#FollowPilatesNow.ie
We are literally kicking off the New Year at AwakenHub with all the right moves to get us into good fettle for the rest of the year as we highlight Founder of PilatesNow.ie - Goretti Dwyer. Goretti is starting a FREE #JustMove Challenge online this week so be sure and check it out if in need of something different to lift body and soul.
To get us started - how would you describe yourself in 6 words or less?
Energetic & enthusiastic about moving people
What prompted you to start your business?
I decided to set up PilatesNow on the back of something I noticed during the summer months every year. I was finding my numbers in studio were dropping off as people were taking their holidays and couldn't commit to a course. So I created a 6 week summer programme online that they could sign up to and do where ever they were at a time that suited them. This gave more flexibility, allowed my clients to maintain their strength, stay pain free and still have something just for themselves. It also allowed me to have an income when I took holidays myself. I created a couple of different programmes and found they were popular. However, I found the admin time consuming and I really wanted a more streamlined approach that took some of the admin out of my hands and gave me more time to produce more material etc.
Then came Covid in March 2020, I suddenly had some extra time on my hands, and set about creating more material. I availed of the Trading Online Voucher from my Local Enterprise Office and thus PilatesNow was born. PilatesNow is an online membership that offers busy women, effective workouts that can be completed anywhere, anytime, pilates in your pocket! I would like to inspire women to take care of themselves, to re-ignite their energy, build their strength and be kind to themselves also, through pilates and mindful movement. I'm all about keeping it real, and making fitness achievable and fun, and improving overall wellbeing. PilatesNow works on a membership basis, and options include 1 month, 3 month or Annual memberships. There are over 100 workouts available of varying lengths and challenge as well as a live library, tutorials and tips and a monthly workout calendar to help keep you on track. We offer progressive courses for absolute beginners and experienced movers, as well as shorter workouts for when you are on the go, time short or travelling. We also offer programmes for pregnancy and postnatal recovery which can be purchased as stand alone courses. I'm currently developing a specific programme for midlife women transitioning through perimenopause and menopause, which will be available soon.
Tell us a little bit more about you?
I've been working with bodies and movement for 20 years and I love it. I'm a full time Pilates Instructor, Studio Owner and a CORU Registered Physical Therapist, running my own clinic in the West of Ireland. I am also a mum of two amazing girls who also keep me on my toes. I am passionate about the value of movement for EVERYBODY, and making it accessible to all. As a midlife women, I feel stronger now in many ways than I did in my 20s and 30s. I'm also acutely aware of the changes, stressors and new challenges that crop up in midlife for us 'busy' women. I'm embracing all things peri menopause as I'm living it and I like to talk about it (my poor friends). I feel really empowered and excited for this next phase of life, a kind of shedding of the shackles, it's very liberating, and I want to spread that feeling of excitement and positive energy to as many women as I can.
I can be found upside down doing handstands in random places, love hiking, paddle boarding and gigs when I can make them. I adore travel. I've been around the world a good few times, favourite cities include Kathmandu, Osaka, Hanoi, Buenos Aires, New York and St Petersburg.
Little known facts about me:
I have an Italian name 'Maria-Goretti' but am 100% Irish.
I taught English in Japan for 2 amazing years, but can only speak 'Sukoshi Dake' Japanese.
I broke my foot while living in Australia, but still managed to walk around Ayers Rock!
I'm a fully qualified scuba diver but get sea sick!
I'm petrified of rollercoasters but have jumped out of a plane, hang glided and reverse bungeed (I cried).
Fill us in on your female founder journey.
I believe in the power of pilates and mindful movement, and how it reinforces everything we do in life, enabling us to MOVE WELL FEEL WELL no matter what stage we are at.
The easy part for me is creating the content, and I'm good at teaching. My in studio clients know me and my approach but how do I reach further and convince people who don't know me to come on board with me. I realise I have to push myself outside of my safety net and really need to network, learn more about my customers, my own whys and try to understand my business better, it's a work in progress, and SheGenerate has already started to open my mind and make me think differently.
How did you hear about AwakenHub and what prompted you to apply for SheGenerate?
Aisling Roche Flanagan told me about AwakenHub and I dropped in to a couple of meetings and liked the approach. I'm not used to networking at all, and found AwakenHub to be a great space to dip my toes in. On the back of that I was delighted to see the opportunity arise for SheGenerate and felt this was the push I needed to open my mind to how things are really done!
What are you hoping to get out of the SheGenerate process?
I'd like to have a better insight into how business works and how I can work more efficiently for my business . I also would like to improve my confidence in networking, marketing and planning. I have lot of ideas for new programmes, guest teachers and experts and perhaps and online store. Overall I want to create a feeling of confidence, support and trust, a space where people can access good quality workouts that are suitable for their bodies and age, and be confident that the information is evidence based and reliable.
We are only a couple of months in to the process but so far I've found the level of support and expertise from AwakenHub invaluable. There's a generosity of spirit and mutual support from the founders and fellow candidates. I'm in awe of all the amazing women in the programme, it's very inspiring. I'm learning a lot about business planning, understanding your own customers and it's really forcing me to think differently about what I'm offering. I have a lot of work to do but i know its a process and am confident that the SheGenerate programme is setting me along the right path.
What does success look like to you ?
I'd would like to increase my membership year on year and retain members over time. If people stay with me I feel I'm doing something right.
SheGenerate is only a small part of AwakenHub - now that you have the community's attention - what can we/they do for you?
I just want to reach further, get help with marketing, social media etc and all the areas I don't even know about yet! Just being part of this AwakenHub and SheGenerate community is helping, this is an inspiring and encouraging space, I look forward to what's to come.
As a founder - what words do you live by?
Be Flexible, Be Open, Fly High
Get in touch with Goretti via any of the following:
Twitter: Goretti Dwyer (@GorettiDwyer) / Twitter
Website: Pilates Now – Pilates with Goretti Dwyer
LinkedIn: Goretti Dwyer | LinkedIn
Instagram: PILATES NOW (@pilatesnow.ie)
