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ANDREA LAUGHLIN WON’T LET COVID STOP HER FROM GROWING HER STUDIO COMMUNITY
Moving because it feels good, living a life of intention, and connecting with her community are values that guide Andrea Laughlin’s career. The owner of barre3 Chandler, in Chandler, Arizona, Andrea is getting ready to open her second studio, barre3 Gilbert. We sat down with the busy mama of two to hear more about her years of experience in the dance and fitness industries, the pivotal moment that sent her down the path of ownership, and what it’s really like to sign a lease on your second studio during COVID-19.
B3 MAGAZINE: You have over 15 years of experience in the fitness industry, dancing competitively in college, working as a personal trainer, and leading fitness classes in major markets. Could you share more about your journey with exercise growing up?
ANDREA: I’ve always loved working out. I played sports growing up and all throughout high school. It was always a part of my life and my go-to for relieving stress and feeling good in my body and mind. Post-college, I became a personal trainer for a big box gym. It seemed like a natural progression, because I worked out there, but in hindsight, it was a very different environment from barre3. It was very dollar-driven and wasn’t client-focused.
Because fitness had always been a part of my life, I knew it wasn’t exercise that I didn’t enjoy, so a friend suggested I pivot and train to become a Pilates instructor. At that time too, I was struggling with insomnia, and that experience inspired me to take a hard look at my life. I was pushing myself to all extremes and needed more balance in my life.
As I was mulling over becoming a Pilates instructor, I discovered a hot yoga studio in my neighborhood in Orange County, California. I remember it was 5 a.m., I had been up all night, and I went out to grab coffee. On that walk, I passed by the studio and found it was offering a two-week trial. I was hooked right from the first class and felt so inspired that I looked into becoming a yoga instructor. I moved forward with that process, became an instructor, and it was exactly what I wanted. Not just for my own fitness routine, but for all other parts of my life. I was sleeping better, eating better, and it completely transformed how I took care of myself.
B3 MAGAZINE: How did barre3 come into the picture?
Andrea: I got engaged to my now-husband and moved to Dallas, where I taught yoga and barre classes for several years until we moved to Phoenix. After having my first child, I walked by Karie Johnson’s studio in Scottsdale, Arizona, during her grand opening.
Her team welcomed me into the studio with so much warmth and kindness. Everyone was smiling, and the space was so fresh and beautiful. It wasn’t like anything I’d experienced before at any other studio. I was so inspired that I asked Karie if she was hiring without even taking a class. I’m one of those people who likes something and jumps in immediately. That was almost six years ago, and from day one, I was always asking Karie questions about what ownership was like. I was truly just curious, and when the opportunity came about to open my first studio, it just all worked out.
B3 MAGAZINE: With your years of experience teaching Pilates, spin, and yoga, did barre3 feel like a natural progression for you?
Andrea: The workout is so smart. With my background, I picked up on that right away. The sequencing is so well-designed, and I was incredibly challenged in the best way possible. I felt muscles that I hadn’t felt in a long time, if ever, and I just knew that barre3 was what I wanted to share. I wanted to share this space and this workout with our community.
B3 MAGAZINE: Taking your first class as a new mother, and continuing your journey now with two boys, how do you feel barre3, both the workout and the community, has supported you as a mother?
Andrea: Being a new mom, I loved that I had the opportunity to make modifications in my workout, and I appreciated that I was given the space to do that. Barre3 is amazing at being able to guide a diverse group of clients and support their individual needs, and that’s something that extends to the community it attracts as well. I remember after my first class, I was having a conversation with a woman in her mid-60s. We sat there for 30 minutes just chatting away. We didn’t have mutual friends, but we had that mutual space, and now we’re friends to this day. Where else would we be able to have that connection?
B3 MAGAZINE: You taught as an instructor for four years at the North Scottsdale and Paradise Valley studios. What inspired you to transition from being an instructor to opening your own studio?
Andrea: When I was in my mid-20s, I owned a dance studio in Los Angeles. I had no idea what I was doing, and so I don’t know why I thought I’d own another business. But I love cultivating relationships, building community, and helping people feel good in their body. I’ve always known, and the science shows, that moving your body makes you feel good, and to be able to support someone in that journey is incredible. Coming to barre3 and becoming an instructor, I knew that it was a place that brought all of that together. Becoming an owner helped me deepen my connection to these values and let me share barre3 with the community.
B3 MAGAZINE: You signed another lease on your second studio, barre3 Gilbert, last year. Can you share a little of what was going through your head when you signed on to open another studio during COVID?
Andrea: It was right before COVID hit when we signed the lease, but really, looking back, I think we would have moved forward regardless of the situation. Our second studio is part of a new development with coffee shops, a wine bar, restaurants, and other local businesses. Because it’s still under development, we’re grateful that we have the additional time before opening. We’re still on the mend, and I think opening our doors today would be challenging, but I’m lucky to be supported by a team who’s excited about their practice, growing our community, and building the new studio.
The silver lining of COVID, too, is that now we have so many different ways to bring our product, the barre3 class, to clients. Not only are there studio classes, but now we have livestream and outdoor classes as well. We’ve been able to build a community in Gilbert with these other platforms.
B3 MAGAZINE: It takes bravery to expand during the uncertainty of COVID. How did you feel supported by your community and your family, in making that decision?
Andrea: I definitely couldn’t have done any of this without the support of my husband. I’m very much a dreamer and an optimist, and he’s more of a practical, numbers person who needs to see things on a spreadsheet. He’s been very supportive as I live out this dream, but he also consistently pushes me to be a better business owner and keeps me focused. We’ve done all of this while raising little kids, and though we’re constantly juggling so many things at once, I feel like that’s a space where both of us thrive. With controlled chaos, we feel the most challenged in a healthy way, and from there, we just make it happen.
The barre3 studio owner network is amazing as well. I’m always asking questions to other owners, and I’m very lucky to have the owner network to bounce ideas off of, because nothing is what it was two years ago. I’m glad I don’t have to reinvent the wheel all the time with so many other innovative owners who keep me inspired. Whether it’s sales tactics, promotions, or a different way of selling retail, I’m always getting new ideas from the support of other owners.
B3 MAGAZINE: What do you love most about being a studio owner?
Andrea: It will always be that I get to share this amazing workout. The workout isn’t what I was teaching four years ago, and I love that it keeps evolving so that I can continue to scratch my creative itch. I can continue to keep our clients on their toes, and that’s something I’m really excited about every time I teach. I still get a little nervous before each class, I still feel those butterflies in my stomach, but I know it’s because I’m doing something I’m passionate about. I love that I can continue to fuel this passion for the workout and the brand and share that with our clients.
B3 MAGAZINE: What are you looking forward to in the future for your studios?
Andrea: I’m really excited to design the new studio. I get to be creative, but I also know that I want to be smart about the design given everything that we’ve been through over the past year. The space will be really different in terms of how it functions and what we can offer. It’ll be really exciting to have something new to share not just with our new clients coming in from Gilbert, but also our current clients. They’re so excited about the new studio as well.
Looking back on when my first studio opened, it was so fun to see not just new clients discovering and joining barre3, but how many of those founding members have stuck with us. I’m excited for barre3 Gilbert’s grand opening and knowing that we’ll be welcoming people in our doors who will be with us for years to come.
Thanks Andrea! Sign up for class at barre3 Chandler and stay up to date with the news of barre3 Gilbert’s opening by following the studio on Instagram. Inspired by Andrea’s story? You can learn more about becoming a barre3 studio owner here.
Images by Tara Dunn Photography
Moving because it feels good, living a life of intention, and connecting with her community are values that guide Andrea Laughlin’s career. The owner of barre3 Chandler, in Chandler, Arizona, Andrea is getting ready to open her second studio, barre3 Gilbert. We sat down with the busy mama of two to hear more about her years of experience in the dance and fitness industries, the pivotal moment that sent her down the path of ownership, and what it’s really like to sign a lease on your second studio during COVID-19.
B3 MAGAZINE: You have over 15 years of experience in the fitness industry, dancing competitively in college, working as a personal trainer, and leading fitness classes in major markets. Could you share more about your journey with exercise growing up?
ANDREA: I’ve always loved working out. I played sports growing up and all throughout high school. It was always a part of my life and my go-to for relieving stress and feeling good in my body and mind. Post-college, I became a personal trainer for a big box gym. It seemed like a natural progression, because I worked out there, but in hindsight, it was a very different environment from barre3. It was very dollar-driven and wasn’t client-focused.
Because fitness had always been a part of my life, I knew it wasn’t exercise that I didn’t enjoy, so a friend suggested I pivot and train to become a Pilates instructor. At that time too, I was struggling with insomnia, and that experience inspired me to take a hard look at my life. I was pushing myself to all extremes and needed more balance in my life.
As I was mulling over becoming a Pilates instructor, I discovered a hot yoga studio in my neighborhood in Orange County, California. I remember it was 5 a.m., I had been up all night, and I went out to grab coffee. On that walk, I passed by the studio and found it was offering a two-week trial. I was hooked right from the first class and felt so inspired that I looked into becoming a yoga instructor. I moved forward with that process, became an instructor, and it was exactly what I wanted. Not just for my own fitness routine, but for all other parts of my life. I was sleeping better, eating better, and it completely transformed how I took care of myself.
B3 MAGAZINE: How did barre3 come into the picture?
Andrea: I got engaged to my now-husband and moved to Dallas, where I taught yoga and barre classes for several years until we moved to Phoenix. After having my first child, I walked by Karie Johnson’s studio in Scottsdale, Arizona, during her grand opening.
Her team welcomed me into the studio with so much warmth and kindness. Everyone was smiling, and the space was so fresh and beautiful. It wasn’t like anything I’d experienced before at any other studio. I was so inspired that I asked Karie if she was hiring without even taking a class. I’m one of those people who likes something and jumps in immediately. That was almost six years ago, and from day one, I was always asking Karie questions about what ownership was like. I was truly just curious, and when the opportunity came about to open my first studio, it just all worked out.
B3 MAGAZINE: With your years of experience teaching Pilates, spin, and yoga, did barre3 feel like a natural progression for you?
Andrea: The workout is so smart. With my background, I picked up on that right away. The sequencing is so well-designed, and I was incredibly challenged in the best way possible. I felt muscles that I hadn’t felt in a long time, if ever, and I just knew that barre3 was what I wanted to share. I wanted to share this space and this workout with our community.
B3 MAGAZINE: Taking your first class as a new mother, and continuing your journey now with two boys, how do you feel barre3, both the workout and the community, has supported you as a mother?
Andrea: Being a new mom, I loved that I had the opportunity to make modifications in my workout, and I appreciated that I was given the space to do that. Barre3 is amazing at being able to guide a diverse group of clients and support their individual needs, and that’s something that extends to the community it attracts as well. I remember after my first class, I was having a conversation with a woman in her mid-60s. We sat there for 30 minutes just chatting away. We didn’t have mutual friends, but we had that mutual space, and now we’re friends to this day. Where else would we be able to have that connection?
B3 MAGAZINE: You taught as an instructor for four years at the North Scottsdale and Paradise Valley studios. What inspired you to transition from being an instructor to opening your own studio?
Andrea: When I was in my mid-20s, I owned a dance studio in Los Angeles. I had no idea what I was doing, and so I don’t know why I thought I’d own another business. But I love cultivating relationships, building community, and helping people feel good in their body. I’ve always known, and the science shows, that moving your body makes you feel good, and to be able to support someone in that journey is incredible. Coming to barre3 and becoming an instructor, I knew that it was a place that brought all of that together. Becoming an owner helped me deepen my connection to these values and let me share barre3 with the community.
B3 MAGAZINE: You signed another lease on your second studio, barre3 Gilbert, last year. Can you share a little of what was going through your head when you signed on to open another studio during COVID?
Andrea: It was right before COVID hit when we signed the lease, but really, looking back, I think we would have moved forward regardless of the situation. Our second studio is part of a new development with coffee shops, a wine bar, restaurants, and other local businesses. Because it’s still under development, we’re grateful that we have the additional time before opening. We’re still on the mend, and I think opening our doors today would be challenging, but I’m lucky to be supported by a team who’s excited about their practice, growing our community, and building the new studio.
The silver lining of COVID, too, is that now we have so many different ways to bring our product, the barre3 class, to clients. Not only are there studio classes, but now we have livestream and outdoor classes as well. We’ve been able to build a community in Gilbert with these other platforms.
B3 MAGAZINE: It takes bravery to expand during the uncertainty of COVID. How did you feel supported by your community and your family, in making that decision?
Andrea: I definitely couldn’t have done any of this without the support of my husband. I’m very much a dreamer and an optimist, and he’s more of a practical, numbers person who needs to see things on a spreadsheet. He’s been very supportive as I live out this dream, but he also consistently pushes me to be a better business owner and keeps me focused. We’ve done all of this while raising little kids, and though we’re constantly juggling so many things at once, I feel like that’s a space where both of us thrive. With controlled chaos, we feel the most challenged in a healthy way, and from there, we just make it happen.
The barre3 studio owner network is amazing as well. I’m always asking questions to other owners, and I’m very lucky to have the owner network to bounce ideas off of, because nothing is what it was two years ago. I’m glad I don’t have to reinvent the wheel all the time with so many other innovative owners who keep me inspired. Whether it’s sales tactics, promotions, or a different way of selling retail, I’m always getting new ideas from the support of other owners.
B3 MAGAZINE: What do you love most about being a studio owner?
Andrea: It will always be that I get to share this amazing workout. The workout isn’t what I was teaching four years ago, and I love that it keeps evolving so that I can continue to scratch my creative itch. I can continue to keep our clients on their toes, and that’s something I’m really excited about every time I teach. I still get a little nervous before each class, I still feel those butterflies in my stomach, but I know it’s because I’m doing something I’m passionate about. I love that I can continue to fuel this passion for the workout and the brand and share that with our clients.
B3 MAGAZINE: What are you looking forward to in the future for your studios?
Andrea: I’m really excited to design the new studio. I get to be creative, but I also know that I want to be smart about the design given everything that we’ve been through over the past year. The space will be really different in terms of how it functions and what we can offer. It’ll be really exciting to have something new to share not just with our new clients coming in from Gilbert, but also our current clients. They’re so excited about the new studio as well.
Looking back on when my first studio opened, it was so fun to see not just new clients discovering and joining barre3, but how many of those founding members have stuck with us. I’m excited for barre3 Gilbert’s grand opening and knowing that we’ll be welcoming people in our doors who will be with us for years to come.
Thanks Andrea! Sign up for class at barre3 Chandler and stay up to date with the news of barre3 Gilbert’s opening by following the studio on Instagram. Inspired by Andrea’s story? You can learn more about becoming a barre3 studio owner here.
Images by Tara Dunn Photography
