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SPOKANE BARRE HAS JOINED BARRE3!
Spokane Barre has joined barre3! Here at barre3 we continue to celebrate momentum and growth, and are overjoyed to expand our studio network and bring our vision of redefining success in fitness to more people. Read on to learn how Spokane Barre owner Katie Grainger made the decision to convert her studio and why she’s excited to bring barre3 to her local community.
B3 MAGAZINE: How were you introduced to barre3?
KATIE: I have a background in occupational therapy, and I love helping people get stronger and gain independence. After having my fourth child, I was looking for a way to incorporate movement into my day while on maternity leave. A friend recommended that I try barre3 online because it was really hard for me to leave the house with four kids, including a newborn. I had no idea what barre was at the time. I tried it out and loved that I could do it in my pajamas at home and I got hooked. As my kids got older and I had a little bit more freedom, I started going to studios. The women in my family go on a trip every year and I quickly started to plan those trips around barre3 studio locations. And now as a studio owner and instructor, my professional life has come full circle—I still get to help people become stronger!
B3 MAGAZINE: What about the barre3 workout do you love?
KATIE: I can remember the feeling I had when I took my first month of workouts at home postpartum. I felt so good and empowered after taking class! I knew I needed something that was effective and more gentle on my body, and I loved that the workout is balanced and well-rounded but not easy—it had peak moments where it was intense, but I knew I could do it and it was always attainable. It gave me a sense of confidence as a mom trying to figure out this new body after having four kids.
B3 MAGAZINE: After finding barre3, how did you become the owner of Spokane Barre?
KATIE: At one point my husband and I discussed opening a barre3 studio, but it just wasn’t the right timing with four young kids. Instead, I decided to try out the local studios since we didn’t have a barre3 at the time in Spokane. I tried every studio in town and landed at Spokane Barre. I took two classes there and they were auditioning for instructors, so I tried out and was given the opportunity to train. The gal who trained me quickly turned into a dear friend. She had previously worked at barre3 and we started scheming to open a barre3 studio together because I just hadn’t given up the dream. About six months later, the owner of Spokane Barre told us that she was selling the studio and asked if we’d be interested in taking it over. We couldn’t turn down the opportunity because we love Spokane Barre, so we took that leap together. Over the course of time, my friend had to move so I bought her out and became the sole owner.
B3 MAGAZINE: What brought you to the decision to convert Spokane Barre to barre3?
KATIE: When I heard The Barre Code was converting to barre3, my heart just tugged. There is a Barre Code studio in Spokane that would soon become barre3, and I was so torn because as much as I love Spokane Barre, barre3 is where I started. I knew it would be really hard for me, and that I would be conflicted in my heart, having a barre3 studio in town that I wasn’t involved with.
I began a really long process of deciding what was best for the studio, my clients, and my team. Ultimately it came down to the support I’d receive, my passion for barre3, and my true belief that barre3 is more well-rounded than what we were offering to our clients. I love the idea of being a part of a bigger community of studios that are run by women who I can lean on and learn from. I am very proud of our studio—and I’m excited to make it even better.
B3 MAGAZINE: What would you say to others who want to convert their studio to barre3?
KATIE: It’s not an easy decision. I want what’s best for my clients, staff, family, and myself, and I feel a big responsibility to take care of my people. I want this studio, the people, and community to continue on and grow stronger, and barre3 will allow that. Because barre3 has proven systems, support, and brand awareness, among other things, I’m more confident in the longevity of the studio. When we transition to barre3, we’re giving our clients something even better than Spokane Barre. I had wanted to evolve our classes to be better curated and balanced but I didn’t have the time, capacity, or knowledge to develop and implement a new class structure. The training that barre3 offers was something I really wanted but couldn’t develop on my own. Because barre3 is science-backed, I can feel confident that every class is offering a solid, consistent workout. All of my instructors are fantastic, and I’m excited for my team to go through barre3 training and become even stronger instructors.
B3 MAGAZINE: What alignment did you see in Spokane Barre and barre3’s ethos?
KATIE: What brought me to Spokane Barre was the people, the brand, and how the brand was represented in the instructors and the team. When I was going around to different studios, they were all great in their own way but there was something that set Spokane Barre apart. The fitness industry can be very intimidating, but when I walked in the doors I immediately felt welcomed by the community. I’ve felt the same way in every barre3 studio I’ve ever visited.
Spokane Barre’s logo is the diamond, which represents the brand. Just as diamonds are made under pressure, we have all these stresses in life but we’re stronger because of it. Diamonds are not perfect and the fractures make it stand out and brilliant. Similarly, our imperfections add to our beauty. We have a 96-year-old client, an 18-year-old client, a woman who hasn’t worked out in years, and another who just wants to move around to fun music. Like barre3, I love how we welcome all those people in, and everyone is accepted. I also think we do a good job, like barre3, of keeping the studio space a sacred one. It’s a safe place where people can come in and let their guard down. If the walls could talk, they’d share stories that include lots of tears and tons of laughter, and that’s because we foster a space and community that allows you to come as you are.
I’m very grateful for the opportunity to become barre3 because I thought that it was a dream I would have to forget. I’m excited to offer this to my hometown and I’m excited to grow with barre3.
Thanks, Katie! Follow along on Instagram for news and updates. Join the movement, and grow with barre3. Learn more about opening your own studio here.
Spokane Barre has joined barre3! Here at barre3 we continue to celebrate momentum and growth, and are overjoyed to expand our studio network and bring our vision of redefining success in fitness to more people. Read on to learn how Spokane Barre owner Katie Grainger made the decision to convert her studio and why she’s excited to bring barre3 to her local community.
B3 MAGAZINE: How were you introduced to barre3?
KATIE: I have a background in occupational therapy, and I love helping people get stronger and gain independence. After having my fourth child, I was looking for a way to incorporate movement into my day while on maternity leave. A friend recommended that I try barre3 online because it was really hard for me to leave the house with four kids, including a newborn. I had no idea what barre was at the time. I tried it out and loved that I could do it in my pajamas at home and I got hooked. As my kids got older and I had a little bit more freedom, I started going to studios. The women in my family go on a trip every year and I quickly started to plan those trips around barre3 studio locations. And now as a studio owner and instructor, my professional life has come full circle—I still get to help people become stronger!
B3 MAGAZINE: What about the barre3 workout do you love?
KATIE: I can remember the feeling I had when I took my first month of workouts at home postpartum. I felt so good and empowered after taking class! I knew I needed something that was effective and more gentle on my body, and I loved that the workout is balanced and well-rounded but not easy—it had peak moments where it was intense, but I knew I could do it and it was always attainable. It gave me a sense of confidence as a mom trying to figure out this new body after having four kids.
B3 MAGAZINE: After finding barre3, how did you become the owner of Spokane Barre?
KATIE: At one point my husband and I discussed opening a barre3 studio, but it just wasn’t the right timing with four young kids. Instead, I decided to try out the local studios since we didn’t have a barre3 at the time in Spokane. I tried every studio in town and landed at Spokane Barre. I took two classes there and they were auditioning for instructors, so I tried out and was given the opportunity to train. The gal who trained me quickly turned into a dear friend. She had previously worked at barre3 and we started scheming to open a barre3 studio together because I just hadn’t given up the dream. About six months later, the owner of Spokane Barre told us that she was selling the studio and asked if we’d be interested in taking it over. We couldn’t turn down the opportunity because we love Spokane Barre, so we took that leap together. Over the course of time, my friend had to move so I bought her out and became the sole owner.
B3 MAGAZINE: What brought you to the decision to convert Spokane Barre to barre3?
KATIE: When I heard The Barre Code was converting to barre3, my heart just tugged. There is a Barre Code studio in Spokane that would soon become barre3, and I was so torn because as much as I love Spokane Barre, barre3 is where I started. I knew it would be really hard for me, and that I would be conflicted in my heart, having a barre3 studio in town that I wasn’t involved with.
I began a really long process of deciding what was best for the studio, my clients, and my team. Ultimately it came down to the support I’d receive, my passion for barre3, and my true belief that barre3 is more well-rounded than what we were offering to our clients. I love the idea of being a part of a bigger community of studios that are run by women who I can lean on and learn from. I am very proud of our studio—and I’m excited to make it even better.
B3 MAGAZINE: What would you say to others who want to convert their studio to barre3?
KATIE: It’s not an easy decision. I want what’s best for my clients, staff, family, and myself, and I feel a big responsibility to take care of my people. I want this studio, the people, and community to continue on and grow stronger, and barre3 will allow that. Because barre3 has proven systems, support, and brand awareness, among other things, I’m more confident in the longevity of the studio. When we transition to barre3, we’re giving our clients something even better than Spokane Barre. I had wanted to evolve our classes to be better curated and balanced but I didn’t have the time, capacity, or knowledge to develop and implement a new class structure. The training that barre3 offers was something I really wanted but couldn’t develop on my own. Because barre3 is science-backed, I can feel confident that every class is offering a solid, consistent workout. All of my instructors are fantastic, and I’m excited for my team to go through barre3 training and become even stronger instructors.
B3 MAGAZINE: What alignment did you see in Spokane Barre and barre3’s ethos?
KATIE: What brought me to Spokane Barre was the people, the brand, and how the brand was represented in the instructors and the team. When I was going around to different studios, they were all great in their own way but there was something that set Spokane Barre apart. The fitness industry can be very intimidating, but when I walked in the doors I immediately felt welcomed by the community. I’ve felt the same way in every barre3 studio I’ve ever visited.
Spokane Barre’s logo is the diamond, which represents the brand. Just as diamonds are made under pressure, we have all these stresses in life but we’re stronger because of it. Diamonds are not perfect and the fractures make it stand out and brilliant. Similarly, our imperfections add to our beauty. We have a 96-year-old client, an 18-year-old client, a woman who hasn’t worked out in years, and another who just wants to move around to fun music. Like barre3, I love how we welcome all those people in, and everyone is accepted. I also think we do a good job, like barre3, of keeping the studio space a sacred one. It’s a safe place where people can come in and let their guard down. If the walls could talk, they’d share stories that include lots of tears and tons of laughter, and that’s because we foster a space and community that allows you to come as you are.
I’m very grateful for the opportunity to become barre3 because I thought that it was a dream I would have to forget. I’m excited to offer this to my hometown and I’m excited to grow with barre3.
Thanks, Katie! Follow along on Instagram for news and updates. Join the movement, and grow with barre3. Learn more about opening your own studio here.
