The Back Story
A North Carolina native and dancer her whole life, Melissa Kakavas, made her way to New York City directly after college. Yet, as her career took off, so did the strain on her body. Injury is practically inevitable for dancers of all disciplines and unfortunately, Melissa was not one of the lucky few to avoid it. While in New York Melissa found herself in chronic pain due to a dance-related injury. She was advised to look into Pilates, as an alternative to physical therapy, to work through the injury and continue performing. She didn’t know it at the time but this was where her business adventure began.
Melissa fell in love with the practice and soon became an instructor at her studio. This working relationship blossomed into a thriving partnership where she learned how to run a studio, without the hefty financial ties of ownership. Looking back she compared her management opportunities as trial runs for eventually running her own studio and developing more business awareness.
Flash forward to 2003, Melissa and her husband moved back to North Carolina, where she met Chelsea Jones, the owner of Evolve Movement. They worked together for 18 years as Melissa found herself in a management role once again, managing everything from the daily tasks to helping plan the future of the business.
Together, they made sure Evolve survived the pandemic but as Covid regulations lessened, Chelsea decided to close Evolve’s doors, leaving Melissa having to make a quick decision, to find another studio, or build her own.
One week after Evolve closed its doors, Remedy Movement opened theirs. Deciding to maintain the community and team built at Evolve, she jumped ship, bringing the teachers and clientele with her. She commented that she really was not looking to start her own business but the perfect opportunity presented itself and she decided to jump, “if I was going to do it, the time was now.”
"I never thought I would own my own studio but if I was going to do it, the time was now."
Through Thick and Thin
When asked what the hardest part of owning a business was, Melissa circled back to balance. As a wife and mother of two boys, family time is extremely important to her. She said there is a conscious effort to make sure your work and life balance stays where it needs to be. She mentioned that not only is it difficult to balance time, but also growth. She continues to work hard to create a community where everyone feels supported, and the studio provides opportunities for creativity and growth. At the end of the day, balance is essential to maintain the quality of services, community in the organization, and having time for life outside of the studio. Her advice to maintain the balance is to surround yourself with talented and trusted individuals who share your organization’s mission and goals.
Advice to Future and Current Business Owners
Melissa put a heavy emphasis on knowing who you are, why you are doing this, and who you want to become. She said that having this knowledge keeps her grounded and on course when facing challenges. She also said, “Put your fear and insecurities aside, keep working hard, wear your thickest armor, and just keep putting one foot in front of the other.” Melissa followed up with words of encouragement,“ It will get better and the joy that you have in seeing people happy in your space is invaluable.”
"Put your fear and insecurities aside, keep working hard, wear your thickest armor, and just keep putting one foot in front of the other. It will get better..."
Lessons Learned
Owning a business can teach people a lot about themselves. Melissa has learned that she is a whole lot tougher and more capable than she originally realized. She also has learned that to stay focused she must approach every question with her mission and authenticity in mind and less on the world’s opinions around her.
Plug It!
Remedy Movement is a collective of Raleigh’s top Pilates and holistic movement teachers, focused on meeting your body’s unique needs.
They stay true to their mission by offering many types of sessions, the opportunity for growth in fitness and career opportunities through Pilates teacher training, and any class size to fit your comfort and price point.
Their Mission: “For every movement experience to leave you feeling recharged and loving the body you are living in. Come join the movement, and feel your absolute best!”
