery in my back I was like oh no this is not what we're doing and
05:03so I'm going
05:04to create this for us um I've taught at some reformer studios and it was great love the community
05:09but I just really wanted my studio to be met but also inclusive so I get so many girls I
05:15said this is
05:16my first time to Pilates and it just lights my face up because I'm like wow you really experienced
05:21Pilates through me and that's just such a blessing that I can be that vessel and I love that you
05:25are that
05:26I love that you took something that could have been an adversity and you were just like well
05:31I guess that's just not what we gonna do and you've created a safe space I mean the last class
05:35I was in
05:36there was a whole guy getting into it and I ain't never seen no guy at Pilates yeah and I
05:40was so
05:40excited so in a city that's constantly about grit and grinding and like constant like instant gratification
05:47how do you see movement and like rest and self-care as tools like how do you see it when
05:54we're always so
05:54go go go yeah I mean I like to say this in my class like we move and rip and
06:00run throughout our
06:00day so much like it's so much power and taking a couple minutes to just breathe to put your phone
06:06down do not disturb and just honor yourself for the next 60 minutes I think um like you said the
06:11Detroit culture is super hustle hustle and bustle but sometimes that can try to kind of wear down on
06:16your body right and it's so important but I do see a shift in the um the fitness industry here
06:23which
06:24is so beautiful to see I see a lot of people being more mindful about the things they do the
06:28things
06:28they hang out where they hang out the type of food that we eat um and it's just like you
06:33know it's so
06:33beautiful to see that I'm able to like be a seat in that as well I love that so obviously
06:39now
06:40congratulations first and foremost on the brick and mortar girl here in Ferndale love that for you
06:45and as a business owner I can only imagine that there's been ups downs and middle grounds
06:49so what lessons have you learned because obviously we're not going to like stress on the adversity
06:53but I bet there are some lessons that you could probably save some other people from
06:57yeah so what is something that like you probably would have done differently if you had only just
07:01known oh where do I start okay on a low level do not get floor to ceiling decals on your
07:07windows
07:07oh I did see about that yes I paid um a pretty penny to get those done they were so
07:13beautiful
07:14and then Ferndale was like hey I love the signs but there's a ordinance to where you can only have
07:20x amount of your windows covered and so that was just a rookie mistake for me because I didn't know
07:24but also I didn't know to ask so things like that um another piece of advice is do it scared
07:30I know we
07:30hear all those productive type of self-help books saying that but seriously anytime I felt fear I'm like
07:36oh this is what I need to be doing and it was so beautiful on the other side signing that
07:40lease
07:42had me in shambles I'm like what am I doing am I going to be able to pay this but
07:46it's been such
07:46a blessing for the past year and I'm so happy that I was able to like okay this is what
07:51we're doing
07:51putting all my faith and all my money into this and it's been so beautiful so I mean the space
07:57is
07:57amazing thank you and the location I mean it's perfect right low key so I just be walking perfect
08:02location and Ferndale has been such a great help I always brag about my neighbors I have um two really
08:08great neighbors always grab even the community in Ferndale like the mayor they have been so so
08:14supportive and I'm just so blessed that I chose to have my business here it's also pretty central to
08:20where my clients are so whether they're in Detroit or Southfield like Ferndale is a great location and
08:25then the parking is cool too so right I couldn't have picked a better location honestly do you think
08:29that that is a key that business owners don't really take into consideration like really being
08:36intentional of where you're going to place your business absolutely yeah that could literally
08:40make or break you like if you are too far out or you don't have good parking it could literally
08:47make
08:47or break the fact that I'm on Woodward and so many people are driving past that's that's right there
08:52yeah so it's such a good spot it's such a good spot okay so instead of adversity let's talk about
08:58a
08:58moment where you realized this is bigger than fitness this is impact you see hmm so the first thing that
09:05came to my mind was um the city of Detroit asked me to do a class at the Spirit Plaza
09:11downtown this
09:12summer and I agreed to it you know I canceled my class this I think this is right before I
09:17got my
09:17studio so I canceled the class that I had at another space and I was like hey let's all go
09:21here so me
09:23being the imposter syndrome anxiety girl I'm just on my phone kind of like behind the stage I really
09:29wasn't paying attention to what was going on but I was like I hope people show up that's all I
09:33kept
09:33saying like I hope people show up I hope people show up and once they started micing me up to
09:38go
09:39they had over 300 people there they had to move chairs people were all the way on the street
09:44towards Jefferson and it was just such I was such on a high at that moment when I was sitting
09:49on that
09:50stage I'm like wow y'all really came for me like it's so beautiful to see and at that moment
09:57I think
09:58that's when a light bulb clicked in my head like this is your purpose and this is what you should
10:02be
10:02doing yeah and it's also deeper than me like Alexis you know I'm being used as a resource and I
10:08was
10:08just like wow like I really found what I like to do and it doesn't feel like work sometimes but
10:13not
10:13really you know and I think that that is one of the key things like as a parent you should
10:19instill in
10:20your kid to like want to do something that is doesn't feel like work all the time and just the
10:26fact
10:26that you say that you have imposter syndrome I would have never oh girl I was like oh Alexis
10:32knows what she's doing like she's got it that's just the idea that I've always felt like from the
10:38social media and how you expanded that to just how you talk to people within your own space like
10:44I would have never thought that there was you know slight oh thoughts in your head of like oh my
10:49gosh
10:50like am I doing this right like are people even gonna show up like it just felt like okay Alexis
10:55just knows like she's got I love that you know what I think too a lot of business owners may
11:01miss the
11:02mark on it's so important to be transparent too excuse me when I first started I blogged my journey of
11:12me getting the studio I'm like yeah I don't know what I'm doing but let's go that's what brought me
11:16to
11:16yeah like and I think um people like to see that real and rawness and like I don't get it
11:21all
11:21together but we we gonna figure it out and so I think that was powerful I just filmed and then
11:26I
11:26just recorded and I was kind of like had people on the journey so by time I got to my
11:31grand opening
11:31everybody was so invested because they literally helped me picked out my floors right like I'm
11:36vlogging a series and so that was such a help too people just see Instagram or social media as like
11:42a highlight reel but there's true trials and tribulations for anybody and I think it's so
11:47important to share that but also let people know that you are still embracing and like thankful for
11:54the journey I feel like the work in progress is always the best part because then you feel like you
11:58had your hands in it obviously they weren't up there you know working with you putting all the
12:02vats down but they feel like they were a part of your journey and I also wanted to ask because
12:07you
12:07started off with being just yourself as the teacher and now you've expanded to like what three
12:12four five girls now I'm so thankful so how is it now having to like take your hands off of
12:18certain
12:18things sometimes oh lord so that was the whole idea of push pilates um I think for a minute a
12:26lot of
12:26people were coming to push pilates for me but we you know we have some really really good showing
12:33instructors and I'm so excited that they are here shout out to the kaya and janelle um but I kind
12:38of
12:38took my time with that because I wanted to make sure these are um women who had the same type
12:43of
12:43vision or passion for um the work as I did and so once I got a team it helped me
12:49so much because now
12:50I can expand and do other projects that I'm looking to do within the company um but we have some
12:56really
12:56strong instructors some people come just for them and I'm like thank you I had a girl dm me like
13:01hey lex I love your classes but sundays are my favorite with the kaya and I was like thank you
13:06like that's kind of the whole point of it you know kaya is yes girl she is bomb I'll be
13:12looking at her
13:12crazy afterwards yes but that's my girl she is so bomb and so is janelle some people come just on
13:18monday so it's such a blessing it literally gives me chills because it's literally like this is what what
13:22I wanted to build you know and so it gives me an opportunity to um learn how to lead this
13:29is all new
13:30for me I've never been a leader in this sense of leading other people but I always say like I'm
13:35not
13:35your boss like we're a team and we really work as one so and you can see that I love
13:40that yep and you
13:41were talking about expansions and being able to like focus on other things I know that you've just
13:45launched the youtube page which also goes into your idea of making it accessible so why was it so
13:51necessary for you to start push pilates youtube channel um that was one of my big juicy goals and I
13:56have a amazing marketing team shout out to top level marketing they were like let's do it now
14:01you said this is I'm like wait no um but that was one of my big juicy goals because yes
14:07push is rooted
14:08in you know metro detroit ferndale but with the way I see it any I want it to be accessible
14:13for any and
14:13everybody right so I wanted to put that pillar out there then I also have something really exciting
14:18I'm so sad I can't talk about it now I feel like um I'm teasing you but next week next
14:24week I will be
14:25able to announce what the super big juicy thing is on the 17th is when I officially sign the papers
14:31but um yeah I just kind of wanted to steal even girls who may be at home with kids and
14:37feel like
14:37they can't make it or people who maybe can't afford you know to get up come to class here you
14:43go like
14:43these are some of our workouts that we do and you can do at home too I've even sent it
14:47to my mom who
14:47lives in Maryland because I'm like girl you don't even need to go and like do all the work to
14:51find some
14:52places because I can only imagine having to go through the process of picking and choosing
14:56and I was like girl you can do it from home my girl Alexis got you so subscribe I love
15:00that
15:00are there any more juicy expansions coming soon that you can maybe tease you know I had to add
15:06yes okay let me think of things that I can talk about oh we have private events at the studio
15:12that's
15:12been doing really well so that means that people can like celebrate their birthdays or anything
15:17holiday parties and that's been doing really really well like people will book months in advance
15:21for this it's a three-hour booking you get the instructor and you can decorate which is really
15:25cute um and yeah I think that's all I can talk about now that's okay but it's gonna be so
15:32much
15:32more I'm so excited me too okay so I'm gonna play a quick little lightning round with you are you
15:37ready
15:37okay are you uh morning workouts or evening girl morning for sure I love that I love that you've kind
15:45of already hinted to this but reformer or Matt which one humbles you the most
15:49mmm Matt all day Matt humbles you reformer is more intimidating yes because if you don't know the
15:56equipment right but Matt it's gonna get you every time and I've I've personally never used reformer
16:02I've only done Matt because you were the first girl well you should come in we could do privates I
16:05have a reformer in the studio yeah yes we can do privates a private but I will say after every
16:10class I'm like oh girl like the other day I was looking at my arms and I said you've been
16:15killing
16:15it I've been seeing you good so I will say that that is I like her I like her yes
16:21Ferndale brunch
16:22spot for after your workout nine kitchen yeah hands down shout out to nine nine is so good
16:29I eat there too much that's the problem I literally told my friend I was like I have to put
16:33myself on a
16:34probation it's so good it's nothing on the mean that I've had that's not good from the drinks to the
16:38food from the food everything and then the service is impeccable shout out to Ryan but from morning
16:45midday or dinner it's it's super cute in there too so nine kitchen for sure okay what's one song that
16:52has to be on your workout playlist closer I think it's by um gospel I think that's how you pronounce
16:59it um that's always the song that I play during breath work I love that and I do love that
17:05not only
17:06you but all of your instructors also make a moment of intentional grounding was that something that
17:13you instilled or was that just something that you guys noticed yeah I'm locked in girl yeah like the
17:19breath work um even if it's for like 10 seconds yeah take a second to breathe I literally say like
17:24inhale
17:24confidence exhale any doubt and usually you're rushing from work or you bustling bustling to get
17:30there like let's take a second collect ourselves set our intentions for class and then let's hit it hard
17:35so that's kind of like our our jam that we do at push um and then um Monday more Monday
17:41nights
17:42Janelle does affirmations after class yes I need to get to that one that's the abs arms and affirmations
17:47right yeah I need to get to that one and the last lightning one I have is one word that
17:52clients use
17:52after their first class at studio push um I usually hear that it was fun I love that because it
18:00is fun
18:01okay so to end off this because obviously you are one of our Detroit culture shifters who is
18:06completely changing the game when it comes to fitness and wellness who do you feel as though
18:10is making amazing strides in the metro Detroit area that might not get you know the platform to speak
18:16about themselves yes oh I have so many I have a long list but the first person that I thought
18:21of
18:21is Lauren's Hughes from Detroit Tennis Co have you heard that's my bestie she has I didn't know that
18:28you guys knew each other yeah she's my son's god mom yes she's so sweet um but besides that her
18:33business is booming she's also a photographer um but she does yeah she does photography too
18:39and her tennis company Detroit Tennis Co when it gets warmer they do private classes group fitness
18:44classes and it's such a good time no it is a good time I started last summer because as a
18:49kid I've
18:49always wanted to take tennis so I decided you know why not and where do we know about this type
18:54of
18:54stuff so it's hard to so it's so good that she's bringing it like here mm-hmm is there anyone
19:00else
19:00that you feel as though deserves a little quick shout out yes um I will go with Jayla Top from
19:07Top Level Marketing yes your amazing marketing team yes shout out to them and then just one last thing
19:14you've shared so much advice and just so much of your story of being a wellness brand owner
19:19what advice do you have for people who want to be just like you Alexis hmm the advice that I
19:25would
19:25give if is if it was easy everybody would be doing that if it was easy everybody would be doing
19:31it
19:31and you could do hard things I say this to myself every day like you could do hard things Lex
19:38you
19:38could do hard things so those are the two matches that I live by I love that I'm gonna lock
19:42those yep
19:43mm-hmm and just let everybody know where they can find you so that they can go and book a
19:46class
19:47right now oh yay so I'm on Instagram at push.pilates our website is studiopushpilates.com
19:53and YouTube studio push Pilates thank you so much thank you for having me this is so much fun
19:59you
20:00you
20:01you
20:02you
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