The Documentary Series You Need to Watch: Mind the Mat x The Practice
When the new year rolls around, I always like to write about a few things that have nothing to do with the store. Let’s be honest—we probably all need a little reset after holiday shopping. This time of year also brings resolutions about being healthier and happier in 2026. That’s part of this post, but only part of it.
First, if you’re looking for a place to work out in 2026, you should look at Mind the Mat. If you read Stylebook, you already know about it. It’s a Pilates and yoga studio founded by Megan Brown and Sara VanderGoot. There are so many classes that it’s nearly impossible not to find one that fits your schedule. There are also a wide variety of offerings, with three studios total, including a hot studio, so there truly is something for everyone. And it’s the deal of the century. I don’t even know the exact pricing anymore, but a deluxe membership that gives you access to all three studios is around $150. If you go three times a week, that’s basically $12 a class. To put that in perspective, spin classes elsewhere can run $35 each. It’s a steal.
But fitness isn’t actually what this post is about.
What I really want to encourage you to do is watch the first episode of the documentary series The Practice by PT Biz, which features Megan Brown. Yes, it talks about the benefits of physical therapy, which I fully believe in after watching my mom get a new hip and my son recover from ACL surgery. Movement is the closest thing we have to a fountain of youth, and most of us will need PT at some point to stay active.
Still, that’s not the real reason to watch it.
If you have a kid in high school, college or freshly out in the world trying to figure out what’s next, they should watch this documentary. Don’t worry—it’s only 12 minutes.
Here’s why. Everyone knows Megan is one of my close friends. I always joke that if we had known each other in college, we might not have graduated. We have a lot of fun together, but we’re also deeply aligned in our love of small business and doing work we care about.
I have a 16-year-old and an 18-year-old, and many conversations in our house revolve around careers and how AI is changing the workforce at lightning speed. Jobs we once thought were “safe” may not be for long.
Watching this documentary reminded me that as long as my kids do something they believe in and feel passionate about, they’ll be OK. Nothing would make me happier than seeing them work for themselves or build something of their own. It’s incredibly rewarding to call your own shots. The path isn’t easy—watching the film made me laugh because Megan and I often talk about how little we knew about running businesses when we started. We figured it out along the way, and honestly, we’re still figuring it out every day. As Megan always says, there’s a solution to every problem.
The documentary also reminded me that human connection will always matter. It can’t be replaced by computers or robots. Maybe one day we’ll even shift toward valuing experiences more than time spent on social media.
Megan and I are probably so close because we both see life as a series of experiences, and we believe in being responsible for what we create. One line from the documentary that really stuck with me sums up her philosophy perfectly: “If you aren’t going to do that for me, then I’m going to do it for myself. I’m going to create my own thing.”
Whether you think owning a small business is a crazy idea or an ideal one, whether you think you’ll need physical therapy someday or not, take a little downtime to watch The Practice. You’ll be glad you did.
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