Page through any celebrity magazine, and you’ll 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—girls who rock pastel athleisure while blending their own juice and practicing planks and double leg stretches.
While you’re 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’t the right exercise regimen for you.
That’s what Raven Ross wants to change. The former reality TV star (Love Is Blind, season 3), also a Pilates trainer and the creator of Pilates Body by Raven, is determined to make the practice more approachable for all.
“You can look a different way [than the stereotype]; you can have a different budget,” Ross says, “You can drive a different car; you can be all of these other different things and still do the exact same workout.”
Ross’ first teacher—her mother
Ross was raised by a single mother, who would take a Saturday morning spin class before shuttling Ross to her dance classes.
“[My mom] didn’t have another outlet or another choice, and she actively made the decision to invest just a little bit of time into herself, which I’m sure was to her a huge deal.”
Ross continues to heed her mother’s example of incorporating fitness and movement into her life, even if she’s short on time.
“You really have to decide the standard you’re going to set for yourself because there will always be outside things,” she says. “I think that also leads to the example you’re setting for others….You’re telling others how to treat you. You’re someone who invests in yourself. You’re 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.”
Ross’ Pilates origin story
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.
“I really just started putting everything into it, and I got good feedback teaching classes, and it kind of spiraled from there,” she says.
Ross teaches for the bodies in front of her by gauging the class’s energy level. Maybe her 6 a.m. group of new moms is existing on fumes and just trying their best.
“I’m not going to make them do something crazy,” she says. “I want to fill their cups.”
Access and affordability issues sparked Ross’ desire to move from strictly teaching in-person Pilates to building an online community.
“It’s very expensive; it’s hundreds of dollars to join. And when I was teaching in studios, that was even something that I couldn’t afford personally.”
As a teacher, Ross also didn’t see herself represented in the people there. “I could just tell that there really wasn’t enough diversity inside of Pilates, and especially inside of the studio space,” Ross says.
From in-person to online
So she began to create a more inclusive platform. “I started my business because I saw that other Black and Brown women could not afford to take Pilates classes,” she says. “To this day, that is still exactly my mission.”
At the end of 2021, she launched her YouTube channel, where she posts free studio-quality workouts. To accomplish this, Ross had to teach herself how to edit videos.
“I am not a tech person,” she says. “I had to borrow money from my mom to get a camera and a tripod… and I just worked hard on it every single night.”
In addition to YouTube, she began gaining traction on TikTok. Following her Love Is Blind stint, new fans flocked to her Instagram page and YouTube channel. Today Ross’ website serves as her virtual studio. Her PilatesBody app launches this summer.
“Members 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,” Ross says.
Ross’ superpower? Leaning into exactly who she is
Rather than finding success through emulating someone else, Ross believes her authenticity, and the specific niche she offers, helps her rise above the competition.
“Really sticking to who you are is the best way to draw others to you,” Ross says.
She isn’t 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’ most-viewed YouTube videos are her beginner classes.
Her students also often make videos about their experience, which she then sometimes reposts to her own social media channels.
“It becomes a conversation, and then they’re in the comments, [saying] ‘Oh my gosh, try this,’” Ross says.
Her online community often extends into real life. “We’ve 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,” she says.
Ross’ achievements thus far are a testament to the value of hard work. “You could have all the money—all the resources in the world—you could literally be a ‘nepo baby,’ 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.”
Following her app launch, Ross’ goals include creating a teacher training program and hosting Pilates retreats. She isn’t content to stay still, which makes sense for someone with her passion for movement.
“I take lessons from master instructors weekly and stay inspired by taking tons of classes and workshops from experts in the industry,” she says. “In my personal workouts, I’m constantly trying new things to inspire the workouts I create for my community.”
This article originally appeared in the July/August 2025 issue of SUCCESS® magazine. Photo by Lauren Cassot/courtesy of Raven Ross.
