Hey squad - welcome to my blog! I'm Brit (short for Brittani) - hard working boss babe entrepreneur who quit my long time corporate career to follow my passion and start my own business. Currently I own and operate 3 brick and mortar boutique fitness studios and an online virtual fitness studio called GRIT by Brit // GRIT Fitness. My husband Zach and I live in Dallas, TX with our awesome morkie pup, Pearl (no grit no pearl). We just bought our first home and hope to add some cute little mixed babies to our family soon. I started this blog in 2012 it's be an amazing creative outlet to share my life experiences and encourage other women. Come here if you're looking for content about, building your own business, personal growth, trying to conceive a baby, building a family and living an active and healthy lifestyle (at the same damn time). I'm passionate about inspiring women to pursue their dreams and to persevere through challenges, knowing God's got our backs and the best is yet to come! Thank you for visiting and keep in touch!
Happy Tuesday friends! Today I’m sharing a shameless plug for my start-up company, Dallas GRIT Fitness. We are coming up on our 1 year anniversary and I’m so excited – so much has happened in only 12 months. I still remember writing this blog post about our grand opening festivities 🙂 If you live in Dallas, come check us out! I promise you won’t regret it.
BONUS: We just finalized our new promo video. You can watch it on our Facebook page!
GRIT Fitness offers an energetic set of music-driven classes that each provide an intense workout and an engaging…
Hey friends! I hope this post finds you joyous and well. Today I’m super excited to share that I finally found the perfect activity tracker! Over the past month I’ve been wearing the vívofit 2 by Garmin and I’m super impressed by the data accuracy, added features, functionality and most importantly the battery life. The vívofit 2 is perfect for girls on the go since it has a 1 year+ battery life and stays on 24/7. That means I don’t have to charge it or put it on sleep mode.
I also love that all of the info I want is easily accessed on my wrist: time, date, my step goal, distance, calories burned and Move Bar. The Move Bar is super effective at giving me the nudge I need to get up from behind my laptop and move around a bit. You can find more product facts about the vívofit 2 here: www.garmin.com/vivofit
I especially appreciate the detailed health data that helps me make healthier lifestyle choices. For instance, I observed that on days I teach at GRIT Fitness I always hit my activity/step goal. However on non-teaching days, my vívofit 2 has made very clear that I need to increase my activity. It’s not best for my body to be super active on some days and not on others – consistency is key! Now I try to stand instead of sit while doing administrative work for my business. I also try to take the stairs instead of the elevator and park far away from the door when running errands.
Here’s a screen shot of my steps on a day that I teach classes…crushing it 🙂
And here’s my sleep data from each night last week (I didn’t wear my vívofit 2 on Wednesday and Thursday nights so disregard that data) …
Last but not least, the vívofit 2 has interchangeable bands so I can swap out the colors to coordinate with my outfit! I’ve owned several activity trackers over the past 3 years and this is the first that allows me to enjoy a variety of colors at the same time. Here are the other bands I have – yay for pastels!
If you’re in the market for a new or improved activity tracker I highly recommend the vívofit 2. And with the holidays just around the corner, it’s a perfect gift idea!
Enjoy and have fun staying active. xoxo, Brit
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Garmin through their partnership with POPSUGAR Select. While I was compensated to write a post about vívofit 2, all opinions are my own.
Hola friends! I just got back to Dallas from an awesome Thanksgiving getaway to Florida! It was so nice to spend quality time with my immediate family and enjoy some fun in the sun. I definitely ate a little more than I should have (oops) but fortunately my sister and I hit up our hotel gym a couple of times for a fun and efficient workout.
Above is the workout that we did on Saturday morning. It took about 30 minutes and left us both sweaty and feeling ready to inhale more pecan pie! (haha) If you’re traveling this holiday season and looking for a fun hotel gym workout to spice up your routine, give this one a whirl. I’ve also included a short instructional video below just to prove I practice what I preach 🙂
Hey Hey friends! I hope you had an awesome Thanksgiving Holiday and ate lots of yummy food that you love 🙂 No need to feel guilty for indulging because I have five, free, super-fun workouts in store for you this holiday season. If you live in Dallas, come join me and my friends from Luke’s Locker for the #LUKESGRIT Challenge! Me and 3 instructors from my studio will teach a sweaty series of high energy, motivating classes during the month of December.
The #LUKESGRIT challenge aims to provide a fun environment that encourages women to stay active during the holiday season. Generous prizes from Luke’s Locker will be awarded to those who complete 3 or more community classes in the month of December.
The challenge begins this Sunday, Dec. 6th with a kick off “GRIT mash up” class and shopping event at Luke’s Locker – Mockingbird, Dallas, TX. Each week following, members of the Dallas community can participate in a complimentary community workout at the GRIT Fitness studio located at 3821 Ross Ave. Dallas, TX 75204.
Details: Enjoy a 1-hour “mash up” workout led by GRIT Fitness instructors, followed by refreshments and shopping. The kick-off class will consist of Dance Cardio, Body Sculpting and Cardio Kick Boxing. Space is limited – class participants must register online!
Hey Friends! Last week my mom and I made road trip down to San Antonio, TX where I competed in the InnovateHER Women’s Business Pitch Competition sponsored by the SBA (Small Business Administration). It was a bittersweet experience as I practiced all week, picked out the perfect outfit and thought through all of the questions the judges may ask. Alas, I didn’t win 🙁
However, I felt really great about my pitch delivery. Unlike the competition I recently won at the Dallas Entrepreneur Center (DEC), this was a true “pitch” competition meaning I only got 2 minutes to speak and could only have 1 slide on the screen. That said I had to prioritize the most critical aspects of my business plan and immediately excite the judges. This experience definitely pushed me past my comfort zone and elevated me to a new level of public speaking and handling high-pressure situations. Also, I got to the meet the founders of these 4 awesome, female-owned start up companies – I highly suggest you check them out and show them some love!
The 5 Finalists – Me and the fierce female entreprenuers who presented our businesses to the judges – I was so inspired by their awesome ideas, passion & energy!
In the spirit of “keeping it real” I was super bummed about the outcome (I even shed a few tears when I was alone in the lady’s room). Honestly after watching the video of my pitch, there wasn’t anything I thought I could have significantly improved. Fortunately, my competitive nature is getting the best of me and now I’m even more motivated to spread the positive vibes of GRIT Fitness and impact women all over the world! #CantStopWontStop
Before I went to bed that night, I came across this post that gave me so much peace, hope and purpose.
“I want to be in the arena. I want to be brave with my life. And when we make the choice to dare greatly, we sign up to get our asses kicked. We can choose courage or we can choose comfort, but we can’t have both. Not at the same time. Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it’s having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome. Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage.”
― Brené Brown, Rising Strong
I remember being in my corporate career with my steady paycheck and awesome expense account and thinking to myself, “I want more than this. I want to take a risk with my life and pursue my dream.” Now I’m living boldly and there are several ups and downs, but boy is it exciting! I hope this quote positively impacts you as much as it did me.
Keep up the good work ladies and shout out to all of the #GIRLBOSS chicks out there! xoxo, Brit
Me and my Mama Kay enjoying margaritas and Mexican food on the San Antonio River Walk after the competition – you can find a silver lining in EVERY experience if you just look for it!
TGIF Friends! This has been such an amazing week. Before I headed to San Antonio to compete in the SBA (Small Business Administration) InnovateHER Pitch competition (more details on that coming in a later post) I got a surprise visit from one of my dearest blog buddies, Chelle! Chelle writes a blog called EveryDay Polish and we connected when I hosted a GRIT Tank top giveaway last year. I asked my readers, “What does GRIT mean to you?” and Chelle won by providing this answer…
Keep in mind that Chelle lives in Connecticut and we’ve never met in person but we keep in touch online and have followed each other’s blogs of over a year. I was overjoyed when she made trip to Texas and a surprise visit at my noon HIIT class on Monday!
Moments like these give me so much purpose and motivation. I’m not going to lie, blogging and running small business can be exhausting and overwhelming. However, knowing that I’m able to positively impact the lives of others by simply being myself and sharing my life-story, is so amazing!
Hey friends! I hope your day is going well. I can’t believe it’s already November – this year is flying by. However, I love the fall and I love this month because of its gratitude focus. I’m a big advocate of performing acts of gratitude because…
Grateful people are less resentful, more optimistic and healthier than their ungrateful counterparts
We have a couple of fun events going on at my fitness studio this month to help us focus on being grateful. For starters, this Saturday at 12:30pm we’re hosting a Thanksgiving Potluck Party complete with food tasting, bottomless mimosas and Fabeltics swag bags. As a Fabletics Master Trainer, I get the awesome privilege of hosting official Fabletics events in Dallas. If you live in Dallas, come join the party! You can join for free as long as you bring a dish to share, otherwise the entry fee is $10. Check out our Facebook Event Page for details!
Also, our November Challenge is all about Gratitude. This month, members of our #gritfam have to complete 10 classes and post 10 contributions to our gratitude board. In doing so, they earn the newest GRIT tank top. Pretty cool huh?
Check out all of the gratitude posts that we’ve accumulated so far! Just reading all of the things that people are grateful for instantly boosts my mode and makes me appreciate life.
I hope that you also take on an attitude of gratitude this month – it’s great for the mind, body and soul. xoxo, Brit
Last Thursday morning I participated in the #WEDALLAS (Women Entrepreneurs of Dallas) pitch contest hosted by the Dallas Entrepreneur Center (DEC) and I WON! I was so nervous I could hardly sleep the night before. I even persuaded my front desk volunteers at GRIT Fitness to help me practice while working their shift.
Before presenting my business pitch to the live audience, I had to complete an online application / business summary. After that, four women-owned start-up companies were chosen to the present at the pitch competition. I was so inspired by the hustle, drive and creativity of the other women entrepreneurs. From new technology apps to non-profit incubators, there are so many innovative new companies spearheaded by a #GIRLBOSS in Dallas!
When it was my turn to present, I took a deep breath and (in typical athlete fashion) gave myself a pep talk. Fortunately, I felt super confident because I practiced my butt of the day before and have been working on my presentation since May of this year. I had a blast and felt so grateful for the opportunity to share my vision for the future of GRIT Fitness. Here are some pics and a short video clip from my pitch…
Of course I can’t talk about GRIT without giving MASSIVE props to my #dreamteam – they are simply the best!
After the judges tallied their votes and announced me as a winner, Courtney Kerr presented my grand prize! (She was also a judge.)
Overall, this was such a rewarding experience. Not only did it push me out of my comfort zone but I also won prize money to help expand my business! I plan to participate in a few more pitch contests later this year. My goal is to raise enough money to build a flagship studio and expand GRIT Fitness to serve as many people as possible.
Have you ever participated in a speech or pitch contest? Any words of wisdom for success?
Hey Friends! I made this workout just for you and just in time for Fall! Below, I’ve put together five of my favorite HIIT (high intensity interval training) exercises and substituted a medicine ball with a pumpkin – so festive! To complete the HIIT circuit, do each exercise below for the time duration indicated. Once you finish, rest for 1 minute and then repeat all five exercises 2 more times. The total workout will take you 16-20 minutes and you can expect to burn 250 – 300 calories – woo hoo!
BONUS: I made an instructional video to guide you (scroll to the bottom to watch!)
Pumpkin Jack – Holding the pumpkin at your chest with both hands, press the pumpkin up as you jump your feet together and lower back down and you jump your feet apart. Do as many reps as possible to elevate your heart rate. (40 seconds)
Reverse Lunge with Pumpkin Chop – Holding the pumpkin straight out in-front of your chest with both arms straight, swing the pumpkin down by your right knee as you do a reverse lunge with your left leg. Twist your torso to the side and engage your core and your gluten with each rep. Repeat on the other side. (20 seconds right, 20 seconds left)
Side-to-Side Pumpkin Push – Hold the pumpkin at your chest with both hands then forcefully push the pumpkin away as your turn your body and lunge to the right, then to the left. Alternating lunging and pushing the pumpkin away side to side as many reps as possible. Feel the burn in your shoulders and in your legs. (40 seconds)
Straight Arm Pumpkin Hold With Side Leg Lift – Stand tall, holding the pumpkin straight out in-front of your chest with both arms straight. Balance on one leg and then raise the other leg out to the side to work the core and oblique. Try not to shift your weight side-to-side, but rather keep all of the weight in your stationary leg. Repeat on the other side. (20 seconds right, 20 seconds left)
Pumpkin Squat Jump With 180 Turn – Holding the pumpkin at your chest with both hands, do a deep squat and then jump and turn 180 degrees to face the opposite direction. Keep squat-jumping and turning 180 degrees back and forth for as many reps as possible. (40 seconds)
Hey hey friends! How’s your week going? I’m back in action after enjoying an AMAZING getaway to Blue Ridge Mountain, GA! My classmates from Harvard Business School and I have an annual tradition of going on a “family vacation.” We basically pick a random rural city and spend a few days cooking, engaging in conversations about life, making fun of each other and simply disconnecting from the craziness of our demanding careers.
We’ve each taken different career paths and culturally have very different backgrounds, but we’re connected by our values and senses of humor. This year we rented a beautiful lake house about 2 hours outside of Atlanta in Blue Ridge Mountain, GA. 2 years ago we went to Asheville, North Carolina which was also a blast. We even made a “Buddy Bootcamp” video at our lake house that year, haha – you can view it here.
I just wanted to share some pics from the trip, because during this time with my best buds I felt so grateful and content. It’s crazy how simply taking some time out of the day-to-day can restore and rejuvenate your spirit.
View from our porch
Jen, Eric, Chris, Lakshmi and I starting the day with a homemade breakfast and coffee!
Hiking with IPA in hand
Family pic with the self stick after our hike!
Finishing a long day with a home-cooked meal and a puzzle. Smiling from ear to ear after we DOMINATED the “Where in the US is Carmen San Diego” puzzle -we finished it just under 45 minutes – yeah buddy!
Overall, I think the Fall is great season to chill out a bit and reflect on how great life is. I’m grateful for my awesome friends and for the time that we spend together. How do you reflect and rejuvenate?
