Q&A with Maggie Rominos, Franchisee of Studio Pilates West 57th Street

More than 30 years after beginning her career in advertising on West 57th Street, Magdalene “Maggie” Romnios is returning to the same Manhattan neighborhood – this time as a first-time business owner. On Saturday, September 26th, Maggie opened Studio Pilates International’s first Midtown Manhattan location at 600 West 57th Street, a 2,500-square-foot boutique fitness studio featuring 16 reformers.

A Brooklyn resident and mother of three, Maggie discovered Studio Pilates during her recovery from surgery and eventually found herself drawn to the opportunity to build a business around the workout that had become part of her own routine. After years dedicated to raising her family and a career that took her from New York to Greece and back, she is embracing entrepreneurship as a new chapter.

Below, Maggie shares her journey from advertising to studio ownership, and her vision for creating a welcoming fitness community in Midtown Manhattan.

Tell us a little about your background and career before becoming a Studio Pilates business owner. What ultimately led you to entrepreneurship at this stage in your life?

Many years ago, I worked as an Art Director for a very well-known Advertising Agency here in New York right on 57th Street. While in college, I started there as a receptionist, then became a creative assistant and slowly began to climb up the creative corporate ladder. I had the honor of working with some of the best creatives in the field at that time where I learned so much. The world of advertising has always been a demanding field involving consistent evolution and dedication though and was a difficult field to be in if you were a woman and trying to raise a family back then. Going back to this line of work after not being in the game for so long was not even an option for me at this point in my life. I had to look for a new path where I could be more in control of my own destiny.

You’ve described opening the studio as a new chapter after becoming an empty nester. What was going through your mind as you thought about what you wanted this next phase of your life and career to look like?

Honestly, I felt like I owed it to myself. After having dedicated myself exclusively to my family for so many years, I was looking to find myself as the person I was years ago when I was a young independent woman. I wanted to follow new dreams and pathways into the future. I feel like I still have so much to give. I don’t want my life to feel stagnant. Even with all the ups and downs I’ve encountered during the process of building this business, it has given me the rejuvenation boost I needed for my personal well-being. I want to be an example for my children that all things are possible with dreams and hard work.

You first discovered Studio Pilates after your doctor recommended Pilates as part of your recovery from surgery. What was it about the workout and the brand that made you think, “I could see myself building a business around this”?

I didn’t really see it in the beginning. It was a recovery process for me after the surgery. I had tried some reformer Pilates classes before but still wasn’t convinced that this was for me. I was looking for something that was close to my home and job and still affordable. I found Studio Pilates International South Slope in my neighborhood. My daughter bought me their introductory offer as a Christmas gift, and I gave it a try. I felt so comfortable from the first Orientation Workout that I had tried there. The instructors were so encouraging and focused on everyone’s level of experience and safety. The workouts were easy to follow on the screens and there was still a feeling of one-on-one attention from the instructors. I began to build it into my weekly routine. I saw changes in my body both physically and aesthetically. Mentally it was a 40-minute escape from reality. After a few months of attending, I saw ads on the screens that the franchise would advertise before classes promoting opening your own studio with them.

West 57th Street has a particularly personal significance for you – you began your advertising career just three blocks from the new studio more than 30 years ago. What does it feel like to return to the neighborhood now as a business owner?

Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined something like this ever happening! 57th Street has always had a special place in my heart. It was my neighborhood for so many years at a job I truly loved. There have been so many changes in the area since I left it so many years ago. The development has been amazing. I used to buy lunch at Mangia when it was a tiny shop behind my office building and now to see it has expanded into a major location on 57th Street has given me such inspiration. To be opening my own business on the very same street that I left so many years ago is an incredibly indescribable feeling!

Why did you choose West 57th Street specifically? What did you see in the neighborhood – from its mix of residents and office workers to its proximity to Columbus Circle – that made you confident it was the right location?

When I began this journey, I was looking to open somewhere else. I lost my first location and was devastated. I immediately began looking again in different neighborhoods. That same day, I was contacted by an experienced broker team who received my information and proposed this location. I met with them the very next day. I knew this was the right place for me the second I walked in. I could see the potential it had even though it needed work. I loved the corner location of the building, the fact that it was an old factory building built in the 40’s and is a complete antithesis against all the modern buildings around it. It immediately reminded me of the original Joseph Pilates studio that was founded in New York. The amount of space that was available, the loft set-up, the light that was still coming in at 6:00pm, the vibe I got just standing in there. I envisioned exactly what it would look like with Studio Pilates’ boutique styled studios. The chandeliers, the dark wood floors, the Chesterfield couches, their black and white theme and the mix of traditional elegance combined with modern touches. I shot a video and sent it to the design team that very same evening.

Studio Pilates has been expanding rapidly in the U.S. and globally. What attracted you to joining an established franchise versus creating an independent fitness concept of your own?

I don’t think I would have ever attempted to have started something in fitness on my own without the proper background. When I began considering this opportunity, I started researching the brand and saw how impressively they were growing both in the U.S. and globally. I was moved by the way Jade and Tanya Winter began their journey as a couple with their first studio in Hawthorne over twenty years ago and turned it into a global success. The assistance I have received from the Global Support Office and the other franchisees throughout this process makes me confident that we will all continue to do great things together.

For someone who has never taken a Studio Pilates class, what can they expect? How do the 40-minute format, SPTV technology and hands-on instruction work together to shape the experience?

This combination was the reason I fell in love with these workouts. The 40 minutes are just enough time to be challenging enough where at some point, I’m looking at my watch asking myself, “Will I make it through the entire workout again today?” and when it’s over I think to myself “Yesssss, I did it again!” The SPTV technology is very convenient to follow with plenty of visibility in every direction you are looking and gives the opportunity for the instructors to focus exclusively on correcting the clients and making sure that they are safe. Another thing I love is that there are no mirrors in our studios, so you really use focus on the programs and yourself. It almost feels like a type of meditation while you are lying on the reformer.

Your career and life have taken you from New York to Greece for 17 years and then back to New York. How have those different chapters influenced the way you approach business, community and this new chapter?

I firmly believe that everything that happens in life, happens for a reason. Everything that I have experienced and lived through, has led me to this path. I was always the mom who would help the other working moms with drop-offs for schools, activities and watching their children until they could get to them. My love for entertaining and welcoming people into my home has always been a key factor for me. We have a word for this in Greek which is called “Philoxenia”. It literally translates into the love of a stranger. This is what I want to bring to my studio. I want everyone to come in and feel welcomed and supported. I want them to feel like this studio will be a place where they can escape to, relieve stress, feel comfort, laugh with us, share stories and feel the warmth of the community we will build together.

What are you most excited about opening the studio doors?

I believe I am most excited to finally meet the people I have been speaking with on the phone the past few weeks in person. I want to welcome them into my studio and hope that they will fall in love with the space, our staff and begin building our new community together.

What do you hope Studio Pilates West 57th becomes for the neighborhood, and what does success look like to you a year from now?

I hope we become a staple for everyone in the neighborhood to come to and get a quick and intense workout anytime that they can squeeze it in during their day. For me, success will look like the people who come to us when we open our doors will still be here a year from now bringing along their friends and families to share with them the same advantages they have benefitted from our studio.

Inspired by Maggie’s journey to open her very own Studio Pilates studio? Learn more about our franchising opportunities at studiopilates.com/franchising/