Chris Farnsworth, a former Southern California litigation attorney and collegiate-level golfer, discovered Pilates after severely injuring his back in an accident in 2017, two weeks after his wedding. He fractured his vertebrae and ruptured disks in his thoracic spine.
“After gaining a lot of weight and not being able to even look at my toes without pain, I started down a path of physical therapy and Pilates to hopefully avoid surgery, start feeling better and return to playing golf,” he said.
“Dedication to Pilates gave me my life back. Nearly four years later, my back has never felt stronger or more flexible.”
The physical transformation he experienced from practicing Pilates coupled with a desire to have a more meaningful and community-oriented career came at an opportune time: the owner of the Pilates studio where he practiced in Orange County, California, wanted to sell.
Chris and his wife Ythy (“Tee”), who was working in hospice care at the time, decided to leave their jobs and embark on a totally new career and life path together as small business owners.
“In jumping into Pilates studio ownership, my hope was to become even more immersed in the discipline that I love and to help others achieve the same, often life-changing results. We were also excited to build a community around the studios and be a source of positivity in the world,” he said.
Three years later, they now own three Pilates studios in Southern California under the name LiveMetta Pilates, a yoga studio and a massage therapy spa, and are the only Merrithew® Licensed Training Centers in Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Orange County.
Here are some of the steps they took to get where they are today.
1. Define your vision and guiding principles as a small business
One of the earliest exercises Chris and Tee did as small business owners was to define who they wanted to be and what principles would guide their company.
“For us, it kept coming back to spreading a message of love through authentic mindful movement, mindfulness and self-care experiences. Above all else, we wanted all people walking through our doors to feel loved and safe. This goes for our teachers, instructors, staff and clients.
“We settled on the name ‘metta,’ which is an ancient word meaning ‘loving-kindness,’ which we felt spoke perfectly to what we were trying to put into the world,” Chris said.
They named their studios LiveMetta Pilates.
“Metta is also a mindfulness practice that has helped me navigate challenging times over the years, especially during the pandemic. In the practice, one sets an intention to wish love and kindness to all beings, starting with oneself, then extending to those held close, to those indifferent to us, to those antagonistic to us, and to all living beings.
“It includes a short prayer or saying to be repeated during the practice which sums it up quite well: May you be happy, may you be well, may you be safe, may you be at peace.”
2. Operate your small business as it aligns with those values
LiveMetta believes in a ‘servant leadership model,’ a management philosophy that revolves around promoting, empowering and supporting employees to thrive and grow in their positions and responsibilities.
“In a short amount of time, we’ve seen this philosophy of putting our team’s wellbeing and success first lead to happier teams, happier clients, and ultimately, better financial performance.
“In the Pilates context, I always tell our instructors that THEY are the studio and the ones that ultimately make the difference in people's lives. We try to do whatever we can to set our instructors and staff up for success, so they can come to the studio, focus on their passion, and be fulfilled in doing so.”
This management philosophy aligns with their vision and guiding principle to cultivate loving-kindness in all their studios.
“We try our best to exemplify this with our communications and actions internally with each other, but also externally towards clients. There is something special about feeling like you are part of a caring community, even if it is just a fitness/wellness studio,” Chris said.
3. Diversify your offerings and carve out your niche as a small business
From their early days as Pilates studio owners, they knew they wanted to provide Pilates and mind-body education as part of their offering.
“Merrithew was the perfect partner for us as a world-renowned equipment and education brand with a growing presence in Southern California. This was only further reinforced by the years of experience and depth of knowledge of the Merrithew education team,” Chris said.
“Being affiliated with Merrithew and providing STOTT PILATES® teacher training certification, courses and continuing education is a significant differentiator for us as a studio business in the California fitness industry.
“Merrithew, historically through its ownership and management, brings industry-leading expertise in providing a superior education curriculum. We're excited to carry on and grow Merrithew's legacy in our market here in Southern California.”
Despite owning three Pilates studios, being a Licensed Training Center, having a yoga studio and a massage therapy spa, Chris says he still feels like they’re “just scratching the surface" with LiveMetta.
“We're excited to continue to grow our presence in Pilates education and as a Pilates studio in our market in Southern California, and to do so while spreading a message of love and inclusion with a focus on community-building.
“At the end of the day, we all want to make a positive difference in the world, and we believe that by devoting our attention to truly helping others, everything else will take care of itself.”
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