Risa Sheppard is the founder and owner of THE SHEPPARD METHOD PILATES in Los Angeles Ca. She received her formal training from Pilates elder Ron Fletcher in 1975. She has written for several top fitness publications, published Risa Sheppard Fitness Formula for a Flat Stomach (circa 1987), and is the CEO of THE SHEPPARD METHOD teacher training Course.
Please tell us a little bit about your company – what is Sheppard Method Pilates all about?
I am the owner and founder of THE SHEPPARD METHOD PILATES STUDIO in Los Angeles Many like to call it “Classical Plates with a personal l touch.” Students of Pilates enjoy coming to my studio because I teach the classic movements as passed down from my mentor, Ron Fletcher who was passed the knowledge from Joe Pilates himself.
I came to Ron Fletcher in 1975 at his studio in Beverly Hills. I have been teaching and educating ever since. I still find the work as rewarding and fulfilling as I did back then! In 2004 I started THE SHEPPARD METHOD Teacher Training program which opened up a whole new addition to my business. I have certified hundreds of students and feel so honored they are teaching this life-affirming method to people all over the world.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your company?
I had graduated from UCLA in 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre Arts, specializing in creative movement. I taught Creative Dramatics at THE NEUROPSYCHRITIC INSTATURE to Autistic children and adolescents. I had studied to be an actress since a small girl and hoped to achieve the “Hollywood Dream” along with everyone else. By God’s grace, I discovered Ron Fletcher at the young age of 22. He had brought out from New York a unique form of movement called “Body Contrology” invented by a man named Joseph Pilates. Today it is known simply as Pilates. I fell in love with the work. It was about graceful movement while creating strength of body and mind. I became a bit of a prodigy, and within a short time was asked to teach. I will be forever grateful to have found my ikigai – a Japanese word for finding meaning in your life.
What are your plans, how do you plan to grow this company?
I feel optimistic about the future of The Sheppard Method and Pilates. When we return to normalcy, and we will, people will be eager to return to their form of fitness with zeal. My plans are to stay on the course, do whatever I can do help people move during this time of quarantine, whether it be zoom, facetime, or one on one. My intention is to keep educating and helping others stay as mentally and physically as stress-free as possible!
The company will continue to grow with the help of my wonderful teachers and staff. My current book is set to be published in 2021. It is an accumulation of my work of the past 45 years studying the mental equivalents of our physical body to our spiritual and mental body.
What were the top mistakes you made starting your business, and what did you learn from them?
The first thing that comes to mind is not to take anything personal! Being a recovering “people pleaser” I can attest that my biggest blunders or faults in business was taking everything that my fellow business associates said too personally. It is important to remember always that business is business.
How do you separate yourself from your competitors?
We separate ourselves from the competition by being a classical studio run by and taught by a 2nd generation Master Teacher. Risa studied under Ron Fletcher who studied under Joe Pilates. The Sheppard Method is a direct descendant of Joe Pilates, adheres to the principles and philosophy of Joseph Pilates and his elders.
What is one thing that you do daily to grow as an entrepreneur?
I start each day with meditation, and positive affirmations to maintain my emotional stability, positive outlook, and peaceful demeanor. It is through my Spiritual practice, mediation, and a willingness to learn new things and implement them in my daily life.
I believe this has contributed greatly to my ongoing success as an entrepreneur.
If you only had $100 dollars to start a new business, knowing everything you know now, how would you spend it?
If I only had $100 to start a new business, I would make sure it is in a profession I love and am passionate about. Love and passion of one’s expression in life, whatever that may be, is the surest avenue to success. Along with tenacity, (one of my major assets in business) a strong desire to help others, and finding a meaning in life throughout busines aspirations I have stayed ahead of the game and become one of the most successful in my career.
How to get in touch with Risa Sheppard
- Website: Sheppard Method Pilates
- Email: info@sheppardmethodpilates.com
- Instagram: @sheppardmethodpilatesla
- Facebook: facebook.com/sheppardmethodpilates
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