If it is meant to be, then it is meant to be, no matter what the business condition is. This is the law of proper timing, which embodies the positive story of Marivic Hernandez, yet it's against all odds.
It has been my fondness to go around the Metro and visit shopping malls, not only for the walking exercise but to see for myself which among the shops remain closed and are closing. In one of the malls I visited, I noticed frenzied construction activities and the smell of new paint. It, too, had “Opening soon” signage. It showed that it is not all gloom in this pandemic environment that we’re in.
While others are closing due to losses, Ms. Marivic Is opening shop. A contrarian move. It’s not a run of the mill business endeavor. It’s capital intensive with the gadgets and other gym paraphernalia needed for a pilates and rehab studio, aptly named Options Studio (as in it’s your choice).
Over the weekend, while everyone was busy preparing for the arrival of the super-typhoon Rolly, Ms. Marivic was busy as well. It was the opening day of her first business venture. As has been taught in business school, there’s always an opportunity to rise above harsh economic conditions. A silver lining in any business failures. Raised eyebrows and backtalk describing her action as teetering on craziness were but some of the comments she heard.
This alumna of Harvard Business School, told me it was her personal quest to set up her very own business. “This was prior the pandemic, exactly a year ago today that I decided to put up a pilates and rehab studio,” she said during our Zoom conversation. This was despite the responsibilities and tasks she has to attend to assisting the family business.
It’s folly! “Are you crazy?” was the reaction She received from friends and even some members of the family following her declaration that she would proceed with her plans, pandemic or none.
“I thought a pilates fitness studio would be the best type of business for me. I love pilates and I believed in its benefits because I have seen the change in me. But most of all, I want to share this delightful discovery and secret of my youthful appearance and good health with as many people as possible, especially now.”
Joseph Pilates founded pilates in the 1920s, at the height of the Spanish flu pandemic. It was meant to be a rehab exercise for wounded World War 1 soldiers. It was observed that those soldiers practicing pilates survived the Spanish flu as they developed strong lungs.
One of the basic foundations of pilates is proper breathing. Strengthening of one’s body and mind are important, as well to fight against cabin fever, a side effect of being under long house arrest.
If wasn’t for the lockdown, Marivic’s studio would have been opened to the public last April. Instead of being weighed down, she took this as an opportunity to further upend the studio. It’s a matter of perception and attitude of a person to assess his situation as either a glass half empty or a glass half full. “I think the universe conspired to prepare Options Studio Shangrila with the law of proper timing. The right action at the right time leads to success.”
I checked on her Monday. Ms. Marivic was ecstatic. Despite super-typhoon Rolly, all the day’s slots had been booked, aside from their zoom classes with an average of eight participants per hour.
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