We recently had the chance to connect with Kari Gregg and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Kari, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: When was the last time you felt true joy?
I recently took a trip to Italy. I was hiking in the Dolomites and my friends kept commenting on my huge grin… from ear to ear. That hike was truly magical and joyous. That energy and feeling is something I hope to bring back into my everyday life here in Nashville. Don’t take anything for granted and live in the moment.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am the co-founder of 2K Pilates in Berry Hill, a neighborhood in Nashville. Pilates studios are popping up all over the place which I think is great. Every studio has their own brand and vibe. I love that more folks are being introduced to Pilates in Nashville and hopefully gone are the days of everyone just thinking it’s “Just like Yoga, right?”
What we’ve created for our clientele is a calming, safe space where each client is given personal attention to their goals and needs. I mostly work one-on-one but also accommodate small groups of up to 4 people.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
Before I was a Pilates studio owner, I was a dancer. One of my dance jobs was a contract with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. My cast mates and I performed on 7 day cruises for 7 months. At the time, I was on one of the largest cruise ships in the fleet. I remember seeing all of those passengers disembarking the ship and then new ones coming aboard each Saturday.
Thinking about the shear number of new folks cruising each week was mind boggling. It made me realize how many people there really are in this world.
If ever I get overwhelmed with my life, I just remember that moment. I am such a small part of this world and I cannot please everyone.
My Pilates clients come and go. It is a part of the business. There are MANY choices out there on ways to move and exercise, so when folks come to me, its a gift taking that 55 minutes to share my knowledge of Pilates with them to help them move better and think clearer. Sometimes it’s a great match and those clients will stick with me for many years, and other times they will try it out for 6 months and then decide to try something else. And that is OK. Everyone has their own path. I know each of them still have my voice in their heads telling them to sit up straighter and keep those shoulders down! 🙂
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Oh yes, of course.
I moved to Nashville in March 2019. I had exactly 1 year of teaching at multiple Pilates studios all across the city before the world shut down in March of 2020.
I was renting at the time, and was contemplating moving to Indiana with my folks to teach remotely. (Also, just before COVID, Nashville was hit with multiple tornados that damaged my teardrop camper, or else I would’ve hit the road!).
I am so very glad I ended up staying. Slowly but surely, I built my business and acquired my own Pilates equipment.
The dream of Out of Town Pilates as a far away thought to a brick and mortar studio was starting to take shape. The studio opened in December of 2024!
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
Oh yes! I think so. I try to be myself around everyone I meet and teach. Why be fake and people please? It is much too exhausting to not be yourself.
Believe me, I’ve tried! Those relationships don’t end up working out in the long run. Be yourself and the right people (and clients) will start showing up and then they will end up telling their friends. The best way of marketing is to be yourself.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I’ve definitely have never been told to be a Pilates instructor. Nor was I told to be a dancer which was my former life. I think it is something that my gut has told me to do, along with some talent and a bit of luck.
I’ve tried a lot of jobs for sure, trying to figure it all out, but what always sticks is the gut feeling that this is where I should be. This is where I belong. Helping people move better and feel better. Movement is medicine. Pilates is the perfect prescription.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://outoftownpilates.com/in-studio
- Instagram: @karilates
Image Credits
Samantha Thornton
