Issue #423 – Wednesday, February 14, 2024
Boost Your Pilates Business with AI: Engage More Clients, Save Time, Get Creative
Part 1
When ChatGPT was first released, I honestly had little interest aside from the occasional silly exploration with friends — “Describe to me a french cabernet wine in the style of an arrogant sommelier who never drinks wine from anywhere but Napa California.” (Yeah, this is peak me…a ‘wild night’ involves using whatever it takes to generate a laugh. Pun intended lol).
It seemed it would be used in ways that would benefit me but that I would be quite removed from it directly. For example, a software engineer might use it to check or clean up their code.
But after some research and conversations with folks in fields like finance or who work on self-driving cars, I now think my relationship with AI is different.
Yes, it’s true Pilates instructors won’t likely be replaced by AI anytime soon. But, what it can do for ‘the business of Pilates’ is potentially very powerful.
AI is evolving right in front of our eyes in real time. It needs all our creativity to let it evolve into something useful for the field of Pilates (and beyond).
Let’s start with a really simple explanation of Generative AI and ChatGPT. ChatGPT and Google Gemini are examples of generative artificial intelligence that use deep learning to generate original content, retrieve information, respond in chat dialogues, create designs and more.
Holly Furgason is the founder of the Blue Sparrow Pilates in San Francisco, California (2007) and has trained everyone from Olympic athletes to cancer patients.
Holly is driven to share her knowledge and enthusiasm with other teachers. She wrote a book on how to turn a Pilates passion into a career, Finding Your Center. She has presented educational courses and taught pedagogy, or the “art” of teaching at numerous training facilities around the world.
Holly is a Nationally Certified Pilates Instructor and Merrithew Lead Instructor Trainer, specializing in STOTT PILATES, Fascial Movement, CORE and Total Barre. Holly holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance from the University of Michigan, and a Masters of Fine Arts in Choreography and Performance from Mills College in Oakland, California.
Based in the San Francisco Bay Area and surrounded by technology, Holly is excited about the intersection of technology + Pilates, pivoting to digital delivery, Pilates as a Product, and program development.
Free classes with Holly: https://www.youtube.com/@Blue-Sparrow-Pilates
Instagram: @bluesparrowpilates