Christina Flynn shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Christina, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What is a normal day like for you right now?
Since BOLD Pilates is still in its start up phase, the days are absolutely packed! Right now, I’m doing a mixture of teaching clients in normal group classes, and mentoring/training new instructors we’re bringing on for class expansions. Of course, this is after getting a toddler off to day care each morning in order to be at the studio on time, especially when my husband is traveling for work.
In the evenings, I’m usually writing programming for our Pilates group classes, which is what all teachers at our studio will use in order to provide consistent quality and branding across our range of classes. We’re known for being able to accommodate people of all fitness backgrounds, injuries, etc., and we want that to be true no matter who you take class from.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I created BOLD Pilates in March of 2025 alongside by husband, Brent, in order to create something different. If you look at other Pilates studios in the Encinitas area, you’ll find lots of photos of fit 20-somethings doing athletic moves very few people can actually do. That’s great market positioning for them—and that sort of marketing does work—but we wanted to be the “Pilates for Everyone” studio, not “Pilates for Everyone Else.”
We want people visiting our website and studio to know that yes, they too can benefit from Pilates, even if they’re older, have injuries, or are doing it for the first time. We want people to know that building lasting strength and flexibility is available to every person in a non-intimidating space with our compassionate instructors and community feel. We have people in our classes from their 20s all the way into their 80s, and they all benefit.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
I was quite shy growing up, and didn’t really fit in with the “cool kids,” so to speak. But, in high school I found the theater program, and really found my people. With theater training (which I continued beyond undergrad, earning my MFA), I really learned how to present myself as a confident person, even if I wasn’t actually feeling confident in a situation. That theater training allowed me to present myself in that way when I was first teaching Pilates, which has turned into real confidence now.
So, to answer your question directly, I used to not believe in myself as much as I do now.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes, absolutely. Here’s a story: When I first got certified to teach Pilates, I took over teaching a really popular mat Pilates class at a local gym. The previous teacher was very popular, and had built a big following. During my first class at that gym, literally half the room got up, rolled up their mats, and walked out. It was devastating.
But, I just kept showing up, week after week, and built that following back up myself. I no longer teach those mat classes, but I learned so much from that experience!
To this day, I always remember that experience when I’m mentoring new teachers at BOLD Pilates. I always try to build them up and make them feel supported so that they don’t have to go through what I did.
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. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
Honestly, I believe in BOLD Pilates, our studio. Our classes are built on the latest research in exercise science and physiology, which is certainly not something most Pilates studios do. Our evidence-based approach works; you can just go onto our website and see proof in our clients’ own words.
At the foundation of all that is a client-first focus where we absolutely change the paradigm seen at so many other studios. So many local studios don’t even greet you by name, much less ask you about your last vacation or how your dog is doing. We do all that at BOLD Pilates, and people really respond positively to it.
So yeah, it’s a passion project and a calling that I’m committed to building, no matter what.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. If you retired tomorrow, what would your customers miss most?
I think the thing they would miss most are my personal touches, which is what forms the essence of BOLD Pilates. So many of the local competing studios simply work like Pilates factories. You pay the class fee, walk in, find a reformer, get a workout, and leave. Nobody asks you your name, nobody knows your story, and you’re not really valued outside the money you bring to the business.
It’s not like that with us at BOLD Pilates. Ask any of our customers—and you can see it on our website through our testimonials—we get to know our clients personally. We get to know their personal stories, we get to know where their bodies hurt and need a little extra help, and we celebrate them as friends and family.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://boldpilates.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boldpilatesstudio/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574126643843
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bold-pilates-encinitas-4
Image Credits
Brent Desserich and Michael Flynn
