In this episode of the ROCC Pod, we sit down with Brandi Freeman and Amy Warner, co-owners of Club Pilates, to discuss how Pilates fits into modern life, especially for busy professionals, parents, and aging bodies. We begin by acknowledging the real-life challenges of prioritizing fitness while juggling responsibilities. Brandi and Amy share that between the two of them, they manage seven kids — yet still find time to prioritize their own health. They emphasize that motivation ebbs and flows, but creating a consistent routine can transform exercise into a natural part of daily life.
We explore the roots of Pilates, originally developed by Joseph Pilates to rehabilitate war veterans. With control and alignment at its core, Pilates combines movement, breath, and mental focus for full-body wellness. Club Pilates offers a contemporary take on classical Pilates, with a strong emphasis on Reformer Pilates — a form that uses resistance machines to strengthen the body while improving flexibility, mobility, and posture. Amy and Brandi explain that this method isn’t just for one demographic. They’ve trained everyone from clients in their 90's to professional athletes, showcasing Pilates’ adaptability and universal benefit.
Throughout the episode, we hear how Pilates helps people recover from injuries, extend the effects of physical therapy, and prevent pain from creeping in with age. Many of their clients are at the point in life where their previous fitness routines no longer serve them. Pilates becomes a pain-free, effective alternative that still delivers strength and flexibility. Their instructors, each trained with over 500 hours of certification, customize classes to meet each member where they are — whether it's rehab, aging gracefully, or athletic performance.
We also dive into how Brandi and Amy turned their shared passion for fitness into a growing business. What began with a conversation in a gym parking lot led to nine Club Pilates studios across Michigan, with Royal Oak being the newest addition and Commerce Township soon to follow. They also speak warmly of their experience joining the Royal Oak Chamber of Commerce and how supportive the community has been in helping them launch locally.
To wrap, they invite listeners to try a free introductory class — a gentle entry point into Pilates that includes a sample workout and a personalized membership consultation. For those curious but unsure, the message is clear: Pilates is for everybody, and every body.
Connect with Club Pilates Royal Oak at119 South Main Street, right downtown
Their phone number is (248) 955-4011.
Brandi Freeman (00:00):
So, one of my favorite things about Pilates and owning a Pilates studio is any person that walks into our studio, and we're talking to them about the benefits of Pilates, I am confident that their life will be better by incorporating this form of exercise into their routine, which you can't say about all types of fitness.
But we have literally trained people in their 90s in our studios and professional athletes and everything in between.
[Music playing]
Voiceover (00:28):
Welcome back to the ROCC Pod, produced for the Royal Oak, Michigan, Chamber of Commerce. I am Jon Jag Gay from JAG Podcast Productions, filling in for my co-host Lisa Bibbee, who is on assignment. She's with Century 21 Northland.
Excited today to be joined by Brandi Freeman and Amy Warner of Club Pilates. Welcome, excited to have you both here.
Amy Warner (00:44):
Thank you, Jon, we're happy to be here.
Brandi Freeman (00:46):
Hi Jon, we're happy to be talking with you today.
Jon Gay (00:49):
This is going to be a fun podcast. I can tell already just in joking around with you before we started recording.
Now, before we get into Pilates, I know it's always a battle, especially in the Chamber. We're all small business owners to find time to exercise, find time to take care of ourselves.
Between the two of you, you have seven children. There's really no excuse for anybody listening to not physically exercise and move and take care of themselves. How do you balance it all?
Brandi Freeman (01:15):
We talk about balance a lot actually. And I often say it's kind of this fake life that we're all chasing.
Jon Gay (01:23):
(Laughs).
Brandi Freeman (01:24):
So, to find a perfect balance just is a really hard thing to do. You prioritize things that are most important to you, and you get it done. And we talk a lot about motivation with working out, and people are always like, “How do you stay motivated?”
Trying to explain to people that that motivation will wane; it'll come, and it'll go. But if it's something that really is a priority to you and something that becomes part of your everyday routine, then you just do it. Like brushing your teeth, just do it.
Jon Gay (01:50):
What do they say? 28 days of doing something to make it a habit so that it becomes second nature, you become used to it. I've heard that somewhere.
Brandi Freeman (01:55):
Something like that, yeah.
Amy Warner (01:57):
I think that works for some, not all. I also want to say too, that Brandi and I actually met in a gym, and I think that we became better wives, and mothers, and employees, just simply by allowing ourselves that hour to do something good for ourselves.
And we really recognize the amount of sacrifice that it takes to give yourself that hour, but so much good comes from it and you actually become a more enjoyable and productive human being at the end of it.
It is a challenge, absolutely, especially when you are juggling kids and work, and businesses, et cetera, but the reward definitely wins.
Jon Gay (02:41):
You're leading me to my next point, which is they always say, “If you're going to take care of others, you have to take care of yourself first. Like fill up your own cup first, or otherwise you won't be able to take care of anybody else.”
Brandi Freeman (02:50):
Absolutely.
Jon Gay (02:51):
So, Club Pilates, now that you're opening in downtown Royal Oak, it is the ninth studio in Michigan, seventh in Metro Detroit, largest provider of Reformer Pilates in the state of Michigan.
Let's start at the basics. What is Pilates? And then from there, let's go into what is Reformer Pilates?
Amy Warner (03:06):
Pilates was actually created by a man named Joseph Pilates. He created this form of exercise to really rehabilitate World War I war veterans.
Jon Gay (03:16):
Oh wow, I didn't know that.
Amy Warner (03:17):
And control their mobility, really, human movement in general. So, it has rehab at its roots, and it was originally called Contrology. I love the history of Pilates because what "Contrology" means is having full control over your body.
And we talked a little bit about how crazy and busy life is today. Anything that we can have some control over just brings us an element of calm and stability in our lives, and Pilates really provides that.
It's the complete coordination of movement, mind, breath everything in your body, it brings it all together. So, the end result really is full body health and wellness.
Jon Gay (04:02):
So, for those who have never taken a Pilates class: it's exercise, but it's body weight. Are there weights involved too? Talk to me like I'm in kindergarten here.
Brandi Freeman (04:09):
Yeah, good questions. Every class in our studio is a full-body exercise. So, we are working on everything from head to toe in strengthening, using our piece of equipment that is the star of the show, our Reformer.
We do have a strong emphasis on core strength. So, that's everything from the bottom of the neck down to your pelvic floor, and all the way around, all those core muscles that come together that help you prevent injury and bring alignment to the body too.
So, to answer the question, we're not using weights, although we do incorporate some hand weights. In some upper-level classes, it is springs. So, there is spring tension on the reformer that helps to add resistance in that strength aspect while also being really restorative (as Amy mentioned), working on flexibility, mobility, alignment.
Jon Gay (04:53):
So, you're starting to answer my next question, which is the Reformer Pilates. So, it's a machine in the classroom that's different than a traditional Pilates class?
Amy Warner (05:01):
Yeah, there is a difference between mat Pilates and reformer Pilates. So, sometimes mat Pilates is incorporated into different types of group fitness, and mat Pilates offers a really wonderful foundation. So, what the reformer brings to it, that apparatus use does offer that resistance, and it offers the ability for us to align the spine as we're working out.
So, it really assists us in achieving our goals and making sure that the body is working in symmetry and as a team throughout the class. It's the main piece of equipment. We are reformer-based, and in every class, you will be on the reformer.
Club Pilates does offer a contemporary spin on classical Pilates and does incorporate some other pieces of equipment as well into our workouts to add that variety. So, the body never plateaus. We're constantly changing so that our body can continue to get stronger and move better.
Jon Gay (05:59):
Talking about the benefits of Pilates — so full disclosure, I'm 44. And once I hit 40, I started to realize things didn't quite bounce back the way they used to.
[Laughter]
And small little changes, I notice on a day that I don't stretch. I notice if I sit at my desk for too long, probably my main source of exercise is I walk the dog several miles a day, and I chew through sneakers or tennis shoes like crazy.
And I know that if the sole of my shoe gets worn down, my knee bothers me, my back bothers me. So, it really is all connected- to your point about the back thing, and I love the line that, “Pilates is for everybody.” Walk me through that in terms of how it can help different strokes for different folks, I guess.
Brandi Freeman (06:41):
Yeah, it's one of my favorite things about Pilates and owning a Pilates studio, is any person that walks into our studio and we're talking to them about the benefits of Pilates, I am confident that their life will be better by incorporating this form of exercise into their routine, which you can't say about all types of fitness.
But we have literally trained people in their 90s in our studios and professional athletes and everything in between. So, your average day-to-day mom, like Amy and I, who are looking to build strength but work that flexibility, mobility.
Spine health is so important, core health is so important to help making sure that we aren't feeling the effects of aging in a negative way, but really continuing to move gracefully as we age, and without pain is so important to us.
But really, honestly, we can find a place for anyone that walks into the studio. Any amount of injuries that they're currently recovering from. All of our instructors are comprehensively certified. Which means they've gone through a training program that's 500+ hours, it usually takes about a year for them to get certified.
A huge portion of that is anatomy, it's learning how the body moves and how to make modifications for people who do have injuries. So, you come to us, maybe you've graduated from PT, which we all know usually seems too soon if you have ever been in physical therapy and been struggling with injuries.
So, then they come to us and they're looking for kind of continued healing, like, “Yeah, we can meet you there. We can help you. We can get you with an instructor that can make modifications for you and help you progress and get you to where you need to be.”
Also (like I said), we have people coming in who are very physically active doing other things like running marathons or even professional athletes, and what's important to them is keeping their body healthy, and keeping injury away.
“So, what can you guys do to help me make sure I can add it onto my current training so that I'm not getting injured so it's not setting me back?” But it is truly my favorite thing about what we do, is that everybody that walks in the door, I'm so passionate about like, “Yes, this will make your life better, 100%.”
And we get to talk to members every day that have these stories of success from being in our studio and it's just what drives us. It's what motivates us.
Amy Warner (08:52):
What you said about being 40 – this is such a common occurrence in our studios. And there comes a time in your life whether it's at 40, or 50, or 65, that you need to rethink the way that you exercise.
Jon Gay (09:07):
100%.
Amy Warner (09:08):
Maybe you were doing things before that used to make you feel really strong and good, but now you're walking away, and you feel not great. Like maybe you overextend your hip flexor, maybe your knees are starting to bother you, maybe running all of those marathons is starting to catch up with you.
Brandi Freeman (09:24):
Frozen shoulder.
Amy Warner (09:25):
Or it's the frozen shoulder, very common. You can still get an amazing workout, a full-body workout, and you leave feeling really energized and strong, but not in pain. And I think that's what our main focus is.
And we do hear that so often, and it's important for people to understand that if you are struggling with your current exercise routine, fall back on that tagline, “Pilates is for everybody,” we can help.
Jon Gay (09:53):
I love that, and to that point about it being for everybody, you do both individual and group classes, right?
Brandi Freeman (09:58):
Yep, we do. But we're mainly known for our group fitness classes. So, we have 12 reformers in our space. Lots of classes on our schedule in every location, but we do absolutely do private training. So, we have a private training room in every studio where we're able to help people one-on-one as well.
Jon Gay (10:14):
So, you mentioned meeting in a gym when you first started. How did it come to be that you own a Club Pilates and how did it be that you came to Royal Oak?
Brandi Freeman (10:22):
Yes, Amy and I met at a gym. She mentioned really prioritizing fitness when our children were young, giving us an outlet, really helping with that mental clarity and physical strength that we're able to take back to our lives.
And the gym that we met at was owned by a physical therapist. So, a lot of the things that we did back then translate into our current Pilates life. But we both ended up working at the gym. We both started working out there, ended up working there. Amy was there full-time managing both the PT clinic and the gym.
And at some point, actually, my dad started all of this. So, he is the type of person that maybe won't ever fully retire. He's tried a couple times, but he's a little bit of a workaholic. Decided he wanted to go into franchising, so he was looking into purchasing a franchise and asked if I would be interested in joining him on the ride.
And I said, “Only if it's fitness.” At that point, I had decided that was the only thing that I wanted to do going forward and was really passionate about-
Jon Gay (11:22):
Way healthier than being a fast-food franchise, I might add.
Brandi Freeman (11:25):
Yeah, that was never an option. Yeah, no food. We definitely wanted to be in the fitness space. And immediately brought Amy on board. I met her in the parking lot of our gym, and I said, “Hey, I have a crazy idea, what do you think about opening a bunch of Pilates studios?” and here we are.
Jon Gay (11:43):
And why Royal Oak?
Brandi Freeman (11:44):
So, Royal Oak, just to clarify too, earlier you said nine open studios here in the state of Michigan. There are actually other ownership groups. The nine that we're speaking of are specifically ours.
Amy Warner (11:55):
So, we started in 2017 with Novi in Beverly Hills. And then in 2018, we added Rochester Hills, Troy and West Bloomfield. So, we had a really busy year creating that footprint for Club Pilates in the Detroit Metro area.
In 2021, we did acquire two studios in Grand Rapids, Bretton Village and Naps Crossing. And then because we too might be a little crazy, we decided we'd do three more. So, we opened Northville in March of this year, Royal Oak then opened October 20th, and next up is Commerce. So, that will be our 10th.
Jon Gay (12:34):
Very cool. And welcome to the Royal Oak Chamber, thrilled to have you here. What's been your experience joining the Chamber so far? Have you yet gotten a chance to participate in any events or anything?
Brandi Freeman (12:43):
We have. It's been wonderful so far. We've had a very warm welcome from the Chamber. They have helped us out with anything from permitting, all the way down to just really helping us get on this podcast and get the word out there.
They're constantly sending us emails and getting us involved and signing up for things and it's so helpful when you become part of a community that has a strong chamber that you're able to really get off the ground in a different type of way with their support.
Jon Gay (13:11):
And so many of us are on the same boat being business owners and I think there's a lot of side conversation, off the record stuff that we can kind of help each other walk through problems and things like that, which I really appreciate being a Chamber member myself.
I do want to ask you, so free intros, tell me how somebody can get their foot in the door of Club Pilates.
Amy Warner (13:29):
Absolutely. So, a free intro is a great way for someone to start. We provide a modified version of our beginner-level class, and then talk a little bit about the different membership types and any promotions that we have available afterward.
Our main objective is to find a membership that best fits the lives of the people coming in. We want to be their support system so that they can be successful and find fitness success through Pilates.
So, the best way for them to do that would be to call the studio or to stop in. They can also do this on the website. We are located at 119 South Main Street, right downtown. The phone number is (248) 955-4011.
Jon Gay (14:13):
Alright, we'll have all your contact information in the show notes of this podcast. Before I let you go, it is time for our fishbowl question of the day where I ask you a totally random question that you were not prepared for, which I knew in prepping for this podcast might make you a little bit nervous.
[Laughter]
I'll ask this of both of you. You can both take it in whichever order you want. Would you rather go out or stay in on a Friday night?
Amy Warner (14:39):
When we're opening a studio and we're really busy, in.
[Laughter]
Brandi Freeman (14:46):
Amy and I actually both live in Fenton, which is like the cutest little town, and we love it. As a business owner, sometimes things are a little bit crazier than others, it ebbs and flows.
When we're in a moment of everything's kind of covered and things are good, we absolutely go to a restaurant in town together. We actually hang out together outside of work too. So, we can't get enough of each other. And our husbands-
Amy Warner (15:10):
And our husbands appreciate each other. Champagne please.
Brandi Freeman (15:13):
Yeah, champagne, we like a little bubbly, we like to do that. But listen, I am a big fan of an early evening, and if I can do all of that and be in bed by like 10 o'clock, I'm so happy (laughs).
Amy Warner (15:23):
That's perfect actually.
Brandi Freeman (15:24):
That's the perfect night for me on a Friday night.
Jon Gay (15:27):
Right there with you. My wife and I tend to go out more on Saturdays than Fridays because by the end of the work week, we're just exhausted. So, I totally hear where you're coming from there.
Alright, you mentioned the website, the address, the phone number, that is all in our show notes. And I want to thank you both for coming on this episode of the ROCC Pod, and welcome to the Chamber.
Brandi Freeman (15:43):
Thank you so much, Jon.
Amy Warner (15:44):
Thank you so much, Jon. We're excited to welcome you to Club Pilates Royal Oak.
Jon Gay (15:48):
Excellent. My name is Jon Gay, I am with JAG Podcast Productions, formerly JAG in Detroit Podcasts. I am the podcast guy. If you want help starting or improving a podcast, you can find me at jagpodcastproductions.com or on social media at JAG Podcast Productions.
Also, for my co-host Lisa Bibbee, who is out on assignment, she's a realtor with Century 21 Northland. You can find her at soldbylisab on socials at Sold by Lisa B. Happy to connect with you in the show notes there as well.
[Music playing]
Voiceover (16:16):
We want to thank you for listening to this episode of The ROCC Pod that is produced for The Royal Oak Michigan Chamber of Commerce. For more information about our amazing Chamber and our events, you can go to royaloakchamber.com.
Thanks again, ladies.
Brandi Freeman (16:26):
Thank you.
Amy Warner (16:27):
Thank you.