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FROM ROCKY ROAD TO TRUE CALLING: HOW B3 HELPED DINO MALVONE UNLOCK HIS AUTHENTIC SELF
If you’ve ever taken a B3 class with Dino Malvone, Director of our West Village studio, you know that his energy is contagious. You can walk in feeling groggy and irritable, but when you leave? You can conquer the world.
Clearly, he’s a natural when it comes to teaching—and that’s why it’s so surprising that not only is this role a complete 180 from what he was doing before, but also that his transition to teaching wasn’t exactly a smooth one (he didn’t make the cut the first time he tried out to be an instructor!).
Dino’s story is such a great reminder that trusting your journey—even when there are bumps along the road—will bring you to your most authentic self. Read on to learn more about Dino’s path, including the the struggles, the lessons, and the power of just going with the flow.
What was your background before you came to B3?
My former life included the most random jobs. I started waiting tables at my mom’s restaurant in Pittsburgh when I was 14, and ended up working as a waiter until I was 31—so for 17 years of my life. For a long time, I figured I’d end up in hospitality like my parents, because that’s all I knew. I didn’t have big expectations for myself in that way, but after undergrad, I was a book publisher for the Harvard Business School in Boston. Not the most exciting, but I learned a lot there, then went on to get my master’s degree, and took a job as an adjunct professor teaching negotiation. I hit the reset button on my entire life to move to New York for love, started selling clothes at a boutique and then quit that job to work in real estate. The next step was following my heart to barre3.
Well, it definitely sounds like you kept busy—were you staying active as well?
I was never really into fitness and I don’t like gyms, but I do love movement. I was a swimmer in high school, I’ve run three marathons, and I was doing online workouts all the time in my apartment. barre3 hooked me right away, though—I was obsessed after the first class. I was like, “How do I learn to teach this?!” and the instructor at the time, Meegan, was like, “Umm, maybe you should come to a few more classes first.” So I did. I auditioned to become an instructor, but didn’t make it. Then went back a month later to try again, and got in the program.
Training was a hard time for me—I was dealing with personal and financial struggles, wasn’t putting the time into real estate that I needed to, and was thinking, “Why am I doing this to myself on top of everything else?” I was eating dollar slices of pizza and struggling, and then piling this on, too. It took my support team (and a tearful phone call with my mom) to help me find the strength to keep pushing through. I wanted to do it. I thought I could do it.
When you finally decided to go all-in with B3, how did you make it happen?
I started teaching at barre3 West Village in October 2014, but didn’t become Studio Director until November 2015, so it was a slow transition. Honestly, I’d been contemplating giving up real estate. I had fun doing it, but it made me tired—it didn’t nurture my soul. I was exhausted.
I always had the best time of my life in the studio, so I knew that if there was a way for me to solidify my commitment and make it real, I wanted it. My parents are both immigrants with elementary-school educations, and they somehow figured out how to run their businesses—that inspired me. If my mom can put me through college owning a pizza shop and a restaurant, I should just go and do it. It’s gonna be fine. I went out for the job wholeheartedly and all I could think was “Don’t screw this up, dude,” because I wanted it so badly.
Looking back at your journey, do you feel you’re where you’re supposed to be now?
I really do. My career path was all over the place, but the common thread throughout every job was teaching. I love being a part of the learning process, as a teacher or a student. There’s a phrase in latin—ancora imparo—which means “I am still learning.” It’s the idea of the beginner’s mind, which we talk about a lot in barre3. My favorite aspect about teaching barre3 is that every single time I step into that room, I feel like an improved person. It brings out the good in me, and the fun is infectious. People say that time heals all, but I think that movement heals all. When that 60 minutes is over, whether I’ve taught or taken class, I feel better.
What about your goal of finding work-life balance—how’s that going?
Well, I was watching Harry Potter while answering emails this morning…so I’d say yes, I can balance it all. Really though, I work hard, but I also relax hard. That’s the only way. I have a great support team of friends here that I love. I’m a natural introvert, so I have my quiet little Brooklyn apartment to run to, where I can hang out with my cat Dude, put on Sade, and burn a candle to unwind.
One more thing: As someone who reinvented themselves so many times, you must have some advice. Spill it.
You know, I was 35 when I became the Studio Director—talk about the longest trajectory ever toward what I was supposed to be doing. I think it’s common to want the path to success to be linear, but one thing I’ve learned is that if you just follow your desires down roads that are nontraditional, they can lead you to where you need to be. The linear path isn’t for everyone. I never, ever thought I would teach fitness or run a business like this in my life. But here I am, and the sky’s the limit.
To experience the Dino magic for yourself, fire up the 30-minute workout below. And if you’re anywhere near NYC, sign up for one of his classes today!
If you’ve ever taken a B3 class with Dino Malvone, Director of our West Village studio, you know that his energy is contagious. You can walk in feeling groggy and irritable, but when you leave? You can conquer the world.
Clearly, he’s a natural when it comes to teaching—and that’s why it’s so surprising that not only is this role a complete 180 from what he was doing before, but also that his transition to teaching wasn’t exactly a smooth one (he didn’t make the cut the first time he tried out to be an instructor!).
Dino’s story is such a great reminder that trusting your journey—even when there are bumps along the road—will bring you to your most authentic self. Read on to learn more about Dino’s path, including the the struggles, the lessons, and the power of just going with the flow.
What was your background before you came to B3?
My former life included the most random jobs. I started waiting tables at my mom’s restaurant in Pittsburgh when I was 14, and ended up working as a waiter until I was 31—so for 17 years of my life. For a long time, I figured I’d end up in hospitality like my parents, because that’s all I knew. I didn’t have big expectations for myself in that way, but after undergrad, I was a book publisher for the Harvard Business School in Boston. Not the most exciting, but I learned a lot there, then went on to get my master’s degree, and took a job as an adjunct professor teaching negotiation. I hit the reset button on my entire life to move to New York for love, started selling clothes at a boutique and then quit that job to work in real estate. The next step was following my heart to barre3.
Well, it definitely sounds like you kept busy—were you staying active as well?
I was never really into fitness and I don’t like gyms, but I do love movement. I was a swimmer in high school, I’ve run three marathons, and I was doing online workouts all the time in my apartment. barre3 hooked me right away, though—I was obsessed after the first class. I was like, “How do I learn to teach this?!” and the instructor at the time, Meegan, was like, “Umm, maybe you should come to a few more classes first.” So I did. I auditioned to become an instructor, but didn’t make it. Then went back a month later to try again, and got in the program.
Training was a hard time for me—I was dealing with personal and financial struggles, wasn’t putting the time into real estate that I needed to, and was thinking, “Why am I doing this to myself on top of everything else?” I was eating dollar slices of pizza and struggling, and then piling this on, too. It took my support team (and a tearful phone call with my mom) to help me find the strength to keep pushing through. I wanted to do it. I thought I could do it.
When you finally decided to go all-in with B3, how did you make it happen?
I started teaching at barre3 West Village in October 2014, but didn’t become Studio Director until November 2015, so it was a slow transition. Honestly, I’d been contemplating giving up real estate. I had fun doing it, but it made me tired—it didn’t nurture my soul. I was exhausted.
I always had the best time of my life in the studio, so I knew that if there was a way for me to solidify my commitment and make it real, I wanted it. My parents are both immigrants with elementary-school educations, and they somehow figured out how to run their businesses—that inspired me. If my mom can put me through college owning a pizza shop and a restaurant, I should just go and do it. It’s gonna be fine. I went out for the job wholeheartedly and all I could think was “Don’t screw this up, dude,” because I wanted it so badly.
Looking back at your journey, do you feel you’re where you’re supposed to be now?
I really do. My career path was all over the place, but the common thread throughout every job was teaching. I love being a part of the learning process, as a teacher or a student. There’s a phrase in latin—ancora imparo—which means “I am still learning.” It’s the idea of the beginner’s mind, which we talk about a lot in barre3. My favorite aspect about teaching barre3 is that every single time I step into that room, I feel like an improved person. It brings out the good in me, and the fun is infectious. People say that time heals all, but I think that movement heals all. When that 60 minutes is over, whether I’ve taught or taken class, I feel better.
What about your goal of finding work-life balance—how’s that going?
Well, I was watching Harry Potter while answering emails this morning…so I’d say yes, I can balance it all. Really though, I work hard, but I also relax hard. That’s the only way. I have a great support team of friends here that I love. I’m a natural introvert, so I have my quiet little Brooklyn apartment to run to, where I can hang out with my cat Dude, put on Sade, and burn a candle to unwind.
One more thing: As someone who reinvented themselves so many times, you must have some advice. Spill it.
You know, I was 35 when I became the Studio Director—talk about the longest trajectory ever toward what I was supposed to be doing. I think it’s common to want the path to success to be linear, but one thing I’ve learned is that if you just follow your desires down roads that are nontraditional, they can lead you to where you need to be. The linear path isn’t for everyone. I never, ever thought I would teach fitness or run a business like this in my life. But here I am, and the sky’s the limit.
To experience the Dino magic for yourself, fire up the 30-minute workout below. And if you’re anywhere near NYC, sign up for one of his classes today!
