I am so thrilled to share this conversation with two of my dearest friends in the Pilates world — Patricia Liao and Anita Tang, co-founders of The Orange Room Wellness Center in Shanghai, China.

What We Cover:

• How Patricia and Anita met as expats in the international school community and said "yes" to each other before they even knew what they were agreeing to

• Why they started as a yoga and Pilates studio and how The Orange Room evolved into one of the most respected Merrithew training centers in China

• The core values — integrity, honesty, and commitment — that have guided every hiring decision and every business challenge for 20 years

• How they navigated the 2008–2009 global recession, losing 40% of their clients overnight, and how the community they had built came together to help them survive

• What it really looks like to build a team that feels like family — and why their instructors stay for the long haul

• How they manage their partnership as 50/50 co-founders, and why mutual respect is the foundation that makes it work

• Their approach to avoiding instructor burnout by prioritizing life outside the studio

• What they look for when hiring (hint: it's not just qualifications — it's values, temperament, and how someone gels with the team)

• The future of The Orange Room and their thoughtful plan to pass the torch to the next generation

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Website - adrianarotella.ca