Disrupting The Pilates Industry One Movement At A Time - Amy Jordan Founder of Wundabar Pilates

This is the Beyond the Story podcast, a show that goes way beyond the story. And now, Sebastian Rusk Amy, welcome to the show.

Sebastian Rusk

Hey, Sebastian. Great to be here.

Amy Jordan

It's great to have you here. Thanks so much for taking some time out of your busy Pilates and business day to hang out with me for a few minutes here. I know that we got the opportunity to connect. We're both in Dan Martell's group. Great group of human beings over there. Glad to be in the mix. Well, the podcast guy asking you to get on a podcast makes sense. So that's how we ended up here. So I'm excited for our conversation and to learn more about your story. Speaking of your story, I love to tell stories on this show. And I like to, for context purposes, help our listeners better understand a little bit more about you and your backstory and what really brought you to present day and what you're doing with your business, which is a lot based on our conversation right before the interview. So I'm excited to jump into that. Let's back up a little bit. to the beginning of the story and where it all began and what really brought us to where you're at right now.

Sebastian Rusk

Indeed, so if you would have told me 15 years ago that I was going to be a Pilates professional in the role that I'm in right now, I would have been like, I'm sorry, what's Pilates again? Tell me, please. Because I was an entertainment marketing executive. So I was running campaigns at Marvel, running campaigns at DreamWorks, at Universal Studios, had these big glamorous jobs. But every single day I felt like I wasn't doing good in the world. It's not that I was doing bad, but I wasn't adding good. I wasn't helping others with the work I was doing, even though I loved it. I loved the people I worked with, but I wasn't a storyteller. I wasn't a filmmaker. I was a marketer. And so I felt like I was just selling other people's stories or the merchandise that went along with it. And I knew that I wanted to add more to the world on my time while I was here. So in the daily variety, back when the paper used to be sent out, There was an article in there about a bloody studio that had opened nearby. And I started taking classes and I immediately was hooked. And it was like just the place that I went to clear my mind, clear my head and get back into life. And maybe a year or two later, not that long later, I was certified to teach. And then shortly thereafter, I opened my first studio and I really, truly believed it was going to be a side hustle, just a way for me to kind of generate wealth. and work in an industry that I enjoyed, but I was still consulting in entertainment. So I was teaching 42 hours a week of classes, and I was working 40 hours as a creative director at an ad agency. I didn't have kids, I wasn't married, and it was just this wild season in life, but I was loving every minute of it. And within several months, the studio was doing great, and I felt so fulfilled by the work of helping others feel incredible in their own skin, that I just walked away from entertainment entirely. And it just continued to snowball from there. And I followed my passion. I leaned in hard to biomechanics, anatomy, and really learning how I can truly serve you in movement and help you heal with movement. And then it evolved from there into creating Windebar and developing my own patented machine that incorporates four of Joseph Pilati's original inventions into one, like a Swiss army knife. So we use a jump board, we use a reformer, we use a window chair and a ballet bar, but it's all one machine. So it's super efficient, super effective. And your comment earlier was that Pilates seems like, um, yoga for those with ADHD. Not going to lie. There's an element of that in the experience because it's always different. You never know if you're going to use the window chair first or the reformer first, or start at the ballet bar. We always create a different experience because that's also what affects change inside of your body. So Woundabar was launched and the Woundaformer is the patented machine we use. We're now in New York, New Jersey, Los Angeles, and Nashville. So we have studios nationwide, which we love. And then about a year and a half, almost two years ago, I launched the Woundacore resistance ring, which is this goodie here. What I've been doing is taking everything in Pilates that was good and making it Great. So taking what is and refining it because I'm new, right? I'm not one of these people who's been teaching Pilates and it's my whole career and that's all I've ever done. And it's very reverent. I'm taking it with what's working, but what could be made better? So this tool is, I don't know if you've seen the circle in Pilates, there's like a ring, it's called a Pilates ring or a magic circle. And it's unwieldy, it's cumbersome as a studio owner, it crumbles like the pads on it crumble, and it just looks like garbage and you're replacing them all the time. And so I came up with this tool that has flexibility like a ring does, but what it does is it connects you to your core in every exercise. Squats, planks, lunges, anything like that. It connects every single move to your core, which includes your middle back and includes your waistline. It includes your deep abdominals all the way around. And it replaces my hands. So I've evolved into digital workouts, of course, live zoom workouts that I teach weekly and a library of streaming workouts. But this tool helps you to make sure you're in the proper alignment, because it is so important, not only to just protect your body and protect your joints, but it's going to get you the best results. If you're lined up properly. So this tool replaces my hands of us being together in person. Oh, fix this up to get your knees a little bit this way. This gives you that guidance and that sensation of what you're aiming for. And that's where this has really become. A game changer. So that's patented now, which is exciting. And then this tool, we haven't even launched yet. So you're getting like a really early first peak. This is the block. And so this serves under your hands when you're doing planks. So your wrists don't hurt. And it serves under your feet. So if you have plantar fasciitis or bunions or shin splints, this serves under your feet, because it also then connects you to your core. And we can use it as a rocking surface for, you know, kind of balance challenges, sitting on it, putting our feet on it. So this launches in February. I'm very excited, but the rings and the other tools we have are on our site at wendacore.com.

Love that, and by the way, we'll include that link in the description of this episode so you can make it easy for you to click and go check them out for those of you Pilates fans out there or Pilates curious. Pilates curious, I like it. Yeah, you got me. I gotta say, I moved into that category over the past, in the past 15 minutes. I went from, ah, I told you before the interview, I'm like, I don't really know if Pilates is for me. I tried it and you're like, mm, I'm going to need you to, Try it in a different way. We're doing things a little different here. And as we get into the conversation now, I'm understanding why it's you. You are disrupting the Pilates industry before it needs to be disrupted.

A hundred percent, because I say that right.

Yeah, I did.

It's true because it is a booming industry. It's growing at a super rapid rate over the last decade. As we've all seen, there's Pilates stores on every corner. And so it's really gained popularity because it truly is a workout that uses head to toe, starting from the center. It's very core centric. So when you're moving your arm, you're still talking about how your core is engaged to do so. And it's highly efficient. Our classes are 45 minutes long, but you're working so hard in compound or full body movement, meaning you're not just doing, you know, a lat exercise. You're not just doing a bicep exercise. We're really getting your whole body invested into every move. 45 minutes, boom, you're out of there. You've got your strength training, you've got your cardio, they're sweating bullets, and you've got your flexibility training, which is so important.

Yeah. I like the fact that you reinvented the machine, too. That machine was very, you know, it was like, Not torture chamber, because it's all it's all soft pads and whatnot. But it was like I could get hurt on this, I think, like somehow some way along the air, like slides and back home. I don't remember it specifically. I mean, there's there's the springs. Yeah. Get your finger stuck in one of those and call me. Holy cow. Yeah. So, yeah, I think it was a lot of that thing. I don't trust this machine. I'm sure if I used it correctly, it's good. But like one slip of the foot on somewhere along the lines are those springs on there. So I love that you've reinvented this. Now, has this been something that you've sold to other Pilates studios or is this exclusive to your brand?

So right now it is exclusive to Woundabar, the machine I've created. But top secret, One of my big goals in 2025 is that I'm creating a different machine that will be used at home. So it's going to be a totally, I mean, talk about industry disruptor. I'm really pumped about this one. I have a prototype that I'm working on in my home studio right now, and we're gathering investors to join us in this journey. But it's going to be an incredible way to get the benefits of Pilates without having to have a gigantic machine. They're huge. You know, they're 10, 12 feet long to have that sliding bed. They're very large, very cumbersome. And if you don't have the space, then you're going to shift to mat Pilates, which has incredible benefits. I've been shooting and teaching mat Pilates all week. I'm going to rephrase that. I don't teach mat Pilates. I hate mat Pilates. I hate it. What I teach is actually taking what we do on a machine and translating it onto the floor. So it's a very different experience again, coming at things from a new perspective, coming at things from the side door. So I've been teaching and, um, recording classes in that format this week. And I'm telling you, I am so, or like, it is a great way to get, um, a full body core centric workout. So you can get benefits whether you're on a machine or not, but as someone who does both. I really want to bring the benefits of equipment or machine driven Pilates home. And that's my goal in 2025 to launch that project.

Yeah, because I'm thinking like. a brand like Equinox learns about this machine. They're like, we're a little outdated and we're freaking Equinox. Like, I think we needed our lifetime. And they, you know, the phone rings and it's them. And you're like, well, what does that look like to start? And that was where my brain automatically went because these, these larger big name brand gyms offer Pilates in a very, on a very, very small scale. Um, but they still do it and there's still machines that are still in there. So that's kind of where my brain went to associate. So when you say these, these, uh, these, these mat workouts, um, are, are these available like on your website for people to check out or try or where, where do these, what does exist? Cause I'm about to move my Ottoman over tomorrow morning, try this whole mat Pilates deal.

Yeah. Every, every Wednesday morning I do a live class and it's about a 40 minute workout. And then we do coaching after. So you can ask me in real time questions, like, Hey, Amy, my knee felt kind of weird when we were doing that at lunch. And I will watch you do it and give you feedback. So you're getting someone who's a master of movement and you're getting that immediate feedback so that you can have the best experience in your own skin. So it's also a coaching call for movement. And for mindset about movement, because people come to me so often with, Oh, I want to lose this amount of weight. Oh, I want to look this certain way. And I'm really focused on the fact of how do you feel versus how do you look? So I'm also trying to help adjust mindsets to like, look at the powerful nature of your body. Look at what you did accomplish today rather than, Oh, I I'm hung up on X, Y, Z external factor. So the zoom calls are a really powerful way for me to connect. And I'm also watching like. during the workout while I'm teaching, I'll get you set up in something. And then I'll go look at the screen and I'm not going to call out like, Hey, Sebastian, get your hips down, you know, but I'm going to say, Hey, let's, let's focus on getting our hips in line. And then you're going to take that note and everyone's going to make adjustments accordingly, but it's a really, um, a really valuable way for us to connect. And that is you can either DM me at Amy Jordan official, and I'll send you the link. Or you can go to WoundDecor.com and sign up there. But I'll tell you what, as an entrepreneur and as an inventor, while we're telling stories, do you want to hear a very shameful story?

Yeah, let's do it. Let's get into the shame here. I was waiting for it. I'm like, come on, it's all rainbows and butterflies here.

Here is what not to do if you have an invention in mind, if you have an idea in mind. This block that is launching that is a total game changer that I absolutely am currently obsessed with. We have it in multiple colors. This block has been sitting on a shelf for over two years. We had made a prototype, my daughter and I made a prototype. We carved an old yoga block in half. We took clay from CVS and made the mound. She painted it. It's darling. It's this little like blue yoga block that she painted with pink Wunderbar logos on it. And it sat on a shelf. Why? Because I was chained to the busyness of my life. And so when I got into the coaching group that you and I are in together, when I got into the ideas of why am I busying myself with my inbox, with my calendar, with my schedule, this is something that I can easily hire a talented person who loves and is very good at doing those things. And lean back into what only I can do as the inventor, as the creator, as the master of movement. to get these products out there. And in probably February of this year, I took it back to my team that I work with, that is like a production house, and they developed these products with me. And here we are, and I have the actual product that is currently being manufactured for launch. And I let that opportunity sit on a shelf over two years.

Well, don't do that. Don't do that. Exactly. I was going to say, there's a great lesson there of, of procrastinating. And I don't think you did it on purpose, but busy will, will busy air quotes. Busy will take us to places. That's exactly right. We didn't know we should be in, or we don't really want to be in until we finally, you know, come to, and we go, you know, well, maybe there's a different way of going about and doing this. Somebody said that, uh, I don't know if it was Bill Gates, but they said it was the Bill Gates quote that busy's the new stupid. Um, I,

Oh, true. And it was so stupid to sit on that prototype for over two years.

But it's done and it's launching in February. That's all that matters.

Lesson learned. Lesson learned.

Yes. If you're listening to this right now, you're sitting on something that you know you should be doing. I say it constantly. You've heard me say it a lot. You may have heard it in a talk or on the podcast as well. I always say, who's missing out? Because you're not showing up. And when I say showing up, I mean that specific area. And in this scenario, if you're listening to this right now and you're like, well, this is kind of rattling my cage a little bit, good. You're in the right place. But what's sitting on your shelf? That's something I want you to think about right now. What can you take off the shelf and put into play that's going to contribute to the world and your life and your business, et cetera. So rant over there, but thank you for sharing that story. It's always good to share the scars and the wounds. Absolutely. Of the entrepreneur business journey because it's not an easy task and it's not for the faint at heart by any stretch of the imagination, but you've done it. You've chosen your passion and what you're, you know, I love you said master of movement. It's like, dude, I want to, I want to be friends with a master of movement. It's fantastic. It just flows and goes. But when you look at this whole thing of, you know, you had a great job, did a bunch of really cool stuff, like did all the things, climbed all the ladders, You're like, there's more. Can I really enjoy this? Like, there's got to be a way to do this and still make the same amount of money and probably even more and have more freedom and have more time. And the list goes.

I have a life that I enjoy and that I'm very fulfilled by. And something that's really important to me in my heart is modeling that for my kids. Yes. Modeling for my kids that you can do work that lights you up. You can do work that is not the norm. Right. It's not that corporate ladder. It's not that expectation. You know, I went to college. I have a master's degree. I have the things that you're meant to have in order to succeed. And while I use those tools, don't get me wrong, I use those tools. But I've leaned into something that really lights me up, that they never hear me say, oh, I have to go to work. They've never heard me say that because it's simply not true. It's like, hey, I got to teach. I'll be back. Right. Hey, I got to go to New York. I'm so pumped. I'm going to be training my team. I'm going to be doing, you know, interviews. I'm going to be doing classes, teach some cameo appearance classes and have a great trip. And I'll see you in a couple of days. They never hear me like, oh my God, I just can't wait till I retire. I can't wait for vacation. I love vacation, but I'm not, I built a life that I'm not trying to escape from.

Yeah. Next thing I was about to say, I was like, how about building a life we don't need to escape from? How's that?

And building a life that serves me, serves my spirit and serves them. I don't have to miss school performances at 11 a.m. Excuse me one second. I don't have to miss those things because I've built in the freedom by building in the structure and building in the work that I love doing. And to piggyback on what we're talking about, about stop leaving things on the shelf because you're not showing up if you if you're just sitting back and being busy and stupid. And if you don't have an idea of like a totally brand new invention, What is it that you want or look for that you're searching online for this particular version of something you already have, because then you can make your own. For me, that was the other latest product that I've created. This is a resistance loop. Is this new? No. Is this new? Absolutely not. There's a million of these. What this one is, is the right resistance. It's the right width. So it doesn't cut into your skin. I made it wider and it's latex free. I have a latex allergy. It is almost damn near impossible to find a single loop that's latex-free. You can buy a whole gajillion of them. You can buy a carton of them. I'm one. I need one. So here we go. So we made this because of something I was searching for and looking for. So you don't only have to reinvent or come up with an entirely new thing that you have to do R&D and prototyping and modeling. You can take something and make it better. You can take something and make it serve people like yourself, because if you're looking for it, you're not the only one who's looking for it.

Yeah, solve a problem for yourself. Who else is that going to solve a problem for? Oh, and by the way, it adds to the bottom line. Imagine that, you know? Well, I absolutely love this. Everybody wins. Yes, everybody wins, including you with the initial idea of what you want to do. Amy, I'm so encouraged by your story and everything that you have going on right now. I would say, what are you excited about for 2025? But we have already covered that. I am so excited to see how 2025 unfolds for you. And when I get to L.A., I'm definitely taking a class, taking you up on an offer. And I'm going to do this. I'm joining a Wednesday class, too. We're doing that. I may even have some questions about my form. I can take it.

I got you.

The master of movement, Sebastian. Yeah, absolutely. Listen, I I'm a comedian. I love pain. I live for. Public humiliation is my jam.

That's how you write your comedy. That's how you write your bits, right?

That's it. You got to be willing to stick your neck out there and, you know, you just never really know what's going to go.

Oh my God, I can't wait to see your segment on your Pilates class.

Yes, absolutely. Yeah, right. I was like, that's like my main motivation is like, what bit is available out of Sebastian attending a Zoom Pilates class with no Pilates machine? This is, stay tuned for that.

I love it.

Well, thanks again for taking some time out of your day to hang out with me. I really appreciate it. Look forward to seeing how everything unfolds for you. Any final thoughts for our listeners, Amy?

I just love to connect, and I really am here to help you feel amazing in your own skin and just thrive in your life. So you can reach me at Amy Jordan Official. If you're looking for studios, it's at Woundabar Pilates, or the product line and the streaming classes are at Wound Décor.

That's it. LA. New York, New Jersey, Nash, Vegas, get yourself to a Pilates studio. You'll thank us. You'll thank us later. I'm doing it. Okay. You need to do it as well. Everyone's doing the Pilates in a different new way too, with the, with the, with the mood, with the master of movement herself. Thanks again, Amy. I look forward to seeing you again soon.

Thanks, Sebastian.

Until next time, friends. Thanks so much for tuning into this episode of the Beyond the Story podcast. We sure do appreciate it. If you haven't done so already, make sure you're subscribed to the show. This way you'll get updates as new episodes become available. If you feel so inclined, please leave us a review. We sure do appreciate it. Signing off from the podcast, Launchlab.com Studios. We'll talk to you next time.