{"id":87355,"date":"2025-07-14T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-14T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/?p=87355"},"modified":"2025-06-02T14:27:31","modified_gmt":"2025-06-02T19:27:31","slug":"raven-ross-is-redefining-pilates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/raven-ross-is-redefining-pilates\/","title":{"rendered":"Raven Ross Is Breaking Barriers in Pilates and Building Community"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Page through any celebrity magazine, and you\u2019ll often glimpse a snapshot of a lithe box-office bombshell leaving her boutique (aka pricey) studio Pilates class. Scroll through TikTok, and you might meet the Pink Pilates Princesses\u2014girls who rock pastel athleisure while blending their own juice and practicing planks and double leg stretches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While you\u2019re also interested in improving your flexibility, strength and posture, if these lifestyles seem more suited to reality TV than your own daily grind, you might also think Pilates isn\u2019t the right exercise regimen for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s what Raven Ross wants to change. The former reality TV star (Love Is Blind<\/em>, season 3), also a Pilates trainer and the creator of Pilates Body by Raven<\/a>, is determined to make the practice more approachable for all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can look a different way [than the stereotype]; you can have a different budget,\u201d Ross says, \u201cYou can drive a different car; you can be all of these other different things and still do the exact same workout.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\"SUCCESS<\/a>\n\n\n\n

Ross\u2019 first teacher\u2014her mother<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ross was raised by a single mother, who would take a Saturday morning spin class before shuttling Ross to her dance classes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c[My mom] didn\u2019t have another outlet or another choice, and she actively made the decision to invest just a little bit of time into herself, which I\u2019m sure was to her a huge deal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ross continues to heed her mother\u2019s example of incorporating fitness<\/a> and movement into her life, even if she\u2019s short on time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou really have to decide the standard you\u2019re going to set for yourself because there will always be outside things,\u201d she says. \u201cI think that also leads to the example you\u2019re setting for others….You\u2019re telling others how to treat you. You\u2019re someone who invests in yourself<\/a>. You\u2019re someone who takes your health seriously and takes care of themself. Automatically, someone is going to know how to treat you in a different way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ross\u2019 Pilates origin story<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In addition to auditioning for dance roles in college, Ross took group Pilates classes. Her studio then asked if she was interested in attending a Pilates teacher training. Another training soon followed, then private Pilates lessons and a year later, Ross completed a comprehensive teaching program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI really just started putting everything into it, and I got good feedback teaching classes, and it kind of spiraled from there,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ross teaches for the bodies in front of her by gauging the class\u2019s energy level. Maybe her 6 a.m. group of new moms is existing on fumes and just trying their best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m not going to make them do something crazy,\u201d she says. \u201cI want to fill their cups.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Access and affordability issues sparked Ross\u2019 desire to move from strictly teaching in-person Pilates to building an online community<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very expensive; it\u2019s hundreds of dollars to join. And when I was teaching in studios, that was even something that I couldn\u2019t afford personally.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a teacher, Ross also didn\u2019t see herself represented in the people there. \u201cI could just tell that there really wasn\u2019t enough diversity inside of Pilates, and especially inside of the studio space,\u201d Ross says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From in-person to online<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So she began to create a more inclusive platform. \u201cI started my business because I saw that other Black and Brown women could not afford to take Pilates classes,\u201d she says. \u201cTo this day, that is still exactly my mission.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of 2021, she launched her YouTube channel<\/a>, where she posts free studio-quality workouts. To accomplish this, Ross had to teach herself how to edit videos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am not a tech person,\u201d she says. \u201cI had to borrow money from my mom to get a camera and a tripod… and I just worked hard on it every single night.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to YouTube, she began gaining traction on TikTok. Following her Love Is Blind<\/em> stint, new fans flocked to her Instagram page and YouTube channel. Today Ross\u2019 website serves as her virtual studio. Her PilatesBody app launches this summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMembers of my virtual studio and YouTube community will be able to come together in the free app where you can access the workouts you need for the day,\u201d Ross says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ross\u2019 superpower? Leaning into exactly who she is<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Rather than finding success through emulating someone else, Ross believes her authenticity<\/a>, and the specific niche she offers, helps her rise above the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cReally sticking to who you are is the best way to draw others to you,\u201d Ross says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She isn\u2019t focused on the splashiest techniques but rather on bringing Pilates to people who might not consider it a possibility. To that end, some of Ross\u2019 most-viewed YouTube videos are her beginner classes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her students also often make videos about their experience, which she then sometimes reposts to her own social media channels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt becomes a conversation, and then they\u2019re in the comments, [saying] \u2018Oh my gosh, try this,\u2019\u201d Ross says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her online community often extends into real life. \u201cWe\u2019ve started doing pop-ups in different cities, and we get so many of the same people who come or people who do my workouts online,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ross\u2019 achievements thus far are a testament to the value of hard work. \u201cYou could have all the money\u2014all the resources in the world\u2014you could literally be a \u2018nepo baby,\u2019 but you still have to work hard, and you have to apply discipline. You have to teach yourself new skills, and you have to keep evolving to be successful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following her app launch, Ross\u2019 goals include creating a teacher training program and hosting Pilates retreats. She isn\u2019t content to stay still, which makes sense for someone with her passion for movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI take lessons from master instructors weekly and stay inspired by taking tons of classes and workshops from experts in the industry,\u201d she says. \u201cIn my personal workouts, I\u2019m constantly trying new things to inspire the workouts I create for my community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article originally appeared in the July\/August 2025 issue<\/a> of SUCCESS\u00ae magazine. Photo by Lauren Cassot\/courtesy of Raven Ross.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Page through any celebrity magazine, and you\u2019ll often glimpse a snapshot of a lithe box-office bombshell leaving her boutique (aka pricey) studio Pilates class. Scroll through TikTok, and you might meet the Pink Pilates Princesses\u2014girls who rock pastel athleisure while blending their own juice and practicing planks and double leg stretches. While you\u2019re also interested […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32324,"featured_media":87363,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"ub_ctt_via":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[14059],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-87355","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Lauren-Cassot-Raven-Ross.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Jill McDonnell","author_link":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/author\/jill-mcdonnell\/"},"yoast_head":"\nRaven Ross is Redefining Pilates | SUCCESS<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how the former Love is Blind contestant is breaking barriers in pilates and building a diverse community while doing so.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, 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She is currently at work on a psychological thriller novel."],"rich_editing":["true"],"syntax_highlighting":["true"],"comment_shortcuts":["false"],"admin_color":["fresh"],"use_ssl":["0"],"show_admin_bar_front":["true"],"locale":[""],"wp_capabilities":["a:1:{s:6:\"author\";b:1;}"],"wp_user_level":["0"],"uuid":["3ad7bdae69553a19e235c19fde624c3f"],"_yoast_wpseo_profile_updated":["1645637663"],"wp_user_avatar":[""],"dismissed_wp_pointers":[""],"mepr_user_message":[""],"mepr-address-one":[""],"mepr-address-two":[""],"mepr-address-city":[""],"mepr-address-country":[""],"mepr-address-state":[""],"mepr-address-zip":[""],"mepr_email_address":[""],"mepr_phone_number":[""],"wpseo_title":[""],"wpseo_metadesc":[""],"wpseo_content_analysis_disable":[""],"wpseo_keyword_analysis_disable":[""],"molongui_author_phone":[""],"molongui_author_job":[""],"molongui_author_company":[""],"molongui_author_company_link":[""],"molongui_author_box_display":["default"],"molongui_author_image_id":["63434"],"molongui_author_image_url":["https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Jill-McDonnell.jpeg"],"molongui_author_image_edit":["https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-admin\/post.php?post=63434&action=edit&image-editor"],"molongui_author_post_count":["63"],"molongui_author_page_count":["0"],"is_geuest_user":["32324"]}}]},"custom_post_content":"<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Page through any celebrity magazine, and you\u2019ll often glimpse a snapshot of a lithe box-office bombshell leaving her boutique (aka pricey) studio Pilates class. Scroll through TikTok, and you might meet the Pink Pilates Princesses\u2014girls who rock pastel athleisure while blending their own juice and practicing planks and double leg stretches.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>While you\u2019re also interested in improving your flexibility, strength and posture, if these lifestyles seem more suited to reality TV than your own daily grind, you might also think Pilates isn\u2019t the right exercise regimen for you.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>That\u2019s what Raven Ross wants to change. The former reality TV star (<em>Love Is Blind<\/em>, season 3), also a Pilates trainer and the creator of <a href=\"https:\/\/pilatesbodyraven.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pilates Body by Raven<\/a>, is determined to make the practice more approachable for all.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cYou can look a different way [than the stereotype]; you can have a different budget,\u201d Ross says, \u201cYou can drive a different car; you can be all of these other different things and still do the exact same workout.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:html -->\n\n<!-- \/wp:html -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading -->\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-ross-first-teacher-her-mother\">Ross\u2019 first teacher\u2014her mother<\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Ross was raised by a single mother, who would take a Saturday morning spin class before shuttling Ross to her dance classes.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201c[My mom] didn\u2019t have another outlet or another choice, and she actively made the decision to invest just a little bit of time into herself, which I\u2019m sure was to her a huge deal.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Ross continues to heed her mother\u2019s example of incorporating <a href=\"https:\/\/www.success.com\/the-best-fitness-plans-for-busy-people\/\">fitness<\/a> and movement into her life, even if she\u2019s short on time.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cYou really have to decide the standard you\u2019re going to set for yourself because there will always be outside things,\u201d she says. \u201cI think that also leads to the example you\u2019re setting for others....You\u2019re telling others how to treat you. You\u2019re someone who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.success.com\/melanie-towey-invest-in-yourself\/\">invests in yourself<\/a>. You\u2019re someone who takes your health seriously and takes care of themself. Automatically, someone is going to know how to treat you in a different way.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading -->\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-ross-pilates-origin-story\">Ross\u2019 Pilates origin story<\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In addition to auditioning for dance roles in college, Ross took group Pilates classes. Her studio then asked if she was interested in attending a Pilates teacher training. Another training soon followed, then private Pilates lessons and a year later, Ross completed a comprehensive teaching program.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cI really just started putting everything into it, and I got good feedback teaching classes, and it kind of spiraled from there,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Ross teaches for the bodies in front of her by gauging the class\u2019s energy level. Maybe her 6 a.m. group of new moms is existing on fumes and just trying their best.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not going to make them do something crazy,\u201d she says. \u201cI want to fill their cups.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Access and affordability issues sparked Ross\u2019 desire to move from strictly teaching in-person Pilates to building an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thinkific.com\/blog\/how-to-build-an-online-community\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">online community<\/a>.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s very expensive; it\u2019s hundreds of dollars to join. And when I was teaching in studios, that was even something that I couldn\u2019t afford personally.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>As a teacher, Ross also didn\u2019t see herself represented in the people there. \u201cI could just tell that there really wasn\u2019t enough diversity inside of Pilates, and especially inside of the studio space,\u201d Ross says.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading -->\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-from-in-person-to-online\">From in-person to online<\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>So she began to create a more inclusive platform. \u201cI started my business because I saw that other Black and Brown women could not afford to take Pilates classes,\u201d she says. \u201cTo this day, that is still exactly my mission.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>At the end of 2021, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCi7Cf-cOoCc2pWvYz6TKHlA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">she launched her YouTube channel<\/a>, where she posts free studio-quality workouts. To accomplish this, Ross had to teach herself how to edit videos.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cI am not a tech person,\u201d she says. \u201cI had to borrow money from my mom to get a camera and a tripod... and I just worked hard on it every single night.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>In addition to YouTube, she began gaining traction on TikTok. Following her <em>Love Is Blind<\/em> stint, new fans flocked to her Instagram page and YouTube channel. Today Ross\u2019 website serves as her virtual studio. Her PilatesBody app launches this summer.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cMembers of my virtual studio and YouTube community will be able to come together in the free app where you can access the workouts you need for the day,\u201d Ross says.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading -->\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-ross-superpower-leaning-into-exactly-who-she-is\">Ross\u2019 superpower? Leaning into exactly who she is<\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Rather than finding success through emulating someone else, Ross believes her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.success.com\/how-authenticity-in-the-workplace-can-result-in-greater-success\/\">authenticity<\/a>, and the specific niche she offers, helps her rise above the competition.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cReally sticking to who you are is the best way to draw others to you,\u201d Ross says.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>She isn\u2019t focused on the splashiest techniques but rather on bringing Pilates to people who might not consider it a possibility. To that end, some of Ross\u2019 most-viewed YouTube videos are her beginner classes.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Her students also often make videos about their experience, which she then sometimes reposts to her own social media channels.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cIt becomes a conversation, and then they\u2019re in the comments, [saying] \u2018Oh my gosh, try this,\u2019\u201d Ross says. <\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Her online community often extends into real life. \u201cWe\u2019ve started doing pop-ups in different cities, and we get so many of the same people who come or people who do my workouts online,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Ross\u2019 achievements thus far are a testament to the value of hard work. \u201cYou could have all the money\u2014all the resources in the world\u2014you could literally be a \u2018nepo baby,\u2019 but you still have to work hard, and you have to apply discipline. You have to teach yourself new skills, and you have to keep evolving to be successful.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Following her app launch, Ross\u2019 goals include creating a teacher training program and hosting Pilates retreats. She isn\u2019t content to stay still, which makes sense for someone with her passion for movement.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cI take lessons from master instructors weekly and stay inspired by taking tons of classes and workshops from experts in the industry,\u201d she says. \u201cIn my personal workouts, I\u2019m constantly trying new things to inspire the workouts I create for my community.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph {\"fontSize\":\"small\"} -->\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><em><strong>This article originally appeared in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.success.com\/magazine\/\">July\/August 2025 issue<\/a> of SUCCESS\u00ae magazine. Photo by Lauren Cassot\/courtesy of Raven Ross.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->","tag_names":[],"post_attachment_urls":[],"author_email":"jmcdonnell@mailinator.com","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87355","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/32324"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87355"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87355\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/87363"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87355"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87355"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.success.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87355"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}