Happy 2016 my friends! I hope you rang in the new year with those you love. I enjoyed New Year’s day by teaching SOLD OUT back-to-back classes at my studio at “Brit’s 2016 Sweaty Surprise” class. Essentially, I picked all of my favorite songs from 2015 and choreographed a mash-up workout of kickboxing, body sculpting and dance exercises. It was a one hour of good old sweaty fun.
To keep the momentum going, I’m hosting a #NEWYEARBESTYOU challenge for our GRIT family. If you don’t live in Dallas, you can still participate! All you have to do is write down one personal goal of how you will be your best self this year and email it to dallasgritfitness@gmail.com. Then you must complete 15 workouts that are each at least 30 minutes long before the end of January. Share your progress by posting 15 post-workout pics to Instagram and use the hashtag #newyearbestyou. Everyone who completes the challenge will earn our newest “I’m Allergic to Basic Workouts Tank Top” #dontbebasic. Let’s do this thang!
If you live in Dallas, come join the challenge in person! We are offering a killer New Year deal for unlimited classes and official membership to the GRIT Family. For only $105 per month you can join the party, take the challenge and hang out with me (which I hope you want to do)! Here’s the link to sign up: REGISTER NOW
Alright gang, let’s make 2016 the best year of our lives and let’s do it as a team! Here’s to a happy, healthy New Year! xoxo, Brit
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 🙂
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)
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.
