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International Women’s Day: 10 Women In Our Community Who Inspire Us Today And Every Day
Happy International Women’s Day! One of the perks of being a company created by a woman, largely run by women, and in service to women all over the world is that we are surrounded by—you guessed it—incredible women. In honor of this important day, we’re sharing the stories of ten of the many women in the barre3 community who inspire us every day. Read on (and click through!) to meet a Front Desk worker who spearheaded a DEI newsletter for her community, an instructor who shares her struggles with infertility, a doctor who downloads barre3 workouts to bring with her on mission trips around the world, and more.
When you meet Stephanie Jacques, it’s impossible not to be drawn in immediately. First there’s her smile—warm, bright, and welcoming—and then there’s her energy—exuberant, genuine, and driven. This, you can tell right away, is a woman who cares deeply and who gets things done. So it’s no surprise that, when the Black Lives Matter movement blossomed a couple of years ago, Stephanie took it upon herself to bring the conversation to her community at barre3 Nashville. Click through to learn about how she got started with barre3, the resource she created to talk diversity and inclusivity with her studio team, and what she does to keep the conversation accessible to everyone.
In the span of just a few years, Liz went from being a new mom experiencing body shame and career uncertainty to being a barre3 franchise owner on the verge of opening her own studio. Click through to watch her video below and learn about how barre3 has helped her evolve as a person and her commitment to creating a space where everyone feels welcome.
A former instructor at barre3 14th Street, Karina joined our Home Office team as barre3 Creative Services Manager this summer—and we can hardly remember how we survived without her! Click through to get to know Karina, including how she connects to her Chilean roots, her thoughts on what it means to be mixed race, and her ideas on how the boutique fitness industry can create more diverse spaces
A physician, Director of the OSU Women’s Health Center, professor, mission-trip leader, wife, and mother, Dr. Regina Lewis somehow manages to find time to maintain a regular barre3 practice. Click through to learn about how she’s helping teen moms, why she packs her barre3 props for her mission trips, and what being on the front lines during Covid taught her.
Those of you who work out with us online or in the Portland studios will recognize Meredith from her always-inspiring workouts, but she’s also the Director of Corporate Instructor Development and Corporate Trainer (in other words, there’s nothing she can’t do!). Meredith gave birth to a beautiful baby girl in December, but her journey to pregnancy wasn’t easy. She struggled with infertility for five years—a process that, as anyone who’s experienced it will know, can feel like a never-ending tightrope-walk between hope and despair. We talked with Meredith about how isolating infertility can be, what she did to come to terms with not knowing what the outcome would be, and how a moment in class taught her to heed her own advice. Click through to watch her video below to learn a little more about her journey.
Click through to read a heartfelt letter to barre3 from Kaylynn Schwamb, an instructor at barre3 Frankfort Avenue, in Louisville, Kentucky, who went from being an ally to the LGBTQIA+ community to a member herself. We’re so inspired by her courage, confidence, and commitment to authenticity, and we know you will be, too.
As a Korean-American growing up in Ohio, Mikayla knows what it’s like to feel like the “other” in the room. “When I was younger,” she explains, I was constantly searching for rooms with people that made me feel like I belonged.” Today, she shares her story of struggling to find her place in the dance and fitness community, and finally finding it with barre3. “Barre3 was a light for me because it was the first job where I felt like I had found my place,” she says. Click through for our conversation.
A pediatric physical therapist is a demanding job, but Laura still makes time to be an instructor at barre3 14th Street, in Washington D.C. Click through to learn what it was like for Laura to grow up speaking Spanish at home and English at school, how she stays connected to her Peruvian roots, and the connection she sees between barre3 and her work as a physical therapist.
A team member at barre3 Boca Raton, Gabby wrote the most beautiful essay and poem about her journey to self-acceptance and how learning to tune into her authentic self in barre3 class helped her do the same in her life outside of the studio. Click through to read her story in her own words.
When Ji moved from Indonesia to Portland in late 2019, she was eager to find a community she could connect with—and after her first class at barre3 Cedar Mill, she knew she had found it. But then COVID hit, and suddenly she felt isolated and alone. Read on to learn how barre3 Livestream classes helped her find a purpose during a difficult time and how the lessons she’s learned in class have helped her be true to herself and feel proud of her identity.
Happy International Women’s Day! One of the perks of being a company created by a woman, largely run by women, and in service to women all over the world is that we are surrounded by—you guessed it—incredible women. In honor of this important day, we’re sharing the stories of ten of the many women in the barre3 community who inspire us every day. Read on (and click through!) to meet a Front Desk worker who spearheaded a DEI newsletter for her community, an instructor who shares her struggles with infertility, a doctor who downloads barre3 workouts to bring with her on mission trips around the world, and more.
When you meet Stephanie Jacques, it’s impossible not to be drawn in immediately. First there’s her smile—warm, bright, and welcoming—and then there’s her energy—exuberant, genuine, and driven. This, you can tell right away, is a woman who cares deeply and who gets things done. So it’s no surprise that, when the Black Lives Matter movement blossomed a couple of years ago, Stephanie took it upon herself to bring the conversation to her community at barre3 Nashville. Click through to learn about how she got started with barre3, the resource she created to talk diversity and inclusivity with her studio team, and what she does to keep the conversation accessible to everyone.
In the span of just a few years, Liz went from being a new mom experiencing body shame and career uncertainty to being a barre3 franchise owner on the verge of opening her own studio. Click through to watch her video below and learn about how barre3 has helped her evolve as a person and her commitment to creating a space where everyone feels welcome.
A former instructor at barre3 14th Street, Karina joined our Home Office team as barre3 Creative Services Manager this summer—and we can hardly remember how we survived without her! Click through to get to know Karina, including how she connects to her Chilean roots, her thoughts on what it means to be mixed race, and her ideas on how the boutique fitness industry can create more diverse spaces
A physician, Director of the OSU Women’s Health Center, professor, mission-trip leader, wife, and mother, Dr. Regina Lewis somehow manages to find time to maintain a regular barre3 practice. Click through to learn about how she’s helping teen moms, why she packs her barre3 props for her mission trips, and what being on the front lines during Covid taught her.
Those of you who work out with us online or in the Portland studios will recognize Meredith from her always-inspiring workouts, but she’s also the Director of Corporate Instructor Development and Corporate Trainer (in other words, there’s nothing she can’t do!). Meredith gave birth to a beautiful baby girl in December, but her journey to pregnancy wasn’t easy. She struggled with infertility for five years—a process that, as anyone who’s experienced it will know, can feel like a never-ending tightrope-walk between hope and despair. We talked with Meredith about how isolating infertility can be, what she did to come to terms with not knowing what the outcome would be, and how a moment in class taught her to heed her own advice. Click through to watch her video below to learn a little more about her journey.
Click through to read a heartfelt letter to barre3 from Kaylynn Schwamb, an instructor at barre3 Frankfort Avenue, in Louisville, Kentucky, who went from being an ally to the LGBTQIA+ community to a member herself. We’re so inspired by her courage, confidence, and commitment to authenticity, and we know you will be, too.
As a Korean-American growing up in Ohio, Mikayla knows what it’s like to feel like the “other” in the room. “When I was younger,” she explains, I was constantly searching for rooms with people that made me feel like I belonged.” Today, she shares her story of struggling to find her place in the dance and fitness community, and finally finding it with barre3. “Barre3 was a light for me because it was the first job where I felt like I had found my place,” she says. Click through for our conversation.
A pediatric physical therapist is a demanding job, but Laura still makes time to be an instructor at barre3 14th Street, in Washington D.C. Click through to learn what it was like for Laura to grow up speaking Spanish at home and English at school, how she stays connected to her Peruvian roots, and the connection she sees between barre3 and her work as a physical therapist.
A team member at barre3 Boca Raton, Gabby wrote the most beautiful essay and poem about her journey to self-acceptance and how learning to tune into her authentic self in barre3 class helped her do the same in her life outside of the studio. Click through to read her story in her own words.
When Ji moved from Indonesia to Portland in late 2019, she was eager to find a community she could connect with—and after her first class at barre3 Cedar Mill, she knew she had found it. But then COVID hit, and suddenly she felt isolated and alone. Read on to learn how barre3 Livestream classes helped her find a purpose during a difficult time and how the lessons she’s learned in class have helped her be true to herself and feel proud of her identity.
