Opal Wellness Studio
As you walk up the steps to reach Opal Wellness Studio, you can instantly feel a shift in energy from the busy street below. The lights are dim and soothing, the atmosphere is calm and quiet, and when you reach the top, you are greeted by a cute pink sign that reads, “Welcome, leave your worries and your shoes at the door.”Sue McCarroll, owner of Opal, says that her clients often tell her that when they walk into her studio space, they feel a sense of peace. “People feel it’s a very non-judgmental environment - very accepting, very positive, very zen. They walk up the stairs and they just think, “Ahhh.” 
Sue says that creating a space of non-judgment is very important to her, and she is strategic about how she does this. “On my social media, I want every type of person to be seen. It’s not by accident.” She explains that her experience raising sons who are dancers has highlighted the importance of being able to see yourself in others who share your same interests. “If everybody looks perfect at Pilates and you have a perfect Instagram, then real people are not going to feel comfortable coming. And I truly believe that Pilates is for everybody; everyone will benefit.”
The type of Pilates Sue teaches in her studio is classical Pilates. She explains that as Pilates has become trendier, many people are teaching other forms of exercise and calling it Pilates. “I’ve experienced a lot of people coming in and saying, ‘I’ve been doing Pilates,’ and then they take a class with me and come out saying, ‘I have never taken Pilates before.’” She says that in her opinion, “Movement is always good, as long as you know what you’re getting. Authenticity and honesty are really important to me.”
Sue describes herself as a lifelong learner, and her educational background includes bachelor’s degrees in nutrition and dance and a master’s degree in education. Before starting on her health and wellness path, she was a math and science teacher. She says that teaching is her forte.“Everyone has a thing they are good at, and teaching is mine. I was a dance teacher, I like to teach wellness, and I’m a Pilates teacher. As a dance teacher, I could teach kids how to do things I could never do as a dancer myself. I just have the ability to look at things and break them down.”Sue says that self-awareness of her strengths and weaknesses has been important in running her business. “I follow the idea of knowing what I’m good at and outsourcing what I’m not.” For her, having a good bookkeeper has been crucial. “But any time I outsource anything, I make sure I can do it myself first.”
Turning Opal into the business that it is today took years of commitment and hard work. Sue describes starting her journey out of a room in her home. She started by just teaching the mat form of Pilates. “I started teaching mat in that room, and then when I had enough money, I bought a reformer. I started teaching that, and when I made enough money, I bought the next piece of equipment. There were no loans; everything was built over time. Even now, I take my profit and turn it back into growth.”
Eventually, in the fall of 2021, Sue signed the lease for her Haddonfield studio. She emphasizes that Opal Wellness Studio is not just about Pilates but also about whole body healing. She is certified as an integrative nutrition health coach, and her podcast about empowering women to take care of themselves is on its 14th season. Sue mentions that healing modalities offered at Opal include a FLOWpresso machine, IonCleanse detox footbaths, and an infrared sauna. She shares that her next educational endeavor is gaining certification to become an herbalist and bringing an apothecary to the studio. It’s a goal that she knows will take at least a year. “I always feel like I need to work towards something. I love to learn, and I love to learn for me and my family and for my clients. I don’t like to bring things in here that I haven't done for myself first. I live it, and I believe it is going to be great for you.”
“I wish I could give this all away for free. And that’s just because I care about people. My biggest struggle as a business owner is to make sure that I am actually being a business owner so that I can support my own life and my family.”Sue says that what she is most proud of is the ways she has helped others through her work. She shares the story of a client who had been taking private lessons with her after undergoing a laminectomy on her spine. “When she started with me, she was so afraid of hurting herself.” Sue says that after a year of working together, the client sent a photo of her doing paddle board yoga with a message that read, “The only way I can do this is because of you.” Sue also underwent training to work specifically with women who have breast cancer. Through her work with these “breast cancer survivors and thrivers”, Sue says that she has witnessed all of the ways Pilates can be life-changing. “You regain strength and flexibility, but you also gain a sense of empowerment with a body that you feel betrayed you. You learn how to trust your body again and improve your relationship with it. It really works for everything… it changes everything.”