Today we’d like to introduce you to Sadie Lincoln.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I grew up in an environment of women supporting women. My mom and her best friends, whom I consider my aunties, raised their kids together around a common value of trusting our intuition and the undeniable power of community. We opened barre3 ten years ago with these values, and they still exist today.
Our vision for barre3 is to redefine what success in fitness means, and every day we do that by teaching classes that balance the body and empower you from within. That approach has worked really well for us—we now have more than 140 studios and online subscribers in 98 countries. I am so proud of the women franchisees (nearly all of them women) who have joined forces with me to bring barre3 into their communities in their own authentic way. We are highly focused on being real and genuine and not a cookie-cutter model of fitness. Each studio has its own personality. Take our Boston-area studios, for example. They all bring diverse perspectives to owning a barre3 studio. Natasha Groblewski, who owns barre3 Bedford and barre3 Sudbury, took her first barre3 class nine years ago and made it her goal at that moment to create a warm, welcoming community near her for women to find a challenging, centering workout. Simone Bernstein, the owner of barre3 Brookline, uses her background in dance to help people understand how their bodies work and to find joy in movement. Barre3 Boston | South End owner Jamie Golden left her first barre3 class knowing her life was changed – and knowing that she wanted to bring the gift of barre3 to her community. She brought years of experience in fundraising for nonprofits to her studio, helping her build a strong, supportive community. When barre3 Needham owner Liz Hay opened her studio, she built it on her dream of giving everyone, from moms to grandmothers to teenagers, feels welcome.
That’s us in a nutshell, but if you want to get the full story of our company, I had the wonderful opportunity to speak with How I Built This about leading barre3.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I would not describe it as smooth—I would describe it as exciting! Personally, my struggles stemmed from my evolving role. I went from owning one studio and teaching classes and holding babies to becoming a CEO. It involved learning along the way—and messing up along the way—and ultimately building confidence as a woman running a big company. That’s been my biggest struggle, but it’s also been the most rewarding work I’ve ever done. I’ve learned that it’s ok to fail, even in a very public way. Everyone needs to be able to fail in my company in order to ultimately create a really strong experience. In my experience, women, in particular, are put on a pedestal to be perfect, and we hold a lot of shame if we don’t live up to that expectation. My goal is to focus on progress, not perfection. Perfection is a dead end; progress is full of infinite possibilities.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Barre3 is a fitness company, and our class is at the heart of what we do. The barre3 class is a full-body workout that combines cardio, strength-conditioning, and mindfulness, giving you remarkable results from the inside out. What I love about barre3 is our mission in every class to allow everyone to be empowered from within and honor their truth. One way we do that is modifications. For every move a barre3 instructor introduces, he or she will also give you modification options. For example, if Plank hurts your wrists when you do it on the floor, you can modify by doing it at the barre instead. Modifications are in no way the easy way out—in fact, they move you forward. You never have to struggle through pain, and that allows you to get even better results with each class. Finally, I’m incredibly proud that we offer childcare in nearly all of our studios—including every one of our Boston-area studios.
The best way to experience the barre3 difference is to do a class. I’d love to hear about your experience!
What were you like growing up?
My best friend from seventh grade would say I’m exactly the same. As a kid, I loved animals, good food, and family. I loved being silly, I was super-determined to create a better life for myself and the people around me, and I was fiercely loyal—almost to a fault. That’s exactly how I am as an adult, too!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://barre3.com/
- Instagram: @barre3
- Facebook: @barre3company
- Twitter: @barre3
Image Credit:
Jenn Byrne Photography
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