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.

This week instead of our usual blog we are doing something a little different. Our founder and CEO Maria Stege was recently a guest on the podcast This Isn't Normal hosted by Angelica Connor. Maria gets into the real stuff. Skipping college, building BARE from the ground up at 22, earning respect as the youngest person in the room, and why she believes ambition never owes anyone an apology. Click the link below to listen! https://open.spotify.com/episode/5q3eJwWYZPSaS4JJpio28

Hi, it’s Maria! One thing I say in class all the time is, "Your results are in your resilience." At this point, some of my members could probably finish the sentence for me. It's become one of those phrases that naturally comes out when class gets hard and everyone starts questioning whether they can hold on for ten more seconds. And in that moment, that's exactly what I mean. Sometimes your results really are in those last few seconds when your legs are shaking, your muscles

Hi, it’s Maria! I've been waiting to write this blog for what feels like forever, and I honestly still can't believe I'm finally getting to say it. BARE is officially coming to Wesley Chapel. If you'Be been around the studio for a while, you've probably picked up on little hints over the last few months. Maybe you've heard us mention meetings, construction, or "another project" in passing. Keeping this quiet has been incredibly hard because it's something I've been dreaming a