Where resilience meets purpose

GROWING up along the Surf Coast, movement was a constant in Emily Payne’s life. As a competitive athlete, her focus was on performance, discipline and long hours training on the athletics track.

Those early years instilled focus, commitment and a deep respect for what the body is capable of, lessons that would later shape how she approached leadership, wellbeing and business.

Before building businesses, life asked Emily to slow down.

That pause came in the form of chronic fatigue, a defining five-year season that reshaped her understanding of strength.

It required her to listen to her body, respect its limits and redefine resilience. Rather than pushing harder, she learned that real strength lies in adapting, asking for support and honouring health without guilt.

This experience became the foundation for everything she would later create.

Emily is an advanced Pilates practitioner and myotherapist, a wife, and a mother of two under five.

These roles, alongside her lived experience of illness and recovery, have shaped how she views success and sustainability. For Emily, wellbeing is not something to be forced or rushed, but something to be supported, integrated and maintained across all stages of life.

At just 22, she founded her first business, driven not by confidence but by conviction.

After challenging experiences working within various companies, Emily recognised a need to do things differently. She envisioned a space built on integrity, respect and genuine care for both clients and practitioners.

That vision became Payne Therapies, a boutique Pilates and allied health studio grounded in evidence-based movement and human connection.

As the business evolved, so did Emily’s commitment to long-term health and resilience. Most recently, she led the introduction of Tower Pilates across her two studios, a new initiative designed to enhance strength, mobility and functional movement while offering greater support for a wide range of bodies.

The launch reflects her belief that movement should be intelligent, purposeful and accessible, particularly as women age.

Motherhood has further shaped Emily’s leadership. Balancing business ownership with raising young children has been both deeply rewarding and challenging.

There are seasons where growth and guilt coexist, where ambition and presence pull in different directions. Through this, Emily has come to believe strongly in the importance of community. As she often says, to be in a village, you must also be a villager, showing up for others while allowing support in return.

That belief led to the creation of Pilates & Pamper, co-founded in 2023 with another local mum, Mary Thomas.

The initiative was born from recognising how often women put themselves last. Pilates & Pamper creates intentional events to fill up your cup, creating space for women to slow down, move purposefully and reconnect with themselves and one another.

More recently, Emily stepped into ownership of Ocean Road Allied Health & Movement alongside her brother, including the relaunch of the studio, Anglesea Pilates & Movement.

Across all three businesses, Emily’s purpose remains consistent: to empower women to trust themselves. Her journey is a reminder that some of the hardest seasons become the foundations of the most meaningful work, and that when women are supported, communities grow stronger.

Want to hear more about Emily’s journey? On 21 March at Bayside Geelong Hotel, Emily will be speaking at the Geelong Women’s Business Club’s (GWBC) event “Step into your most authentic, confident self”.

Book your seat via Eventbrite or GWBC.