OUR STORY
The journey of business, parenthood & reinvention
with our Founder, Dr Zoe Zephyr Marr
The Vision
In 2015 I was expecting my first child, naively I envisioned a life where motherhood and business could coexist harmoniously. At the time, I was running a successful boutique Pilates, Yoga, and Aerial studio, the first of its kind in my city. The work gave me financial stability, a supportive community, and creative freedom. Life felt beautifully aligned.
With a baby on the way, I dreamed bigger. I wanted to create a larger wellness space, one that could support me as I started a family, plus I wanted to help a wider community.
I partnered with a fellow yoga teacher and began the process of rebranding and building a commercial studio. It felt like the perfect evolution of my journey.
But dreams are never simple. While I poured my heart into the branding, the build-out, and the operations - heavily pregnant by this time - my business partner juggled her full-time job, leaving much of the administrative workload to me. Challenges began to stack up. Construction delays, permit issues, and the sheer enormity of the project tested my limits. I told myself it would all be worth it once the space came to life.
By December, we opened the doors. A month later, my daughter was born. I stepped into two brand-new roles as mother and business owner of a wellness complex. The progress was challenging, however I anticipated I would be able to rest and recover while the studio supported me; reality had other plans.
The Storm
The early months of motherhood were a blur of sleepless nights, endless emails, and stolen moments. I was exhausted, however I also felt a great purpose and satisfaction in pursuing my goals. It wasn’t ideal but I persevered.
Then, my business partner decided to leave. With no exit clause in place and no time to prepare, I suddenly found myself holding the full financial burden of a commercial lease, managing a team of over 40 instructors, all while dedicating every possible moment into my daughter.
I made mistakes. I hadn’t planned a solid marketing strategy. I posted on social media haphazardly, relying on the goodwill of friends to help where they could. I tried to do everything myself, but it was never enough. The pressure began to chip away at my confidence.
One day, sitting in the dark while my baby slept on my lap, I made a call to a friend who worked in high level branding and marketing. I confessed that I didn’t think I could keep going. The weight of it all felt insurmountable. But she told me something I desperately needed to hear: “Of course, you can do this.”
That conversation sparked a turning point. Together, we created a plan - monthly goals, structured campaigns, and clear benchmarks to measure progress. It wasn’t easy, but it gave me clarity and systems to keep moving forward.
I still struggled. The financial strain was immense, my health began to suffer, and the cracks in my personal life became impossible to ignore. But as I looked around at the vibrant community I had built - students, practitioners, teachers, and friends - I knew I couldn’t give up.
We began to energetically thrive. The studio became a cornerstone of wellness in our corner of the city, known for its diverse offerings and welcoming atmosphere. When an opportunity to expand arose, I took it, doubling our space and creating room for even more growth. But the expansion came at a cost. The relentless demands of managing the business while parenting a small child pushed me to my limits. My relationship with my partner faltered under the strain.
By the time the lease ended, I knew something had to change. I downsized to a more manageable footprint and finally created the space I had always envisioned. The new studio was airy, light-filled, and beautifully designed - a sanctuary called MOVEMENT HALO - that reflected everything I had worked so hard to achieve.
The Perfect Studios and the Global Shift
Just as the dust settled and I began to breathe easier, the world changed overnight. The global pandemic shut down wellness spaces across the country, and suddenly, we could no longer operate in person. Events, workshops, and classes - everything that made up the heart of the studio - came to a standstill.
I adapted quickly, moving services online and supporting practitioners who could continue working remotely. But 30% of our income came from national and international guests hosting workshops in our space, a revenue stream that vanished instantly.
The next two years tested me in ways I couldn’t have imagined. Pivoting to online services kept us connected to our community, but it wasn’t the same. The energy of face-to-face classes, the joy of shared experiences, those things couldn’t be fully replicated on a screen.
Yet, through all the uncertainty, I remained committed to my vision. The pandemic forced me to reevaluate not just the business, but also my personal boundaries and priorities. It was a time of profound reflection and growth and a chance to rebuild not just the studio, but myself.
The Turning Point
Just as the business had begun to find its rhythm in the new world order, life surprised me again! I was pregnant with my second child. This time, it felt different. My aerial teaching team had become a rock of support, their dedication and skill ensuring the studio ran smoothly even as I stepped back. They believed in the vision as much as I did, and for the first time I wasn’t carrying the weight of it all alone.
When my son was born, I felt fully supported. The systems we had built, the trust we had nurtured, and the incredible teachers who held the space allowed me to truly slow down. There was no need to hustle. It was a new and unfamiliar feeling, a profound sense of ease.
As I embraced a peaceful lifestyle, I realised I didn’t want to return to the frenetic pace of the past. I let go of the need to control outcomes and allowed the business to flow naturally. It was a revelation and a stark contrast to the years I had spent pushing and striving.
The Release
Post-pandemic, the world was still in recovery. Like many businesses, we had accrued rent arrears that we were paying off incrementally. It was a challenge, but it felt manageable, a normal part of rebuilding.
Then, something unexpected happened. My landlord approached me with an offer: another tenant was interested in the space, and I could release the lease with no further financial obligation.
The relief was immediate and overwhelming. For years, the business had been both a source of pride and a heavy burden. Letting it go felt like a magical gift. The chance of freedom from the weight I hadn’t realised I was carrying. There was no guilt, no regret; just gratitude for what the studio had been and for the opportunity to finally let it go.
The Empty Space
After the doors closed for the last time, I was left with something I hadn’t had in years: empty space. No deadlines, no responsibilities, no urgent demands on my time. For the first time in a decade, I had to ask myself a question I’d been too busy to consider: What now?
It was both exhilarating and unsettling. I had spent so long creating, building, and holding space for others that I hadn’t paused to think about what I wanted for myself. The answer didn’t come immediately, but I knew this moment was a gift - a chance to rediscover my own flow, unburdened and full of possibility.
The Journey to Freedom and Fulfillment
In the beginning, I believed hustle and grind were the keys to success. I thought that working harder and sacrificing more would lead to rewards, recognition, and ultimate fulfilment; that if I just pushed myself enough, people would notice and the results would follow. As the years passed, I learned that constant striving wasn’t the path to true success.
Through the challenges of building a business while balancing motherhood, I discovered that slowing down and letting life unfold naturally brought more peace and fulfillment than I ever imagined. I realised the value of support, delegation, optimisation and strong systems, werethe tools that allowed me focus on what truly mattered - family and wellbeing.
I’ve learned that success isn’t about relentless hustle, but about balance, authenticity, and ultimately the goal of freedom.
I embraced the freedom that comes with releasing what no longer served me and now know that the true reward lies in finding peace, having a rested nervous system and letting life unfold gently.