Career Advice from 8 Female Bar Method Studio Owners

What does success mean to you? Is it landing your dream job and living in a high rise apartment in the city? Or maybe it’s finally finding balance as a full-time mom and teacher? For many of our Bar Method studio owners, success meant following their entrepreneurial dreams and opening their own Bar Method studio. It takes true grit, sheer passion, and a fearless attitude to open any business. Today, 8 of our female studio owners are sharing their tips for success and going after your dream job. Here’s what they had to say:

Your Energy Matters

Beth Hutchison, The Bar Method Lake Oswego Studio Owner

Three words: your energy matters. I’m not necessarily talking about whether or not you’re tired and need to make a second Starbucks run today. I’m talking about the energy you bring into a space & how you conduct yourself with others. Each and every one of us has the very real ability to elevate or detract from a situation, not to mention the power to either make someone’s day or ruin it. As a studio owner that interacts with hundreds of people in my community, I brush up against varying moods, attitudes & feelings on a daily basis – some positive and some negative and everything in between. If I allowed my energy to be dictated by others, it would not only be an emotional whirlwind, but I would also risk potentially becoming a negative force in someone else’s day. That’s not a good look as a business owner. In order to be successful in whatever you do, you must intentionally decide how you’re going to show up in the world each day. You never know who’s day you could make or who you might inspire to be a better version of themselves.

Always Remember Your ‘Why’

Amy Chesterson, The Bar Method Boulder Studio Owner

My “why” has always been the empowerment that Bar Method has allowed me proliferate amongst my students, my staff and my community.  I am deeply committed to sparking change and empowering anyone open to it in my circle. So when the day-to-day hiccups of running a small business start to bog me down I take a deep breath (or 10!) and remind myself of my “why.”  

Fake it ’til you Think it

Joanna West, The Bar Method Long Beach Studio Owner

In my heart I loved Bar, but could I really become a teacher? When I trained with Burr Leonard, the founder of the Bar Method, I admitted my fear, but she gave me the sage advice to “fake it ‘til you make it.”  From owning and running a successful business to raising little humans, as long as your heart is in it, go for it because you may never “think” you are ready. Our minds can change our bodies so therefore our bodies can change our minds. And that’s the magic of Bar. The confidence and grit you successfully build in class will help create big changes outside of class and in your life.

Be Courageous to do What Works, and Be Brave to Change What Doesn’t

Carrie Goodwin, The Bar Method Salt Lake City Studio Owner

I consider it successful to say, I gave that idea my best shot, and it didn’t work. I’ll stop doing it. Or, that  idea worked! I’ll keep doing it, and I’ll even make it better. Each year, I design our marketing plan for the following year. I ask myself tough questions regarding our strategies that took place the prior year. Did the strategy meet the objective it was intended for? Next, I determine if it needs to be vetoed from the marketing plan, or if it can remain. If it remains, how can I improve upon it? This pattern to continuously reform our marketing plan to promote change and success has kept The Bar Method, Sugarhouse fresh, fun, and forever changing.

Instead of FINDING Your Dream Job, CREATE Your Dream Job

Anna Trepanier and Lara Meehan, The Bar Method Darien and NYC – NOHO Studio Owners

We’re crazy passionate about the product, the results and the change we can create in people’s lives, and this is what led us to open our two studios. In addition, we have built a work environment that inspires us every day. We have created a workplace culture centered around positivity and empowerment among our staff and clientele. We encourage feedback, continued learning and lots of laughter along the way. Perhaps most importantly, we’re best friends and get to bring our dogs to work with us every day! Having created our ideal “home away from home,” we find joy and purpose in our work.

Surround Yourself with Like-minded and Supportive People

Verna Lin Le, The Bar Method Tustin Studio Owner

Going after your dream job is a great thing, but by no means an easy task. There will be many hard times and you’ll need to rely on others to help you because you can’t do everything by yourself. When you have like-minded people in your life (personally and professionally) who are supportive of your dreams, you’ll find delegating some tasks easier or asking for help won’t feel like a burden. Even though you might be going after your dream job alone, just knowing that you have people in your corner cheering for you to succeed helps you to keep going when times get hard. And when times are good, these are the same people who will celebrate with you! 

Practice Active Listening

Mandy Cylc, The Bar Method Wexford Studio Owner

I’ve been leading teams my adult life, and even before while in college. I spend, and always have,  significantly more time listening than I do talking. Witty banter is fun for TV, but in real life people need to be heard. And as an active listener, I can’t be thinking about what I am going to say next or else I will miss the message being sent by the person talking. Instead I look people in the eye (not at the computer or my phone) and take in what they are saying. It sounds basic but has enabled me to build lasting, strong relationships both inside and outside the studio.

Don’t Lose Sight of the End Goal

Stephanie Smith, The Bar Method Boston- Downtown & Boston- Back Bay Studio Owner

When going after any dream, it takes a lot of time to bring it to a reality.  In order for me to purchase the Downtown and Back Bay Boston studios, I had to prove to the previous owners that I was capable of running them, get approval from Bar Method Headquarters, and finalize a bank loan in order to make the studios my own. This could get discouraging at times.  Set smaller goals or tasks and celebrate when those are accomplished. Don’t get disappointed if landing your dream job takes a lot of time– as long as your are completing tasks to bring you closer to your goal then you’ll get there!

We hope you are feeling inspired and ready to take on the world! Remember that you are capable of anything you set your mind to, whether that’s getting through an entire set of pushups on your feet, or landing your dream job. Shine your light, barre babes!

Interested in learning more about opening your own Bar Method studio? Click here.