From Accountant to Studio Owner: Backing herself in Business

Kelsey’s journey into business ownership began with a need for a lifestyle change. She had previously worked as an accountant in Taupō, but after having her daughter, Kelsey was seeking balance and flexibility in her work life.  She had discovered reformer pilates shortly after having her daughter and quickly fell in love with it.  What started as a personal interest turned into her future business opportunity when she opened her reformer pilates business Ora Studios in Motouapa in July 2025.  Eight months later, her 15 weekly classes are regularly full, and she has achieved the balance and flexibility she hoped to create.

Spotting a Gap

Living at the southern end of the lake, Kelsey initially recognised that there were limited local health and wellness options.  She tested her business idea by asking for feedback and gauging interest on social media community noticeboards, “one of my posts got over 200 likes and people were messaging me saying please do this.”  Being a small community, Kelsey was able to speak directly with potential clients to gauge interest, and ask people if they would be interested in using this service.  The demand was clear and encouraged Kelsey to complete her instructor training. Kelsey's husband is a local builder, so they decided to convert their garage space into a studio, allowing them to keep overheads low and Kelsey to obtain the work/life balance she was looking for.

When the business opened, she succeeded in creating a real buzz about the launch via social media and for the first 30 days Kelsey’s classes were completely full - far exceeding her expectations and reinforcing her work in validating her business idea.  

The majority of her clients are locals, “there’s something special about a small town, people really get behind locals giving something a go.”  She has been surprised how many holiday makers have engaged with her classes over the summer, a market she hadn’t anticipated; demand was so high she put on extra classes over the Christmas and New Year period.  Kelsey is currently exploring ways to broaden her client base by encouraging more males to try pilates, including connecting with the local rugby club.

Learning on the Job

Despite her accounting background, running her own business brought new challenges. “You don’t know what you don’t know,” she says “even with my background, there was still so much to learn.”

Shortly after opening, Kelsey joined the Amp It Up programme, a business validation programme delivered in Tūrangi by Amplify.  Although she had already validated her idea and launched her business, she still found value in revisiting the fundamentals and gaining new perspectives on marketing, pricing and planning. “Stripping it right back to basics was actually really helpful.  The marketing sessions were awesome; I also look at my pricing now and think I would have structured things differently if I had done Amp it Up earlier in my business journey”.

The Amp It Up cohort also provided an opportunity to meet other local entrepreneurs who were also embarking on new business journeys; and this has opened opportunities for some exciting collaborations she is currently working on with another new local health and wellness business.

One of the more recent changes Kelsey has implemented is introducing a subscription model to provide more consistent revenue.  “In the beginning, income was really up and down depending on when people bought class packs.  The subscription model means I know there’s steady income coming through and it’s great value for clients too.”

The Reality of Self-Employment

For Kelsey, it took courage to walk away from the stability of her employment; and one of the biggest surprises has been the mental load associated with owning her own business. “I had never been self-employed before; there’s definitely an anxiety that comes with knowing it’s your livelihood and wondering what the longevity of the business will be”. 

One of the first challenges Kelsey encountered was the new technology she needed to quickly learn including building her own website (via Rocketspark) and setting up her own app (Classfit).  Many hours were spent creating both the website and the app, ensuring that they had the right content and functionality.  “All booking apps have their benefits and downfalls, but some are very expensive, so it’s about finding one that works best for you.”  

Managing cancellations and putting clear policies in place has also taken confidence.  “It’s about finding that fine line between being nice and actually running a business.”  

With many classes now having waitlists, there is clear scope for Ora Studios to grow. That said, for Kelsey expansion isn’t a simple decision.  Right now, the studio size supports the lifestyle she set out to create.  “I started this for balance with my family and at the moment it works perfectly.”  

She is also conscious of long-term sustainability.  Teaching 15 to 16 classes a week is physically and mentally demanding. “I feel like I'm an energy dealer - I give so much energy in class.  There’s a balance between meeting the demand for my classes and avoiding burnout myself.”  In the long term Kelsey sees the possibility of having another instructor in order to schedule more classes into her timetable, or to incorporate more reformers into a larger studio.

Backing Yourself

If there’s one message Kelsey would like to share with aspiring business owners, it’s this: “Just go for it.  You have to back yourself 100%.”  She remembers the day she purchased the reformers; it was a large upfront investment “I felt sick, I thought, what have I done?  But I just had to believe I could pull it off.”

Her experience highlights the importance of designing your business to fit your life, not the other way around. She has been deliberate about her hours, workload, location and what is actually sustainable long-term.  Don’t strive for growth at the cost of the wellbeing or lifestyle you set out to create.

Kelsey also advocates that it is important to have complete belief in your product. She is confident that her product is top quality and she is really proud of it - she wants her clients to feel challenged and she spends a lot of time preparing and thinking about what will work best for her clients.

By validating demand, seeking support and believing in her product, Kelsey has built a business that supports a lifestyle that works for her family.  Eight months in, her studio is a perfect example of what can happen when a gap in the market meets a desire for personal change.