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Welcome to The "M" Spot    MELODY MORTON, President & Senior Instructor I always thought that if I could inspire everyone who ever had a dream to follow it, to have the courage and self-esteem to attempt, to just try, to make that dream a reality, I would create a space that teaches the key ingredients needed to endure and succeed in realizing dreams. So, I did. I created The Good Space. I inspire others through Pilates. After years of living in LA, and studying everything from obscure spirituality systems yoga and dance, acting and, of course, the fine art of waiting tables and managing restaurants, I decided to move home to Houston and go into business with my mother, who had built a successful facials and massage company. My ideal was to create a place of transformation, whether it was reshaping an eyebrow, reshaping a body, or the most complex transformation of all: reshaping a life. With Colleen Glenn as my consultant and mentor and Peak Pilates as my choice for certification and equipment, I pursued my dream of creating a space that offered transformation and health through movement. I took out a loan from my mother, and we created a 3500 square-foot studio with floor to ceiling windows, wood and concrete floors. Fully 1200 square feet is devoted to Pilates, movement, and yoga classes. The rest is more open, wider, like the great western Texas plains, and is devoted to teacher training, private and small group sessions. There’s even a retail area, where an eight-foot long pine table forms the centerpiece, with long benches that sit on cowhide rugs, graciously inviting clients and students to observe sessions, read or wait for class. That pine table symbolizes much of what the Good Space represents: community, education, sharing, friendship, support, and family. We, my staff, students and I, are often gathered there discussing training, anatomy, clients’ needs, or techniques to improve our own teaching. Bright green apples are piled high in an antique wooden bowl from my great-grandmother. The bowl sits in the middle of the table, a subtle and colorful reminder of health and vitality. Mom and I decorated the studio in earth tones, lots of natural wood accents and greenery, playing off the Peak reformers colors of tan and sandalwood. Earthy, esthetically pleasing to the eye, the studio is meant to transform you the minute you walk through the door. We wanted an environment that created a feeling of space, and offered the freedom to move, but still made you feel welcome and secure. But with so much space comes so much responsibility, more than I could’ve imagined. The studio and I have definitely been through several rites of passage during our two and half years in business. I had to learn both the art of being a small business woman and the technique of being a Pilates instructor simultaneously. I had to confront my own physical and mental limitations and learn the ability to surround myself with the best hearts and minds I could find, instructors and support staff who understood my vision and were able to bring resources to the table that would help us realize it. Relentless networking and partnering with leaders in Pilates were vital. Those partnerships helped me secure a reputation as a professional with integrity and allowed The Good Space to be seen as a studio that respected the ideals of education and health. What’s always amazed me about Pilates is that it’s being driven, powered and expanded by women. Women! Both amazing and ordinary women are fueling an entire industry that asks only that we train ourselves to be open to empowerment. Pilates offers us the opportunity to transform our bodies and our minds. It offers us confidence, clarity of vision and the overwhelming joy that comes from a dream realized. And women are out there embracing that philosophy. I see them every time I walk in my studio, in my instructors, in my clients, in my mother and in myself. Pilates is power, the power to change, the power to improve, not only ourselves, but our families, our employees, our community, our world. In Pilates, I have found my good space. And I now offer The Good Space to anyone willing to come forth and embrace it. Business Tips 1. Watch cash flow like a hawk. This is crucial. 2. Find ways to increase revenue without cost. For instance trade your studio time for services you need, such as accounting, legal advice, public relations or marketing. 3. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel. Position yourself by aligning your organization with industry leaders. Their contacts, reputation and partnership will offer a wealth of resources and allow you to learn from the masters. 4. Market yourself and your studio by giving free lectures and classes on the benefits of Pilates. Many local papers offer free calendar listings of such events. Every bit of publicity helps! 5. Understand your employees are not qualified as ‘contract labor’ 6. Don’t waste money on ineffective advertising 7. Hire the best trainers available, your reputation depends on qualified instructors who give clients results! 8. Don’t forget you are running a business; create professional boundaries with staff and clients. 9. Stick to your guns; enforce policies, especially your cancellation policy. 10. Require full payment before services are rendered. Doing so means you don’t get caught in billing clients for sessions missed or not paying in advance. 11. Help and educate the community on the benefits of practicing Pilates. 12. Network, network, network 13. Pilates, if we could only bottle it! Available for consulting, lectures, seminars, workshops, one-on-one breathwork, counseling on diet and work-out.  If you would like to book a private session with Melody, email her at melodymorton@thegoodspace.com or click here to book a session through webscheduler. n The Good Space is located in the front of the 5757 Woodway East Office Building, in Suite 150.  We are located on Woodway Dr, between Fountain View and Chimney Rock.  Parking is available in front or behind the building.    If you need further directions call us at 713.784.8555. The Good Space  Pilates & Yoga Studio  5757 Woodway, Suite 150  Houston, TX 77057 n  Want to send a comment?  Sign our Guest Book (click here)