Ciara Gigleux is bringing her signature blend of Pilates and wellness to more corners of Edinburgh with the expansion of her business. Guided by the ethos “where wellness meets workouts,” her newest studio opens this June in Bruntsfield—offering a serene, spa-like sanctuary that redefines the gym experience.
But behind the calm atmosphere lies the reality of building a brand while raising a toddler. We caught up with the Edinburgh-based entrepreneur to talk Pilates, building a brand, and the challenges of growing a business from the ground up.
Give me the spiel! How would you describe what you do to those who don’t know you?
I am the founder and CEO of maeve, a wellness company with two locations in Edinburgh, and we serve up the best Pilates, barre, and sculpt classes in the city! Before maeve, I owned a marketing agency and worked with clients from all over the world. And before that, I was an archaeologist—I have a PhD in biomolecular archaeology (so just a little bit different from what I’m doing now…!).
You have expanded maeve recently with a new location and added classes. Have you noticed any trends in fitness that have people asking for more Pilates in their lives?
Yes, absolutely! I think people are starting to make their health and wellness a non-negotiable, and Pilates in particular is such a great option, especially for women. It’s low impact but provides a full-body workout that focuses on building strength, improving posture and flexibility, and sculpting your body. Plus, the mind-body connection is a huge part of it, so it’s also great for getting in tune with your body.
Tell me about your journey to being a ride-or-die Pilates advocate! What gets you up for that 6:30 am class?
Ha! I won’t lie—I rarely make the 6:30am classes. I’m more of a post-nursery drop-off, 9:30am class kind of gal (or a pre-brunch weekend class!). I first discovered mat Pilates when I was struggling with infertility and needed something to take my mind off things, and I fell in love with it and how strong it made me feel. Then, after I had my daughter and an emergency c-section, I started doing reformer Pilates because of the extra support it offers. So, I am a huge advocate of Pilates and that’s why I love bringing it to other people!
Pilates in action at maeve
As an experienced entrepreneur, what is one piece of advice you have for young women wanting to start their own business?
Start! It doesn’t matter if you’re starting from scratch or doing it on the side of something else; think about what the smallest iteration of your idea is and just start.
You’re one of many flourishing local businesses in the Edinburgh/Leith area. How would you describe the entrepreneurial spirit in the area?
It’s great! There are a lot of really cool businesses in Edinburgh, and a lot of amazing female-founded ones. We try to collaborate and partner with other independent businesses near our locations, and I love the sense of community amongst the different businesses in Leith and also in Bruntsfield.
From founder to podcast host to mother, you wear many hats. How do you balance life with work?
To be honest, it’s not easy and I still sometimes struggle. What has helped me recently is to prioritise my own wellbeing—scheduling in my weekly ‘wellness non-negotiables’ like Pilates, walks, etc. first, and then adding in my work priorities for the week around those. I definitely see the difference in terms of my mental health when I do that. I’m also so grateful that I’m able to have two days a week with my daughter, so we do lovely things on those days and that helps me feel more balanced with it all.
You’ve worked with many notable brands—including Sisley Paris and Amp Wellbeing. How do you approach creative collaboration with other businesses, and who else would you like to work with?
I love our community events at maeve and working with aligned brands. Sometimes it’s us who reach out to a brand, other times they reach out to us, but it always starts from a genuine passion for the brand and an awareness of how their customer matches our own. Then we create a plan for an event that combines what we do best with what the brand does best, and the end result is usually pretty special! I’d love to work with Lululemon or Adanola.
maeve’s Bruntsfield location
What’s special about maeve? Why do you think your members choose you?
I think they really value the community we’re creating at maeve. We’re not just a Pilates studio—we pour so much into our community because we want people to feel so welcome and comfortable in our spaces. Our teachers are, of course, fabulous so they love the classes. And they also love the aesthetic and vibe we have—our studios feel more like spas than fitness studios, and this is hugely important to me because your environment can either add to or detract from your sense of wellbeing. I wanted to create spaces that elevated the sense of wellbeing you get from exercising, somewhere you actually want to go to. We like to say we’re “where wellness meets workouts”, and it’s true!
What is your dream for the space? What can Edinburgh expect from maeve going forward?
We’re so excited to be opening our new boutique reformer studio in Bruntsfield in June—I can’t wait to bring that to our community. We’ve got some really great partnerships coming up and lots of plans for the rest of the year. My dream is for maeve to keep growing and for more people to discover that there is an alternative to sweaty gyms and overcrowded classes—and it’s at maeve!
