Moving…It’s Just Our Thing

Posted on August 19, 2015 by l2method

We start our love story in Boston in 2011. Then we move to Singapore for 2 years in 2012, which people thought was absolutely crazy. Crazy, maybe, but one of the best things I’ve ever done. Then, in 2014, we head back to the motherland to start our life, and possibly a family. We decide on San Francisco. This was it; we are going to build our new life in this crazy, amazing city by the bay. Steve starts his job at one of the oldest brand consultancies, and is eager to climb the strategist ladder. I go back to Equinox, because it feels comfortable, having worked there in Boston, and is then unexpectedly given the Coordinator position, which is quite the opposite of comfortable. The first few months in my new role are tough and I come home every night wanting to demote myself back to Pilates Instructor. But by December I am on a roll, and getting the hang of running the Pilates studio at Equinox.

After 3 short months, I have built the following at Equinox I have always wanted. I have a Pilates team that continues to amaze and impress me, to this day, and have made friendships that will last. My group fitness classes are packed, and I am teaching in front of 50 plus people, all excited to come back for the next class. I love my job, and I would not change anything about it.

Last month, only one year after arriving in our “new home” Steve tells me he received a job offer from an advertising agency, wanting him to step in as the strategy director. I am so happy for him; this is where he had wanted to get to since the day he started this career around the world in Singapore. Unfortunately, this promotion does not come at his current gig. Nope, it is for a firm down in San Diego. Here we go.

The Lampert’s are moving again. To be honest, I never imagined myself even wanting to live in San Diego. Southern California, yes. Secretly I have always wanted to be a SoCal girl. But maybe Santa Barbara or LA. I have never even been to San Diego. After a bit of real estate research, it is a done deal. I thought the Internet was broken when my results came up after putting in our search parameters. More than one bedroom and bath, a full stand alone house, a garage, washer and dryer. It is like real life. Over the past year I have become so jaded to what is normal. San Francisco, turns out, is not at all sustainable if you want to start a family, and this opportunity in front of us helped us to realize this. I love our home in Russian Hill; after just a year, it really does feel like home. It’s absolutely perfect; for just us, and Paya. But I am not okay with putting a potential child in our walk in closet turned nursery. First, Steve is not ready to give up his closet, and second, I want more. I don’t think that’s too much to ask.

After a weekend trip to San Diego to check it out (although this wouldn’t be my first rodeo….I moved to SF without ever stepping foot here), we find a great place to live in La Jolla, and decided to make this happen. On August 28th, 2015, we will be moving down south.

San Francisco will forever hold a special place in my heart. I fell in love with this city, and with all of our friends and my clients and students. I am excited to start yet another journey, and who knows, this could be our forever home. And I am so excited to check in with you in another year to share stories of a new place, new friends, new job, maybe new family members??

Thank you to everyone in SF who have made our time here so memorable.

Trying Something New

Posted on April 22, 2015 by l2method

Trying Something New

For a lot of us, we find a workout and stick with it. For me, if you can imagine, it was Pilates, over a decade ago, with some barre thrown in around 2007. So when an instructor of mine suggested we stroll over to Equinox Sports Club on Market Street to try out CoreAlign, I was hesitant at first. I first heard about CoreAlign while living in Singapore. One of the studios I took classes at had offered it, but didn’t ever think about trying it out, because well, I was doing Pilates, of course. If I had only an hour to myself for my own workout, I didn’t want to risk missing out that workout.

With a little push from Kathy, we were signed up for a duet with Mona. I thought maybe being two Pilates instructors, Mona wouldn’t hold back, and just throw us into a tough workout. The CoreAlign equipment pretty much looks like a reformer flipped on its side. And instead of springs, it uses rubber cords. We started by standing with our feet on these two separate carriage like platforms that moved and were attached to these rubber cords. I thought, “okay, I can see the potential challenge” and was anxiously awaiting for us to really get started.

And that was just it, I kept waiting for the flow of the class, and there just wasn’t any. For some people, this works. For me, I need that flow of a class to keep me going and engaged and working. Maybe even a little sweat. The session felt a bit too rehab focused for me. Don’t get me wrong, there were some challenging exercises! Especially the ones that involved some sort of planking. I had a quick little shake going on, but that was it.

As an instructor I definitely see the benefit of incorporating CoreAlign into a session. There is a ton of stabilization, alignment and some great stretches. I would be interested to see a client in a session who is quite advanced to see how it does progress. And, I’m curious to see how it evolves and how different instructors approach it and use it. For now, when I have an hour to myself for a workout, I will stick with Pilates sessions.

Thank you to Mona, and Equinox Sports Club at Market Street for letting Kathy and I try it out! If you haven’t been to this new Equinox, check it out! The studio and the views from the studio are beautiful. Be aware, parking is horrific.

Calling All SF Pilates Instructors!

Posted on October 15, 2014 by l2method

Calling All SF Pilates Instructors!

As a Pilates instructor, the studio you teach at has a huge impact on your career and your presence in your city. Like the neighborhood you choose to live in, it shapes who you are. For some, instructors will always teach in a small boutique studio focusing on private sessions and with few intimate classes. For others instructors may never work in a studio but choose to run all over the city from house to house to studio to gym. The environment a Pilates instructor chooses to work in is very much directly related to that person’s personality, values and style.

Teaching at Equinox is so unique, in that it is like having your very own small studio within a huge fitness facility. You also have a huge presence, being in front of 3,000 plus members. As a Pilates instructor at Equinox you have the opportunity to also teach group Mat Pilates, barre and fusion classes within the group fitness department which increases your presence dramatically. For me, there is no better adrenaline rush than getting up in front of 40 students to lead them in a workout. All of a sudden people you don’t necessarily recognize at first, are saying hi to you on the street. You are changing so many people’s lives without evening realizing it.

The Pilates studio at Equinox is a little piece of heaven amongst an energy fueled, music pumping, beautiful people filled gym. Working with top of the line Peak equipment, we keep the Pilates experience authentic. Taking new members through perhaps their very first Pilates workout, you have the opportunity to earn them as a longtime client. You literally have over 2,000 potential clients to work with. Every member at Equinox could be your client.

With working for a huge company like Equinox, there come many perks. The monetary result is directly influenced by how well you build your business. But aside from that, Equinox offers its full time employees a very comprehensive benefits package with health insurance, dental care, eye care, 401k, maternity leave, 40% all services at the spa and training sessions and our shop. There are opportunities to grow within the company as a teacher. Equinox now has a comprehensive certification program where our teachers have the opportunity to become teacher trainers. Your career doesn’t have to be just teaching session after session. We want to see our instructors grow into something great.

I am working on building my Pilates team at Equinox Union St. in San Francisco. I need fun, enthusiastic, dedicated instructors who care as much as building the team as they do building their own business. I want the Pilates studio to be the place every member wants to be. I want the whole town talking about our instructors and our studio. Be a part of it.

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