Recap: REVOLUTION Cycling Spotlight Party at GRIT Fitness

October 3, 2016 No Comments

Hey gang! I’m still on a high from a party we hosted last Friday night at my studio, GRIT Fitness. In addition to the 7 original group fitness classes that we’ve developed, we now offer a signature, super-sweaty indoor cycling class called REVOLUTION! Can you read the full class description here.

To celebrate the expansion of our service our offering, we threw an amazing party complete with vendors, 3 free classes, special guests, sips, bites and special gift for all attendees. Most importantly, we introduced our newest REVOLUTION cycle instructors to the GRIT community!

Special GRIT REVOLUTION water bottles for all of our guests!

Kellie, Christie and Kendra – the fabulous instructors who “team-taught” the 2nd class of the evening!

BONUS – over the past few months, my teammate Anna and I have been working on the very first GRIT Fitness apparel line. On Friday night, we finally launched our first product, GRIT Sports Bras! They say “No Grit No Pearl” around the band because, duh! 🙂

GRIT Sports Bras launched Sept. 30th – yay!

I’m so proud of this accomplishment as an apparel line has always been something I wanted to create but I’ve struggled with the designed and purchasing aspects. Fortunately, Anna is an expert in those areas so together, we were finally able to bring the idea to life! AND, we sold over half of our inventory on the 1st day – woo hoo!

Sweaty Smiling after class! Our awesome #GRITFAM members Heather & Phillip

#GRITFAM member Whitney and her hubby Chase (newlyweds)

Altogether it was an awesome night. Each day I’m more and more grateful to spend my time in a job that love. Where I get to create, innovate, have fun and serve others. Life is good! I hope you have an awesome week ahead. xoxo, Brit

Just for Fun

Neiman Marcus Faces of Beauty 2016 – I won!

September 22, 2016 1 Comment

Pic from my photo shoot! This pic is hanging in the windows of Neiman Marcus – how cool!

Hey friends! I have some awesome news to share today. Last month, I was formally announced as a winner of the Neiman Marcus Faces of Beauty contest! The Faces of Beauty Contest started 5 years ago as Neiman Marcus began “highlighting women from across the country that have cut through the clutter and are achieving great things.” One of my clients at GRIT Fitness nominated me for the award without me even knowing and I won! 5 winners were selected out of over 1,000 applications. I’m so honored, grateful and over-the-moon excited.

The past few weeks I’ve had some once-in-a-lifetime experiences so I wanted to share. As a winner I received these awesome goodies:

Full makeover and photo shoot for a feature in THE BOOK and for my pic to be displayed in the store windows
Luxury hotel accommodations at the Joule in Dallas
Participation as a panelist in the NM Beauty Symposium
A celebration dinner with Neiman Marcus executives (so inspiring to chat with these #girlbosses)
Hair styling, makeup application, and a private fitting with a Neiman Marcus stylist
$1,500 in cosmetics and fragrances—and the wardrobe from the fitting (Loving my Vince leather jacket and Milly dress!)

Pretty sweet huh? Here are some pics from the Beauty Symposium that happened 2 weeks ago.

All of the winners being escorted to a welcome dinner!

I got to meet the other 4 winners and I was SO inspired by their journeys. From fellow small business owners to writers, each girl had so much passion and perseverance for make positive change in her area of interest.

We even got to have dinner with VP Creative Director and the VP of Beauty for Neiman Marcus. #girlpowerAnd of course I got the most amazing makeover and styling session! I felt like pretty woman 🙂

Last but not least, we all spoke on a panel and shared our stories of how we are “making some noise” in our respective areas. Of course I gave major props to the #GRITFAM for being the most positive, uplifting women’s fitness community in the world!

After the panel we enjoyed sips, bites and a photo booth…

I left the Beauty Symposium feeling energized and ready to keep growing GRIT Fitness to impact as many women and possible. This was truly a “stop and smell the roses” experience for me. I’m living my dream and I’m so very grateful. BUT the exciting part is that I know best is still yet to come. Not only for me, but for you too! xoxo, Brit

Just for Fun

SWEATWORKING | Workout + Professional Networking

April 9, 2016 No Comments

ATTENTION ALL GIRL BOSSES! Join me in partnership with Ellevate Network for DFW’s first ever “Sweatworking, ” an innovative, fun (and not to mention efficient!) way to combine networking and exercise all into one.

Before kicking things off, I’ll share a little background about how I started my company and our plans for expansion. We’ll then jump into a 30-minute cardio-inspired workout, followed by refreshments and mingling with fellow Ellevate members and other DFW professional women.

Grab a friend or co-worker, throw on your favorite workout gear, and join us for a fabulous night of calorie-burning and networking. See you there! xoxo, Brit

Just for Fun

If at first you don’t succeed, pick yourself up and try again

December 14, 2015 No Comments

Good morning friends! I hope you’re ready to kick-start an amazing week. This weekend I enjoyed not 1, not 2 but 3 fabulous holiday parties and today I’m in major need of a sweat session to burn off holiday cookies and champagne (sooooooo good!)

I wanted to share update with you that I hope gives you hope and encouragement. If you recall, a few weeks ago I traveled to San Antonio to participate in the local SBA InnovateHer business pitch contest and I didn’t win. (You can read my recap here). I expressed my disappointment, but resolved to keep pushing forward to make the vision of my business come to life.

Me making my pitch (once again) at the InnovateHER pitch competition in Dallas, TX

Well…today I’m happy to announce that I recently competed in another local SBA InnovateHer business pitch contest and I won 1st place! This means that my business pitch will be submitted to Washington, DC for the national competition after all. I’m overjoyed and feeling proud of myself for not giving up after my setback. I’ll be honest, I had to give myself a major pep talk to go at it again after losing the week before. But I figured I had nothing to lose but my pride. It was worth it!

As icing on the cake I connected with a fabulous group of Dallas women entrepreneurs. We’ve already hung out since the competition and I invited them to come represent their brands at the #GIRLBOSS women-owned business showcase to take place at my fitness studio this Saturday!

Me with the judges and fellow contestants in the Dallas, TX InnovateHER pitch contest – November 2015

My ultimate mission with the GRIT by Brit blog and the GRIT Fitness studio is help others develop the mental grit needed to best their lives. Each day I have to practice perseverance to make it a habit. It’s not easy, but I believe we can train ourselves to be “gritty.” By choosing not to quit in the business plan competitions, I’ll more readily persevere through the next challenge I face.

That said, I don’t believe failure is anybody’s destiny. Life if too good for that 🙂

xoxo,Brit

Just for Fun, Lifestyle

Blog Buddies Turned Soul Sisters

November 20, 2015 No Comments

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!

Have you connected with any of your blog buddies?

Wishing you a wonderful weekend! xoxo, Brit

Brit and Blog Buddy Chelle — No longer “Blog Buddies,” now “Soul Sisters”

Just for Fun

My First Business Pitch Contest

November 3, 2015 No Comments

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!

Brit Rettig Business Pitch Winner — 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?

Just for Fun

GRIT Fitness on Fox 4 Good Day

August 6, 2015 No Comments

Image: Brittni (Marketing Manager for Westin Hotel, Fox 4 Anchor and Me posing on set!

Hey Hey friends! I hope you’re excited for the weekend…especially if you live in Dallas! My studio is partnering with the Westin Galleria Dallas to host the 3rd Summer Sweat Series event. This time we are offering a free Turbo Kick class at 2pm this Sunday! After class you can enjoy complimentary passed bites, Sangria and pool access. It’s going to be a blast!

Since the first 2 Summer Sweat Series events were so successful, Fox 4 News asked us to come on their morning show, Good Day, and demo some of the Turbo Kick moves that we’ll be rocking on Sunday. In case you can’t tell, I LOVE being on camera! My childhood dream was to have my own talk show….sigh….some day. haha. Check out the video segment below! We had a ball kicking, punching and jamming on camera.

Fox4News.com | Dallas-Fort Worth News, Weather, Sports

In the spirit of kickboxing, I highly recommend my at home “DIY Cardio Kickboxing Routine” for your workout of the day. Set aside 30 minutes, blast some crunk music and break a sweat. You won’t regret it.

Wishing you a wonderful day of sweat and smiles. xoxo, Brit

Dallas GRIT Fitness, Just for Fun

GLOWGA Party : Glow-in-the-dark Yoga to Celebrate 6 Months of Business

August 3, 2015 No Comments

Image: Excited for the party to start! I couldn’t believe there was a line all the way down the street – ahhh!

Happy Monday morning friends! I’m cloud 9 after celebrating 6 super successful months of business! This past weekend, my GRIT Fitness team and I hosted a GLOWGA (glow-in-the-dark yoga) party on the 33rd floor of the W Dallas Hotel. It was simply amazing! Hundreds and hundreds of family, friends and studio members came out to “flow in the dark” with us. Here are a few photos… You can view the full album on the GRIT Fitness Facebook page.

I’ll be back tomorrow with a super sweat 20 minute Tabata workout that I did with my boyfriend last week. Get ready to WERK friends!

xoxo, Brit

Me and a few members of my GRIT Fitness Dream Team!
View More Here

Melissa & Maria, GRIT Fitness Yoga Instructors who led the class
View More Here

Just for Fun, Lifestyle

6 Health Benefits of Dance Cardio Workouts

July 27, 2015 No Comments

Image: Our Zumba / Dance Cardio class at the Westin Galleria Dallas after Summer Sweat Series #2

There are short-cuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them.

– Vicki Baum

Happy Monday beauties! I hope you had a fabulous weekend – mine was busy but lots of fun. Yesterday morning I enjoyed an energetic Dance Club Cardio class at my studio, GRIT Fitness, and I couldn’t help but acknowledge how happy I felt after class. There’s something about dancing that just makes my soul sing and getting a good cardio workout in the process is icing on the cake.

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, my studio is partnering with the Westin Galleria Dallas to bring a series of free workouts and pool parties each month this Summer. We’re calling it the Sumer Sweat Series. Our 2nd series was a Zumba / Dance Cardio class and it was a HIT – over 200 members of the Dallas Community came to sweat and shake with us. Here are some pics from the event…

Emily (GRIT Dance Cardio Instructor) and I before her class

Over 200 ladies shakin’ a little something and ballistic’ calories at the Westin Galleria Dallas

The Fierce Four Dance Cardio / Zumba instructors who led our class

In the spirit of sharing my love for dancing I did a little research to summarize its key health benefits. Check it out!

6 Health Benefits of Dancing

Relieve Stress (Journal of Applied Gerontology)
Improve Memory (The New England Journal of Medicine)
Lift Your Spirits
Manage Weight
Increase Energy (The Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition)
Make New Friends

This week I highly encourage you to try out a dance cardio class or at least dance a for a few minutes infront of the mirror – your body and your mind will thank you! Also, if you live near Dallas, join us for Summer Sweat Series #3 on Sunday August 9! CLICK HERE to register for free. xoxo, Brit

Just for Fun

Summer Fun. Summer Parties. Summer Patios.

July 11, 2015 No Comments

Hey friends! Happy weekend! Sorry for the sporadic posting – GRIT Fitness is growing like crazy and it’s my birthday weekend which means my blogging time has been cut substantially. BUT I wanted to check in and share a few pics from last night! One of my Turbo Kick clients/friends threw me a little Friday night pool party at her lovely pied a terre in Highland Park, TX. I loved the decor so much I had to post pics – very Pinterest worthy don’t you think?

Tonight, the partying continues as I host a party at the Social House in Uptown Dallas. I’ll post a full update and lots of photos tomorrow. Have a wonderful weekend. xoxo, Brit