Pilates, Palms, and Allegro: How to Build a Studio that Connects People? | Interview with Klaudia Wałkowińska from Palm Studio Kraków

Some time ago we visited Palm Studio Kraków and its founder, Klaudia Wałkowińska. Klaudia, although she studied at the Academy of Physical Education, found in Pilates a more detailed work with people and created something more than just a room for exercise.

How to create a studio that grows every day, naturally attracts people, and can combine calm Pilates with colorful energy? Why did Klaudia choose Balanced Body equipment and evolutionary development?

If you are looking for inspiration to make your studio vibrant – this interview is for you. We invite you to read! 👇

 

[Iza Wiśniewska from Balanced Body Polska] Hello. We warmly welcome you to the Balanced Body Polska channel. Today we are in a wonderful, energetic place – among palm trees, by the beach. Here you can probably hear… Palm Studio Kraków. We warmly welcome the owner of this studio: Klaudia Wałkowińska, who brings a burst of joy and great energy here. It’s a great start, so we invite you to this energizing interview.

[Klaudia Wałkowińska] Good morning. Welcome, I’m glad you visited my studio.

[Iza] Klaudia, I know you graduated from the Academy of Physical Education – was it there that you discovered Pilates, or was your path to Pilates completely different?

[Klaudia] It took a bit longer. I got into university, I wanted to study at the Academy of Physical Education since I was a child, because I had a more planned career in swimming. I wanted to be a coach, maybe train the national team, but gradually I found myself in the fitness industry. And through various paths, I ended up in Pilates, which showed me a much more precise way of working with people. I fell in love with it because I can really take care of my clients.

[Iza] Mhm. Listen, opening your own studio is really a huge undertaking. You are constantly developing it, constantly expanding. Tell us about the journey from the idea to the opening of Palm Studio.

[Klaudia] Yes, well the first decision was: I will go for opening my own space. And as you noticed, in the studio besides the Pilates room, there is a room for functional training, where at first I worked more with people as a strength and conditioning coach. However, this studio, which was supposed to be a Pilates addition at first – the idea came when additional space became available. Now the studio resembles more of a Pilates studio than a functional training one. The latter has become an addition, while Pilates is what I fell in love with and my clients did too.

[Iza] So that’s great. By the way, what do you find to be the biggest challenge in building this studio?

[Klaudia] Well, definitely fear. There are moments when I worry about whether there will be clients, whether they will return, but every day shows me that clients come back and there are more and more of them. That’s why I’m developing the studio. I started with 2 reformers, and now I have 4. Additionally, I’m expanding the studio with space where Springboards will be added, and I also have a Cadillac, which I use more for individual sessions, so every piece of equipment is a new challenge for me as well as for my clients.

[Iza] And they must be excited when they hear that there will be new equipment and we will be doing something new.

[Klaudia] Yes, yes, yes, it’s a lot because I also work with a regular group of clients, so every new element is a new challenge for them. It’s nice because they experience the studio growing more and more all the time. So it’s a challenge for both me and them, and together we create a space where both of us—me and them—feel good.

[Iza] And is that why it’s so colorful?

[Klaudia] Oh yes, colors are always important. I find it a bit difficult to navigate in spaces that are a bit calmer because for me, color is energy. Even if I have a bad day, if I wear a colorful sweatshirt, or if it’s raining and I wear colorful clothes, I function differently. And also, when planning the studio, expanding it, and creating new interiors, my architect, who is also my client, so it’s nice that we all create this space together, because the person who, I don’t know, designed my curtains and the person who designed the studio is also part of our community, so they knew that there had to be colors here.

[Iza] Energy above all. So, why did you decide to choose Balanced Body equipment?

[Klaudia] I started my career as a trainer in a studio where this equipment was introduced. The course I completed was also promoted or simply conducted by instructors who had completed certifications with Balanced Body. So I was sure that it was good equipment, it was recommended to me. And when I do something, I prefer to take small steps, which means gradually acquiring this equipment, but still opting for professional gear.

[Iza] And why specifically the Allegro reformers?

[Klaudia] The space where I work, I also want to use for mat Pilates classes. That’s why this equipment is very convenient because I can fold it up and create space for mat classes. As for the height, I was worried that this equipment is a bit lower and older clients might have a problem, but we manage. A very nice element, a great thing, is that I have a Cadillac now, which has also simplified my work. Because older clients usually work individually, I always utilize the Cadillac for them. So don’t be afraid, because it’s not a big problem. It’s just the height, because I think that’s something we wonder about, whether it will be…ok. If we want to utilize the space for other classes as well, then Allegro is definitely a great option, and if we have different spaces, then Allegro 2 is also certainly wonderful equipment.

[Iza] We’re glad to hear that. Listen, in one of your social media posts, you wrote that: “at Palm Studio, it’s not just about training, but about relationships, well-being, and a space where you can feel free.” That’s such a very personal approach. Where did this vision for the studio come from?

[Klaudia] Let’s start with the fact that I live nearby, so the space where I work connects people who live in the area. So they often drop by before work, after work, we meet, I don’t know, at the grocery store. So we know each other both from the studio and just in general. We meet somewhere on the street. So it’s also nice that it’s talked about, that the lady at the grocery store will say: “Oh, did you attend classes at Palm Studio?” and that relationship is created here. It has also developed a bit that there is really this small, small community that lives together, shops together, and exercises together.

[Iza] And I guess it’s growing together, because you’re happy to welcome new people, right?

[Klaudia] Yes, of course, absolutely yes. So, no, it’s great, so if someone is still considering it, they should open up.

[Iza] You are known for that smile and for being close to people – how do you manage to combine that precision, the calm of Pilates with that energy and smile?

[Klaudia] Body control is also – I grew up with that, meaning I worked leading various types of classes where, I don’t know, energy and speed were important. However, at a certain point, Pilates allowed me to get people to focus on stopping, because I also stopped. Like calming down, thinking, and that can bring you even more goodness in your body, also in your head, that you will have this time where you work a little slower. So that’s also Pilates – in that regard, it has developed for me.

[Iza] Fantastic. You also do a lot of different events, camps – tell me, from a business perspective, what benefits does that bring?

[Klaudia] Well, also a bit like being in a given space all the time is not really my vibe, because I like to travel. And these trips have allowed me to, besides working in a place I love, in a vacation style, I can also travel with my clients. That also connects us. Later, that community that exercises together here, we often share something about ourselves, on trips we can share much more – open up more. Of course, if someone wants to, because not everyone likes to talk a lot about themselves, but they also listen, see that they have the same problems. So these trips strengthen the community I work with even more.

[Iza] So building that kind of family atmosphere is very important to you. Is that how you would put it?

[Klaudia] Yes, yes. I think most of the people who come to me – we also have a lot of men, because we haven’t closed ourselves off only to women, but yes. That feminine energy is important to me.

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[Iza] By the way, do you encounter men who think that Pilates is more for women?

[Klaudia] A bit, but because they know that I have also dealt with strength training and we worked a lot – we also work, because we jump a bit here and there to strength training – it shows them that Pilates brings a lot of control to the body, that suddenly it’s a bit easier to lift that barbell.

[Iza] And that’s interesting. What is the greatest personal satisfaction for you in running this place?

[Klaudia]I am fulfilling my dreams, that’s for sure. It’s nice to hear that a lot of people congratulate me and know that with these small steps I have achieved a lot and even I sometimes didn’t believe in myself. But the people who come here, who help me, because it’s all also related to the fact that they help me believe that it can really work. And from my friends and clients, I often hear and it’s very motivating that: “Klaudia, we really admire you, you did it” – because we transitioned from training in the park to the mat, because it seemed that the COVID times were a moment when really here – that was also when the idea appeared to emerge in such a small community. Because that park attracted many people who joined the mat in the park, so that also created this place.

[Iza] And what are your future plans for Krakow’s Palm Studio?

[Klaudia] We are expanding. There will be a new one, as I mentioned somewhere at the beginning, that we will have an additional room. It’s nice because the girls who started exercising with me, who also had experience with sports, have also fallen in love with Pilates and are starting to become instructors. It’s great because they created this place a bit as clients, and now they are starting – I have 2 girls who are actually doing great, developing with me, training. I believe that many trainings need to be done and knowledge gained from different people, because I won’t always pass everything on. It’s important to also listen to other instructors, because maybe they will resonate with you even better. So that’s definitely nice. As for additional studies, I’m not sure about those things yet.

[Iza] Never say never!

[Klaudia] I’m not saying anything, but if something happens. I mean, I didn’t believe starting with a room that was 40 square meters, I didn’t believe that we would now have 150 square meters. So it’s all step by step. But I also have my years, so I know I need to speed up a bit sometimes.

[Iza] You don’t look it, you don’t look it!

[Klaudia] Thanks to Pilates.

[Iza] Exactly. And finally, tell me, what is your advice for someone who is also considering opening a studio with such a vibe, with such energy? What would you advise such a person?

[Klaudia] Well, definitely not to be afraid You can feel that you want to do this because in places like this, you feel that it is my passion, that I am not doing this because I don’t know, Pilates has become trendy. Although, let’s promote it super well and so on. If someone has, I recently heard a girl who came to my studio, that her idea was that she didn’t have a place in her city where she could practice Pilates, so she created that place. She hired great instructors and has a place for herself and for others. So that’s also an idea, if someone has a budget and would like to create a place that they like, that’s also nice. And developing oneself really – can be done gradually, slowly. Don’t jump into the deep end right away, and then for sure, a person is satisfied because there isn’t such a big – if you want to do something too quickly, too much, it can sometimes kill your passion. And for me, because it is a bit calm, slowly, developing, you can feel in this place that everything is simply developing together with me.

[Iza] Klaudia, your story is really great, captivating, full of energy and smiles. We are very grateful that we could host, come, visit such a fantastic studio here. We also warmly invite everyone here from Krakow to Palm Studio to Klaudia and her instructors. You will definitely find a full dose of smiles, inspiration, and joy, energy, you will leave here completely transformed. And if you want to check our equipment, visit our website, https://balanced-body.pl – you will definitely find Allegro, Allegro 2, Cadillacs, and all the other mentioned equipment that Klaudia…

[Klaudia] It’s still unknown what equipment may appear here because there are choices. A few more things tempt me, but as I said: calmly.

[Iza] So you can also come here to test it out. Thank you very much!

[Klaudia] Thank you very much.

Klaudia from Palm Studio is a living proof that if you put your heart, passion, and focus on quality into business, success comes naturally, albeit in small steps. From 40 m² to 150 m², from a mat in the park (COVID-19 times!) to an expanded studio with a Cadillac – this evolution shows that you don’t have to jump into the deep end right away. The most important thing is not to be afraid and to develop gradually.

If you dream of creating a place with such energy:

1. remember about passion – clients feel when you do what you love,

1. focus on quality and flexibility – the choice of Allegro reformers combines professional training with the ability to save space for mat classes, 

1. build relationships – community is strength – in the studio, on retreats, and on the street. 

Kraków is too far to feel this vibe? You can always get inspired by the equipment used at Palm Studio! Visit our product page, to check out the Allegro reformers, Cadillacs, and other machines that entice Klaudia to further expand. 

You can find Kraków’s Palm Studio online: 

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