Today, we’d like to introduce you to Annette Friesner.
Hi Annette, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your back story.
I got certified to teach Pilates in 2010. I have always been interested in the human body and have worked teaching other fitness classes in the past. Pilates excited me, and I couldn’t wait to share it with others. I taught at a local studio and was working at a local church. I taught mathh classes at the church and eventually started teaching math classes at my home on my driveway and in my family room. We eventually bought a Pilates reformer, then 2, then 3, then, before we knew it, we had 5! We turned our basement into my home studio, and it was amazing! My kids knew the drill and knew how to be quiet when mom was teaching. We soon outgrew the basement studio, and the opportunity came along for us to move the studio into a building we had purchased about a year prior for my husband’s office space and as an event venue. He always jokes around that I kick him out of everything – which isn’t far from the truth. HA! So, he moved out of The Building, and we moved in. Since we’re officially official, we need a name for the studio. I wanted something short and meaningful. After praying and thinking and more thinking and praying – SAW came to life. SAW flows, it’s an exercise in Pilates, and it is an acronym for all we wanted to convey with the studio – Strength. Alignment. Well-being and the best part – it is our children’s initials. Silas. Abe. Wren – so SAW Pilates was born! We were also running small events out of The Building, so we continued with that as well. It was a lot of work and a full family production. We purchased six brand-new machines and had faith that this new business would thrive and thrive.! It was kind of crazy, though – we would have Pilates classes in the morning, then move the reformers out of the way for an event in the evening, and then go back down to set back up for classes the next day. It was great, but it was A LOT of work! We were raising 3 very active children, and we knew we needed to change things. Fast forward to 2019 – we saw an opportunity for a new building literally right up the street. It had more space, two floors and a huge, attached lot and parking. We were so blessed to be able to purchase this building, and we were able to move the studio to the new place and continue with the event venue rental at The Building.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not always been a smooth road. Raising three children and working with your spouse in multiple businesses is A LOT, but I am also so grateful that this is our life. I could not imagine doing my life, this job, and our business with anyone else but my husband. Our kids see how hard we work and know that hard work pays off. We always joke that we are “unemployable on purpose.” It is challenging but also extremely rewarding and humbling to know how hard we work and the decisions we make, and our amazing team is why we are where we are today. Of course, one major bump in the road and struggle was – covid. We had literally just moved into our new space – we were open for five days, and COVID hit. All the renovations and excitement and positive energy about the new space – fizzled out quickly. BUT – being the faith-filled people we are – thank God – we knew things would work out, and we had to keep moving forward. The events stopped at the building, and the studio had to shut down for a couple of months. We pivoted – we took some to pray and mourn, but then we worked to figure it out. I learned how to video classes, we learned how to engage folks virtually, and eventually, the studio was able to open back up. It was like starting all over. Many of our clients didn’t return, but the amount that did and all the new people that did was amazing, and we are so grateful! We also decided to have a mural painted on the side of our building. COVID did a number on people’s mental health, and we wanted to do something to bring a little bit of joy, color, and life back to our clients and our community. We worked with an amazing local artist named Tom Post. He saw our vision and painted and created the most amazing mural on the side of the studio. I believe unintentionally, it was great marketing, too! It is such a beautiful mural. The inspiration for it was our daughter, Wren’s crazy, amazing curly hair. So, she is the focal point, and our two boys, Silas and Abe, are represented in the raven and the blue jay. We love it, and our clients do, too!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I have had so many careers in my life. I worked in a restaurant, in retail, as a flight attendant, planned events, did marketing for an investment firm, was an executive assistant for a pastor, did research for his sermons, and did health insurance and finance. I think all of those jobs led me to where I am today. My husband has always had an entrepreneurial spirit, and he has more than rubbed off on me. He has had a teen club, sports complex, t-shirt business, his own insurance agency, and our event rental business. We love starting and creating businesses and we are so excited about what the future holds with SAW Pilates and our event venue business. We are actively working on combining the two into a somewhat new venture. SAW Pilates has continued to grow. Our community at the studio is unlike anything I have ever experienced, and our clients love it here, too. We are a boutique studio that specializes in pilates reformer and strength circuit-type classes. Our goal and mission is to meet our clients where they are and help them feel empowered to move confidently, safely, and with intention. None of our exercises are done “just because.” We want you to feel and become strong in our body and take your strength with you throughout your day in all you do. We have clients ranging from young teens/tweens and up through their 80s! The human body is truly amazing, and we celebrate what it can do in a safe intentional, and boutique-style studio. We intentionally have small group classes so we can focus on our clients and offer modifications when needed. We also encourage community and friendship here and have social events, too! All of our teachers are highly trained, and collectively, we have over 150 years of experience teaching. We are excited about implementing our new teacher training/ apprenticeship program this next year to teach new instructors the SAW method of teaching.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was silly and wore my heart on my sleeve growing up. My mom was a single mom, and I had an older brother. My father was not in the picture, and he left when I was very young. My mom worked full-time, and my aunt, who lived right down the street from us, watched me while she worked. My aunt had five girls – and ME! I had a fun and free-range childhood; growing up in the ’80s and ’90s, we spent lots of time exploring and playing and creating. I am so incredibly thankful that social media wasn’t a thing in my younger years! I was always interested in exploring and creating and being goofy and silly. I have always had a heart for the underdog – maybe because part of me always felt like one in a way since I didn’t have the “typical” family back then. I had many friends, and I loved my family and my cousins with everything I had. I think that is one of the reasons I love teaching so much and having this business. We meet all different types of people and get to really know them. It’s amazing being such an important part of our clients’ lives.
Pricing:
- Intro series to learn the Pilates reformer – 3 private one-hour sessions: $175
- Packages are available for purchase: five reformer classes for $150 and ten for $250
- Unlimited Pilates classes per month for $225
- Strength Circuit Class $15 per class
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sawpilates.com
- Instagram: @sawpilatesloveland
- Facebook: @SAW Pilates Loveland
- Youtube: @sawpilates
Image Credits
Annette Friesner
