Meet Kimi Evans | Pilates studio owner (aka: Pink Collar Boss)

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kimi Evans and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kimi, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I’ve had careers in the corporate world in the past, but this is something that fulfills both the creative side in me as well as the business side. I get to do both in the same space.
My employees call me a pink collar boss. I find it to be amazing because it’s definitely a fun and creative job, but it also has all of the aspects one would encounter in the corporate world.
We have fun events where everyone gets to be creative, but we also have meetings, spreadsheets, etc.
I like being able to work from anywhere. I could be on a trip and be working. I could be at Disneyland and be working. Although I might be taking my work with me everywhere I go, I like the flexibility of being able to work from anywhere. But I do tend to like to be at my businesses in person. Plus, I really enjoy the people I work with. It brings me great joy to see people thrive, and grow into being amazing instructors. I’ve always enjoyed mentorship, and being able to mentor people on the business side, as well as on the creative side is very fulfilling.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I’ve been in this industry for over 15 years and it’s definitely been a challenge. I’ve struggled many times, failed many times, and have succeeded as well.
I’ve taken the failures as great learning opportunities, and used those to fuel me towards success. Without failures, I would have nothing to learn from. And that’s probably a big reason why I love mentoring other studio owners. I don’t want everyone to have to go through what I went through, so I try to give them a bit of a shortcut so they get a headstart. If I had to choose one thing to do, it would probably be mentoring others 100% of the time.
In the business space, I found a gap. I had a high intensity Pilates Studio for over a decade and realized there wasn’t a feminine version of it in the market. So I leaned into that. I created a space that was more focused on aesthetics that appeal more to women, and the values that women gravitate to, specifically community. We catered to men as well, but our primary focus is to make sure women have a safe and inclusive space to feel connected, welcome, and included.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
San Diego is full of amazing things to do. From the various hikes, to the beaches, and the many restaurants. And each neighborhood has something unique to offer. I love the Lafayette Hotel, Oscars Mexican Seafood, & Selva Coffee House (drink coffee while shopping for plants).
I love a good hole-in-the-wall restaurant. And there are so many new places popping up left and right, so there’s an endless supply of exciting restaurants to try.
And the events! There’s always an event. My studio is constantly hosting events, but there are events all over the city. Food events, fitness events, etc. And I love a good gala.
I emcee a lot of events throughout the city, most recently a food and wine festival. I’ve also had the pleasure of being a hat judge on opening day of the Del Mar races multiple times. As an emcee, I’ve had the opportunity to see so many fun and interesting events in San Diego over the last 15 years. And having been a meteorologist for the local news, it was always entertaining to see the various business that would come on the morning show.
It’s hard to narrow down the unique experiences available to people in San Diego because I consider it to be the greatest place on the planet. There’s something for everyone!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
In my story, I would say Molly deserves credit and recognition. She is my right hand person and has poured her heart into opening two studios with me. Her background is very much in the corporate world, but she’s given that up to pursue a career in this industry. She spent the last year learning everything about what we do: from planning, construction, build out, merchandise, overseeing people, janitorial work, managerial work, software systems, training, people, etc. It’s a lot to learn in a short amount of time. But she’s done an amazing job learning the necessary skills to run multiple studios.

Website: https://Www.honorpilatesstudios.com

Instagram: @honorpilatesstudios

Linkedin: Honor Pilates Studios

Yelp: Honor Pilates