Mom Crush Monday: Meet Megan Smith, owner of Pilates for Equestrians

Q1: From teaching, to working in marketing, to becoming a certified Pilates instructor, learning to horseback ride, then starting Pilates for Equestrians – all while raising your children. Can you share some of your favorite time management tips?

• Don’t try to do it all yourself! It is often more efficient/profitable to pay other people to do certain tasks. (Thank you to my housekeeper Carol who cleans my little antique farmhouse for 8 hours every week and does all the laundry!)
• I let Tovala and Fresh Direct do the cooking on weekdays. If I cooked every day and had to clean up afterwards, I’d exhaust myself. There are only so many hours in the day, do not believe that you can do it all. 
• Walk and talk! I take calls while walking whenever I can (times when I don’t need to be on Zoom or reviewing documents)
• Take breaks during the workday for riding or tennis. It may seem selfish, but I come back refreshed and de-stressed.
• Listen to podcasts while getting ready in the morning, driving, and doing any other mundane tasks.
• When I really need to get something done, I’ll set a timer and put my phone on airplane mode and force myself to complete the task before the timer goes off.

Q2: What motivated you to get started in horseback riding?  What tips would you share with our readers about pursuing new hobbies (ahem-ahem, self-care) while being a busy mom?

The first time I was on a horse was on a trail ride in NJ on a snowy winter day. I lived in NYC at the time, and it seemed like an exotic thing to do. One of the horses spooked and they all took off galloping. Everyone else was scared, but I thought it was amazing! I wanted to do it again and I remember thinking, “I was meant to be on a horse.” After 18 years of living in NYC, we moved to North Salem, NY (prime Westchester horse country) and my daughter and I took up riding immediately. We’ve never stopped.

Pursuing hobbies/selfcare is not selfish! They allow you to be more fulfilled as a person and less resentful of the sacrifices you have to make as a parent. Essentially, when your cup is full, you are a better mother, wife, lover, friend, etc. 

Q3: You took the time to develop a Pilates program geared towards equestrians, understandably so, since it is a sport you thoroughly enjoy! But we hear you’re hoping to tailor this program for a few other sports!  Amazing!  Tell us more about why this is important to you.

Pilates has the ability to help every athlete excel in their sport. It improves core strength, flexibility, and creates more efficient overall movement. When I started Pilates, I was a competitive runner. After 5 years of consistent Pilates training, I took first place in Central Park for the very first time. I remember breaking the tape in The Fitness Magazine 4-miler and turning around to see thousands of people behind me. I knew I had Pilates to thank for that win. My goal in expanding beyond equestrians is simple, to help athletes in every sport use Pilates to gain a competitive edge, surpass their plateau, and win. 

Q4:  To the mom readers in our world who are hesitant to make the leap into achieving their own goals and aspirations, what would you tell them?

If there’s something you really want to do, and you can’t get it out of your head, do what Mel Robbins recommends, “Say 3-2-1 go!” and then as Nike says, “Just do it.” And if you fail, who cares. The most accomplished people in this world have all failed. 

Q5. What is your favorite song lyric? Why?

“You can’t always get what you want. But if you try sometimes you’ll find you get what you need.” 

It’s such a simple thing, but when you realize it, you stop second guessing yourself and instead look at the reason why certain things happen, or people enter or leave your life. And with that understanding, ironically, you are closer to getting what you truly want.