20 Years of Pilates on 10th
It’s safe to say Pilates on 10th has earned its title as a Seattle institution.
We have survived a location change, the ever-shifting landscape of trendy workout fads, a transfer of ownership, various managements, AND a global pandemic… and in a sea of studio options for the active Seattleite, Pilates on 10th has been thriving for two whole decades!
So, cheers! To TWENTY incredible years.
This is a celebration of our community. Of the power of movement, of female-owned small business, of old Capitol Hill, of trying something new. It’s a celebration of perseverance and teamwork and impact. It’s a nod to consistency, and a moment to pause and reflect on what hasn’t changed: Pilates on 10th is a place of discovery, acceptance, and healing. And it’s home to our life changing experiences!
Take some time to scroll through the photos below, and expand each section with a click to read thoughts from a few folks with stories about how Pilates on 10th has made an impact over the years. If you have a story about what P10 has meant to YOU, we’d sure love to hear it.
Reach out to us at info@pilateson10th.com or click on the button at the end of this post to share!
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TO MARK THE 20TH YEAR OF PILATES ON 10TH, FORMER STUDIO MANAGER LAUREN WALKER ASKS FOUNDER AMIE BACA TO SHARE SOME STORIES:
Tell me the P10 origin story, in your own words... What made you decide to open a Pilates studio in the North Capitol Hill neighborhood, and did you ever imagine that the legacy you built and the die-hard loyal clients would span 20 years and counting?
I originally opened Pilates on 10th with two business partners, in the small storefront slightly north of the studio in what is now a paint store. We had all just finished our certification and had been commuting to Redmond to teach, as well, I had a small studio in the old Velocity Dance Center in The Oddfellows Building. Velocity decided that they wanted to use that space for an office and so I needed to find a place for the studio. I joined forces with the two other teachers and opened Pilates on 10th. It wasn't more than a couple years before I bought them both out of their share of the business and built out and created the space it's in now. Some of the current clients at P10 have been going to the studio since the early days in the tiny space. They moved with me and have stayed true to their practice and the studio. At a milestone like this it’s tempting to say "I never imagined that it would still be here twenty years later," but honestly, I built the studio to last. I put so much work into the move and build out of the space. I gave it everything I had and it was MY everything!
I think that for a large number of folks Pilates on 10th has been exactly what they needed, when they needed it… I know for me personally the opportunity to manage the studio came into my life at the exact right time— it taught me a lot and I won’t soon forget it. What was it to you when you really needed it?
Pilates on 10th was my creative outlet. As a dancer, I was always channeling my creativity, but I wasn't making a great living as a dancer. The studio gave me the chance to be creative in other ways and to also give back to the community that I loved so much. It also allowed me to make a living doing something I truly loved and believed in.
Do you have favorite anecdote you could share about something that was impactful for you during your time as the owner of Pilates on 10th?
Well, the move to the larger studio was a major undertaking. More than I knew at the time. In the midst of it I had to rely on my determination and faith in myself to be the leader, but I couldn't have done it alone. The clients and instructors at the time (special shout out to Gordon!) were with me every step of the way. They lent me money, they advised me on marketing strategies, one of my clients was a commercial interior designer and designed the space for free and helped me get the building permits, they helped us physically move - we put The Cadillac on dollies and pushed it up the block to the new space. My boyfriend's father (my boyfriend at that time) was a boat builder and he built the desk! It was an incredible group effort.
The studio has seen clients have babies, watched them grow and move off to college. We have had clients pass away and come together to attend their services. We have been with clients through marriages and divorces. P10 has been a constant in so many lives, and it still is! I am very proud of that.
Tell me about handing the studio off to Kim—what was that like for you? I see a lot of similarities AND differences in the two of you! How did you make the decision to move on?
Handing the studio off to Kim was like giving my baby away to another parent to bring up… that sounds horrible, but it’s a really accurate analogy! I had built the studio from nothing and brought it up as far as I could. If I had kept it, it wouldn't have grown in the same way and become the incredible place that it is today. And I wouldn't have been able to stay on Maui and live the life I have now. It was just the right time for me to let go. Kim was the perfect person to take over. She knew the studio because she was a client for a very long time herself, she was an OG client in the original space! I was also her teacher trainer with Peak Pilates in her original certification. I knew she was smart and passionate about Pilates and that she could get the job done. It was a perfect segway and transition for myself, Kim and the studio.
P10 has given us many reasons over the years to celebrate...it's survived and thrived, outlasted and outperformed! Personally, I love that P10 has always been a (bad-ass) woman-owned small business, and it’s remained focused on community and providing a safe space for people to explore the healing power of movement. None of this would be possible without you! What are you celebrating about 20 years of Pilates on 10th?
I think that after the initial handover I really needed to step away and focus on what the rest of my life was going to look like on Maui. How was I going to make a living? What was important to me? What had I learned from building and owning the studio? How was that going to translate to my life on Maui? What is Pilates to me now? That's when I threw myself into being a student again. I had to fall in love with Pilates again from the student's perspective instead of the business owner's. Once that happened, I was so relieved and grateful to have had the experience I did as a studio owner. I also was so eager to share all I had learned with my community here on Maui. I was eventually in a place to open up a space to teach again, and my little island home studio is perfect in all ways!
Once that was in place, I felt ready to share all I had learned with Kim, the clients, and the teachers at P10. I feel, again, so grateful to have had the opportunity to build this community in the north Capitol Hill neighborhood. I am also so incredibly honored that so many people have trusted me with their bodies, their money, their lives really. At this marker I am celebrating Kim and all she has done to continue what I started. She led the studio through a pandemic! She really deserves praise for what she has accomplished, where the studio is now and where it is going. Cheers to Kim!
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Oh, the people I’ve met at P10! Whether front desk staff, instructors, owners, or clients, P10 attracts a
community of folks who’ve moved me, inspired me, acknowledged me, supported me, challenged me,
delighted me—and changed me.
I’ve revamped my wardrobe (thanks Hilary), my home (thanks Bev) my eating habits (thanks Stacy), and my garden (thanks Megan).
I’ve been touched by generosity (thanks Wanda) and friendship (love you Evie, Mandy, Susan, Jeneen,
Graham, Rebecca, Leslie, Megan) and courage (miss you Wood).
I’ve connected with neighbors (hey Jim, Virginia, Joanne, Richard).
I’ve been greeted with a smile every time I enter the studio (thanks front desk staff).
I’ve seen grit (I’m looking at you Amie and Kim) and consistent excellence (I’m talking about all the instructors!).
All of this, just a 7-minute walk from my house.
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I remember moving into our spacious new studio (our current studio) from our 550 square foot studio that was down the street at 2405 10th east (across the street from the coffee place, next door to the dog groomer). The old studio had 2 reformers, a combo unit, a cadillac, two chairs and a ladder barrel. It had a desk, a sink with only cold water, a small massage/changing room, and a little room with a toilet.
The studio was so small that our maximum capacity was either:
**three private sessions
**one private and one duet
**one mat class
There was no waiting area, no parking lot.
If there were two sessions or a mat class going on and someone was sitting at the one and only desk in front, the person at the desk was trapped and either had to stay put quietly or exit the front door. The studio was really small!
In 2007 we found out the whole block was going to be re-developed and torn down, so Amie began planning to move and expand (FYI, that redevelopment hasn’t happened yet!).
Eventually Amie negotiated a lease for our current space, in what was then a small European grocery market where we’d sometimes use their copier machine.
Amie ordered 5 Peak folding reformers and 5 Peak MVE chairs and had them sent to her house in West Seattle for our big move in August 2008.
We did it all ourselves! We put all the existing equipment on dollies at the end of the day on a Friday and pushed each piece up the street to the new studio (it was uphill and somewhat precarious). As I recall, it was Amie, Sara Shay, Susan Biencynka and myself doing the grunt work.
Then we all went to Amie’s house Sunday morning where she had been storing the new equipment in her garage. We got it all down her driveway to the street, and then rolled it up the ramp onto the moving van that she rented. It’s a miracle nothing fell off that narrow ramp— at the time it felt like we were Egyptians moving the blocks to build the pyramids getting each piece up there one at a time!
Amie and Sara drove the van from West Seattle to the studio through heavy traffic. It was Seafair Sunday morning! Traffic was stop and go. Driving alone took over an hour and then we had to unload everything back down the ramps. We spent the rest of the day putting the equipment in place, and setting it all up. Miraculously we reopened in our new space Monday morning. Teamwork and determination at its finest.
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I was encouraged to try Pilates by my doctor, who thought that strengthening my core might be good therapy for a painful bulging disc in my spine.
If my records are correct, my first session at Pilates on 10th (at the "old studio" a block down the street from the "new studio") was on July 26, 2005. In those days, Amie and Melissa were the instructors - Gordon would join the studio about five months later. That was eighteen years ago now, and I've hardly missed a week since then!
Of course, I have lots of memories from all those years, but what hooked me at the start was what a fun place the studio was—some days, I think I got more of a core workout laughing at the things Melissa and Amie said than from the exercises themselves! But it was also the sensitivity that Amie, Melissa and Gordon initially had to what I could do and what I could not do that kept me coming back. At the start, I could hardly get my spine to go into flexion without extreme pain. Week by week (by week by week!) the mobility in my lower back improved, and for more than fifteen years now I have been free from the kind of pain I had experienced for years.
I guess you could say that instead of getting myself addicted to painkillers, I got myself addicted to Pilates on 10th!
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I was the Studio Manager at P10 for a little over a year, and in the grand scheme of things that's just a quick little blip! But Pilates on 10th made a permanent impression on my heart, and I built relationships (and muscles) that I'll always hold dear. I feel truly blessed to be part of this incredible community’s history.
When I joined the studio the whole world was trying to figure out a new normal, and for me Pilates on 10th was essential in rediscovering the power of connecting with others, reclaiming confidence in my abilities, and remembering how to have fun again. In short, I really needed you guys!
I needed Kim to open the door for me to contribute. I needed her to depend on me, trust my vision, and share her space with me each day. I needed Crystal to kick my ass into shape every Tuesday in Advanced Mat—reminding me with her perfect cadence how powerful structure can be. I needed Heather to be exactly who she was when I hired her: real, inspiring, and excited to teach Pilates! I needed Gordon and his wisdom and experience, Susanna and her dependability, Alissa and her playfulness, Scott and his confidence. I needed Izzy and his coffee across the street. And I absolutely needed the support and dedication of my beautiful front desk staff who really made me value working with a team again.
To each of you I came into contact with along the way: thank you for making my P10 story something special that I won’t soon forget.
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I don't have a singular specific memory, but I can generously pour on the praise for Pilates on 10th. Each instructor I have had the privilege of working with has been inspiring and uplifting. I stand taller, walk with more confidence, and most importantly—without pain. The studio is welcoming and the instructors are all learned and effective in their teaching. I feel fortunate to have walked through the studio doors years ago to discover the gem that is Pilates on 10th.
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My relationship with Pilates on 10th began at the original studio down the street. At that time there were only three Reformers, a Cadillac, and a Chair. I was searching for something, and started doing Private sessions.
I was hooked. I fell in love—head over heels—with Pilates at Pilates on 10th! For me the physical and mental challenge was just so fun, and the feeling of belonging that came with the studio felt good too.
Years later when I had the opportunity to buy the studio, I took the decision really seriously because I knew firsthand the impact Pilates on 10th was making on the community. It was like a home to me and so many others, so as we shifted ownership I was very intentional about maintaining that aspect.
I want everyone to feel welcomed the way I was when I first walked in. I want everyone to fall in love with Pilates, and movement like I did.
We’ve made a lot of changes over the years, but I think the continued success of P10 is due to our focus on serving the community. As a business owner I put my resources into maintaining an atmosphere where real connections are available. We still make phone calls. If we don’t see you when expected=, we check in. Or often one of your classmates will tell us why you’re absent. We all KNOW each other.
After 20 years, in a city full of studio options P10 continues to come out on top, and that’s a group effort. I’m so proud that the studio attracts the kind of people (clients and staff!) that are invested. We care about our Pilates community (who are our friends, our family) and we believe in the power of movement to change lives.
