Melissa

A long-time fitness fanatic, I was hooked on Pilates from my very first lesson. Throughout my 20's and 30's, I punished my body with things like running, hot yoga, classical ballet training, aerobics and boot camp for a long time and through many stretch goals and extreme pursuits. Pilates provided me a systematic context for smarter movement while still allowing for a challenging exercise experience. I believe in the power of Pilates and GYROTONIC® to heal, transform, and soar into more effective movement and better living.

My journey to Pilates instructor and small business owner has been a long one. Right after college, I spent a long time in the hospitality industry at Keystone Resorts in Summit County, Colorado. Not only did I ski over one hundred days for 4 years straight, I also learned valuable lessons in customer service, conflict resolution, and relationship management. The summers weren't too shabby either! After business school at Arizona State University, I moved to Austin, TX to join in on the dotcom craze. It was a crazy ride from concept to vaporware (#jokingnotjoking) that was intense, educational, and a whole lot of southern fried fun. I learned that I have a vivid entrepreneurial spirit, a desire to build things from the ground up, and a love of collaboration and contributing to a team. With those lessons in hand, my pendulum swung to the other extreme when I joined an IT Research and Advisory Services firm in the Bay Area where I specialized in developing marketing strategies for high tech vendors.

And then things got really interesting ...

A throw-away comment to my husband in 2006 led to a grand adventure. The comment was: I've always dreamed of sailing a boat around the world. And so we made it happen. We sold everything we owned, bought a sailboat, and shoved off from Florida in January of 2007. We spent 8 years away... sailing and travelling and experiencing the world at sea level. While docked in Singapore, I enrolled in a Pilates instructor training course and the rest is history.

But, distance does indeed make the heart grow fonder and we began to yearn for friends and family in Pasadena and the US. After almost 2 years of instructing Pilates at Equinox Pasadena, my entrepreneurial spirit and desire to build something great started to crop up again. My studio, Gold Line Pilates, is the amalgam of so many experiences that have shaped my world view, affected my heart and soul, and solidified my opinions about wellness, fitness, and life.

I am a huge believer in small local businesses and supporting our neighbors with our locally earned dollars. I so value personal and face-to-face relationships in our overly virtual and corporatized world. I want Gold Line clients, instructors, staff, and stakeholders to feel that we are all each other's best cheerleaders and champions. I view Gold Line Pilates as a wellness hub where the San Gabriel Valley can train, recharge, and improve themselves and their lives. I hope you'll come to be a part of our community.