Meet Jacqueline Hinton | Pilates Instructor, Professional Dancer, Choreographer & Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jacqueline Hinton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jacqueline, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
When I was getting certified to become a Pilates instructor in 2006, I couldn’t help but notice I was being forced to use the same communal Pilates loops as everyone else. I saw hand after hand and foot after foot going into the same straps every day. And I saw that people were touching their faces nonstop while exercising. After watching this every day during my certification classes, I had a bit of an epiphany. I wondered why I couldn’t have my own loops to take to class with me? And why couldn’t these loops be cute instead of the normal black you regularly saw on all the machines? That day I went home to my now-husband and told him my idea. With that, the idea for Good Citizen Pilates Loops was born!

What should our readers know about your business?
Good Citizen is the Los Angeles based company that has taken your Pilates workout and made it perfect. When I was getting certified to teach over 13 years ago, I had an aha moment. I noticed everyone taking Pilates classes was putting their dirty feet and hands in the same unwashed communal straps that you use on the Reformer and Cadillac apparatuses. After being grossed out every day of her training, I wondered why I couldn’t have my own loops to take with me to class? And why couldn’t those loops actually be comfortable and cute. And why couldn’t they be made from the absolute best materials? In yoga class, I always took my own yoga mat with me and wouldn’t dare use a communal mat. With this revelation, the idea of the personal Pilates loop was born. Now, with all great ideas, things take time. From her fresh idea to the first actual sale, many years went by. Finding a manufacturer who does good and honest work, while still wanting to help you and your dream is tough. But after dogged determination, Good Citizen was born. When we started GC, this idea had never been attempted before, but after 5 years of doing business, the Pilates world has never been the same. We are now in Pilates studios all over the world, Good Citizen has gone from a dream to a reality, as Pilates lovers see the importance and safety of taking their own personal Pilates loops with them to class. Creating a new fad wasn’t easy, but it’s been worth it. Overcoming problems with manufacturers and teaching the Pilates community about the importance of taking your own loops with you to class have taken lots of patience. But with that patience, I’ve learned that hard work and perseverance pays off in the long run. Just keep pushing and don’t let people tell you your idea is “good but won’t work.” I don’t know how many times we were told that our idea of taking your own loops to the Pilates studio would never catch on. Well, hello 2020! We all need to be as safe as possible, and that includes during our workouts. Good Citizen has always been there to provide the peace of mind we need to stay safe and clean at the studio. If nothing else, we want the world to know that we are the original personal Pilates loops. We started our business with everyone in mind, not just ourselves. And we want everyone to know that if you try as hard as you can and follow your dreams, good things will come true.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend was visiting the area and I wanted to show them the all of my favorite things and I would make sure they were to visit during the summer. Summer is my favorite time of the year and there are so many amazing things to do in Los Angeles during the summer. Night one, we would have to have dinner and drinks at the The Barish at the iconic Roosevelt Hotel followed by a concert at the Hollywood Bowl, and late night bowling and dancing back at The Spare Room at the Roosevelt Hotel. After a long night of fun, a late brunch is a necessity. We would head over to Bru’s Waffle House in Santa Monica for Chicken and Waffles followed by some beach time in Malibu. By beach time I mean a beach nap! Heading back to Santa Monica we’d stop in at Father’s Office on Montana for an early dinner and a sunset walk and shopping. We would absolutely have to stop for a sweet treat at John Kelly Chocolates. I’m obsessed with everything they have there, especially their Dark Chocolate Jabanero Truffles. One of my most favorite things to do in LA is getting a picnic spread from Joan’s on Third and head over to the Hollywood Forever Cemetery for a movie. I love to get there early to sit under the palm trees, with an amazing picnic and wine, while listening to a dj spin music during the golden hour. Once the sun goes down, they show the most iconic movies and everyone gets so involved reciting lines from the movie and clapping for the hero. It’s so fun! After three days crazy fun, we’d have to detox and get in a little pampering. It’s hard to choose, but I love a good Pilates class at Good Body Pilates Studio, a butt kicking cardio class at Barry’s Bootcamp, or a centering yoga class at Yoga Works. I love a relaxing day at Burke Williams Spa for a facial or massage. They also have this amazing treatment called Hunter’s Retreat that leaves you feeling like a new person. There are so many cute cafes to pop into in and around Santa Monica, so we’d have to stop in at Huckleberry or Earth Cafe for a healthy lunch. To end my BFF’s trip, we’d have to make a trip to Solvang and Santa Ynez for a weekend of wine tasting. There are so many amazing places to visit when heading up to this area. For lunch we’d have to grab sandwiches at Panino and then head to Fess Parker winery. They have be most amazing yard with picnic tables for having lunch while doing a wine tasting. Plus, I can bring my dog Riley! Other favorites we’d have to check out are Roblar and Beckman. They are also dog friendly. For dinner, SY Kitchen, Industrial Eats and Succulent. You can’t go wrong with any of these choices. This is literally my dream week in So Cal and I highly recommend checking all of these spots out!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to shout out the Junior League of Los Angeles. As a member of this wonderful organization for over a decade, I have been able to develop my volunteer skills through seminars, community service, leadership roles and mentoring, building a lifelong commitment to building better communities through a unique combination of training, community, leadership development, direct service, and public policy advocacy. Working with such an amazing group of woman in order to better our community, has given me knowledge and leadership skills to build a business with the skills I have learned as a member of this outstanding organization.

Website: www.goodcitizenla.com www.jackiehinton.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/goodcitizenla www.instagram.com/jackiehhinton
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/good-citizen-la https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqueline-hinton-bb8b6954/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/goodcitizenla
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goodcitizenla/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEVeECi3BsWr9l4h-_tbXhg/featured

Image Credits
Justin Hinton