Today we’d like to introduce you to Carolyn Stuart and CC Martin.
Carolyn and CC, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
We are 2 college best friends – fitness fanatics, that began co teaching fitness classes at Umass Amherst… way back when! We opened our first Pilates studio in the South End in 1999. We explored many names for our business but eventually landed on C2 Body (C2 standing for the 2 C’s – Carolyn and CC – (whose name is also Carolyn). We are 2 very real women entrepreneurs -we have developed our business grounded in our family and friendship. We are a business that has endured 18 years of life- the birth of 7 children collectively; the death of a spouse; opening and closing multiple locations; the birth and operations of an out of state licensed training center in Connecticut where we certify instructors in STOTT Pilates and Total Barre and the creation and launch of Beatbarre (our signature barre brand). We currently have 2 locations, one in South Boston and the other in Dedham Ma. And we are actively seeking our next location! Like many stories, ours is bittersweet …our story is that of gratitude, strength, courage, perseverance, endurance, disappointment, defeat and yes surrendering- but above all fulfillment, loads of laughter and memorable triumphs. Similar to many woman, we pride ourselves in our abilities to multi-task… the blending of motherhood and entrepreneurship. More often than not, because we are so intertwined – family time and business get tightly entwined. We’ve lulled to sleep many babies while choreographing squat routines! Our families are so used to us and our family work culture that it actually has created and instilled a closeness and bond with us all. Families that work together, vacation together…stay together!
Has it been a smooth road?
Running a business for us has certainly had its ups and downs, we have been faced with many challenges, some being personal, Many were economically based and others location specific. So many different reasons – location, 911, not enough instructors, expensive build outs, economic down turns, crazy commutes to Connecticut. Amongst the growing pains of basic bad decisions, 🙁 Tried and true – there has always been a silver lining and chalk up to – “Welp definitely learned something from that experience!” What we have learned from our struggles along the way – is that just that. If there is a struggle happening – sometimes you just have to step back and just reassess and redirect… and that’s ok (that’s the big one). It’s taking the time to listen, and notice how you feel. It’s what we try and teach our clients when working with their bodies. This same principle can be applied to all aspects of your life. Struggles are a reminder that if things are not flowing, then maybe a check in to look at it from a different view, but always a redirection to come from within…staying true to ourselves and what we believe in. Authenticity and ease is often the message. What’s tricky for us, is that we are not afraid of hard work and working hard. So taking the time to reflect and see the difference of working smarter is always a good constant lesson for us. Because between all of us – our personal families and business families – there is always something going on – being pulled in so many different directions – that in itself is a challenge to stay the course. Remembering to be present in the moment is key for us, surrendering to the pace when needed and pushing through when needed. The bottom line is that our foundation comes from a deeper personal connection and level of individual respect. We believe this journey of life is not so separated (as work and personal), and we feel fortunate that our place of work allows us to grow, create, explore and experience it all on a higher level.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the C2 Body story. Tell us more about the business.
C2 Body specializes in Pilates! We are a Pilates based fitness company. We truly believe in the foundations of Pilates Movement, We love that it’s so versatile, functional and how it can really be applied to all aspects of your life- even nonexercise related! It’s very empowering for both instructor and client to have them feel the connection of Pilates and how it can support them. We believe in educating our clients to use Pilates as a tool and to learn how to effectively use it to get into their body – no matter what age or limitations or athletic goals they have. With that said- we provide a place for both personalized training as well as small groups to train on the equipment. We are very proud of our Barre program – Beatbarre – which I am sure you’ve guessed is a Pilates based Barre program! (Which makes it unique from other Barre programs) This program puts together the precision of Pilates, with big and small movements, the benefits of functional strengthening in multi-directional movements in standing, the intensity of cardio (with the option of either big muscle moves or plyometrics for individual adaptation), and the endurance for sustaining good form in a movement (hence Pilates connection). Our mission with Beatbarre is to have you leave challenged, energized, euphoric, wanting more, and inspired, Our most common feedback is that was a quick hour (meaning no downtime), challenging and fun and they loved the music! What sets us apart in terms of barre – is our format – we layer in movements (so the muscle has many chances to be challenged – sometimes as a supporter and others as the primary focus), we have a cardio component which clients can take to their own level, we burn (smaller isolated movements) and flush (re-lengthen the muscle as an active stretch – so it can keep working for you and not get cranky!), we have a variety of routines, we choreograph to motivating current music , and importantly to note- we believe in taking advantage of what gravity puts on the body – as well as one’s own body weight -therefore we stand continuously for 50 min to maximize the challenge to the whole muscular system against gravity, body weight and props. (Primarily standing until the end also attracts a wider population that … standing exercise is better for them then getting up and down from the floor, which takes away from valuable exercise time!) Clearly, our company is bound in education – owning a licensed training center. We have an excellent diverse team of instructors and are very proud of their ability to keep the raising the standard and quality of their teaching. We believe in having a strong foundation of knowledge, and then from their creativity and uniqueness from each of our talents can shine with confidence and cohesiveness. We are probably most known for our quality of products, our affordability, our diverse community, and our connection and love for our community, We are a family run local business that are truly inspired by our amazing clients.
Client appreciation of our quality and brand client loyalty and comradery clients who we touch on a day to day basis seeing clients get stronger and more aware of their body through assisting clients through physical hurdles client referrals client feedback and ratings.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
We believe the industry of Pilates and barre is still in its infancy in some respect. We believe people are looking for exercise trends that get results, are sustainable and progressive. Because of the value of Pilates for either conditioning or restoration the potential of Pilates infiltrating many more potential client markets is huge. The men’s market is wide open, the value of Pilates training for sport specific conditioning is undeniably beneficial. As well as addressing bad backs and tight hips, classic condition majority of men will deal with at some time in their lives. The youth market is also untapped and would be such a value to teenagers who are already dealing with postural issues due to the lack of physical activity and computers and especially cell phones. The postures they are displaying mirror adults in their 40’s. As far as barre. It has just begun, clearly, it has grown rapidly in cosmopolitan areas, but we are slowly seeing its expansion beyond the suburbs. We believe the model may change from existing primarily in barre specific studios to gyms, health clubs, universities and corporate entities.
Pricing:
- $109 Fast Track to Pilates – great way to learn pilates for class integration (3 forty min private sessions + your first group class)
- $99 Intro 2 Weeks unlimited Pilates Group Classes
- $219 Intro 4 Pilates Personalized Training Sessions (great place to start if new to Pilates or have any physical concerns)
- $11 Intro Deal – Your first Beatbarre class
- $69 Intro 2 Weeks unlimited Beatbarre Classes
Contact Info:
- Address: C2 Body (Boston) 840/844 Summer Street, South Boston, Ma 02127 C2 Body (Dedham) 200 Providence Hwy, Dedham Ma 02026 (located within Dedham Health& Athletic Complex)
- Website: c2body.com
- Phone: 6177190567
- Email: carolyn@c2pilates.com / cc@c2pilates.com
