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Kamille McCollum of BODYBAR Pilates On How Pilates Can Improve Your Health and Wellbeing
Originally published by Authority Magazine | Read the original article
Pilates was invented around 100 years ago, and it is becoming an increasingly popular form of exercise. What exactly is Pilates? How is it different from other modalities like Yoga or Tai Chi? What are the benefits of Pilates? Who can most benefit from it? In this interview series, we are talking to Pilates professionals & practitioners who can talk about how Pilates can improve your health and wellbeing. As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Kamille McCollum.
Kamille McCollum serves as President and Chief Brand Officer, a role she has held since June 2019, where she provides strategic leadership and oversees the organization’s day-to-day operations. In addition to her executive responsibilities, she is the owner of Speak Light, LLC, through which she owns and operates three BODYBAR Pilates franchises in Fort Worth and Plano, Texas, bringing hands-on expertise in business management and studio operations. Also serving as a BODYBAR Pilates instructor, Kamille combines her passion for fitness with extensive operational experience to drive organizational excellence, foster growth, and lead with a customer-focused approach.
Thank you so much for joining us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’?
Of course! I’ve had an interesting career and life. I have my master’s in social work and worked in foster care and adoptions for four years. Then, I became a middle school special education teacher, teaching reading and math. After that, I moved from Dallas to Fort Worth and decided to work part-time for my friend’s insurance firm. I quickly decided selling insurance was not bringing me much joy, and knew I really wanted to run my own business. Plus, I had always preferred to be in the health and wellness space. During the time of reflection, a friend invited me to take a Reformer Pilates class at a new studio called BODYBAR in Dallas. I took their most athletic class — Reformer Chair — and was blown away. I was in great shape, yet my legs were shaking like crazy. Fast forward a year and I run into my same friend who was now running that same BODYBAR location, and they were thinking about franchising the brand. It was perfect timing! A workout I loved, plus owning my own studio; it was destiny. My husband and I opened our first studio in Fort Worth while parenting our three young daughters: ages 13, 18 months and one year. I taught classes and ran the operations of the studio. It was a beautiful time to build a community that was impacting people’s lives. As we were running our studio, we started to build sales and marketing processes, along with ways to train new instructors. We started to really build our membership base and were ready to open a second location. We went to the Dallas ownership group and shared the best practices we had developed, and we decided to partner with them to franchise the system. In 2019, we launched our national BODYBAR Pilates brand and began selling locations. We’ve gone from just three corporate employees (myself, my husband, and our marketing director) to 35 employees. We’ve come a long way, and are excited to have our 100th BODYBAR Pilates studio open in September 2026.
Can you share with us the most interesting story from your career? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘takeaways’ you learned from that?
I have had the opportunity to experience so many amazing things, from owning BODYBAR Pilates locations to co-owning a franchising company. I get to stay very connected to the brand and the business by owning three locations, still teaching classes once a week, and trying to teach classes when our owners come to HQ for trainings. This gives me a unique perspective when rolling out anything system-wide. I also understand what our new owners are going through as they work to open their business. I have walked in their shoes, in every role possible.
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Driven — I was determined to make my first studio a success, so I taught 15–20 classes per week and actively worked on closing memberships in between. I would work any day or time I needed to in order to get my studio off the ground.
Positivity — Very little gets me down or crushes my spirit. As president of BODYBAR, we started franchising in 2019 right before COVID hit. This was a stressful time for everyone, and I had every reason to be frustrated. However, I kept working on training materials and selling studios in order for my husband and I to make our dream of building a successful brand come true.
Adaptability — I’ve always been able to adapt to what is needed for business or relationships. From navigating the sudden closure of my studio during COVID-19 to evolving from a franchise owner into a brand leader, each role has required me to leverage my skills in different ways.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that might help people?
Currently I’m working with our operations team to look at partnerships with different companies to help drive more customers to our studio owners. This will help get the BODYBAR Pilates brand out there even more.
Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s shift to the main focus of our interview about Pilates. To begin, can you tell our readers a bit about why you are an authority on the topic of Pilates?
Authority in Pilates is a pretty heavy title, but I have worked to build one of the most trusted Reformer Pilates brands in the United States. I exist to help everybody discover the strength they didn’t know they had.
Let’s start with a basic definition so that we are all on the same page. What exactly is Pilates?
Pilates is a system of low-impact exercises designed to improve strength, flexibility, posture, and body awareness through controlled, precise movements.
How is Pilates different from other movement modalities that you have practiced?
The low impact on the joints is huge. I love to run, but it can be hard on the knees and feet. You don’t have to worry about that with Pilates. It also can challenge you in ways other workouts can’t. Doing a plank on a moving service is no joke!
On a personal level, what are the biggest benefits that you have gained from regular Pilates practice?
I have gotten faster at running because of Pilates. The work on the hamstrings and glutes has helped a ton! I also have built a strong core which keeps me from feeling back pain very often.
Who do you think can most benefit from Pilates?
Every body can benefit from Pilates. At BODYBAR Pilates, we believe everyone has an inner athlete inside them and the instructor is there to meet the client where they are and push you further.
Pilates can sometimes be expensive. Can you share with our readers your perspectives on why Pilates is worth its costs?
Spending money on your health and wellness is investing in yourself. If it helps you have a better quality of life, it’s worth every penny.
Based on your research or experience, can you please share your “5 Ways That Pilates Can Improve Your Health and Wellbeing”?
1. Builds Core Strength From the Inside Out
My 70-year-old mother started practicing Pilates and after three months, was able to do a side plank which she had never been able to do.
2. Improves Flexibility
I have seen multiple individuals go from not being able to move in a full range of motion and after coming to BODYBAR for a few months, had a normal range of motion with their upper body and lower body.
3. Enhances Balance & Body Awareness
Once you do Pilates, you notice your posture and learn how to keep from hunching over.
4. Supports Joint Health
My 70-year-old father runs half marathons often, but always gets injured during training. He started doing Pilates and ran the Brooklyn Half Marathon after six months of training. This time, he didn’t get injured at all.
5. Reduces Stress & Supports Mental Well-Being
I see people walk into BODYBAR Pilates coming in from work and feeling stressed, then after class they are walking out laughing and feeling stress free.
In my own Pilates practice, I stress the importance of precision in Pilates. Based on your experiences and research, what are your thoughts about why precision is important in Pilates?
Precision is key in Pilates. It maximizes the effectiveness of the exercises by slowing down and having control. It also helps with the mind body connection to really reinforce proper muscle recruitment.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 😊
I would love to see more businesses pay for Pilates memberships for their employees. At BODYBAR Pilates, we have classes ranging from 40–50 minutes long, which makes it doable to fit into any schedule and go back to your day.
What is the best way for our readers to continue to follow your work online?
Instagram: @bodybarpilates
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bodybar-pilates/
My personal handles are kamillemccollum on Instagram and Kamille McCollum on LinkedIn.
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.