Today we’d like to introduce you to Izzy Claude.
Hi Izzy, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
What most of my online community doesn’t know about me is that I’m a Project Manager by day. Outside of my 9-to-5, I’m a certified Pilates instructor, wellness content creator, and the founder of BalancedAF Wellness, LLC.
My wellness journey started because I was beginning to feel like a robot. LOL. No, seriously. I woke up, went to work, went to the gym, cooked dinner, went to sleep… and repeated that cycle every single day. After about six months, I realized I needed something different—something that would keep me moving but also help me build community and feel like myself again.
Like so many people, I spent years pouring everything into school and then my career, checking all the boxes while putting myself last. When I discovered Pilates, it completely changed my relationship with movement and self-care. Because it’s such an intentional and clinical form of exercise, it became so much more than a workout. It helped me feel stronger, more confident, more capable, and even stand taller—literally.
After practicing for two years, I moved to North Carolina for work but still felt like something was missing. On a whim, I decided to enroll in instructor training just for fun. LOL. I just loved Pilates that much. The moment I started teaching, everything clicked. People always say you’ll know when you’ve found your passion, and for me, Pilates was it. Teaching didn’t just deepen my love for Pilates—it helped me realize I wanted to share that feeling with other people, too.
Around the same time, I started noticing something bigger. I think COVID permanently changed the way we connect. Work became virtual. School became virtual. Shopping, dating—even friendships—started happening behind screens. By the time I moved to North Carolina, I experienced that firsthand. I didn’t know many people, and I quickly realized how hard it could be to build genuine community as an adult.
That got me thinking about what I wanted to create. I knew I wanted to build the kind of community I had been searching for. I wanted more people to experience the physical and mental benefits of Pilates because it had completely changed my life. And I wanted to introduce people to the side of wellness that often gets overlooked—recovery, self-care, and making time to slow down.
That’s how BalancedAF was born.
I wanted to build more than a fitness brand. I wanted to create experiences that bring people together. Through Pilates classes, wellness events, retreats, and content, my goal is to make wellness approachable, inclusive, and genuinely fun. I want people to leave feeling stronger, more confident, and more connected—not just to their bodies, but to themselves and the people around them.
At the end of the day, that’s what BalancedAF means to me. It’s about finding joy in taking care of yourself, trying new things, and building a life that feels good—not perfect. If someone leaves one of my classes or events with a new friend, a new favorite wellness practice, or simply feeling a little more like themselves, then I’ve done exactly what I set out to do.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Absolutely not. 😂 If anything, entrepreneurship has been one long lesson in figuring it out as I go.
One of the biggest challenges has been wearing so many hats. I’m still working a full-time corporate job while building BalancedAF, so my days are long. There are seasons where I’m answering emails on my lunch break, teaching Pilates after work, planning events late into the night, and creating content on the weekends. It can be exhausting, but it’s also incredibly rewarding because I’m building something I genuinely believe in.
Another challenge has been learning to put myself out there. I’m naturally more introverted than people expect, so becoming a content creator, showing up on camera, pitching brands, and asking people to believe in my vision has pushed me far outside my comfort zone. But I’ve learned that if you want people to connect with your mission, they have to get to know the person behind it.
Financially, building a business has also taught me a lot. Social media can make entrepreneurship look glamorous, but the reality is that many of us are investing our own money, taking risks, and hoping those investments pay off. Every event, partnership, and new idea comes with a level of uncertainty, and I’ve learned to embrace that instead of letting it stop me.
If there’s one thing this journey has taught me, it’s that you don’t have to have everything figured out before you start. You just have to be willing to keep showing up, keep learning, and trust that each step is moving you closer to the life you’re trying to build.
We’ve been impressed with BalancedAF Wellness (by Izzy), but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
BalancedAF Wellness was created with one mission in mind: to make wellness feel approachable, inclusive, and genuinely fun.
While Pilates is the foundation of my brand, BalancedAF has grown into so much more than fitness classes. We create wellness experiences that bring people together—from community Pilates classes and wellness pop-ups to retreats, social events, and collaborations with local businesses. Every experience is designed to help people move their bodies, try something new, prioritize self-care, and build genuine connections along the way.
One thing I’m really intentional about is making wellness feel accessible. There’s often this misconception that wellness is expensive, intimidating, or reserved for people who already have their lives perfectly together. I want to challenge that. Whether someone is stepping into their very first Pilates class or attending one of our retreats, I want them to feel like they belong from the moment they walk in.
Representation is also incredibly important to me. As a plus-size Pilates instructor, I hope people see themselves reflected in my journey and realize that wellness doesn’t have one look. You don’t have to wait until you reach a certain weight, fitness level, or stage of life to start taking care of yourself. You deserve to feel strong, confident, and supported exactly as you are.
If I had to describe BalancedAF in one sentence, I’d call it a state of mind. It’s that feeling when you’re taking care of yourself, surrounding yourself with good people, trying new things, and genuinely enjoying life. It’s waking up and saying, “I’m feeling BalancedAF today.” That’s the energy I want every class, event, retreat, and piece of content to leave people with.
Brand-wise, what I’m most proud of is the community we’ve built. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing someone come to an event alone and leave with new friends, watching someone try Pilates for the first time and realize they’re stronger than they thought, or hearing someone say they finally felt comfortable in a wellness space. That’s what success looks like to me. If people leave a BalancedAF experience feeling seen, supported, and inspired to keep showing up for themselves, then I know we’re doing exactly what we set out to do.
What does success mean to you?
For a long time, I thought success meant graduating college, landing a great job, and climbing the corporate ladder. And while I’m incredibly proud of those accomplishments, I eventually realized they weren’t enough on their own. I had built a successful career, but I was still searching for purpose, passion, and community.
Today, success looks very different.
Success is creating something that genuinely impacts people’s lives. It’s someone walking into a Pilates class for the first time and realizing they’re stronger than they thought. It’s seeing strangers leave one of my events as friends. It’s receiving a message from someone saying they’ve started prioritizing themselves because they felt inspired by something I shared.
Personally, success is having the freedom to build a life that feels aligned with who I am. It’s waking up excited about the work I’m doing, creating experiences that bring people joy, and knowing I’m making a positive impact in my community.
If I can inspire someone to move their body, take better care of themselves, try something outside their comfort zone, or simply remind them that wellness can actually be fun, then I consider that a successful day. Everything else—the followers, partnerships, and business growth—is just a bonus.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sweatpals.com/host/BalancedAFWellness
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/balancedafbyizzy/
- Other: https://linktr.ee/BalancedAFWellness
