Meet Lauren Thompson of Thrive Pilates & Movement Studio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Thompson.

Hi Lauren, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My work centers around making connections between mind & body and people & communities.

I have always been an interdisciplinary person. In college, I had a difficult time picking just one degree. So, I didn’t. I remember at the time people really being confused and questioning me about what I was going to do with dance and psychology degrees. They seemed like such unrelated degrees to most people. But for me, it was so clear that through my studies, I was getting the manual on how to be a human. How these bodies and minds of ours work.

I can’t help myself but to be involved, curious, and creative. I’ve served on several different boards in Kansas City which has introduced me to so many people and perspectives. It’s really helped me get a better understanding of our city. Over the last few years, I’ve moved into a neighborhood advocate role with my Westside neighborhood. That work has exposed me to city politics and some of the inner workings of City Hall.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s certainly been an interesting road. Being an entrepreneur, an artist or an advocate is accepting a path that will be bumpy with no guarantees of success. I’ve chosen to be all three of those roles. I would say the last four years have been especially difficult. Each of those years has thrown a unique and difficult curveball at me. Transitioning into motherhood and the pandemic are just two of those curveballs. Obviously, one of the curveballs I love and adore tremendously, but it is an extremely stressful time as a business owner to be incorporating motherhood into your business plan.

As you know, we’re big fans of Thrive Pilates & Movement Studio. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
My very first introduction to Pilates was a Pilates for Dummies VHS tape that I did religiously. It wasn’t until I was working on my BFA in dance that I was exposed to all Pilates has to offer and began to truly understand the power of Pilates. Pilates was a way of managing injuries and to improve my dance technique. When I first started teaching, I was mostly teaching an intense, athletic style of Pilates. I’ve been fortunate to train some really inspiring athletes throughout my time (Go Chiefs!). As fun as it is to train those elite level clients, throughout the years my focus has really changed to more of a therapeutic style of teaching. So many of my clients come in to address issues with chronic stress and pain. Especially with my background in psychology and as a mental health therapist, I really wanted to find practical solutions for these clients.

In particular, I wanted to help women. I became a certified Women’s Health and Fitness Specialist through the Center for Women’s Fitness. That training really solidified for me how the fitness industry regularly fails women. So, I wanted to create a space that helped fill those needs. A place where women could get the manual for their being, much like I did during my studies in college.

How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Pre-pandemic, we collaborated with other small businesses and non-profit groups in the Kansas City community in our Pop-Up Pilates series. We held classes at MADI Apparel, Crane Brewing, The World War I Museum and Memorial… we even had a Pup-Up Pilates class at Tail Waggin’ PetStop! All of those classes helped raise money and awareness for a local non-profit organization. We can’t wait to get back to those events and give back to and connect with our community!

Of course, the best way to help support our studio is by coming in for a session at our Westside location!

Pricing:

• Single Private Session – $70
• 5 Pack of Private Sessions – $325
• 10 Pack of Private Sessions – $600
• Drop in 1hr mat class – $20
• Drop in 30min mat class – $12

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.thrivepilateskc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrivepilates/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thrivepilatesandmovement

Image Credits
Photos by Jeff Evrard