Clara Alberti Quinlan, Owner and Co-founder, Bonza Pilates

For years, women have been rewriting what success looks like—pulling away from outdated expectations and replacing them with something more honest, more grounded. They lead with instinct as much as intellect, holding space for ambition and empathy in equal measure. Clara Alberti Quinlan is one of them. Running a business while balancing the push and pull of daily life—work, relationships, motherhood, and personal growth is no easy feat. Still, Clara is one of those leaders who build not from urgency, but from clarity, care, and conviction. As Owner and Co-founder of Bonza Pilates—the first made-in-Spain studio focused on high-quality large group reformer classes—Clara has built from scratch something intentional and deeply rooted in her vision. “When I built Bonza, I had a clear and defined vision of what I wanted to create. I didn’t build Bonza just to run a business—I built it to help women, and it’s also a space I created for myself, to embody the wellness and empowerment I believe in,” she shares. That philosophy shapes everything she does

In a wellness world often driven by trends, she’s choosing depth, connection, and real impact. Clara launched her first business at 25, after realizing the traditional corporate path wasn’t the right fit for her. The drive to create something of her own wasn’t new—it had been there for as long as she could remember. She comes from generations of business owners and grew up witnessing what it really means to build with commitment and grit. That instinct to create, to lead, to carve her own path—it was always there. Her early years followed a more conventional route—business school, a steady job in a multi-national company. “While I’m grateful for what I learned there, I quickly realized that world wasn’t for me,” she states. Walking away from the safety of a steady job, she built her first venture in the hospitality space. She was young, with no clear roadmap, and had to learn everything. Suppliers, staffing, marketing, finances, day-to-day operations—nothing was off her plate. But that’s what shaped her. The pace was intense, the pressure constant. “Running a hospitality business taught me how to handle chaos—because it never stops. It’s demanding, multilayered, and always on. I was working 24/7, figuring it out as I went,” she shares.

That period taught her what still carries her today: how to stay grounded in chaos, solve things on the fly, and move forward when most would freeze. “Those were by far the hardest years of my career,” Clara says. It gave her thick skin, resilience, and clarity. That experience didn’t just shape her—it refined her. “That stage showed me what I’m good at, what I enjoy, and very clearly, what I don’t want to do again,” she reflects. All of it became the foundation when building Bonza.

Building Bonza from the Ground Up

By the time she was 31, Clara was ready for something new—something thoughtful and impactful. She had a clear vision for Bonza from the beginning. But she also knew she didn’t want to build it alone. She needed a good partner—to achieve that vision and enjoy the process along the way. Fortunately, she found the right one, whose warmth and pilates expertise have been invaluable in shaping the method and elevating the Bonza experience. Together, they laid the foundation for Bonza. That partnership, along with Clara’s clarity of purpose, helped them push through the early hurdles that came along the way. Bonza became the first studio in Spain to focus exclusively on large group reformer classes—a bold move in a space traditionally centered around one-on-one or small-group instruction. “In a highly competitive wellness market, our biggest challenge was to build something truly unique and meaningful. We became the first studio in Spain to focus exclusively on large group Reformer classes. Our mission is to make pilates reformer more accessible to women who care about their health—transforming it from an individualized practice into an inclusive and community-driven one,” elucidates Clara.

At Bonza, everything is done with intention—from the way they teach to the way they care, connect, and hold space for women at different stages of life. That sense of intention has set Bonza apart. “We’ve built this with hard work and heart, and that intention has resonated deeply in our community —which makes me incredibly proud. Of course, there are daily hurdles, but to me, those are just part of running any business. They don’t feel like challenges—just part of the rhythm. From day one, we knew who we were. The real work is staying true to that vision and essence,” she adds.

Finding a Voice of Her Own

In 2021, before Bonza took shape, Clara launched her podcast, Totalmente Clara. It began during a significant transition in her life. Having recently left behind a high-responsibility role, she was eager to start fresh but didn’t know where to begin. What she did know was that she’d always been drawn to people’s stories. “I love understanding other people’s lives— the paths they’ve taken, what fuels them, and their everyday habits. I often find inspiration in documentaries, podcasts, and interviews. For me, it is a source of creativity,” shares Clara.

Totalmente Clara became an outlet to stay close to that feeling. It gave her space to speak openly—and to draw in the kinds of conversations she had been craving. The podcast explored subjects often left unspoken: reclaiming power as women, connecting with the body and its intelligence, and learning to live with greater honesty and alignment—despite how much we’re taught to do the opposite. Through those episodes, Clara found her own clarity. The podcast helped her put new learning into practice. It brought her closer to her center and gave her tools, habits, and confidence to shape a life on her own terms. She paused the show recently after becoming a mother. It was a conscious decision—she couldn’t give it the energy it deserved. But now, she is eager to return as she believes motherhood has brought a new layer to each role she holds: a woman, a leader, and an entrepreneur.

Redefining Balance from the Inside Out

Clara knows balance isn’t a cliché—it’s a lived experience, one that’s grown more vital through every chapter of her life.“If you’d asked me what balance means at any point in the past two years, my answer would’ve looked very different. I’ve gone through fertility challenges, a tough pregnancy, a C-section, and becoming a mother—so the way I balance life-work keeps evolving,” she admits. When she feels more like herself, Pilates reformer becomes her daily anchor. It’s been part of her life for over six years now—a practice that keeps her grounded and strong. Now, four months postpartum, she’s easing back into it—not as a routine, but as a way of reclaiming a part of herself. “For me, now, balance means setting boundaries and not trying to do it all— two lessons I’m still learning,” she says.

She protects her energy by being fully present with her family and carving out space for joy and travel with the same intention she brings to work. She’s also learning to lean on her family more these days, and she holds deep appreciation for the role her husband plays in how they move through life together. “I didn’t build Bonza just to run a business—I built it to help women, and it’s also a space I created for myself, to embody the wellness I believe in,” Clara shares. “I deeply believe in reclaiming our feminine energy. We’re cyclical beings— not meant to run at full speed every day. Honoring that rhythm is liberating. Real balance begins when we listen inward and create space for it. That’s where our true power lives,” she further emphasizes.

Moving with Purpose, Not Pressure

For the first time in years, Clara isn’t rushing into what’s next. After years of moving fast— building, evolving, launching—she’s exactly where she wants to be. “For the first time in my professional life, I’m not chasing the next thing. I’m exactly where I want to be. I’ve created something I truly love, and right now my focus is on nurturing that,” she affirms. She sees Bonza growing. And any expansion will be intentional, whether that means new locations, creative partnerships, or exploring new formats that bring the Bonza method to more people. But whatever comes next has to stay close to the core of what Bonza stands for: connection, presence, and strength from within. She also hopes to return to her podcast, Totalmente Clara, with a fresh perspective. Becoming a mother has added new depth to how she thinks about identity, balance, and what it means to lead as a woman. More than anything, Clara is choosing clarity over urgency. “I’m not in a rush to just do more for the sake of it. Sometimes when something goes well, we jump straight into the next thing without even pausing—and I’m learning to stop, take it in, and move with clarity. I want to keep showing up, working smart, and building something that truly lasts,” she opines.

Insights from a Journey of Resilience

To any woman unsure about starting something of her own, Clara has one piece of advice: just do it. “If you’ve got an idea, just go for it. I know it sounds like a cliché, but it’s true. There’s no perfect time. I was living in Rome when Bonza took shape. I moved countries because the opportunity was there, and I knew I had to go all in,” she shares. Clara believes deeply in signs from the universe—but also knows it’s up to us to recognize them and act. And for those still unsure of what they want to build, her advice is just as grounded: pause, reflect, and pay attention to what energizes you, what comes naturally, and what keeps pulling you back. For Clara, it took her nearly two years—after leaving her job—to sit with the uncertainty before Bonza began to unfold.

“You have to trust that in-between space. It’s often the hardest part where nothing feels certain but everything is quietly shifting, that’s where something real begins to take shape,” she explains. There’s an analogy she often shares: the red car theory. Ask someone how many red cars they saw today, and they probably wouldn’t know. But offer to pay them for each one they notice tomorrow, and suddenly they’re everywhere. “It’s the same in life. What you give your attention to starts showing up more. So be mindful of where you place your focus,” she says. Her advice, in the end, is simple: Sit in discomfort. Then jump. With clarity, courage, work, and consistency—everything changes.