TX – GRIT By Brit

WHAT SHE SAID CONFERENCE | Dallas, TX

February 2, 2017 1 Comment

I’m so excited to announce that my company, GRIT Fitness, is partnering with W Dallas Hotel to host the first WHAT SHE SAID women’s empowerment conference in Dallas. WHAT SHE SAID is a new global speaker series featuring inspirational women from the worlds of fashion, fitness, music, tech, media and more. W is giving these incredible women at the top of their game a platform to share their personal stories at W Hotels around the world, inviting attendees to mix, mingle in true W style, over cocktails and incredible music!

I’ve partnered with the W Dallas – Victory for several fitness / social events over the past 4 years including Cardio and Cocktails and Flexin’ Flow on the WETDECK! I love the hip, creative vibe of the hotel so I though it would be the perfect location to host a women’s conference! I mean look at this ah-mazing conference space! AND we got some awesome local, #GIRLBOSS interior designers to decorate the panels with super chic styles.

Main Conference Room – Great Room Meeting

Over 80% of the speakers are members of the #GRITFAM (GRIT Fitness community). I had strong passion to host a conference this year because I want young ladies to connect outside of the gym and have “real talk” about turning their passions into action. This event is not limited to GRIT members ALL ARE WELCOME and we hope you decide to join the fun! Here are the details…

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Friday, February 24 – GRIT Fitness Design District

5-8PM Dance Cardio Party and Networking Reception presented by Tory Sport and Dulce Vida Tequila

Saturday, February 25 – W Dallas Victory

9AM Check in, coffee and breakfast bites served

10AM Side Hustle to CEO, Brit Rettig, founder of GRIT Fitness

11AM Goal Setting for Success, Boss Women Who Brunch

12PM Lunch, Expo of local #GIRLBOSS vendors

12:30 – 3:30PM Breakout Sessions

Time to Get Your Money RightAction-planning workshop for getting out of debt

Look Good, Feel Good

Fitness, nutrition and health “real talk” for looking and feeling your best

Winning in the Workplace

A GRIT girl’s guide to getting ahead in corporate environments

Creativity to Cashflow

Turning your creative passion into a money-making machine

Succeeding at Start-Ups

What it takes to lead and work at the world’s leading startup companies

3:30PM Closing happy hour with live DJ and cocktails

Speakers: Amber LaFrance, Co-Founder/Owner of Culture-Hype PR and Owner of DFW Style Daily; Molly Mathias, Founder of MM Vintage; Leah Frazier, Founder of Diamond Icon and Blogger at BeautyforAshes; Lindsey Kilbride, VP of Sales for Trunk Club; Rachel Kuhr, Founder of Productable.Us and former Innovation Lead for Mark Cuban Companies; Lakshmi Shenoy, VP of Strategy and Business Development for 1871 Chicago; Danielle Moye, Pediatric Cardiologist at UT Southwestern; Megan Lyons, Founder of The Lyons’ Share Wellness; Erika Elmore, Regional Diversity Officer for Morgan Stanley; Brittany Madrid, “Living Well” host as seen on WFAA; Liz Stanley, Founder and Blogger for Oh Hey Dallas and model; NaTarra Allen, Personal Trainer at Equinox; Courtney Sanders, Founder of Think & Grow Chick, LLC; Emily Hsieh, CFA, CFP® and Founder of Narrative Financial; Annabel Williams, Regional Sales Director for AIG; Ashley Fincher, VP and Legal Counsel for Comerica Bank; Brittani Rettig, Founder of GRIT Fitness; Yasmeen Tadia, Founder of Fluff Pop and Make Your Life Sweeter Brands; Alison Magdstadt, Marketing Director for Neiman Marcus; Marty McDonald and Ashley Cash, Co-Founders of Boss Women Who Brunch

General admission tickets are $99 and VIP tickets can be purchased for $149 at whatshesaiddallas.eventbrite.com

For a full list of events and featured speakers, visit dallasgritfitness.com/what-she-said.

For questions, email [email protected]

About GRIT Fitness

GRIT Fitness, founded in January 2015 by Brittani Rettig, brings an innovative approach to boutique fitness by providing energetic group classes in a community-focused environment. A carefully curated and enthusiastic staff of instructors teach over 60 classes each week at two studios, ranging from dance and kickboxing to high-intensity interval training, toning and cycling.

About W Dallas Hotel and WHAT SHE SAID

Since its inception, W Hotels has always worked with female icons in fashion, music, design and fitness to enrich the travel experience and provide a platform for emerging visionaries. To take that further, WHAT SHE SAID is a global speaker series hosted by W featuring women across these fields, sharing their stories, and providing opportunities to mix, mingle and network. Previous speakers have included Rachel Zoe, Diane Von Furstenberg, Who What Wear, WNBA, etc. Because everything is bigger in Texas, W Dallas – Victory in partnership with GRIT Fitness is turning WHAT SHE SAID into a two-day women’s empowerment conference! The conference will be a day and a half chalk full of robust curriculum for our local female entrepreneurs and girl bosses. We’re talking about all things fitness, personal finances, kicking A in your career and discovering your passions and purpose! We’ll be bringing in Dallas’ most influential women to inspire and motivate the next generation of female entrepreneurs – AKA YOU, girlfriend! Join us and get ready to connect, ignite your creativity and take your passions and turn them into actions.

WHAT SHE SAID – DALLAS | SUPPORTERS & EXHIBITORS Blushington DFW Beauty Guide Dry Sparkling Dulce Vida Tequila Ellevate Network – Dallas Glamsicle Harper & Tucker Jess Peterson – Indpendent Consultant for Rodan + Fields Joiya Johnson – Business & Accounting Services Kendra Scott Krave jerky Ladonna Stein Lemonade by Lauren Lexie Faucher Photography Nike Nikkie Smith Designs NOH8 Peechy Keen Studio Read Between the Lines Rose Pearson – Executive Consultant for Rodan+Fields Simply Elegant Socialite Pink Sparkling ICE Sugar Bear Hair Sugarfina The Cookie Cheff The Iman Project + Lavender & Mint The Lyons’ Share Wellness Tory Sport, NorthPark Trunk Club Whitness Nutrition

Dallas, TX

July FREE Fitness Events| Dallas, TX

June 27, 2016 2 Comments

Happy Monday friends! My fitness studio, GRIT Fitness, is hosting 4 super fun FREE fitness events in the month of July. If you live in Dallas, you MUST come sweat and smile with me and my inspiring team of instructors! Here’s a run down of the classes we’ll offer – book your spot 🙂 xoxo, Brit

1. Healthy Happy Hour | REVOLUTION (cycling)

GRIT Fitness Design District, 1729 Irving Blvd. Ste 101 Dallas, TX 75207
Friday, July 8 | 6:00pm

Register at dallasgritfitness.com/schedule

2. Flexin’ Flow on the Wetdeck

W Dallas Hotel, 2440 Victory Park Ln, Dallas, TX 75219

Saturday, July 16 | 9:00am

Register at wetdeckyoga.eventbrite.com

3. Healthy Happy Hour | Flexin’ Flow

GRIT Fitness Design District, 1729 Irving Blvd. Ste 101 Dallas, TX 75207

Friday, July 22 | 6:00pm

Register at dallasgritfitness.com/schedule

4. Summer Sweat Series | Tone & Tighten

Westin Galleria Dallas, 13340 Dallas Pkwy, Dallas, TX 75240

Saturday, July 24 | 2:00pm

Register at http://tinyurl.com/gnu5e65

Dallas GRIT Fitness, Dallas, TX

CARDIO & COCKTAILS – Dallas, TX

April 23, 2016 2 Comments

Calling all cardio lovers!

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.

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

Dallas GRIT Fitness, Dallas, TX

GRIT Fitness Flagship Video Tour & Update

February 21, 2016 No Comments

Hey Friends! I hope you had an awesome weekend are looking forward to an even more awesome week ahead. We are enjoying AMAZING weather in Dallas – I’m talking patio chillin’ with no sweater on – HEY!

I have so much exciting news to share with you! First, we have raised over 20% of our goal for the new GRIT Flagship on @indiegogo. Thank you to everyone who has helped so far, we luv you! Click the link at the bottom of this post check out the campaign and help us make the Flagship the best it can be!

Second, I shot a little video tour of the new FLAGSHIP so you can see what’s in store. 7 Original GRIT Fitness classes + GRIT Revolution (our new indoor cycling format) ALL under 1 roof! This means more BANG FOR YOUR BUCK for the #GRITFAM. Take the tour and get excited!

Last but not least, our construction plans were approved by the City of Dallas last Friday – YAY! This is such a big deal, because often this step in the process can take WEEKS! On Monday morning I have a meeting with our design team to pick out the final materials and confirm the final plans so we can start construction ASAP! Wish me luck! I’ve never done anything like this before so I’m pumped up but also feeling a little anxiety because I want to create the BEST fitness environment for the #GRITFAM.

I’ll post continuous updates here on the blog so you can closely track our build out and ramp up in the coming weeks. Thanks for all of the love, kind emails and contributions to our campaign. I APPRECIATE YOU! xoxo, Brit

Lifestyle

Celebrating 1 Year of Business at GRIT Fitness

January 28, 2016 No Comments

Hey hey friends! My baby (GRIT Fitness) turned 1-year-old this week – YAY! It feels like yesterday I wrote this post recapping our grand opening party. It’s crazy how much good stuff happens in 365 days.

We kicked off the business birthday celebration with a Friday night VINO + VINYASA (wine + yoga) party at my studio. Over 50 members of our GRIT Family came out to celebrate! The party was complete with wine, cupcakes and my favorite birthday jamz (e.g. Rhianna Birthday Cake).

We’ve kept the party going all week with themed classes. (See above our full list of themed classes – I’m pretty proud of our creativity here). Today was our final round of themed classes, “Crunk Party HIIT’s” = High Intensity Interval Training classes set to our favorite party songs. Lots of sweat and lot of smiles guaranteed!

Some of my rockstar instructors and advisory board members at the Vino & Vinyasa party. From left to right: Emily H. Emily T., Annabel, Ariana & Tarra

As I reflect on the past year I pinch myself because I can’t believe this is really happening! Just over a year ago I was a traveling management consultant, disengaged with my career and pouring myself into this blog as a way to escape my “real life”. But now this is my life. We really did it! We built a business and a community out of a simple idea and lot of hard work. The accomplishments and experiences (good and bad) from this past year give me so much confidence and hope that the best really is yet to come…

Me and Jenny, our VERY 1st member at GRIT in January 2015 – thanks for the loyalty Jenny!

In only 1 year we’ve grown to over 2,500 active members, 15 instructors, 35 classes per week and 7 original class formats – WOW! As I said in the last post, “teamwork makes the dream work.” But the best part of the journey are the personal relationships I’ve made with the #GRITFAM and they’ve made with each other. Nothing is more important than family – #GRITFAM included!

Sophie (Maria’s Daughter), Me, Maria & Jenny smiling after the sweating Flexin’ Flow class at the Vino & Vinyasa party

Stay tuned my friends…this is only the beginning of the GRIT Fitness revolution. I have some exciting news to share in the coming weeks and I want you to be the first to know!

THANKS SO MUCH for following my journey to and through healthy living and entrepreneurship. xoxo, Brit

Dallas GRIT Fitness, Inspiration & Motivation

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

January 26, 2016 No Comments

Hey Friends – happy 2016! First off, my sincere apologies for the sporadic blog posting. We have been crazy busy at GRIT Fitness with a rush of new members who are ready to get fit and feel fabulous in 2016. I’m not one for excuses, so I’ll just say “my bad” and start doing better. Most posts coming – I promise!

To kick off the New Year, my team and I met for an inspirational brainstorming and goal setting session. We chatted about things that were going well at GRIT and things that we can do better. We also spent time articulating our vision of an “amazing fitness experience” and then set some team and personal goals around that vision.

Fortunately, I had a great boss back in my consulting days who taught me about setting SMART Goals: Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic and Time Bound. What are your goals for 2016? I encourage you to also set smart goals – they are more effective for driving to results!

As a small business owner and new entrepreneur I value this quality time with my team. Sure, I see these ladies everyday as sweat and smile during our classes at GRIT, but the most important thing I’ve learned during my first year as an entrepreneur is that my business success is 100% dependent on the engagement and performance of my team. Without my team – I have nothing! #realtalk

As a self-proclaimed “independent woman” this was a tough pill for me to swallow because a part of me prides myself on developing the concept for GRIT Fitness on my own and getting it up and running by leveraging my skills and experience. But as we continue to grow, there are SO MANY things that I simply can’t do by myself and SO MANY things that I just don’t know. I have to develop and empower my team to be leaders in their own right, take risks and to share their gifts with others.

While I absolutely LOVE group fitness and feel so blessed to wake up every day and pursue my passion, I get so much more joy from serving my team and creating a foundation for us all to pursue our passions together. I’ve learned that “it’s great to do what you love, but even greater with the great team.” Teamwork really does make the dream work. xoxo,Brit

Maria, GRIT Body Sculpt & HIIT instructor, showing off her mug

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

Lifestyle

My 2nd Business Pitch Contest

November 23, 2015 No Comments

Brit Rettig- Business Pitch at InnovateHer

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!

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?