Getting Physical with Vivian and Nicole from SO Fitness
BY MAHI KUMAR
On my journey to becoming a pilates girlie, I got to work out and sit down with the founders and owners of Auckland’s very own pilates studio “SO Fitness”.
28 NOV - 2023
The Chatty gals got to experience a private SO Fitness pilates class, and it did NOT disappoint.
There’s been a real rise in pilates (be it mat, hot or reformer). I, myself, tried mat pilates years ago but only more recently got into reformer. It came at a point where I found my fitness journey starting to feel somewhat stagnant. I had been going to the gym since I was 15 years old, and after more than 10 years of doing the same types of workouts, I wanted to feel inspired and challenged.
I came across a small pilates studio on the corner of Anzac Avenue called SO Fitness in the Auckland CBD which housed only three reformers. The classes were 45 minutes, intimate with specific intention being given to your form, and I felt an instant burn. Fast forward to over a year from then and SO Fitness has opened a bigger studio with 10 reformers (keeping the intimate feeling prominent with their execution of classes). I have been a fan of SO Fitness from its inception, so to see it in a brand new shiny building has been great.
"What really differentiates us is that we are the first and largest Asian female owned pilates studio in New Zealand"
We sat down with Vivian Cheng and Nicole Kwan who are the co-founders and business partners behind SO Fitness to bring you valuable insights on why they created SO Fitness, and what differentiates SO Fitness from the rest of the pack.
Inspiration behind SO Fitness
Vivian noted that she used to be a national NZ rhythmic gymnast and also did a lot of ballet growing up. “Through my sports and dance training, I was first introduced to pilates and over many years of practice, I had first hand experience of the benefits of pilates, particularly in terms of injury prevention and learning to target and train certain muscle groups for movement control. I’ve always been known as the “sporty” one growing up and an advocate for health and wellness but interestingly enough, never thought of it as a career until I crossed paths with Nicole! We connected so well through our interest and enthusiasm and one thing led to another and we now have a business together!”
Similarly, When Nicole was studying for physiotherapy school, back then the clinical evidence showed that that clinical pilates wasn’t as effective a tool for rehab as other methods of fitness, compared to the research showing currently. In general, pilates wasn’t construed as a very popular physical activity. That didn’t stop her though! “I wanted to become a pilates instructor so I did it anyway. Pilates has really helped me understand the body better to become a better physiotherapist, and has made me the fittest and most toned that I have ever been… I've done different types of exercises but nothing worked for my body as well as pilates did so I have never ever looked back since!” With both of their fitness journeys in mind, and Nicole and Vivian crossing paths, the inspiration behind creating SO was to create a safe and all-embracing space for anyone to try pilates and fall in love with it like they both did. Their mutual love for pilates was the key catalyst behind them deciding to get into business with each other. That, and the blatant gap in the market that they foresaw for a pilates brand and a space that was different, inclusive and all-encompassing in New Zealand.
Nicole noted that the image we often associate with pilates is that of grace… in her words when someone says “pilates,” you tend to think “long-toned-and beautiful, or the stay at home mom going for classes after dropping the kids off”. It has a certain image attributed to it, “plus the machines are pretty elaborate so it can be really intimidating”.
With that in mind, the intention and purpose of the SO brand was to spread the beauty and benefits of pilates by creating a studio for people. In Nicole’s own words “we want to be that studio that cares about you, and we want you to have pilates in your life in order to keep yourself injury free, improve your wellness and maintain that healthy life. If you are new, we are here for you. If you are experienced, we are here to help you further your pilates journey and make it more enjoyable”.
A bit about the SO Fitness experience
What I personally love about SO Fitness is that it feels a lot more intimate and personable than a lot of pilates studios. The class sizes are small and the instructors walk around to help and correct your form. I was dying to know why that was so important to Vivian and Nicole.
Vivian noted that after experiencing the “benefits of Pilates, I appreciate the importance of performing exercises with intent and precision, so hands on correction is very important to me and at SO. Control, mind-body connection and breathing are all core principles of pilates and our goal is to ensure that our clients can experience this in our studio.”
Nicole added that the personability is “so important to us as a studio and a brand. Pilates is such a powerful form of exercise, but its benefits are truly reaped when you are doing it properly and understand the technique and concept behind it.”
This holds particularly true in group classes and other forms of group fitness where it is so easy to be subsumed in the masses and practice with incorrect form because you’re lost in the crowd.
Nicole honed in on the importance of recognising every attendee, “which is why all our instructors teach according to The SO Method™ where a big part comprises hands on correction to ensure that you are perfecting your form. In the right form and position, you can truly feel the benefits of the movements, and why we teach what we teach. As mentioned before, SO was created as a safe and inclusive space, which is why we always want to create a good vibe, an intimate feeling and relationship within our community, despite being in a group class. Our aim is always to make group classes feel semi-private. There is also a running joke to see how many steps each instructor takes when teaching a class because we are always moving around to correct people and ensure that everyone is taken care of.”
The SO Method™
The SO method was briefly touched on above, but I wanted to gain a bit more insight on what it is and why it is so impactful.
Nicole stated that “The SO Method™ is a Pilates method carefully curated taking inspiration from the traditional moves by the founder, Joseph Pilates, but fine tuning moves and curating it to be a 45 minute class plans with moves that are functionally driven for the 21st century lifestyle, to ensure that you stay injury free, and achieving that long toned look from Pilates.
The SO Method™ also consists of our style of creating choreography in our class plans, hands on correction and celebrating the beauty of Pilates movement. I think the method is so impactful because we design each class to have the beautiful combination of flow, movements targeting muscles that we need to counteract poor lifestyle postures and habits in our current day and age as well as tailoring our classes to our clientele well.”
When us Chatty gals experienced a class, we definitely found The SO Method to be effective. Vivian was so hands on and making active corrections to each of us. I found this to be so helpful because with every microinstruction, you could make a small correction which would instantly result in a bigger burn in the glute (or wherever we were training). The class format being around 45 minutes feels like a short but sharp workout, and like you’re being instructed by a friend who is simply there to guide and help you through the process.
Differentiating SO Fitness from the competitors
Vivian noted that as a person who comes “from a minority background, our vision for SO is to create a space of inclusivity that welcomes everyone of all races, backgrounds, genders. It's about making Pilates accessible and challenging the stereotype of what Pilates should look like and who should be doing it”.
Nicole added that in her view, “what really differentiates us is that we are the first and largest Asian female owned pilates studio in New Zealand. As a minority in this industry, I feel that we promote inclusivity well to all genders, body sizes, ethnicity and backgrounds. For us, it's not about how Pilates is only for a certain population of people, or a body size, we want to break the stereotype that you can only do Pilates if you fit in the image of Pilates”.
Focus on community
What I loved was that SO Fitness has such a big focus on the community and members (i.e., you have the Journal page on the website for people to share messages).
Nicole noted that the focus on the community and members are so vital to them because “we never want anyone to feel like just a number, or just another client coming in for a class. Adulthood is difficult, particularly after places like school and university where it was way easier to meet like minded people or just make friends. We see our clients meeting new friends at the studio and going for coffee after and we think that’s so wholesome.”
Vivian added that “although I am deeply passionate about wellness, I also don’t want it to define my entire identity. Believe it or not, we do have a life outside of pilates and maintaining a balanced lifestyle is very important to us. We started The Journal so we can create a space to share real and relatable content.”
From my own personal opinion, the focus on community is so well executed here and complemented by the small class sizes, which leans into each class almost feeling private and making the environment feel less intimidating. I have been to a few studios in New Zealand and the instant warmth that the teachers at SO radiate, and the ambiance of the studio leans in to is something that’s unmatched elsewhere.
New Offerings And Projects
Chums… with such a big focus on community by SO, we had to make sure you were in the loop for all the new exciting offerings on the horizon.
Nicole noted that there are SO many things coming up! Not everything can be disclosed at this stage, but SO are focusing on widening their community by engaging in collaborations with many brands (such as ours!) and hosting events at the studio.
What you can be excited about is the SO YouTube Channel. Nicole stated that “you can expect to see more online content from us, ranging from interview style workouts - The SO Room series, or home workout series for those days you can’t come into the studio and more”.
Vivian also added that “we also will be expanding our education branch - The SO Academy™ and launching our Mentorship Programme to help mentor people who have recently qualified as an instructor and need some real world guidance/experience to help them transition to teaching in a big studio.”
Hurdles and Advice
For me, the story and vision for SO is very inspiring. As a business owner and entrepreneur though, it’s never smooth sailing. I was dying to know what the hurdles the girls have overcome as a business owner, and what advice, if any, they had for those in a similar place.
Vivian provided some profound advice, noting that “everyone will experience a different journey, but surround yourself with like-minded people or people who are in a place you strive to be in. You are the average of the 5 people you hang out with most so that's why it is important to us that our Community (our SO Fam) is supportive and positive towards each other.”
Nicole noted that the better question was “how many hurdles have we NOT overcome haha. What I tell people is to be prepared to feel really lonely because your problems and struggles are not relatable unless people who’ve gone through it themselves!” Starting a business comes with so many different obstacles…. but “it is also the craziest, best adventure I have been on and I'm so glad I decided to start SO. I think the most important thing is to find like minded peers or friends to surround yourself with as the right people will truly help you grow and succeed in your journey.”
Role Models
Nicole noted that she doesn’t really think she has a role model. “Instead of having a role model, I think I get inspired by different people all the time by their distinctive traits or life lessons”. Vivian added that “in terms of business, am I going to get judged if I say Kris Jenner?” Not at all Viv, Kris Jenner is the queen of multitasking, and as we all say, the devil works hard but Kris Jenner works harder!
Proudest Moments
After some incredible background about the inception of SO, the “why”, and their obstacles, I wanted to know the proudest moments that Vivian and Nicole have had in relation to their business.
Vivian noted that she is “naturally more reserved and does not like being in the spotlight which isn’t very helpful when you need to teach a class of adults, let alone running a business so just being able to put myself out there for SO and then getting to experience the growth of SO is already a big win for me! Everyday I’m so grateful for the people we have at SO, especially my partner in crime Nicole!”
Nicole added that “Wow, there are so many but my proudest moment would be teaching and mentoring new generations of pilates instructors via our education branch - The SO Academy™.” Nicole added that she hasn’t ever had the easiest academic journey in her past, particularly through physiotherapy school in uni and the start of my career so owning a business has made her work very hard to improve her knowledge and skills. “Fast forward to now being able to teach and mentor Instructors, seeing them grow from the beginning and improving everyday is truly rewarding.”.
Nicole added that “the other one of my proudest moments is definitely designing and sourcing our own merch line like our SO pilates grip socks. It really is a moment when you see your design and brand logo on a product and go wow! Also, like Viv said, everyday I’m so grateful for our community, our team and my work wife Vivian. Sometimes I catch myself thinking ‘wow, how did I get here’.”.
Mahi & The Chums Concluding Thoughts
I really enjoyed this interview and engaging with Vivian and Nicole. With pilates classes and instructors who care about you, SO creates such an inclusive and well-rounded environment that is so much more than a pilates class but truly a wellness community. It’s so exciting to see how far they’ve come since their inception at Anzac avenue with minimal reformers, and now to see them collaborating with leading brands and being a minority led pilates studio shifting the paradigm on our basic stereotypical perception of pilates. I’ve really resonated with the comments from them, and am so excited to see where to from here for SO!
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