Hi, it’s Maria, and BARE officially turns ONE on October 13. And I have to say, she's doing pretty well for a one-year-old. Most one-year-olds are learning how to walk, developing a personality, and getting into things they probably shouldn't be. Meanwhile, BARE has twelve X- Formers, a pretty impressive social circle, two more locations on the way, and an entire birthday month planned around herself. She's also apparently very popular at 5 AM, which is something I don't thin

Hi, it’s Maria, and BARE turns one this month. Which feels like a pretty good excuse to go back to the beginning. Except the beginning of BARE is a little weird, because four weeks before we opened the doors in Odessa, BARE wasn’t supposed to be BARE. When I first started building the Odessa studio, the plan was to open it under the fitness studio brand I had already been working with for years. That was the plan through almost the entire process. The space was under construc

Big news: BARE has been featured in the Tampa Bay Business Journal, announcing our next studio opening in St. Petersburg. We couldn't be more excited to bring our Slow Resistance Training method, and the community that makes BARE feel like home, to a city with so much personality and heart. This isn't just another location for us, it's a chance to become part of the St. Pete community we already love. Read our article in Tampa Bay Business Journal to hear more from our founde

Hi, it’s Maria, If you didn't hear, we just announced our third BARE location in St. Pete, which means I've spent a lot of the last few weeks thinking about leases, construction, equipment, timelines, hiring, training, marketing, and approximately 400 other things that come with opening a studio. But somewhere in the middle of all of that, I had a thought that had absolutely nothing to do with any of those things. There are people I haven't met yet who are going to become par

Hi, it’s Maria, and I have a good day every day! And before you roll your eyes, hear me out. That doesn't mean every day is easy, and it definitely doesn't mean I'm in a good mood every second of it. I own a business. People need things from me all day long. Plans change, problems come up, I get annoying emails, and I have conversations I would rather not have. I get overwhelmed, frustrated, tired, and occasionally pissed off before 8 a.m. But I still have a good day. Because

Hi, it’s Maria! I used to think getting more opportunities was always a sign that you were moving in the right direction. More options. More doors opening. More things to consider. More people wanting to work with you. It feels like progress, and when you’ve spent a long time working toward growth, it’s really easy to assume that the goal is to keep saying yes to whatever growth puts in front of you. I’m starting to realize I don’t think that anymore. The further I get into b

Hi, it’s Maria! I feel like people have gotten really bad at being inconvenienced. A plan changes. The time you wanted isn't available. You have to wait. Someone tells you no. A policy doesn't perfectly accommodate your situation. And somehow, a relatively normal inconvenience has started to feel like something someone else needs to fix. I love convenience as much as anyone. I want the nonstop flight. I mobile order my coffee. If there's a way to accomplish something in three

Hi, it’s Maria! I have to admit, I've been a little frustrated this week. Not by one huge thing. Honestly, it's almost the opposite. It's been a collection of small things that have left me wondering when doing something well, on time, and the way you said you were going to do it became such a big ask. Maybe I'm particular. Actually, I know I'm particular. I care about details, I care about timelines, and if I tell someone I'm going to do something, I feel a responsibility to

Hi, it’s Maria! Everyone loves the idea of change until change starts asking for something in return. A different life sounds exciting. A different career, stronger relationships, bigger goals, better habits. What sounds a little less exciting is the part where something about the life you already have has to make room for it. The problem is, you can't change without changing something. That sounds ridiculously obvious when you say it out loud, but I don't think we always liv

Hi, it’s Maria! I've been thinking about something a lot lately. It feels like somewhere along the way, we've become really good at explaining ourselves. We're late because traffic was bad. We didn't work out because work was busy. We haven't called someone back because life got in the way. We missed the deadline because we had too much on our plate. And before I go any further, I want to say something that's important. Sometimes those things are true. Life is unpredictable.