Cassey Ho

POP Pilates Instructor, Entrepreneur

ActivewearUSA.com Ambassador

POP Pilates YouTube Channel

Fashion and fitness have always been a big part of my life, so to be able to represent ActivewearUSA.com, company that embraces both of my life's loves, is what I call a perfect synergy. As a Pilates Instructor, YouTube fitness guru, and designer for my own yoga bag company, oGorgeous, I get to live out my passions for teaching and creativity. Here's my little story.

I started doing Pilates back in high school when I was intrigued by Mari Windsor's infomercials and decided to buy the Windsor Pilates DVD set to get myself toned up for the Miss Teen Chinatown pageant. I fell in love with the practice and instantly became a hardcore devotee. Sophomore year as a Biology major at Whittier College (Whitter, CA) I saw an ad at a private gym down the street for a Pilates Instructor position. I took a deep breath and decided to audition. To my surprise, they took me in, paid for my certification, and that's where I taught my first Pilates class ever. The rest is history. After earning my certifications through N.E.S.T.A. and Balanced Body University, I began instructing at numerous clubs including 24 Hour Fitness, Bally's, Boston Sports Clubs, and Equinox. Oh and in case you're wondering, yes, I did end up taking home the crown as Miss Teen Chinatown 2003!

Today, I torture my students with my own format called POP Pilates which fuses Pilates and Pilates-inspired moves with Top 40 Hits for a tough but upbeat sweat session. I originally started my POP Pilates YouTube Channel as a hub for my real life students in case they ever missed class, but it turned out to be a hit with virtual exercisers as well! The channel is growing everyday and I feel so fortunate to be working out with people all over the world!

When I'm not teaching, I'm drawing. There's nothing more relaxing than putting pencil to paper and letting the imagination manifest itself. What's even more exciting is when that drawing becomes a real, tangible thing. That's how I got started designing yoga mat bags. Sophomore year of college, the same year I started teaching Pilates for the first time, I ran into an organization issue trying to carry my mat, music, workout clothes, and water bottle from class to class. After shopping through countless mat carriers that weren't up to my style standards, I came to the conclusion that there was no choice but to make my own Cassey-glamorous version of a mat bag. I honestly didn't expect any reaction, but when my students began to ask for ordering information, oGorgeous was born. Since the launch of the company my senior year in 2009, my yoga bag collection has been featured in all kinds of popular media and publications including SHAPE Magazine, DailyCandy, KTLA, and the Wendy Williams Show.

Teaching and creating put me at such an indescribable high. I am so fortunate to be following my passions daily while being around like-minded people that make me smile. I encourage you to dig deep and discover what makes you happy. Then try to do as much of it as you can.