America’s Enterprising Spirit Is Booming After Decades-Long Slump

Cassidy Winkler was working as a flight attendant on private jets when inspiration struck.It was the offseason for the professional hockey players she helped ferry around, and things at her job were slow. Eager for a diversion and missing the Pilates she had come to love as a college student, she went searching for studios near her home in Madison, Wis., but couldn’t find any.“That’s when I came up with the idea,” she said.She started researching how to start her own boutique Pilates business, including what kind of training instructors would need. By early 2025 — and with assistance from...