Intimate Studio – Big Heart. Interview with Maja and Kuba from Pilates Cave in Warsaw

A unique place has appeared on the Pilates map of Warsaw – Pilates Cave. Iza Wiśniewska from Balanced Body Polska had the pleasure of talking to the owners of this studio, Maja Malec and Kuba Zakrzewski, to learn about the story behind this business. The story of Pilates Cave is one of a spontaneous business idea that quickly transformed into a meticulously planned project. Maja, fascinated by Pilates, and Kuba, a strategist with marketing experience, joined forces to create a place that stands out not only for its quality but also for its unique, family atmosphere. From this interview, we will learn how they managed to combine passion with professionalism, what challenges they faced along the way, why they chose Balanced Body equipment, and what the name “Pilates Cave” means to them.

 

 

[Iza Wiśniewska from Balanced Body Polska] Hello. Today we are taking you on a journey to an extraordinary place on the map of Warsaw – Pilates Cave. We are here with the owners, Maja Malec and Kuba Zakrzewski, who created this studio where clients return with a smile. Thank you very much for having us.

[Maja Malec] Thank you for coming to visit us.

[Iza] Let’s start from the beginning then. Maja, you have always been involved in sports. How did this specific idea for Pilates Cave come about?

[Maja] PThe idea, which I have also shared with some clients, came about in a rather funny way, as I was preparing for my bachelor’s thesis, I was already attending Pilates, and suddenly I thought and said to Kuba: “Hey, I’m about to finish my studies, I’m studying business, let’s start a business, we are both involved in sports, let’s open a Pilates studio” and that’s basically how it happened. At first, Kuba was a bit skeptical about it, but it took us literally a few days of discussions and we decided that we would really do it.

[Iza] So in your case, it was a quick business idea?

[Maja] Yes. We often operate like that, but later Kuba moves on to the analyses more.

[Jakub Zakrzewski] The idea came up quickly, but the analyses actually took about a month or two in total.

[Iza] And how long did it take you to open this studio? From idea to realization?

[Kuba] I would say it was actually quick, because we started looking for a location in November. We found this location here in December. In January, we signed the contract after the holidays and the renovation took 2 months

[Maja] Yes.

[Kuba] So actually…

[Maja] …the renovation was quick, yes. We really managed that. Fortunately, the renovation team that was recommended to us was ready to come in faster than we were. We were also on vacation in Portugal, our last vacation before opening the studio here. So everything happened quickly, especially regarding the renovation.

[Kuba] Yes, yes, we had a week delay, so… [Maja] …wso we managed to open on a magical date: International Women’s Day, December 8

[Iza] Wonderful date.

[Maja] Perfect.

[Iza] March eighth.

[Maja] Oh yes, March. [laughter]

[Iza] Fantastic, Kuba listen, how did your experience with marketing and sales in top organizations align with this vision?

[Kuba] It definitely helped me prepare, to create a plan. My professional experience allowed us to prepare a very detailed plan. To analyze how the market looks, what the possibilities are. To think about the location. And to approach it in a very, I would say, practical and also pragmatic way. And we actually did this preparation even before opening the studio, before finding a location. It certainly helped us understand how important promotion and marketing are. But also those things that sometimes get less attention, such as customer service, building relationships with clients who come to us. We care about being close, about being responsive. So these things were very important to us and indeed what we did, whether my experience or mine, allowed us to anticipate certain things. And there were indeed many things we couldn’t predict. And certainly, in such a short time, there were many surprises that we had to react to. However, indeed today, in hindsight, I can say that what we planned worked out about 80 percent. So it was very useful. Also, working in smaller organizations, Maja also worked in smaller organizations, allowed us to develop habits of doing various things and getting rid of the fear of having to step out of our comfort zone and just reach for everything. We were prepared for that because indeed here, running a studio, we have to do everything, really embody different roles and react on the fly. We were simply prepared for that, so today, looking back, I can say that it was a very successful project. At a good moment in life, I feel we decided to do this. So we are satisfied.

[Maja] We took a risk at the right moment.

[Iza] I wish this adventure lasts as long as possible for you. Listen, you also talked a lot about this location. What main factors did you consider when choosing this particular place?

[Kuba] In fact, three key factors I would say. That is how the residential area looks in the region, what the access is like, and what the office buildings around are like, because those are really the 3 key factors. I think we hit the mark perfectly in all three. Because we have a very good location and a very good neighborhood here, which is very large and also new.

[Maja] With great clients.

[Kuba] Yes. And on the third side, we now have a lot of office buildings around Rondo Daszyńskiego, or here on the border of Wola, Śródmieście, and Ochota being built, so it was indeed very important for us. We also wanted it to be a location accessible from the street, just like we have here on the ground floor, we are immediately visible, you enter right away, you can immediately feel the atmosphere of the studio. So with this location, it really worked for us. It turned out very well. We didn’t think long about this location; we actually believed in it right away. And today we are satisfied with it.

[Maja] But the condition was developer’s, and from the very beginning, we really told ourselves everything but the developer’s condition, because that would bring us so much stress. But we simply saw this place. There was literally nothing here at all. But something just captivated us, and this district itself is beautiful, the building is beautiful, bright cube, we liked everything here very much, and we also live nearby. So that’s really a big plus.

[Iza] Oh yes, that’s a big positive.

[Kuba] Yes, we also cared about finding out what conditions need to be met, what to provide for clients, and so on. Ventilation was important for us, for example. And here comes the first problem because we originally thought about creating a studio in a tenement house somewhere in the center, but there is a problem with ventilation and air conditioning there…

[Maja] With air conditioning, that’s a whole other issue.

[Kuba] …with doing renovations or even finding a larger space, like here. That’s why we were simply looking for a location where there is the possibility of ventilation, and air conditioning, so those were our main factors.

[Maja] Yes, it worked out.

[Iza] And listen, the name Pilates Cave is quite intriguing. Where did the idea come from? What does it mean to you?

[Maja] We really wanted the name to capture that it is a cave, but of comfort. Where we come in here, we all feel safe. It is comfortable here, but there is also strength, peace, which is something that I think all clients are looking for when they choose to attend such classes. Hence the name Pilates Cave. Cave in English means cave.

[Iza] Great, very nice idea. What is the key for you in this cave to building relationships with clients?

[Kuba] Well, I think the most important thing is Maja being in the studio all the time.

[Maja] Yes, I wanted to say that. Yes, it is very important to me, but I also really enjoy it. I always open the studio, and I also try to always close the studio. I am here with the clients all the time. Above all, conversation. And it really is a great feeling when clients come back. One day they say they went on a date, the next day they tell where they had lunch, and those stories keep coming. We get to know each other better and better. The girls are very open, and we communicate very well. I like listening to people, so I think we share that energy, me with the girls, our clients, and also the instructors who are also wonderful.

[Iza] So, in summary, you created a cave of friendship in the center of Warsaw.

[Maja] That’s right.

[Kuba] Yes, yes. When designing the space here, we also didn’t want to create a traditional reception desk, for example.

[Maja] Yes, yes.

[Kuba] That’s why we have a table right at the entrance, and this space was meant to be open everywhere.

[Maja] Yes, yes, the vision was that I am not above anyone else, but I am actually one of us here, and when I sit down, the girls know they can sit next to me and just talk about everything, have a coffee or tea.

[Iza] Awesome.

[Kuba] Also, in the context of building these relationships. I mentioned earlier that customer service is very important to us. On one hand, we try to respond quickly to messages we receive, whether on Instagram or via email, but we also often go out of our way to meet requests from our clients, even if we have a situation where our regulations provide otherwise, we still try to accommodate the client.

[Maja] We definitely approach it individually; situations vary.

[Kuba] We approach it individually, with understanding, knowing that situations are different. For example, I don’t know, a pass expires, and there was some external situation that made it impossible to use it. So sometimes we extend those passes, so we really care about being very client-oriented.

[Iza] Listen, we talked about the location, we talked about relationships, but tell me, what about the equipment? Why did you choose Balanced Body?

[Maja] I can answer that, because it’s very simple. I used to attend Pilates classes and was at different studios. And from my experience, I wanted to have what I felt was the best to practice on. That’s why we decided on the Balanced Body brand. The equipment is great, it’s very comfortable to exercise on, and the boxes have nice padding, and the footbars are really great, comfortable, and don’t hurt your feet. So the decision was easy, to be honest.

[Iza] We are very happy about that. That’s why we are here now. Listen, every business has its challenges; what has been the biggest challenge you faced here with this studio?

[Maja] The first thing that comes to my mind when thinking about the renovation: the floor.

[Kuba] Overall, the renovation in general…

[Maja] Renovation.

[Kuba] …this is really a tough topic, anyone who has renovated either an apartment or anything else surely realizes that it is a very stressful process. Here, in the case of the premises, we already had a deadline that we set for the opening. Because it is known, the bills are already there, we have to think about launching the premises as soon as possible. So this renovation is really a big challenge. We completed it in 2 months, which I consider to be an incredible success indeed.

[Maja] Yes. And besides that, we were still working. I actually was only unemployed for 2 weeks before the opening itself. For me, the new job was simply sitting here and overseeing the renovation to make sure everything went well. So yes, that was definitely the first hardcore challenge we faced.

[Kuba] I t was also a situation that was sometimes frustrating because certain things were already beyond our control. So we were losing a bit of control. To the extent that we could push something forward, do something, call, explain, we did that, but sometimes it was simply out of our hands, and that is somewhat frustrating. Because that was probably the only element where we lost control. Everything else, of course, had its challenges, because we had to plan everything. From social media channels, our pricing, schedule, instructors, and so on, I always felt that this was within our reach and we could manage it, and the better we did, the better we would have later. However, this renovation is indeed something that you need to prepare for mentally above all.

[Maja] And it still doesn’t work that way. [laughter]

[Kuba] You have to, you have to be ready for unexpected changes.

[Maja] Tears.

[Kuba] That it is simply a tough, tough process. Besides all the things, well, I think. There are many challenges, because running a premises is a challenge in itself. However, our experience, or what we have learned during this actually short period since the studio opened, allows us to manage everything really efficiently. We plan both short-term and long-term. Anything can happen here. In fact, we are also prepared for unexpected situations and have a flexible approach to it, but we try to maintain a long-term vision as well.

[Iza] Kuba, you mentioned that the idea for this Pilates studio was quite spontaneous, yet you are more of a strategist and are more responsible for finances. Tell me, from that perspective, what would you say to people who want to start a business in the fitness world? What should they pay attention to?

[Kuba] First of all, calculate your costs well. And that is the easier part, let’s say. Because it jest predictable, while this revenue part – it is more difficult. It requires certain estimations, I would say, the worst-case scenario, the optimal one, also a scenario where we break even, when we start earning, how much we start earning, and so on. How to further develop it, what to invest in. From my perspective, we primarily try to invest what we manage to generate as profit, so that is very important to me. A good understanding of all costs, but also the ability to acquire this knowledge. Because there are many things that one does not know, and then there are really two options: either take a risk or look for someone who knows the answer, for example. We indeed had a lot of question marks, so here we need to anticipate certain things; the more scenarios we anticipate and predict reactions, the easier it is to manage later, there are simply fewer surprises. So that is definitely important. From a strategic perspective, primarily a marketing strategy. How the studio wants to position itself, what it wants to stand out with, what its communication plan is, how it wants to be perceived by clients. What image to build in the minds of clients, what to be like inside as well. Incredibly important, from my perspective, is how the space looks, what the atmosphere is like, even the smell of the space. We also took a long time to choose, for example, how we want the studio to smell from the moment you enter, so that you can already feel that this is the place and that this scent is associated with us.

[Maja] Overall consistency, I think.

[Iza] Mhm. Great. Listen, Maja, I know that you also exercise a lot. You are also in the process of certification as a Pilates instructor. Tell me how you combine these two roles? Because you are both an owner and a trainer. Is Kuba your support here?

[Maja] I am not a trainer yet. I decided that I want to wait a little longer until I have even more knowledge. Thanks to the course I am attending. How do I combine them? Well, sometimes it is hard. Sometimes I welcome clients and I am in some books, so to speak, continuing to learn, reading new content. I definitely practice a lot between classes when there is a break in the studio. But ultimately, I think it will be a beautiful complement and something I have aimed for from the beginning when opening this studio, to also be in the role of a teacher, to share this passion for Pilates with clients. I think it’s a big plus that I already know a lot of the girls, they are also looking forward to training with me, so I think that energy will be great between us, and above all, I will be able to substitute our instructors. Because sometimes it happens that one of them has to cancel at the last minute, and then I can just step in and replace the girls without any problem.

[Iza] Great! Now a question about the future: what plans do you have related to Pilates Cave? What else do you want to do here? What do you want to achieve after this intense start?

[Kuba] First of all, we are now focusing heavily on internal events. We have the summer period, so we are also planning external events, outside the studio. However, starting from autumn, we want to hold many internal events, simply here in the studio. Various thematic ones, in collaboration with top brands. We really want to build added value, among other things, through these events. On the other hand, we are also constantly trying to d We are adapting our class offerings, as this is also something that should evolve from my perspective, adjusting to the people who come. We have already introduced classes with weights, which was a new addition we implemented along the way. We have more types of classes in mind. We are thinking about dividing them and doing so through the additional equipment we use, but also focusing on specific body parts, or varying them based on the pace of the exercises. So really, these two things. Besides that, we want to continue to focus heavily on building relationships. Perhaps we will also create, in addition to these events, some additional space for integration with the people who come here. And just being very close to the people who visit us.

[Iza] Well, you have created such a nice, flexible, customer-oriented place that I wish you all the success, because it is fantastic and very family-like from the moment you walk in. Very friendly. If you are from Warsaw, I warmly invite you, even if you are not actually from Warsaw, it is worth coming here and visiting Pilates Cave. Thank you very much for this conversation, for allowing us to come here, and I truly wish you all the success.

[Kuba] Thank you.

[Maja] Thank you very much.

 

The story of Pilates Cave, told by Maja and Kuba, is an inspiring example of how passion, strategic planning, and a customer-oriented approach can lead to success. By creating a “comfort cave,” the studio owners have proven that authentic relationships with clients and attention to every detail – from the choice of location, through the quality of Balanced Body equipment, to the atmosphere and scent in the studio – allow for the building of a lasting and successful brand. Their story is proof that even in the center of a big city, it is possible to create a place that feels like home. If you are looking for professional Pilates classes, or simply want to find a place where you will feel part of a community, Pilates Cave is an address worth visiting.

 

You can find Pilates Cave online:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/pilatescave/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/people/Pilates-Cave/61572478270060/
TT: https://www.tiktok.com/@pilatescave