An Inspired Chat with Kate Gregory

We recently had the chance to connect with Kate Gregory and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kate, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: Are you walking a path—or wandering?
My husband and I moved to rural Montana during the covid pandemic. I was thrilled. I had always wanted to live in the middle of nowhere, away from the sounds and lights of the city. This was my dream, or so I thought. I have been utterly unmoored since our move 4 years ago. I am lost in a sea of what now. I still teach pilates to some of my favorite clients via zoom. I had great plans of writing the next great YA fantasy novel, only to find my motivation to write in the toilet. It doesn’t help that I am mostly homebound on a ridge a good 15 miles from town.

This was not supposed to be the case. I was supposed to have a car and the possibility of outside work. This did not work out and I did not pivot with ease. It has been a slog of trying to figure out where I belong within myself and in the world around me. This journey, messy though it is, continues. I’m slowly finding my footing in a community that is unfamiliar to me. I’m creating a schedule for myself, which I attempt to hold to. I am trying to hold myself accountable for myself. I didn’t know how hard that would be.

On the plus side I’ve started baking bread like a proper homesteader. So at least I’m learning new skills.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a pilates instructor and part-time writer living in rural Montana. I’ve been teaching for over 15 years. I love working with individuals and groups. I am a big believer in working within your bounds and comfort. Pilates and exercise in general should make us feel better about ourselves, not be a competition with ourselves. I gain satisfaction through connecting with my clients and learning more about them. I have learned so much about myself and the world through interacting with clients. I did my teacher training in Long Beach, California. It was focused on rehabilitation and strengthening. Most of my clients are older and hoping to improve their relationship with their bodies. Pilates is about more than your body, it’s about all of you. Your mind, body and soul.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
My relationship with my mother has probably influenced me more than any other, for better or for worse. She passed away earlier this year and a weight lifted. I did not have a positive or loving relationship with my mother. She was a narcissist who could only see me as an extension of her. I was raised to care for her and identify only with her. It has taken me years of therapy and introspection to recognize all of this. I didn’t understand I had been raised in an abusive household until I was in my 30’s. Once I recognized where I came from I was able to slowly start separating myself from who I thought I was supposed to be. I began to see myself not as the problem, not as the sensitive trouble maker, but as a person who has been deeply hurt. I still hear her voice in my head criticizing and questioning me, but I believe the voice is getting more faint each day. My mother didn’t enjoy her life, it was always a struggle, so I’m happy she’s free of that burden and I am gaining my freedom from her judgment.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I would tell her that she is wonderful, fierce and free. That she is not responsible for her families happiness. That it’s not her job to take care of everyone else. That’s it’s ok that she yells and cries. That she doesn’t have to make things better, that is in fact the job of her parents. That she should be cared for and loved, not live in fear of rejection. That she is loved, by the person that matters most, herself.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
This one is tricky. I attempt to live my most authentic life. I’m not very good at pretense or artifice. What you see is what you get, for the most part. I have been struggling this year with my big mouth, for lack of a better term. Living in rural Montana is still very new to me. I’m not skilled at keeping my opinions to myself or calling out nonsense when I see it. I’ve had two incidents this year where I’ve questioned whether or not I should have just kept my mouth shut. My area is very conservative and I am getting myself involved with the local democratic party, which has led me to attending a town hall. Needless to say, I got rather loud and ended up in a bit of an argument with 3 men and 1 woman. I was not proud of my words, they were not elegant, but my intentions were true. I was thanked by a few community members, but I still questioned myself and felt some shame. Then this week, at our weekly community coffee I once again was loose lipped. I got heated and didn’t keep my cool. Once again I was thanked by a woman after, but I didn’t like that I had been frazzled. I hope to find a way to keep my inside voice inside, while still standing up for what I believe in.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. If you retired tomorrow, what would your customers miss most?
Honestly, I’m pretty sure that both my customers and myself would miss the same thing. Our relationship. Even though, the hour once or twice a week we see each other is technically for pilates, it’s so much more. I look forward to sharing things with my clients and we bond over shared interests. We gossip and discuss pop culture. I would truly miss that time. I’m pretty sure when I retire I will foster my relationship with my clients. We will just be friends, hopefully.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kateknowspilates/

Image Credits
Kevin Richey