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From basement classes to multiple locations, the Studio keeps inclusivity at its core

October 26, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Sam Odrowski

When Jamie Wey started teaching Pilates out of her basement in Alliston nearly four years ago, she never imagined it would grow into a business with multiple locations and its own instructor-training program.

Despite that growth, her approach to the Studio Boutique Pilates remains the same as when it started, centred around small classes, personal connections and creating an environment where people of all body types and abilities feel welcome.

That philosophy traces back to her own experience as a client. Wey’s path to Pilates began with chronic pain. After massage and other treatments failed to bring lasting relief, an osteopath told her to stop lifting weights and try Pilates instead.

“I was like, ‘Oh, wait, I don’t feel like I’m in pain all the time anymore,'” she recalled. “That’s when I decided to get certified.”

Wey said the method works by strengthening muscles that often go neglected and by improving posture, which eases tension through the neck and shoulders.

“Even if people don’t do Pilates really well when they first start, it still helps,” she said. “Then as you continue your practice, you get better at it, and that’s when the magic actually happens. That’s when you can feel the strength in your body.”

Wey launched Pilates classes on Jan. 26, 2023, following encouragement from a friend who owns a business.

“I did it without really thinking about it. I just bought some reformers, put them in the basement, and started teaching people,” she recalled. “We just kept growing from there. It just kept blowing up.”

Her first hire was her daughter Haley Ferris, who trained in barre and later reformer to help carry the growing class load.

The business moved into commercial space in Alliston in 2024, but not for long. On opening day, a client made a prediction, “you’ve already outgrown the space,” and Wey said, “she was absolutely right.”

The studio rented the unit next door, and later moved around the corner to its current home in Alliston at 169 Dufferin St. S.

A Bradford location opened on Jan. 3, 2025, followed by a third studio in Bowmanville in January 2026. Each offers reformer, mat and barre classes.

Wey said the personal relationships she builds with clients remain central to the business.

“No one’s ever treated like a number. We know everyone’s names. We know when they’ve been off on a vacation or injured,” Wey said.

For some clients, the studio has become more than a place to exercise. Lori Burch, who attends with her mother, described it as their “second home.” She credits Wey and Ferris with creating a welcoming atmosphere that makes them feel like family.

Another client, Nicole Gardiman, said the studio’s instructors supported her through pregnancy and postpartum, helping her continue with Pilates as her needs changed.

“Our doors are open to all body sizes, types, and ability levels. We work with injuries and limitations,” said Wey.

Beyond regular classes, the studio hosts Pilates and Puppies sessions, with all proceeds going to the local humane society, as well as sound-bath meditations.

Wey, who also holds a somatic movement certification, said the slow, focused way she teaches is meant to reach the nervous system as well as the muscles.

“A lot of people are focused on building muscle or losing weight, but we forget our nervous system plays a huge part in how our body functions,” she said.

Wey’s role has grown beyond teaching classes. Her first teacher-training cohorts followed an established studio’s curriculum while she mentored trainees herself, before she wrote her own program.

Studio Boutique Pilates is now on its fifth cohort. Of its roughly 15 instructors, Wey estimates about half trained under her.

Her own training came through Club Pilates in Barrie, where she earned a 500-hour comprehensive certification in 2019. Recently, a Club Pilates studio asked her to send trainees its way, which she called a full-circle moment.

Wey sees instructor education as an ongoing process, rather than something that ends with certification.

“If you’re going to be a good instructor, you need to be able to know that even after your certification is done, you’re still learning forever,” she said.

The training program is also her response to an industry she believes is growing faster than its instructor pipeline.

“Studios are popping up all over, but instructors aren’t necessarily trained to the level that they should be,” said Wey.

The growth has brought its share of challenges, too. Wey said running a business required her to learn skills beyond teaching Pilates, including marketing, bookkeeping and managing staff.

“Entrepreneurship is not for the weak, that’s for sure,” she said. “You have to have a really open mind and be willing to learn constantly and pivot whenever you need to.”

Looking ahead, Wey said she isn’t planning another physical studio. Instead, she wants to open the teacher-training program to virtual participants through remote mentorship, and to offer the studio’s online class library to non-members for a small fee.

“If we have a bad winter, people can still log in and do a little class with their instructor from home,” she said.

Wey said she continues to be surprised by how far the business has come. She was nominated for a Community Votes Award while she was still teaching in her basement, never expecting to win against established clubs in larger communities like Barrie and Collingwood. The studio has since won the Simcoe County award four years in a row.

“That really attests to the community we’ve built. People are willing to take the time to log in and vote,” Wey said.

It’s a long way from a few reformers in the basement, and she hasn’t lost sight of that.

“What I say to myself all the time is, ‘Wow, you did this.’”

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