Meet Mompreneur Lisa Hamel of Engage Your Core Pilates

Editor's note: This interview was first published in August 2015. Read on to find out what's new with Lisa since last we spoke.

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'Port mompreneur Lisa Hamel's inspiration for opening a Pilates studio hit her like a truck. OK, it was an actual truck: A collision with an 18-wheeler left her with chronic back pain that only Pilates seemed to ease. In this interview, she tells MK how a series of accidents led her to where she is now, and why she wouldn't have had it any other way. Meet Lisa Hamel of Engage Your Core Pilates!

I discovered Pilates in college, and at that point it was more just a workout. Then, when I was maybe 23 or 24, I was in a car accident that left my back a total mess. I tried a million treatments but the only thing that really worked was Pilates classes. 


MK: Is that why you wanted to start a Pilates studio?

Lisa: Not at all! After college I worked as a mental health therapist for many years, treating a lot of military veterans and sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder. After a while I just got really burned out, so I took a break.

At that point I was living in Nashua, NH, with my then-husband and son, and we were looking to move to Portsmouth. We happened to stop for gas on our way to check things out and I just thought, "This is really nice!"

So we moved to Newburyport instead. That was about eight years ago, and at the time I couldn't seem to find a Pilates studio where I could work out. My son was six, I had just had my daughter, and to be honest I was going a little nuts. I just needed that outlet, physically and mentally.

MK: So you struck out on your own.

Lisa: I didn't want to start a business. I had two small kids! I tried volunteering with veterans, doing Pilates with them, and a few people expressed an interest in taking classes. That's when I figured there was a real market for this. Plus, I still couldn't find anywhere to work out.

I started really, really small. At first I was just doing a few classes out of a local chiropractor's office. Then we moved to the Tannery in downtown Newburyport, but we ran into problems with the lack of parking and the small configuration of the space. We had wait-list after wait-list for classes.

About three years ago we moved to the industrial park, and it turned out to be the best move I've made. I wanted to be downtown at first, but then I realized that locals don't want to work out downtown because there's no parking! I've now got seven instructors teaching in a large, beautiful space that we've already expanded once, and we're working on another buildout.

MK: Sounds like things have been going really well for you! What's your biggest challenge?

Lisa: Time management, definitely. Time to be with my kids and still get all my stuff done. I got divorced a year or two ago and I have full custody of the kids, so I'm it. Full-time mom, Full-time business owner. There are literally not enough hours in the day. 

It's been absolutely crazy, but I have a great group of people. My sister, my parents, and my boyfriend all help out a lot. Now that my son is 14 he can help out with his younger sister, too.

And I have really, really good friends. Every single friend I've met in Newburyport I've met through the studio. We really support each other, and it's a two-way street. I once canceled a class to pick up a sick client's daughter. The friends I've made at the studio are helping me get my kids to school and camp.

I feel so lucky to have built such an awesome community. It can be hard to meet new people. I had no friends in Newburyport when I moved here, but I've found that if you're around women all day you're going to meet some really amazing individuals.

MK: What do you enjoy most about running the business?

Lisa: I absolutely love what I do. People come in with all kinds of injuries, and I know I can help. There was a woman who could barely walk, could only wear open-toed shoes, and now she's in great shape and can wear any kind of shoe she wants. I've made a conscious choice to keep classes small - typically between four and ten people, depending on the equipment we're using - to ensure that everyone gets the individual attention that they deserve. We also offer private lessons.

MK: What do your kids think about your job?

Lisa: They're in the studio with me a lot, but I'm not sure they fully get it. I think they feel frustrated sometimes by the amount that I work, but if anything it shows them you really can do anything you set your mind to. If it weren't for this business I don't know if I could have divorced my husband, even though that was the best decision for myself and my family. Times get tough but if you like what you're doing it's worth it, and you will be successful.

MK: What's new in 2016 at Engage Your Core?

Lisa: Engage your core has grown expand and got busier than ever over the past year. We have hired more teachers and added lots of new classes and services, including a "surf"-lates class, which is done on a simulated surf board, and a "weight loss"-lates program, which is a fun combo of private training and personal training. We've even added a high-incline treadmill and water rower as part of the "weight loss"-lates program.

Engage Your Core Pilates is located at 95 Parker St., Newburyport. Click here for a class schedule.