Hey Friends! Last weekend I got the awesome opportunity to travel to Los Angeles, CA and attend the inaugural #girlbossrally hosted by Sophia Amoruso, Founder and Former CEO of Nasty Gal. 2 conferences back-to-back weekends! I co-hosted the 1st WHAT SHE SAID, Women’s Empowerment Conference in Dallas Feb 25th and then jetted to LA for the GIRLBOSS Rally March 4th.
So what is the GIRLBOSS Rally? You ask….
Girlboss is about being the boss of your own life. We will gather the next generation of curious creatives, entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and tastemakers to spark conversation around the topics they are passionate about. From marketing and brand building to getting paid and quitting jobs, health & wellness, sexuality and more, it will be a day filled with actionable takeaways.
The rally was truly a once in a lifetime, girl power inspirational experience. Here are the top 5 things I learned:
1️⃣ There are 40 million women born between 1980-2000 who want more experiences and less stuff and to be the author of their own lives! 2️⃣ Slow is smooth and smooth is fast (slow down!) 3️⃣ It’s great to dream big, but more important to work really freakin’ hard 4️⃣ Don’t compare your hustle to their highlight reel 5️⃣ Be aggressive. Take the shot. Get out of the your own way!
It was so motivating to feel the energy of 500 female hustlers under 1 roof. Simply being in the presence of other GIRLBOSS women gave me the kick in the butt I needed to keep fearlessly growing my business at GRIT Fitness and the courage to take some new risks!
Here are a few pics from the rally for you to you enjoy…
Just arrived at the rally – posing on the wall of inspirational quotes!
Listening to a panel of awesome girl bosses including the founders of CLASS PASS and Brit & Co.
Swag bag was on point!
Also enjoyed some quality time with my lovely Aunt Nita who who hosted me at her house in LA for the weekend!
Wishing you happy International Women’s Day and encouraging you to be a BOSS of your own life! xoxo, Brit
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
Breakout – Industry Classroom
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
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
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 🙂
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!
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?
Image: I literally ran outside and jumped around in front of the truck delivering my studio floors!
Great news gang! We are less than 2 weeks away from fully renovating my very first fitness studio, Dallas Grit Fitness – YIPPEE! Last week marked the completion of a major renovation milestone as our floors were installed! I was so excited when the floors arrived, I couldn’t stop jumping around and cheering. You can see me in action on this Instagram Video clip. Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm, right?
Floor installation at Dallas Grit Fitness was no easy task since our space was formally a chiropractor office. We had to demolish all of the existing carpet and tile to create a smooth surface for the new studio flooring.
Now that the hard work is done, I’m excited to move on the to fun part – decorating! I got lots of cool wall art and lighting for the studio. We will also install a full wall of mirrors and the sound system this week. It’s really coming together. I can’t wait to share my energy, passion and grit with you in person. If you live in Dallas or ever come to visit, you must pop in to Dallas Grit Fitness for a sweat session! 🙂
Tearing up the existing carpet and tile
Smoothing out the surface to ensure the floor is completely level
All smooth! Waiting for the surface to dry to until we start laying the floors
Floors are installed and the black base was molded to the wall – almost ready to dance!
Get ready for the most FIERCE, FUN, FABULOUS fitness studio in Dallas! xoxo, Brit
