A Season of Reflection, Sixteen Years In

Spring has a way of making me pause. It reminds me that what once felt hard isn’t gone, rather it’s just been growing quietly, waiting for the next moment to bloom.

And this year, that feels especially meaningful as we celebrate 16 years of Local Barre.

Sixteen years. Wow. 

Simultaneously a lifetime and the blink of an eye.

It fills me with so much gratitude and joy to look back on how far we’ve come and all that we’ve built together. As my oldest son is sixteen now, that has me reflecting on how quickly time moves and how much the experience of parenting and leading a business has shaped me. Since the early days of nursing an infant during our grand opening, it has been a constant stepping into the unknown. Sometimes with a little uncertainty, but often with joy that prevailed, and always with a deep sense of gratitude when I pause and look back at all the moments, big and small, that have carried us here.

When we opened Local Barre, my husband and I were newly married. I was 30 years old, full of vision, a little (a lot) naive, and just beginning my journey as a mom. Now, here we are a household of seven, a dog, and a business that has truly grown up alongside our family.

And in many ways, Local Barre has grown and changed in tandem with me, shaped by every season, every success, every challenge. Yet at the core, a spirit of hospitality, gratitude, and generosity has remained the same.

There have been incredible highs, and yes, some really hard seasons too. Building a business while raising babies, learning how to lead while still figuring myself out, leaning into each new season of motherhood. God’s grace has covered it all.

We’ve walked through seasons I never could have imagined.

Navigating the global pandemic, when everything we knew about leading a business was turned upside down. At the same time, I was at home remote learning with three elementary-aged children, one of them a Kindergartener (if you know, you know), while caring for a six month old, and still finding a way to keep moving forward.

Losing both of my parents in my 30s was one of the hardest seasons I’ve ever been through.

And through it all, moments that stretched me, deepened me, and ultimately showed me what it really means to keep showing up, not just for myself, but for all of you.

And even in those times, I can honestly say there has been so much beauty, so much growth, and so much purpose woven through it all.

Right now, we’re stepping into another season that feels fresh, full of possibility, and alive with new beginnings.

A new downtown space.
Welcome home our Director of Talent.
Bringing back your favorite class formats.
Training Barretenders and preparing to welcome new faces.
Introducing new classes, props, and refreshing everything we do.

There’s much to look forward to.

In upcoming posts, I’ll be sharing more about the power of partnership and the incredible women who have linked arms with me.

I’ll also take you inside our history and how Local Barre came to be, and how becoming a new mom shaped so much of what we offer and the way we care for our clients.

And I’ll give you a peek behind the barre into our method and the intention in our branding and interior design.

I’m so grateful to be here. Continuing to grow, continuing to lead, and doing it all alongside this community.

Because Local Barre has never been only about a workout. It’s always been a place to belong, a place to connect, a place where we walk through every season together, celebrating, grieving, growing, and becoming stronger side by side.

Thank you for being part of this journey. Whether you’ve been with us from the beginning or just recently joined us, you are part of what makes this place so special.

Xx, jen