Today I am excited to be talking to fellow South Australian, Kate Shelby-James of Pilates Barossa and creator of ‘Pilates for Rural Living’.

Kate has owned and operated her studio, Pilates Barossa since 2016 , and in the past 12 months has moved into her amazing custom built space.

Kate is passionate about creating programming for members of her rural community and has developed her ‘Pilates for Rural living’ program to specifically take care of the mind and bodies of local farmers and their specific physical needs.  If you are familiar with the Barossa region (and if you are a wine lover than I expect you’d be very familiar), this area of South Australia is filled with award winning vineyards as well as a large farming community.

I’m excited to talk to Kate about her evolution from the finance and admin career change in her mid 30’s as well as her thoughts on the state of the industry and where she sees her business growing into the future.

If you’re a Pilates business owner outside a metropolitan area, this one is definitely for you!

In this interview we talk about:

• How Kate segued from a career in finance and admin in the wine industry to a career in Pilates


• How her studio grew from her living room into her custom built studio over the course of several years.


• How she built her own commercial space to accommodate her growing business


• Her new initiative: ‘Pilates for Rural Living’ a program designed for her rural community and how it supports the local farming community and beyond


• How she grew her teaching roster, despite being in a smaller community. 


• How she prioritises down-time and holidays to avoid burnout


• How she supports new teachers in the industry


• Her thoughts about the future of the Pilates industry in relation to her rural location

Kate mentioned the following resources in the podcast:



Are you bogged Mate?

https://areyouboggedmate.com.au/bogged-blog/article/are-you-bogged-mate

Beyond Blue - For small business owners

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/newaccess-mental-health-coaching/small-business-owners

Her PAA Article: https://www.pilates.org.au/kate-shelby-james-bringing-pilates-to-farming-communities/

Pilates for Rural living program:

https://pilatesbarossa.com.au/core-strength-pilates-for-rural-living/

And where to get a hold of Kate:

Socials: @pilatesbarossa

Email: kate@pilatesbarossa.com.au

More about Kate: 

Kate Shelby-James is the founder and senior instructor at Pilates Barossa, formally known as

Pilates by Kate.

Pilates is a form of exercises conducted on mats and / or apparatus. It focuses on core

strength, overall body strength, toning, balance, flexibility, functional movement patterns and

mindfulness.

She holds the following qualifications; a Diploma in Studio and Rehabilitation Pilates, a

Certificate 4 in Mat Instruction and an Advanced Diploma in Accounting. She has grown her

business from a new concept in the region in 2016, to now being a viable long-term business,

with multiple instructors by her side. In 2023 Pilates Barossa relocated to a new purpose

built, self-funded studio at the northern end of Nuriootpa.

Kate continues to focus on her education and engagement within the Pilates community.

She lives Tanunda with her husband and their two fur babies. When away from her studio

she can be found, cycling, enjoying general outdoor activities, travelling and relishing in good

food and wine.