From Lisa Nicastri, a/k/a Sr. Mary Helen at the Convent of Swiss Chocolate in Zurich, who came to Open Studio Week in July at my Seattle Studio then came to my Pilates Excel in Geneva in August - she got a double dose of the Pilates Nun over the summer and she's well on her way to making her own Pilates magic. Pilates 101 refers to the orientation lecture I give and teach others to give that provides clients with an understanding of the anatomy and basic concepts of the work.
11/05/08
She said: I finally fired the problem client...turns out the feeling was mutual.
I said: It almost always is but we can linger for ages, without anybody talking about the pink elephant in the middle of the room. GOOD FOR YOU!
She said: It was nice to send her to someone else. Hope he can handle her!
I said: These matters are best left to the Lord; let us pray: Lord, please help the new teacher make a difference to the old client. Please help the old client become enlightened so they can correct their obnoxious ways and find meaning in life and in Pilates. Amen.
She said: 'Fraid it wasn't soon enough though...other clients are leaving too...3 (of 13 left now)!
I sure hope you're right that new ones will come!
I said: Joe Pilates said "I"m never wrong" but I, however, am occasionally wrong but Lisa, like Joe, I'm never wrong about this. You've learned what can happen by letting a situation fester that should have been more aggressively managed, Kathy Casey (famous skating coach) told me a single bad parent can ruin a whole rink and she's right, same truth for Pilates. When you come off your center of love, light and caring, even a teensy bit, fire their asses! Get rid of them! Don't worry about it! The right clients are out there, circling, waiting for a place to land. You've made room, they're on their way. Don't give it another thought. Just teach your best and the rest takes care of itself.
11/18/08
She said: Guess what??? I have two new clients! Its a duet, but one needs a few privates for her hip problem. She is a tennis coach at a nearby tennis center... I hope I can help her "fix" herself! Then surely she will recommend me to her clients...or more!
I also have a lead on a bank that wants to hear my Pilates 101! Its the international womens group at Credit Suisse!
I'm so excited that things are working out...thanks for believing in me! IT can ONLY get BETTER!
So, I have a client moving to Silicon Valley (Google)...can you recommend anyone down there?
I said: I certainly hope you never doubted the Nun! NEVER DOUBT!!! I am completely confident that this is the proper order of things in a well-managed Pilates universe - welcome to the world of integrity! WAY TO GO LISA!!!!!
I like Catherine Anderson in Half Moon Bay, CA.