Tara Riley is the founder of Tara Riley Method a combination of creative, mood boosting, life changing classes including Pilates, Barre, and Cardio that help reduce stress and build confidence whilst increasing strength, stamina, and flexibility keeping you mobile and active for years. Her classes are energetic, dynamic, and challenging, but achievable for all ages and abilities. Tara believes the positive energy you experience from a workout is as important as the physical results.
Tara spent her childhood as a competitive gymnast, training for 15+ years. A diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis at 28 led her down a path of learning how movement could help manage RA not only from a physical side but the mental aspect of chronic pain too.
She is passionate about helping others to (re)connect with themselves, learn something new and fall in love with moving their bodies in a way that feels good!
What is your company all about?
I am a London-based Barre and Pilates instructor offering in-person and online group classes, 1-2-1 private sessions, plus an ON DEMAND library of a barre, pilates, and cardio classes which make up the Tara Riley Method. My diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis at a young age has led me down a path of discovery and trial and error to help determine what works for my body and what doesn’t. My method fuses Barre, Pilates and cardio and it’s this specific combination that has has helped me sustain mobility and strength in my muscles and joints and continue to move with agility and less pain.
Cardiovascular health, strength, and flexibility are the pillars of movement that will keep us moving with ease and with less pain throughout life and I have a genuine interest in how a workout makes your body feel of course, but there is more to it than just the physical side. Less pain and a perkier bum are happy result, but the positive energy and uplifted mood you can get from exercise are extraordinary and my classes encapsulate this.
I am passionate about helping others discover the empowerment and love of doing exercise that feels good in your body and mind!
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your company?
I was a competitive gymnast growing up and into college so fitness has been part of my life for a long time. I left my health and fitness days behind and went into advertising and commercials production and was a successful (albeit stressed out and unhealthy) production company producer for more than 10 years. The work was exciting and always different, but also stressful and relentless. I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis at 28 years old and it helped to resurface my healthy habits, but the fast-paced and long hours world of production continued to trigger RA flare ups, and I kept getting this niggly cough I just couldn’t shift.
When I had my first son and then returned to production, I started to resent both sides — the job for being so full-on at all hours and my gorgeous son for interrupting me whilst I was trying to work after 7 pm. It was this that helped me realize I was ready to leave advertising and production and focus on myself, my health, and my son. I retrained as a pilates instructor and feel incredibly fortunate that my husband and I could make this switch work. I was able to build my fitness business whilst also looking after my kids.
What would you say are the top 3 skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur, and why?
- Perseverance —- Dig deep and keep going even when it feels like nothing is going your way.
- Small steady steps. Rome wasn’t built in a day — nor will your business be. Lay the groundwork and consistently take action.
- Growth mindset — The ability to adapt, to allow for improvement and learning, accepting what works and doesn’t will all help grow your business.
What are your plans for the future, how do you plan to grow this company?
I have recently launched an ON DEMAND library that includes Barre, Pilates, and Cardio workouts ranging from 20 to 55 minutes. I am working on adding to that library and plan on creating programs targeting postnatal recovery, beginners, and offering short re-start challenges to broaden my reach.
If COVID has taught us anything, it’s that you can join an instructor or take a class from anywhere in the world. It’s an opportunity many hadn’t considered before.
In addition to broadening my ON DEMAND community and keeping my IRL classes going strong, I am looking at ways to become more sustainable with my equipment — mats, resistance bands, etc. Stay tuned!
How have the pandemic and Lockdown affected you or your new business?
Running any business during a global pandemic is going to have its challenges. Pivoting overnight and switching from 100% of classes in person and in studio to solely online was terrifying. BUT the majority of my clients jumped online with me, no questions asked and many even upped their fitness game from 1 or 2 classes a week to 4 or 5!!! Creating what turned out to be a successful and positive online community is something I am very proud of.
Covid has changed fitness forever and it’s changed my business forever. I hadn’t really considered online workouts previously — not because I didn’t think they were worth it, just because I was busy and fulfilled with in-person classes. I would never dream of not having an online option now. I have met other instructors I learn from and admire all over the world and have been able to teach women and men in numerous different countries at one time online. This unique opportunity wouldn’t have been possible for me without the pandemic forcing my hand. Truly a #covidsilverlining
The lessons I’ve learned from shifting my business online helped to cement my true purpose and mission as a movement instructor — and that is to lead and teach with positivity, compassion, and energy. It’s infections, it’s inspiring and it does help others. Here are a few snips of the feedback I received in the midst of the pandemic
“Thank you for keeping up my resilience during COVID with your fantastic classes. You’re a complete star with your energy and positivity”
“I wanted to say thank you – your weekly classes have been a very big part of 2020 and in what has been a very challenging year, they have done so much for both my physical and mental health”
“I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed class today and how it put me in a good mood for the rest of the day”
How do you separate yourself from your competitors?
Ooh, tough question for a fitness instructor — it’s is a saturated profession, and it’s easy to compare yourself to others! It’s taken me a while to get here and I do still fall down the comparison rabbit hole, BUT I try to have faith that my clients come to me because of me personally and what I bring to a class and exactly the way that I teach… which is with a good dose of humor, a work hard play hard attitude and creative and dynamic classes.
In addition to that, the feedback I get over and over again is my classes have a lovely encouraging community feel, even online and across continents.
I ensure that my students feel seen and heard. I know their names and I treat them as individuals rather than a class as a whole. Each of my students is unique, with unique pains, stresses, and pressures and these points warrant specific modifications and corrections.
What were the top three mistakes you made starting your business, and what did you learn from them?
- Not wanting to spend money on pr / marketing / business coaching earlier on. Fitness businesses aren’t a new concept, I could’ve learned from others expertise. Working with a business coach earlier would’ve helped me clarify my messaging and how to better reach and speak to my ideal clients more effectively.
- Perfectionism. You can spend all your time trying to perfect something that as soon as it’s out, you’ll likely want to make tweaks anyway. It’s still something I struggle with sometimes but getting your idea out there and making changes based on feedback is more effective.
- Not asking for or paying for help. Realising you can’t wear all the hats, at least not well, is one of the best things you can do. When first starting out, it’s easy to feel like you need to do everything to save money or because you aren’t earning much yet, but your business could grow more quickly by acknowledging your limitations and asking for help from friends or outsourcing where possible.
Tell us a little bit about your marketing process, what has been the most successful form of marketing for you?
Hands down, the most successful form of marketing has always been word of mouth and recommendations for me. In a profession where there are choices both online and in my local area where my studio is, having personal recommendations is like gold dust.
In addition to recommendations, I have had decent success for in-person classes through marketing and advertising to Facebook groups that are specific to my local area.
What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
The Pandemic has probably been the biggest challenge I’ve faced. I was teaching classes 100% in-person and had to switch to teaching online overnight. I spoke to other business owners and those who were versed in online meeting platforms to decide which was best to take my classes online.
I researched and invested in sound and lighting equipment to make my online experience the best it could be. I adapted my teaching to more effectively reach, encourage and offer corrections to my students so they could continue their fitness journey and continue to get positive outcomes out of the classes they knew and loved.
What are you learning now? Why is that important?
I am learning about peri-menopause and menopause and how it affects a woman’s body and mind. As women age, their lean muscle mass and bone density will naturally deplete, increasing the risk of injury, affecting balance and mobility, and putting them at higher risk of osteoporosis. It’s a subject that previously hasn’t received a lot of attention, but more than 50% of the population will go through it at one stage, and I believe it is important to offer more information.
I’m interested in learning how to inspire, support, and educate women on the types of movement that are going to keep their bodies mobile and active and better protect their bones and improve lean muscle mass.
If you started your business again, what things would you do differently?
My business grew slowly and organically in accordance with the amount of time I had available. My children were young and at home 50% of the time so it was a slow burn. This worked within my local community for in-person classes, but the thing I would change would be to have included online classes much earlier and worked on growing both my in-person and online sides of the business simultaneously.
What are the top 3 online tools and resources you’re currently using to grow your company?
- I use MindBody for my live online and in studio class schedules and Kuula for my ON DEMAND library. These two resources allow me to schedule, keep track of clients, and take payments for all of my live in person and online classes as well as my ON DEMAND library.
- Canva has been a game changer for me in terms of creating and streamlining my brand in social media posts, marketing and advertising as well as allowing me to easily add titles and graphics to videos.
What’s a productivity tip you swear by?
A cube timer! It’s literally a physical kitchen timer with set times on different sides — when doing a task give yourself an amount of time and stick to it. Move on when the timer goes off. I found this particularly effective when engaging on, and creating content for social media, which can become a bit of a rabbit hole if you are not careful and eat into time and focus needed for other elements of your business!
Can you recommend one book, one podcast, and one online course for entrepreneurs?
- Book – Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. A must-read for an entrepreneur who wants to deep dive on living with fear, managing that negative voice in your head, rejection, and perspective, and giving yourself permission to be creative.
- I took a short but effective online hashtag course with @pinkstormsocial and I found it insightful and straightforward and fairly easy to implement.
If you only had $1000 dollars to start a new business, knowing everything you know now, how would you spend it?
A website, a way to speak to and reach your clients such as newsletter, Mailchimp, etc, and a calendar or booking system.
What helps you stay driven and motivated to keep going in your business?
I am motivated every time I see that what I am teaching is helping people. Sometimes it’s improving back pain or an old injury that’s flared up, other times is seeing a new mum regain strength and confidence in her own body, and sometimes it’s the positive impact and the improved mental health a client has told me she has found since starting classes with me.
What is your favorite quote?
Not sure I have one favourite, but I love:
“When everything seems to be going against you, remember the aeroplane takes off against the wind, not with it.”
– Henry Ford
What valuable advice would you give new entrepreneurs starting out?
Take messy action and be consistent. Things will likely never be exactly how you envisaged or exactly how you think they should be but holding back or avoiding getting an idea, or product, or service out there, because it’s not 100% perfect, means it’s still not out there. Take the first step and keep taking those small steps.
What is your definition of success?
Success may be different for everyone, but for me, it’s being fulfilled in mind and body and having the financial freedom to do and have what you want when you want it. Feeling happy and satisfied with your work will seep into other parts of your life. For me, I love knowing that I am doing something purposeful —- I am genuinely helping people overcome pain both physically and/or mentally.
How do you personally overcome fear?
I try to remind myself of something my Dad said to me before I moved from the US to England. I was scared, I was questioning what if it didn’t work out, what if I couldn’t secure a job, etc — he said to me, “You’ve got to go see, right? Otherwise, you’ll regret it and ask yourself ‘what if’ forever. Worse case you come back.
How can readers get in touch with you?
I love to discuss how I can help you reduce pain and stress and reconnect with yourself and your fitness journey. I can help you — reach out to me on pilatesandtara.com or IG @pilatesandtara or FB Facebook.com/pilatesandtara.com
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