Join W Dallas – Victory + my company (GRIT Fitness) for a Cardio Dance Party! Get ready to WERK 33 floors above the Dallas skyline at the hottest fitness event of the year. Burn those calories during a 1 hour dance/cardio infused workout and stay for the after party! We’ve got a cash bar, a DJ on the decks to keep the party bumpin’ and an exclusive SWAG bag to take home.
Besides – who wouldn’t want to go out on the town in workout clothes?
WHEN: Saturday, April 30th | 8PM – Midnight
Doors open at 8PM
GRIT Dance Club Cardio™ Workout 9-10PM
After Party 10PM-Midnight
WHERE: Altitude | 33rd Floor
W Dallas – Victory 2440 Victory Park Lane Dallas, TX 75219
TICKETS: $20 General Admission
Includes 1-hour Dance Club Cardio™ class, after party and exclusive swag bag.
****NO REFUNDS****
ATTIRE: Show up and show out in your most electrifying, neon fitness gear! Prizes will be awarded to the TOP 5, best dressed party goers of the evening.
Wow – it’s crazy to think that just 1 year ago today, I took the giant leap of faith by quitting my management consulting career and setting out to open my own fitness studio, GRIT! At that time I wrote a blog post, 10 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Quitting Your Job, and today I’m so grateful to still be working for myself and continuing on this crazy, chaotic, entrepreneurship journey. My friend told me there are 15 books all entrepreneurs should read in order to succeed. However for now, I hope these tips will help you out!
We are about to close our 10th month of business at GRIT Fitness (woo hoo) so now my focus is on phase 2 – expansion. I’m finding expanding the business to be just as if not more challenging than starting the business. I need to standardize my processes so they can be replicated, keep my current clients satisfied, excited and engaged all while executing my expansion strategy. As you can imagine, the work is exciting but I feel like I’m being pulled in a million different directions.
As I continue through this phase, I want to share my 5 super practical tips that have helped me prioritize my time and make smart growth decisions. If you’re embarking upon the growth/expansion phase of your business or project, these tips can help!
Brit’s 5 Tips For Expanding Your Small Business:
1. Articulate Your Business Case For Action – How much will it cost to expand my business and how much additional revenue do I expect?
GRIT Fitness classes are bursting at the seams – expansion is critical in order to service our demand
Why do you need to expand? Are you bursting at the seams with an overflow of volume that you simply do not have capacity to take on? Are your clients demanding more services or product offerings?
Here it’s critical to calculate your return on investment (ROI). Remember to always grow your sales before your grow your cost. It’s easy to get wrapped up the hype of having a second location or a presence in a new city. But remember, sales are KING. If revenue is not increasing at the same rate or faster than your costs, you may want to rethink your growth strategy.
2. Recruit and retain great talent – Can I quickly acquire and train a winning team?
Me and 2 awesome members of my #dreamteam, Emily & Annabel. Without them, GRIT Fitness is nothing!
Let me make something very clear: NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR TEAM – PEOPLE ARE YOUR GREATEST ASSET. That said, know what skills and talents are required to grow and maintain your business. Recruit people who are passionate about your vision and who possess those skills and talents. Then do everything in your power to keep them engaged! I highly discourage you from expanding your business faster than the rate at which you can acquire great talent.
3. Explore & Confirm Your Financing Options – Where will I get the money?
Me and my home girls shooting a new promo video to kickstart our crowd funding campaign!
NEWS FLASH: Unless you have a rich uncle or your business has already earned a lot of revenue (like $200K), getting access to capital is very tough for a new business. Banks won’t talk to you. You can can apply for an SBA (Small Business Administration) loan but the process is super slow with lots of red tape. Or can you take money from investors, but you’ll have to give up a percentage of ownership of your company (I’m not down with that). There are some other small business loans but the interest rates can be quite high, like 8-11%. Last, you can opt for crowd-funding like KickStarter, which allows members of the community to fund your business because they like/believe in your concept. In return you provide small tokens of appreciation like complimentary goods/services, swag, etc. The downside, is that crowd funding campaigns can be time consuming because they require lots of marketing to be successful.
At the end of the day, all of these financing options have pros and cons, so you need to evaluate each and find the best solution for your business. Remember, business expansion costs money so you must have plan to get some cash!
4. Know Your Target Customer and Keep Her Happy – How does expansion better serve your target customer?
GRIT Fitness targets young, social, active, hip, professional women between the ages of 21-35
A GRIT Fitness, I have a “muse” if you will. She’s a young, professional woman between the ages of 21-35 who’s high-achieving, social and ready to take on the world. She is my target customer. Any time I make a business decision, pleasing her is my top priority.
You should be able to quickly define your target customer and know what he/she wants. Keep your target customer’s needs at the forefront of your mind as you think about expanding. Go where they are and give them what they want. This can be tough because pleasing your target customer may mean that you disappoint some other customers. I believe that not trying to please everyone is they key to branding success (and to being a happy person – wink wink).
5. Maintain Your Vibe – What is your culture and how you will maintain it?
FUN. FIERCE. FABULOUS. That’s pretty much sums up our culture at GRIT Fitness
We just kick-started the #FallN2Fitness challenge at my studio and our classes are PACKED with fierce chicas who are determined to stay fit this fall. Typically, October/November are times when we fall OUT of our fitness routines; however we are determined to break the cycle and fall IN to fitness 🙂 Class challenges are a great culture building tactic that I’ve implemented at GRIT Fitness. They help foster a sense of community and encourage our clients to push past their comfort zone AKA “show their grit!”
Regardless of whether we expand to a 2nd studio location, online, DVD’s. etc. we must maintain the behaviors and core values that make GRIT Fitness special and unique. It’s imperative for you clearly articulate what key behaviors, practices and values you will keep consistent as you expand your small business.
While expanding your business or project may be a little stressful, I think it’s one of most rewarding experiences. People want to start their own business, but do not know where to start. Whatever the industry or profession, you can always find a way to start your career. For example, if you are aiming to become a self employed truck driver, you could research Skip Lorry Insurance to get you started and have you covered for anything that may happen. You’ll get there eventually. I constantly remind myself that THE JOURNEY IS THE REWARD. No matter the fate of GRIT Fitness, I’m having a blast bringing my idea to life, taking risks and helping people live happier, healthier lives. I hope these tips are helpful and I wish you all the best to you on your journey! xoxo, Brit
A bonus tip for your small business, my friend was recently telling me about they made the most out of their energy bills by using business energy comparison websites like Usave. I’m told they got a great deal through those sites.
Happy Hump Day Friends! I hope your week is going well. I’m counting down the days until my boyfriend and I jet set to Mexico for a much-needed vacation! The past couple of weeks have been crazy busy planning social events for my fitness studio, teaching classes and attending fitness conferences BUT I wouldn’t have it any other way.
While we intend to spend most of our time being lazy on the beach, we’re both gym rats so we made up some efficient and effective Tabata workouts to knock out in the hotel gym. Tabata is a Japanese form of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). You can click here to learn more. Here’s the workout we tried out last week and really enjoyed.
If you want to try the workout, be sure to warm up with light/moderate intensity cardio for 3-5 minutes (e.g. jumping jacks, jog, stationary bike). Also, you will need 1 set of medium/heavy dumbbells (5-10 pounds) and a jump rope. You can expect to burn 200-300 calories in 20 minutes. Better yet, interval training shocks your body so you keep burning calories even after your workout. YEAH BUDDY!
I hope you enjoy and have an awesome day! xoxo, Brit
Great news friends! I’ve been invited to be an official member of SELF magazine’s #SELFMade Blogger Collective. Hard work certainly pays off. Now you can read some of my super special blog posts on self.com – yay! There are several other fabulous women who have joined the movement, including #SELFmade celebs like Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson, and Allyson Felix! I screen shotted a pic from Jessica Alba’s Instagram (below)
I’m #SELFMade because for the past 3 years I’ve been juggling a full-time consulting career, teaching group fitness classes and blogging. There were many days I reached absolute exhaustion and wanted to quit everything, but I’m glad I stuck it out. Hearing your success stories and knowing that I can make a positive difference in the lives of others makes everything worthwhile.
From your comments and emails, I KNOW that you’re #SELFmade too. Thanks for sharing your gritty stories and continuing to work hard to make your dreams come true. Join the #SELFmade movement by sharing how you’re #SELFMade on Instagram. You can even be entered to win a trip to Hawaii from SELF Magazine! Visit their Instagram profile @SELFMagazine for more details.
Yo yo my friends. Yay for the weekend. You know what time it is – Fitness Fashion Friday! In case you can’t tell, I’ve been really into Lorna Jane lately. I just discovered the Australian activewear brand this Summer when I was in California for IDEA World Blogfest. I won a $500 Lorna Jane gift card while I was there and I’ve been hooked ever since. This brand has the quality and luxurious feel of Lululemon and the vibrant, inspirational spunk of Nike – perfect balance. I’ve been spending way too much time at the new Lorna Jane store in Dallas, so I figured I’d make a blog post out of my latest shopping experience and styling session….
The friendly stylists and vibrant store decor making shopping at Lorna Jane a wonderful experience!
So I stopped by Lorna Jane after work on a Friday afternoon and was instantly greeted by Angelica’s bright shining face. Angelica is part of the the management team at Lorna Jane Dallas North Park and she is wonderful! P.S. I love the saying on her shirt (above) – Why Not? That’s very gritty – I like 🙂
So much cute to stuff to try on! Decisions decisions…
Angelica helped me pick out 5-6 complete outfits to try on. I love that many of the styles are coordinated so you can mix and match pieces without being too “matchy matchy” (although I have a guilty pleasure of overly matching my clothes). I also like the inspirational quotes and sayings that are printed on the Lorna Jane tops and even on the bottoms. As a fitness instructor, it helps me stand out and energize my group when I have big bold words like “Run Girl Run” on my clothes. Also the Lorna Jane basic black tights are amazing! They fit super snug and are made of a really thick material that sucks everything in (in a good way). In fact, my fellow fitness blogger, Julie from Peanut Butter Fingers, included the Lorna Jane pants on her list of favorite workout capris/tights. There’s nothing like a killer pair of tights to make me feel super sexy and fit!
How can you not feel energetic when you have “energetic” written in silver sparkles down your leg?
I tried on so many cute outfits in variety of colors and styles including this cute cut-out lime green tank top (above). I ended up buying the black cut-out tank instead, but it was a hard decision.
During my styling session I was impressed to learn that Lorna Jane leads cool community building and philanthropic initiatives like “swap shop.” Swap Shop allows you to bring old clothes back in the store and donate them to the salvation army. In exchange, you get a store credit. How cool is that? They also host “Active Living Day” where they sponsor free, high quality workouts all over the nation. Lorna Jane hosted free, on-site spin classes from Beyond Pedaling in Dallas this Fall.
Vests have officially made a come back #trust
When it was time to decide on my purchases my stylists, Angela and Angelica, gave me their honest opinions on what looked best. I appreciated having them around because they got me out of my rut of “black capris and bright tank top.” For instance, I bought these cute polka dotted booty shorts (see below). I ended up spending my entire $500 gift card and I’m so happy with everything that I bought. Obviously I’m an activewear junkie and I love almost all activewear brands, but I’ve officially become a HUGE fan of Lorna Jane!
Posing with my Lorna Jane stylists, Angela & Angelica (AKA the A Team)
And now that we’ve come to the end of today’s post, what better way to kick start the weekend than with a giveaway?! Today I’m giving away this adorable Lorna Jane inspirational note pad + blue leopard print headband. To participate, just post a comment sharing how you “work hard and play hard” in your everyday life. I’ll pick a winner next Wednesday, October 15th! ENJOY 🙂
Post a comment to win this adorable Lorna Jane headband and inspirational notebook!
Hello friends! Hope your day is going well. SO…I finally finished a big project I’ve been working on for a quite some time. After I reached my 2 year blogiversary this March, I decided to put together my top workouts, detox tips and nutrition advice in to a best in class 4-week shape up plan. I’m finally done and my first GRIT by Brit 4 Week Shape up Plan is ready for you to download. Yay!
I really hope that this is a community effort where we can share our progress and encourage each other to be our healthiest, best selves. That said please email me at [email protected] if you have any questions about the plan. Also, I highly encourage you to team up with some friends and do the plan together. There’s power in numbers! Share your workout photos and healthy meals on Instagram and Twitter with hashtag #GRITshapeup – I’ll start doing product giveaways for my favorite pics!
A core value of GRIT by Brit is “FREE” – I believe that we don’t have to be wealthy to be healthy. That said, I made my printable GRIT Shape Up plan 100% accessible to everyone. Just enter your email address in the subscription box to the right (below the search bar) and a link to download the plan will be sent to you. If you have any issues downloading, send me an email ([email protected]) and I’ll help you out. Be sure to keep us updated by posting pics or updates with hashtag #GRITShapeUp. I can’t wait to hear your success stories. Show your GRIT! Lots of luv, Brit
Hello Friends! Hope your day is off to a good start. I taught my very first cycling class at Beyond Pedaling in Dallas this morning – it went great! I’m so glad that the jitters are out and now I can go full speed ahead. Even though I’ve been teaching fitness classes for over 3 years, every time I join a new studio or start teaching a new format, I get major butterflies in my stomach. Are you taking on any new challenges this Fall? I hope so!
Anyway, here’s a workout that I created a few weeks ago while I was traveling for work. I did it in my hotel gym because they had dumbbells and kettle bells, which was a nice change-up from the usual half-broken stationary bike. I enjoyed my workout so wanted to share with you. Obviously, you need a kettlebell and a pair of dumbbells to complete the circuit. If you don’t have a kettelbell, you can use one dumbbell in place of the kettlebell for certain exercises. The circuit is designed to keep your heart rate elevated and blast calories. This means you should get a good sweat going! However, if you want some extra cardio, I suggest warming up with 10-15 minutes on the elliptical or treadmill. The total workout can be done in less than 30 minutes. Give it a whirl and let me know how it goes! I also included some action shots below of me doing the workout (please be merciful as it was 5:30am and I had no make up and a messy top not).
Hello friends. It’s been a crazy work week for me here in Chicago. During high-stress times like these it’s so important to keep up with my workouts or else I feel super groggy. This morning I did this Core + Cardio Workout in my hotel gym. It got me a good sweat so I wanted to share 😉 The entire workout takes about 30-35 minutes. If you don’t like the stationary bike, feel free to hop on the elliptical or treadmill instead.
I’m jetting off to NYC tonight for a conference – hoping to sneak in a ride at Soul Cycle while I’m there. Also, can’t wait to see the Dallas crew this Saturday at my PiYo class at the W Dallas Hotel!
Let me know how you like the workout! Lots of luv, Brit
Hello everyone! I want to wish you a wonderful week and an even better (US) holiday ahead. Remember to enjoy some down time with those you love and simply savor the holiday. Of course I want you to squeeze in a workout at some point, but most importantly, take some time to unplug, relax and appreciate all the good stuff.
Last but not least, I’ve picked a winner for my 4th of July Sweaty Bands Giveaway. Congrats Christine! Huge shout out to you for prioritizing exercise while studying for the MCAT – phew! I hope you make time to sleep. In case you guys missed Christine’s workout plans, here’s what she has in store…
“This summer, I’ve been spending a lot of time studying for my mcat this coming august. Exercise had been a huge stress relief of mine, and I’ve recently gotten into running! I hope to accomplish a 5k by the end of this summer, so this 4th of July weekend will consist of running along the bayou–my goal is to do a 2.5 mile stretch in one go. I also plan on doing a bit of cross training by getting some laps in at the pool and balancing out my cardio by doing a few Pilates routines. During my study breaks, I want to try your 20 min cardio workout!” – Christine
Also, SURPRISE, I actually got an extra Sweaty Band so I picked a 2nd winner. Congrats Tory! You stole my heart when you mentioned Tae Bo. I always have been and always will be a Billy Blanks fan. Here are Tory’s workout plans for the weekend…
“I’m planning on working out indoors, because of the heat and humidity that’s forecasted for this week. Over this past weekend I brushed the dust off my old Billy Blanks Tae Bo DVDs. They are fun and provide me with a great workout. Now that I’ve seen your ’20 Minute Cardio Workout’, planning on alternating this workout with the 30 minute, Tae Bo workouts. For fun outdoors workouts, it’s all about the water workouts! I’m planning having some playtime with my kids to cool off and get in some laps in the pool.” – Tory
Thanks to everyone who shared their weekend workout plans. Knowing that others will be up and active always encourages me to get moving. Have a happy 4th of July and remember show your #GRIT. Lots of luv, Brit
Happy Memorial Day friends! Summer is my favorite season of the year. I cannot express how much joy this season brings to me. Yesterday my gym buddy/neighbor and I hosted a “Summer Splash” pool party – it was a blast! Hopefully, you guys are getting ready to hit up the pool yourselves or, better yet, jet-set away to a beach vacation. With that in mind I wanted to share my 1 Week Summer Shape Up Workout Plan:
Stick to this workout plan for 7 days and I promise you will see a shapelier you by day 7. For best results, also try to keep up with my 7 Day Diet Detox formula. Enjoy and WORK HARD 🙂
P.S. Here are some pics from my Summer Splash pool party yesterday – great times!
Upper Left: My Dallas friends and members of my book club Top Right: Me and my lil sis and her new puppy, Lexi Bottom Left: Me, lil sis and lil bro Bottom Right: Sweet treats we enjoyed at the party!
