“I love Pilates and it is amazing that I get to do what I love for a living – full stop,” says Colleen Brummer. “I have never regretted for one single moment opening the doors of ENERGY 18 years ago.”
That passion for her business is evident to all who meet Colleen, who arrived in Cayman in 1997 from British Columbia, Canada for a ‘short stint’ abroad. Twenty-four years later, she has firmly entrenched herself into the islands’ fitness community as owner/founder of ENERGY Pilates, and the creator of cancer fundraiser Pilates for Pink.
Beginnings
Having been an aerobics instructor and personal trainer in university, Colleen discovered her passion for Pilates not long after moving to Cayman.
“I quickly realised I’d discovered this amazing method of movement that was so much more effective for my body than anything I had experienced before,” she says. “I began my STOTT Pilates instructor training in 2001 and never looked back.”
Colleen opened ENERGY Pilates in 2003.
“It was both exciting and terrifying at the same time but the ability to create something that was uniquely my vision for what a Pilates studio should be, and to do something that I was passionate about, made it all worthwhile,” she says.
Challenges have been thrown at Colleen and ENERGY throughout its lifetime, the most notable being Hurricane Ivan, which hit a year into the business, and being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005.
“Toss in a few more hurricanes, earthquakes, a global financial crisis and now a global pandemic – it’s been quite a ride.” she jokes. “I truly believe that it would not have been possible to weather these storms, both literally and figuratively, if my passion and enthusiasm for health and wellness did not exist.”
Family attributes
Colleen’s mom always recognised her daughter’s skills in educating others, an attribute Colleen, who has a bachelor’s in education, says is innately part of who she is and has contributed to her ability to excel in her field.
“[My mom] had this amazing artistic talent and was actively involved with the autistic education system in our community once they discovered my brother was autistic,” she says.
Her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 36 and passed away eight years later when the cancer returned.
Her dad also imparted valuable life lessons.
“My dad is an absolute rock star – he was 45 when my mom died and had three kids to be there for and I don’t know how he did it,” says Colleen. “I learned everything there is to know about hard work, determination, resilience and drive from him. I guess you could say I got the best of both of them.”
Fighting spirit
Colleen underwent a lumpectomy, followed by radiation and chemotherapy, for breast cancer at age 35.
“I will admit that the hardest part was losing all my hair,” she says. “It seems so vain, and I don’t consider myself a vain person, but losing my hair felt weirdly like I was losing my identity. It was rough.
“Through my surgery and recovery experience I learnt that there are times when you need to focus all your energy on yourself – to heal, to mourn, to be scared – and that it is okay to accept help from others.”
This help came from her amazing support system, including husband Donovan and friends and family.
Born from this traumatic time, is Pilates for Pink, an annual group Pilates workout which raises money for the Cayman Islands Cancer Society.
“I felt strong and capable in so many aspects of my recovery, but I did struggle with what I felt was the loss of what I used to be – losing all my hair, losing my strength, feeling weak – those were all new feelings for me,” explains Colleen.
“When I was finished with my treatment, I focused on goals that would help me get back to ‘normal’ and starting an event focusing on Pilates, movement, and, of course, raising money for the Cayman Islands Cancer Society, seemed like the perfect way to work through what I was feeling and help give back to those that helped me.”
Advice for women
Colleen admits that despite loving her job, running her own small business is difficult.
“I don’t think a day goes by when I don’t bring my work home with me or worry about some aspect of the business or spend time thinking about what the next steps will be,” she says.
Separating work and personal life is also a challenge. “Hiring a personal business coach a few years ago is probably one of the best things I have ever done – I wish I had done that so much sooner and I can’t recommend it enough,” she says.
She advises other women who want to turn a passion into a business to surround themselves with a collective of knowledgeable and like-minded individuals in a variety of fields to use as a sounding board for forming ideas, building creativity and networking.
Colleen has successfully bridged this gap between passion and occupation through ENERGY.
“For me, ENERGY is more than a Pilates studio – it is a place where people of all ages and abilities can come to experience something that it is a direct representation of my passion for movement, education and connectivity to others,” she says. “Honestly? It really doesn’t get much better than that.”
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