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STUDIO OWNER STORY: CAITLIN WALKER, BARRE3 BELLINGHAM
Caitlin Walker took her first barre3 class in Seattle back in 2010 — before she owned a studio, before Bellingham had one at all. She didn’t rush into studio ownership. She practiced barre3 consistently for a year first, because she wanted to be certain that what she was building her business around was something she believed in. On December 4, 2012, barre3 Bellingham opened its doors.
Fifteen years later, she’s still teaching and finding new reasons to stay invested in a practice she helped establish from nearly its earliest days.
We sat down with Caitlin to talk about what’s kept her connected to barre3 for so many years, how she balances the studio with a husband, two grown kids, and a house full of dogs, and what she’d tell someone who’s circling the idea of studio ownership but hasn’t taken the leap.
B3: Thanks for chatting with us, Caitlin. You’ve been a barre3 studio owner for over 15 years, since 2011. What has it felt like to grow alongside barre3 from nearly the beginning?
CAITLIN: It’s exciting to engage with a company at its inception. It also took a belief in the brand as well as in myself to introduce something new to my community with a confidence that it would be well accepted.
B3: Your fitness background goes back over 20 years, starting with step aerobics. How did that winding path through different disciplines shape the way you teach and lead today — and what was it about barre3 specifically that made you want to build a business around it rather than just teach it?
CAITLIN: I decided to “scratch my own itch” when I opened a barre3 studio. At the time, Bellingham didn’t have the kind of fitness experience I was looking for — an elevated, thoughtfully designed space that also felt warm, welcoming, and rooted in community. I wanted to create a place where people could come not only for an effective workout, but also to feel safe, supported, and connected. Before opening the studio, I practiced barre3 consistently for about a year because I wanted to be confident that what I was bringing to my community was something I truly believed in and got me the results I wanted, both as a workout and as an experience.
B3: So many people considering studio ownership worry it’s out of reach. As someone who’s been doing this for a decade and a half, what would you say to someone who loves this practice and has thought about opening their own studio, but hasn’t taken the leap yet?
CAITLIN: For me, staying connected to my “why” has been everything. My goal has always been to make a difference in people’s lives and help them live healthier, happier lives. That sense of purpose is what has carried me through the challenging days and made the rewarding ones even more meaningful. Owning a studio takes passion, drive, resilience, and a strong support system, and I genuinely love what I do. After nearly 15 years, I still feel incredibly fortunate to have built a business around something I believe in so deeply.
If you love the barre3 practice, feel aligned with the mission and vision, and have a real desire to create community and positively impact people’s lives, I would absolutely encourage you to explore studio ownership. At the same time, it’s important to approach it as a business: understand your market, know your competition, and make sure there is an opportunity for a studio to thrive in your community. And one of the things I’ve always loved about barre3 is that there truly isn’t anything else quite like it.
B3: You talk about striving for balance both in and out of the studio. With a husband, two kids, and dogs at home, what does a “balanced” week actually look like for you, and how has barre3’s philosophy of balance shown up in how you run your business and your household?
CAITLIN: My children are now grown and out of the house but for many years I was juggling them and everything else. As we know, balance is not a destination but rather a journey. Some days go as planned and other days I have to jump in and sub a class. A big reason I am able to “do it all” is because I have a generous amount of support from my husband and a local team, including a studio manager, that supports me. I started the business by doing everything myself and learned how to delegate as I grew.
B3: How is your team structured at barre3 Bellingham — from instructors to mentors to front desk to management — and how do you decide what to hand off versus what you hold onto yourself?
CAITLIN: I like having my eyes on everything but I don’t need to have my hand in everything. I am lucky enough to have some seasoned instructors and new ones who are quickly becoming client favorites. I still like to be involved in hiring so my vision and expectations are clearly communicated. My studio manager and mentors take the lead on new instructor training and continuing education for our team. Hiring for the front desk can be challenging but ongoing coaching sets expectations for creating the elevated hospitality I want our clients to experience.
B3: After 15 years, the barre3 method and the way studios operate have probably evolved a lot. What’s different about the actual practice or the business itself compared to when you first opened — and what’s stayed the same?
CAITLIN: Barre3’s love of learning has stayed the same. It’s one of my favorite core values and probably one of the reasons I’m never bored of barre3. The workout has evolved by keeping up with new research and following what is most effective for the body. I love that we don’t follow trends – we follow what has been proven to work.
B3: You’ve clearly built something that outlasts trends — from step aerobics to barre3. What do you think it takes for a fitness concept, and a studio, to have that kind of staying power?
CAITLIN: Clients may come for the workout but they stay because it works and because of the community they are working out with. It’s a powerful and beautiful combination.
B3: Bellingham has its own community identity. How have you shaped barre3 Bellingham to reflect that, and what’s a moment where you felt your studio truly became a part of the local fabric?
CAITLIN: Bellingham is a community that really values supporting local businesses. I think we became part of that fabric when people understood that while barre3 is a national brand, our studio is locally owned and deeply invested in this community and that we were here to stay. I also love that our studio brings something a little different to Bellingham. We’ve created an elevated, thoughtfully designed experience that feels special while still being warm and welcoming. I think that combination is what has earned us a place in the community.
B3: For someone who’s spent 20+ years in fitness and 15 as a studio owner, what’s something about actually running the day-to-day of a business that you had to learn on the job — that no one really tells you going in?
CAITLIN: I’ve been teaching group fitness for 30 years now and learned so much along the way from social media marketing to understanding a P+L to better hiring practices to the legalities of owning a business. Another important thing I’ve learned is to have more grace for myself and others along the way.
B3: Looking back at everything from 2011 to today, is there a moment or a client story that reminds you why you started all this in the first place?
CAITLIN: Over the years, I’ve had so many people trust me with their stories, and I’ve come to realize what a privilege, and a responsibility, it is to create a space where people feel safe bringing their experiences, emotions, challenges, and growth. In all of these stories, what stands out to me is a common thread: barre3 and our studio community have helped people become stronger in their bodies, and that physical strength has translated into resilience in other areas of their lives. I’ve watched people lean on this practice and this community through some of life’s most challenging seasons. Those are the moments that bring me back to why I started. It’s always been about creating a place where people could feel supported, connected, and stronger, both physically and emotionally.
B3: What’s next for you and barre3 Bellingham — anything on the horizon for your studio, your team, or your own goals as an owner?
CAITLIN: I like to think of myself as a forward thinker and that the best is always yet to come. While I am not sure exactly what that looks like, I will continue following my curiosities of fitness, food and fashion and I am excited to keep learning and growing through all of it!
Photos by AshRene Photography | IG: @ashrenephotography
Ready to start your own studio ownership journey? Click here to learn more about the barre3 franchise opportunity and how you can join our network of 200+ studios worldwide.
Caitlin Walker took her first barre3 class in Seattle back in 2010 — before she owned a studio, before Bellingham had one at all. She didn’t rush into studio ownership. She practiced barre3 consistently for a year first, because she wanted to be certain that what she was building her business around was something she believed in. On December 4, 2012, barre3 Bellingham opened its doors.
Fifteen years later, she’s still teaching and finding new reasons to stay invested in a practice she helped establish from nearly its earliest days.
We sat down with Caitlin to talk about what’s kept her connected to barre3 for so many years, how she balances the studio with a husband, two grown kids, and a house full of dogs, and what she’d tell someone who’s circling the idea of studio ownership but hasn’t taken the leap.
B3: Thanks for chatting with us, Caitlin. You’ve been a barre3 studio owner for over 15 years, since 2011. What has it felt like to grow alongside barre3 from nearly the beginning?
CAITLIN: It’s exciting to engage with a company at its inception. It also took a belief in the brand as well as in myself to introduce something new to my community with a confidence that it would be well accepted.
B3: Your fitness background goes back over 20 years, starting with step aerobics. How did that winding path through different disciplines shape the way you teach and lead today — and what was it about barre3 specifically that made you want to build a business around it rather than just teach it?
CAITLIN: I decided to “scratch my own itch” when I opened a barre3 studio. At the time, Bellingham didn’t have the kind of fitness experience I was looking for — an elevated, thoughtfully designed space that also felt warm, welcoming, and rooted in community. I wanted to create a place where people could come not only for an effective workout, but also to feel safe, supported, and connected. Before opening the studio, I practiced barre3 consistently for about a year because I wanted to be confident that what I was bringing to my community was something I truly believed in and got me the results I wanted, both as a workout and as an experience.
B3: So many people considering studio ownership worry it’s out of reach. As someone who’s been doing this for a decade and a half, what would you say to someone who loves this practice and has thought about opening their own studio, but hasn’t taken the leap yet?
CAITLIN: For me, staying connected to my “why” has been everything. My goal has always been to make a difference in people’s lives and help them live healthier, happier lives. That sense of purpose is what has carried me through the challenging days and made the rewarding ones even more meaningful. Owning a studio takes passion, drive, resilience, and a strong support system, and I genuinely love what I do. After nearly 15 years, I still feel incredibly fortunate to have built a business around something I believe in so deeply.
If you love the barre3 practice, feel aligned with the mission and vision, and have a real desire to create community and positively impact people’s lives, I would absolutely encourage you to explore studio ownership. At the same time, it’s important to approach it as a business: understand your market, know your competition, and make sure there is an opportunity for a studio to thrive in your community. And one of the things I’ve always loved about barre3 is that there truly isn’t anything else quite like it.
B3: You talk about striving for balance both in and out of the studio. With a husband, two kids, and dogs at home, what does a “balanced” week actually look like for you, and how has barre3’s philosophy of balance shown up in how you run your business and your household?
CAITLIN: My children are now grown and out of the house but for many years I was juggling them and everything else. As we know, balance is not a destination but rather a journey. Some days go as planned and other days I have to jump in and sub a class. A big reason I am able to “do it all” is because I have a generous amount of support from my husband and a local team, including a studio manager, that supports me. I started the business by doing everything myself and learned how to delegate as I grew.
B3: How is your team structured at barre3 Bellingham — from instructors to mentors to front desk to management — and how do you decide what to hand off versus what you hold onto yourself?
CAITLIN: I like having my eyes on everything but I don’t need to have my hand in everything. I am lucky enough to have some seasoned instructors and new ones who are quickly becoming client favorites. I still like to be involved in hiring so my vision and expectations are clearly communicated. My studio manager and mentors take the lead on new instructor training and continuing education for our team. Hiring for the front desk can be challenging but ongoing coaching sets expectations for creating the elevated hospitality I want our clients to experience.
B3: After 15 years, the barre3 method and the way studios operate have probably evolved a lot. What’s different about the actual practice or the business itself compared to when you first opened — and what’s stayed the same?
CAITLIN: Barre3’s love of learning has stayed the same. It’s one of my favorite core values and probably one of the reasons I’m never bored of barre3. The workout has evolved by keeping up with new research and following what is most effective for the body. I love that we don’t follow trends – we follow what has been proven to work.
B3: You’ve clearly built something that outlasts trends — from step aerobics to barre3. What do you think it takes for a fitness concept, and a studio, to have that kind of staying power?
CAITLIN: Clients may come for the workout but they stay because it works and because of the community they are working out with. It’s a powerful and beautiful combination.
B3: Bellingham has its own community identity. How have you shaped barre3 Bellingham to reflect that, and what’s a moment where you felt your studio truly became a part of the local fabric?
CAITLIN: Bellingham is a community that really values supporting local businesses. I think we became part of that fabric when people understood that while barre3 is a national brand, our studio is locally owned and deeply invested in this community and that we were here to stay. I also love that our studio brings something a little different to Bellingham. We’ve created an elevated, thoughtfully designed experience that feels special while still being warm and welcoming. I think that combination is what has earned us a place in the community.
B3: For someone who’s spent 20+ years in fitness and 15 as a studio owner, what’s something about actually running the day-to-day of a business that you had to learn on the job — that no one really tells you going in?
CAITLIN: I’ve been teaching group fitness for 30 years now and learned so much along the way from social media marketing to understanding a P+L to better hiring practices to the legalities of owning a business. Another important thing I’ve learned is to have more grace for myself and others along the way.
B3: Looking back at everything from 2011 to today, is there a moment or a client story that reminds you why you started all this in the first place?
CAITLIN: Over the years, I’ve had so many people trust me with their stories, and I’ve come to realize what a privilege, and a responsibility, it is to create a space where people feel safe bringing their experiences, emotions, challenges, and growth. In all of these stories, what stands out to me is a common thread: barre3 and our studio community have helped people become stronger in their bodies, and that physical strength has translated into resilience in other areas of their lives. I’ve watched people lean on this practice and this community through some of life’s most challenging seasons. Those are the moments that bring me back to why I started. It’s always been about creating a place where people could feel supported, connected, and stronger, both physically and emotionally.
B3: What’s next for you and barre3 Bellingham — anything on the horizon for your studio, your team, or your own goals as an owner?
CAITLIN: I like to think of myself as a forward thinker and that the best is always yet to come. While I am not sure exactly what that looks like, I will continue following my curiosities of fitness, food and fashion and I am excited to keep learning and growing through all of it!
Photos by AshRene Photography | IG: @ashrenephotography
Ready to start your own studio ownership journey? Click here to learn more about the barre3 franchise opportunity and how you can join our network of 200+ studios worldwide.
