Instructor Spotlight - Marlena Griffin

Hi, and hello!  My name is Marlena Griffin.  I am one of your Club Pilates Master Trainers, and I am the General Manager of Club Pilates Liberty Station and Club Pilates La Jolla.  I started my career with this company back in 2013 and have watched this brand evolve into a form of fitness as well as a nationwide community.

I’ll never forget my first class at Club Pilates Morena as a client.

I was currently going through my Pilates training and soaking in the variety of every new exercise, every cue, and the responses that the clientele had.  I also visited some of the other locations and realized that each studio experienced something, unlike any other gym or studio I’ve gone to.  Members were taking the class but also knew each other.  Fellow instructors took each other’s classes and hugs were shared.  The culture at Club Pilates was more than a butt-kicking.  They were friends.

Shortly after, I found myself teaching at four different locations!

I loved getting to know the members within their practice.  I realized that they came for the results that Pilates supplies but even more for the personal connections.  As an instructor, I love the variety and challenge of learning how to inspire such a complex set of different demographics across San Diego.

My years quickly flew by when entering the Master Training realm of training new instructors.

My expertise grew, but most importantly my humility for the work soared. Watching people grow within their teaching is a process very similar to Pilates, and I craved more of that vulnerability and inspiration they excited me with each day.  I’ve traveled across the US for years training new staff and assisted in the opening of new Club Pilates studios!  I always left feeling like I attended a housewarming at these Grand Openings more than a work assignment.  Getting to meet instructors with backgrounds ranging from group fitness to those who trained under some of the original Pilates influencers opened my eyes to the knowledge and opportunities we have as a brand to spread Pilates in a multitude of ways.

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting corporate staff, owners, fellow Master Trainers, managers, instructors, and members across the country and built friendships that are bound by our experiences.

Woven into these experiences, I enjoyed the growth of Club Pilates as a Lead Instructor, General Manager, and Regional Manager in all their various capacities.

As a mother of a two-year-old and one year old, I’ve found that working for Club Pilates has provided strength, balance, and flexibility for all my personal endeavors.

I’ve shared in members' trials and tears but also had the pleasure of hearing of their triumphs regarding their health as well as accomplishments in their personal lives.  I’ve been to over 50 different Club Pilates studios in my career, and one thing is for certain.  I’m in the business of Pilates, but at Club Pilates, more importantly, we’re in the business of people.