When you first opened what were goals? …

I hit writers block and reached out to all of you for inspiration. Thank you for this question, especially on Throwback Thursday. When you first opened, what were your goals? Have they been fulfilled? How were they different fro, when you relocated to Valpo?

Picture this. Pregnant Orlee, constantly organizing, running around with four-year old Lana, then up all night brainstorming about a future studio. I know I had fallen in love with Barre, the technique and the results 15 years ago. I loved the way it made made me feel, even before I was pregnant but especially when I was pregnant with another baby girl. As I planned my business, I had to think of my mission statement. But even before my mission statement, I needed a vision. In order to think about what you want, you first have to think about what you don’t want. In bigger East Coast cities, I was always intimidated; yes taking a workout class that you’ve no idea what it is, with people you don’t know, can be intimidating. It was even worse on top of that, nobody talk to you. I would walk in, and sit down on the floor with my weights beside me, and nobody talked. So right off the bat, I had a vision of a warm, inviting studio. A place where you walk in, and people welcome you with a smile; a place where there were other women, who encouraged each other and always were polite towards one another. I knew I wanted something warm and welcoming. Although the workout is a tough one, it was something that you wanted to do because of the people. That was my ultimate goal was truly to have a friendly environment. But as I go through and look at the work out itself, I wanted to emphasize that the workout wasn’t just about a physical transformation. It is way more than that. It is a mental one. So imagine a pregnant lady, up at night, not sleeping, rather sitting at her desk brainstorming. MIND OVER MATTER. With motherhood on the brain, that mantra spelt MOM. Perfect! Well, I thought it was a perfect name for the studio. Now I know it is my mantra, our saying and inspiration for our mission statement, which is “empowering women to be strong mentally and physically.” After 2 years, I changed the name. Change is a part of any business and we are always looking to grow and change with the times. Barre + Beyond is perfect. We are a Barre studio but beyond that, we have childcare, appael, and are consatntly adding new classes and ideas to keep you engaged. We are always here for you. So when I look today, 6 years later… yes I have achieved our goal. As we grew, and needed more space, we moved to Valpo to grow. We have done that. As I think about my vision for the 2020 and beyond, I know what I don’t want. But I know that I still am here for you. Our goal is to empower you. To build a strength beyond the physical one. To change lives; keep you motivated. As always I am here for you. So catch me, email me, cal me. Tell me what you want. You wanted cardio- we added cardio You wanted more stretch, we added more stretch. You wanted 10 minute arms before class, we added Barre Booster. You want private classes, we have that too! You name it, within reason, we will do it for you. SO I as I think about my visions for 2020, it will be your vision. So tell me your vision and let’s see what we can do.

Thanks for the inspiration Michelle!

Sharing Barre Love,

Orlee