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 porchJen, Eric, Chris, Lakshmi and I starting the day with a homemade breakfast and coffee!Hiking with IPA in handFamily 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?
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.
Hey friends! I just returned to Dallas from a fun-filled, informative weekend in Chicago! My primary purpose was to visit my best friends (Jan and Lakshmi) but in the midst of our patio chillin’ and fine dining I received some valuable business inspiration!
I read #GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso during my flight. Have you read it? It was a funny and inspiring read that got me in “empowered entrepreneur mode” for the duration of the trip. My main take away from the book is to BELIEVE IN YOURSELF AND EVERYONE ELSE WILL BELIEVE IN YOU TOO.
My in-flight reading! #GIRLBOSS
The weather in Chicago was absolutely perfect, sunshine with a cool breeze. Lakshmi, Jan and I enjoyed several cocktails on the patio throughout the weekend. Jan is a member of SoHo House so we also had a yummy lunch on the roof. So fancy huh?
The weather in Chicago was absolutely perfect, sunshine with a cool breeze. Lakshmi, Jan and I enjoyed several cocktails on the patio throughout the weekend. Jan is a member of SoHo House so we also had a yummy lunch on the roof. So fancy huh?
I was excited to put on an old dress that I love – it’s a metallic, fitted Alice & Oliva dress – an oldie but a goodie. I wore it 2 years ago the Dallas Autumn Ball (see here at the bottom of the post) and was pumped to get some more wear out of it this weekend. I love fancy events – great drinks, lots of dancing and engaging conversation – what more could I ask for?
Oh hey – show stopper! LOL
The fun didn’t stop there. On Friday morning I got to attend another exclusive event with Lakshmi (yeah – she’s connected). It was a private breakfast and discussion at the Virgin Hotel for a hand-selected group of 1871 entrepreneurs. Alistair Campbell, former spokesman/press secretary British Prime Minister Tony Blair, was the keynote speaker. He talked about his new book, Winners, and having a “winning mindset.”
Alistair Campbelle (right) and moderator (left) at Virgin Hotel Breakfast event
I found his comments very thought-provoking. Especially this one…
THE WINNING MENTALITY IS BASED OUT OF ADVERSITY.
He elaborated with numerous sports examples. But his bottom line was that the feeling of “not being good enough” can really drive some people more than anything. As a small business owner and a “grit” enthusiast, I couldn’t agree more. Nothing motivates me more than overcoming obstacles and proving to myself and to others that I am capable.
The rest of the weekend was filled with laughs, deep conversation, a sweaty ride at SOUL CYCLE and a final farewell home-cooked dinner at Lakshmi’s place. While the fancy events were nice, I gained the most valuable insight and inspiration from my dearest friends. Every time I’m around them I feel so good about myself because I know that they love me for who I am. I can be 100% myself, silly-jokes, crazy comments and all. And this brings me to the last secret to start-up success = CREATE A BRAND THAT IS TRUE TO YOU.
At the end of the day, there are unlimited products and services in the world that are essentially the same. However, winners are able to deliver value in a different/unique way. A way that makes people feel connected to them. The best way to be unique is to be yourself! Let that uniqueness shine thr
Me, Lakshmi & Jan taking a selfie before I headed back to the Big D
Hey hey friends! I hope your day is off to a great start! I’m Chicago bound this morning to visit some friends and do a little market research among some leading studios in Chi-town. As 2015 wraps up, I’m kicking my innovation juices in high gear a developing some fun, fresh new class formats to introduce at GRIT Fitness in 2016!
But before I get a ahead of myself, I’m wanted to share an upcoming event that I’m super excited about – our first ever Friday Night Dance Cardio Party! Talk about a “healthy happy hour” huh? So, 3 of our super fab dance cardio instructors are teaming up to bring a 2-hour dance party. Better yet, our friends from Fabletics are providing swag to all attendees.
If you live in Dallas – I personally invite you to join the party on Oct. 23rd at 6pm! I’ll be there shaking a little something along with the other members of our GRIT family. Can’t wait 🙂
Hey Friends! It’s been a while since I’ve posted about my fav workout clothes. After opening my fitness studio, I haven’t blogged as much about Fitness Fashion. But don’t you worry, I still diligently acquiring my fair share of activewear! For the past year I’ve really been really into Onzie, a funky fitness line of clothing based in Southern California. I especially love their bold colors and crazy prints – they scream energy and fun! Above are a few of my looks from recent weeks!
Better yet, today Onzie came out with new video called “Yoga A-Z.” The video features 26 sweet yoga poses (one for each letter of the alphabet) each demonstrated by a fab chica rockin’ her Onzie activewear. Watching the video is like a more interactive way to shop online (hehe). If you’re in the market for some cool new gear (or a just want a fun distraction from work) CLICK HERE check out the video!
I hope your day is as beautiful as you! xoxo, Brit
Happy Monday Friends! I hope you had a lovely weekend! Did any of you see the blood moon eclipse last night? I totally missed it, BUT I enjoyed the most beautiful full moon on my way to work at 6am this morning.
I had a wonderful weekend myself, albeit a very busy one. One major highlight was our SHAKE. SWEAT. SCULPT free, community mash-up workout that we hosted for Lorna Jane’s Active Nation Day. It was an absolute blast, the weather in Dallas was perfect and we had an AMAZING turnout (as you can see below). Thanks so much to all members of the GRIT Fitness family and the Dallas community who came to WERK it out with us!
While Summer is winding down and the weather will keep us from offering as many free outdoor community classes, I’m still gearing up for one strong fall – and I want you to be a part of it. Whether you’re heading back to school, cranking things up at work or looking for a way to take some time to focus on you, my dream team of instructors and I at GRIT Fitness are here to help. One sweaty GRIT class is all it takes to find joy, feel great and be your best self.
To help kickstart your GRIT routine, we’d love to invite you to take our #FallN2Fitness Challenge. This challenge is open EVERYONE – you don’t have to be a member to participate. To complete the challenge, you have knock out 14 classes in 4 weeks, between October 4-31st.
It’s super fun, affordable, energetic way to get in shape and earn some swag! Yup..that’s right, not only do you get enjoy music-blasting, super fun sweat sessions, BUT if you successfully complete the challenge you also receive the GRIT Tank Top of your choice. Choose from any of the styles below
NOTE: At GRIT we do NOT sell our apparel, it can only be earned. That means the only way to score our swag is to show your GRIT 🙂
We can’t wait to Fall N2 Fitness with you! xoxo, Brit
Hey Friends – Happy Monday! To compensate for my recent posting hiatus, I’m coming back strong with 2 blog posts today – yeah buddy!
I’m so excited to announce that this Sunday (Sept. 27th) my fitness studio GRIT Fitness will be the official Dallas leader of Lorna Jane Active Nation Day! Join me and fellow GRIT instructors Annabel and Emily as we lead you through a super special “Shake, Sweat, Sculpt: GRIT Mash Up Workout” = Dance Cardio + Turbo Kick + Body Sculpt! The class is 100% free and open to the public – it will take place next Sunday at Dallas’ NorthPark – Center Park Garden at 10:00am. Shop styles from Lorna Jane NorthPark and enjoy healthy bites along with your sweat session! ****BRING YOUR YOGA MAT****
“Active Nation Day is a movement created in 2012 by Lorna Jane to inspire women, their families, communities, cities and the world to live a more Active Life!” (Lorna Jane). You can learn more about Lorna Jane’s Active Nation Day at http://activenationday.com
Get excited! I can’t wait to see you there! xoxo, Brit
