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Studio Owner Spotlight: Darcy Davidson
All of our barre3 studio owners are special to us, but as our very first franchisee ever, Darcy Davidson has a special place in our hearts. We knew the moment we met her that she belonged on our team. She’s the most fantastic combination of fun, down-to-earth, and full of energy—in other words, the quintessential barre3 studio owner!
Barre3 clients in Bend, Oregon, are lucky enough to have access to Darcy every day. In honor of our fifth birthday, we wanted to share her with the rest of you! Read on for her insights on everything from why she’s glad her family talked her into getting a dog to her favorite barre3 moment (you might want to break out the kleenex for that one—we teared up when we heard it!).
Darcy Davidson, in her own words:
My understanding of fitness matured when I found barre3 because I realized you don’t have to kill yourself to sculpt your body. I learned that you can work smarter not necessarily harder. I definitely think barre3 is so hard—don’t get me wrong—but it’s different than taking an hour-long spin class. Before, my body was bulky. I felt fit, and I was heart healthy, but I didn’t like my body. Barre3 made me so much leaner.
It’s hard for me to relax! Even in my down time, I’m active. We live in a very family-friendly neighborhood, so my husband skateboards and we chase the dog on the bike. We hike, camp, paddle board, kayak, and ski.
I think that part of our journey here is to try to be grateful for all that we have. We spend a lot of time punishing ourselves for what we don’t have. Since I’ve hit my 40s, I have a new sense of gratitude for my body and being healthy, and I try not to belittle myself. I want to teach my daughter the importance of being fit and healthy as opposed to being thin and out of shape. I have always beat myself up and had body image issues. I am far less critical now. The older I get, the freer I feel, the more gratitude I have for who I am.
We see this at the studio too. People come in who are beautiful and they are so negative about themselves. My wish is that they can accept themselves for who they are today instead of carrying negativity.
My kids are the best thing about my life. My son is 8, and my daughter is 6. I can’t get enough of them.
I didn’t think we were ready for an animal. We were at the kitchen table one day and we decided to do a family vote. It was all those who wanted a dog, and I was the only one who didn’t want one. But I had to acquiesce. Oh my god, getting a dog is the best thing we have ever done. We also have a bearded dragon reptile. His name is Beardy. He has become a member of our family. He is super cute. I am totally his mom, but I refuse to touch him. I have never touched him.
My guilty-pleasure drink is a Moscow Mule: vodka, ginger beer, and a dash of lime. It’s really delicious, and it’s guilty because the ginger beer is super sugary! Food-wise, flank steak or a big hamburger. I could never be vegan!
I originally started looking at other barre programs, and I was trying to pursue a career with them. A friend introduced me to Sadie Lincoln. I came to Portland, met Sadie and her husband Chris, and I knew immediately it was a fit. The level of business acumen plus the caring for clients, and innovation of the exercise blew me away. And nothing has changed since I opened my studio over three years ago.
My favorite barre3 moment was during the party to celebrate our first-year anniversary. Seeing the client turnout was really profound for me. Here I thought I was just throwing a party with clients, and then a client took over, grabbed the microphone, and launched into how barre3 had changed her life. Then everyone just started passing the microphone around. So many tears were shed. I didn’t understand the difference that barre3 had made in so many people’s lives.
Smoothies are my perfect breakfast. My favorite combination is flax oil, chia seeds, green powder, banana, spinach or kale, shredded coconut, and pineapple with ice. It’s an easy way to get my greens.
One of my biggest fears in pursuing this path was that I really only wanted to open the studio to take classes. I never wanted to teach a class. I never saw myself as a teacher, and I still really don’t, except for barre3. For me, it was a huge change in my understanding of myself that I’m just talking about something I love, that I’m so passionate about. For me, teaching a class isn’t as scary a thing as I thought it was three years ago. It’s a way for me to connect with people and teach people about this amazing experience. And the more I do it the more I love it. I never thought I had that in me.
Would you like to own a barre3 studio? Learn about how you can turn your passion for barre3 into your dream job here.
All of our barre3 studio owners are special to us, but as our very first franchisee ever, Darcy Davidson has a special place in our hearts. We knew the moment we met her that she belonged on our team. She’s the most fantastic combination of fun, down-to-earth, and full of energy—in other words, the quintessential barre3 studio owner!
Barre3 clients in Bend, Oregon, are lucky enough to have access to Darcy every day. In honor of our fifth birthday, we wanted to share her with the rest of you! Read on for her insights on everything from why she’s glad her family talked her into getting a dog to her favorite barre3 moment (you might want to break out the kleenex for that one—we teared up when we heard it!).
Darcy Davidson, in her own words:
My understanding of fitness matured when I found barre3 because I realized you don’t have to kill yourself to sculpt your body. I learned that you can work smarter not necessarily harder. I definitely think barre3 is so hard—don’t get me wrong—but it’s different than taking an hour-long spin class. Before, my body was bulky. I felt fit, and I was heart healthy, but I didn’t like my body. Barre3 made me so much leaner.
It’s hard for me to relax! Even in my down time, I’m active. We live in a very family-friendly neighborhood, so my husband skateboards and we chase the dog on the bike. We hike, camp, paddle board, kayak, and ski.
I think that part of our journey here is to try to be grateful for all that we have. We spend a lot of time punishing ourselves for what we don’t have. Since I’ve hit my 40s, I have a new sense of gratitude for my body and being healthy, and I try not to belittle myself. I want to teach my daughter the importance of being fit and healthy as opposed to being thin and out of shape. I have always beat myself up and had body image issues. I am far less critical now. The older I get, the freer I feel, the more gratitude I have for who I am.
We see this at the studio too. People come in who are beautiful and they are so negative about themselves. My wish is that they can accept themselves for who they are today instead of carrying negativity.
My kids are the best thing about my life. My son is 8, and my daughter is 6. I can’t get enough of them.
I didn’t think we were ready for an animal. We were at the kitchen table one day and we decided to do a family vote. It was all those who wanted a dog, and I was the only one who didn’t want one. But I had to acquiesce. Oh my god, getting a dog is the best thing we have ever done. We also have a bearded dragon reptile. His name is Beardy. He has become a member of our family. He is super cute. I am totally his mom, but I refuse to touch him. I have never touched him.
My guilty-pleasure drink is a Moscow Mule: vodka, ginger beer, and a dash of lime. It’s really delicious, and it’s guilty because the ginger beer is super sugary! Food-wise, flank steak or a big hamburger. I could never be vegan!
I originally started looking at other barre programs, and I was trying to pursue a career with them. A friend introduced me to Sadie Lincoln. I came to Portland, met Sadie and her husband Chris, and I knew immediately it was a fit. The level of business acumen plus the caring for clients, and innovation of the exercise blew me away. And nothing has changed since I opened my studio over three years ago.
My favorite barre3 moment was during the party to celebrate our first-year anniversary. Seeing the client turnout was really profound for me. Here I thought I was just throwing a party with clients, and then a client took over, grabbed the microphone, and launched into how barre3 had changed her life. Then everyone just started passing the microphone around. So many tears were shed. I didn’t understand the difference that barre3 had made in so many people’s lives.
Smoothies are my perfect breakfast. My favorite combination is flax oil, chia seeds, green powder, banana, spinach or kale, shredded coconut, and pineapple with ice. It’s an easy way to get my greens.
One of my biggest fears in pursuing this path was that I really only wanted to open the studio to take classes. I never wanted to teach a class. I never saw myself as a teacher, and I still really don’t, except for barre3. For me, it was a huge change in my understanding of myself that I’m just talking about something I love, that I’m so passionate about. For me, teaching a class isn’t as scary a thing as I thought it was three years ago. It’s a way for me to connect with people and teach people about this amazing experience. And the more I do it the more I love it. I never thought I had that in me.
Would you like to own a barre3 studio? Learn about how you can turn your passion for barre3 into your dream job here.
