May 17, 2017

Meet Michele Stamos of Happy Belly Studios in Heights

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michele Stamos.

Michele, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I have been active all my life. From gymnastics to dance to soccer to cheer. Living a healthy lifestyle is important to me in all facets. Not just how you look, but how you feel, and how you live, even how you treat yourself and others. 6 years ago, I combined my love of sports and fitness to open Happy Belly Studios.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Smooth is relative to how we view things, lol. Is life ever smooth for anyone? It’s all about what perspective we take. We all struggle with decisions in this road of life, but a positive outlook and a good support system really helps.

Please tell us about Happy Belly Studios.
6 years ago my business was Pilates and Yoga. There were not any boutique studios doing both (it was either a yoga studio, or a Pilates studio). I had a love for both and saw the benefits in both and wanted my students to appreciate both (since they are so complimentary). Today, it’s more a well-rounded wellness studio, or at least that is what I strive for. We specialize in small group training, and one to one private to give a more personalized workout to our client. Every session is specific to our client’s needs.

I am most proud of taking the leap of faith and opening a business! It is not easy and I question myself every day, but I have grown so much just by taking the chance and trying.

What sets us apart is our depth of expertise. We have a staff of Pilates experts in their field, yoga instructors willing to teach outside the box and get to know their students concerns, and fitness experts who generally want to see changes in their students and clients. I never wanted to be a “big box” studio – small customized workouts has always been my interest.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I think I learn something new every day in this business. So, I can’t really say I would have done any differently. I think as long as we continue to learn and grow every day in whatever it is we choose to do in life – that is the lesson.

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