Today we’d like to introduce you to Niki Benjamin.
When native New Yorker and music industry exec, Niki, moved to Houston to be closer to her family, she decided to combine her passion for wellness with her love for creative expressions of motion and Pilates HTX was born! Having fallen in love with Reformer Pilates as a way to find balance in her hectic professional life in Los Angeles, she now brings this wellness experience to Houston.
Niki’s family has deep roots in Texas, specifically in the Third Ward of Houston. Because of the significant role that this part of the city has played in her life, it was only fitting that Niki would introduce Pilates HTX as the first boutique Reformer Pilates studio in Houston’s Third Ward. The energy and rich history of the area help to define the vibe of Pilates HTX – a studio with a little bit of funk, a whole lot of heart and a place that is definitely for everybody.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
As a native New Yorker who spent the majority of my career in California, the biggest challenge to opening a business in Houston is the depth of my personal and business contacts here. I have been fortunate to be on this journey with my cousin Morgan Gaskin Thomas, a native Houstonian, who is now the Operations Manager for Pilates HTX. She along with other family and childhood friends have been instrumental in spreading the word about Pilates HTX and helping me to enhance my preexisting local network.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Pilates HTX story. Tell us more about the business.
As a certified Pilates Reformer instructor, my signature class utilizes the Allegro 2 Reformer to promote overall body and core strength, stability, muscle control, lengthening and endurance. Because of my experience with music, I use the power of music as a driving force to motivate and inspire all of my students. Each class at Pilates HTX is unique and provides a distinctive body sculpting and training experience. I am also an avid believer in the power of fostering deep connections with my students and offer private sessions in addition to group classes.
I am most proud of how Pilates HTX has grown organically and become a space where people feel comfortable and feel like their possibilities are endless. The vibe around the studio is joyful, welcoming and space is always filled with exceptional people who are conscious about self-care.
For good reason, society often focuses more on the problems rather than the opportunities that exist, because the problems need to be solved. However, we’d probably also benefit from looking for and recognizing the opportunities that women are better positioned to capitalize on. Have you discovered such opportunities?
My personal philosophy is to view everyone regardless of gender as having a specific purpose for their life. To that end, women have just as many opportunities as men across all industries. I have had some terrific role models who help reinforced this philosophy throughout many stages of life. I have only ever thought that women can do anything. It’s just the way I’m wired.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2712 St. Emanuel Street
Houston, Texas 77004
(inside Houston Muscleheadz Gym) - Website: www.pilateshtx.com
- Email: info@pilateshtx.com
- Instagram: @pilates_htx
- Facebook: @pilateshtx
Image Credit:
Pilates HTX
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