2020 was a year to take stock and assess. With the weirdness of having my studio closed for two and half months and then slowly regrowing to now booming again, it’s been a year to really reassess for me and maybe for you, too!

I’ve realized many things during the past year. I reaffirmed my love of teaching Pilates when the studio was closed. I rediscovered how fun mat classes can be by working with Studio 11 and their on-demand website. I dove into my nutrition training …. something I’d considered for quite some time.

It was a year to assess relationships and consider what was really important in life. I think for many, myself included shopping took a backseat, and quality time doing what I loved like hiking and running came to the forefront.

In November I had the opportunity to take a trip to Arizona. I have loved Arizona for many years and have taken numerous trips in the past. My ex-husband and I always said we would end up in Arizona and we had a 7-10 year plan to make it happen. And then I got divorced. It was necessary and sent me into a whirlwind of rebuilding and getting back on my feet. When I realized staying in TN was just not going to work longterm for me for a flicker I considered Arizona but at the time it seemed too far and too much to take on by myself coming off a divorce. So I tucked that dream away and decided it wasn’t meant to be for me.

When I took my trip over Thanksgiving, I was excited to get back to a place I loved and hadn’t been to in over 4 years. The bright sun, the hiking, the trail running, the scenery … all of it just feeds my soul. It dawned on me during that trip that this would have been year seven in the seven to ten-year plan. I had not thought about that in several years. Having the time to relax and take it in - it really sunk in where I was and where I could have been if life had taken a different path. And I realized why couldn’t I still make this work? Why couldn’t I figure something out in the next three years? Building Shine Pilates and moving to Lexington helped me gain back the confidence I had lost through a divorce and showed me how strong I was! Seriously who moves to a new town, signs a three-year lease for a business with NO clients? This gal did! I took a gamble and committed to succeeding and I did.

Leaving Arizona I made a commitment to myself that I would figure something out in the next three years. I had no idea what that would look like - I just knew one thing - I was not going to start over again! I’ve done that twice and it’s a lot of work!! On a whim the day after I came home I duck duck go’ed ‘Pilates studios for sale’. Any given day if you search this you are likely to find nothing or something that is not really a Pilates studio! I was shocked when a studio in Northwest Phoenix popped up! It was beautiful and seemed to be successful, too. I almost didn’t send a message. I was so sure it was probably an old post and already gone. The next morning I received a phone call from the owner and we talked for quite a while. I was impressed. I followed up with some additional questions and the more I saw and found out the better it looked. There was only one problem … I was not very familiar with this area as I had spent most of my time in the East Valley, not the West Valley.

Some of you knew I went back out over Christmas. That trip was a business trip - to meet the owner, check out the studio, and check out that part of town. Long story short- we hit it off and I loved the studio. The area is growing like crazy and I managed to get in some trail runs and hikes while I was there, too. Since this trip it’s been a whirlwind of finding an lawyer in AZ, making an offer, accepting an offer on my studio and more! I never could have imagined this would happen so fast. I truly believed this step for me would be happening in three years not three months.

There was a time I allowed myself to believe I could not have this dream but I am so glad I realized that yes I can. I’m excited about the future and also realize there will be bumps and trials along the way, too. I’m proud of what I have created in Lexington and so thrilled to see my sweet little shiny studio continuing on with three lovely and qualified ladies.

Let me be the moral of the story … if you want it bad enough there is a way!