SHE'S ONE. SHE'S BOOKED. SHE'S BUSY.

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 think any of us expected to be saying about a one-year-old.

But here we are. If you've been following along this month, you've probably figured out that we

weren't going to celebrate our first birthday with a single Instagram post and a cupcake. We've got a birthday challenge, special pricing, new merchandise, a one-day membership sale, and a cocktail party on the calendar.

And yes, I fully intend to make a big deal out of all of it.

Because when I think about what BARE looked like on October 13, 2025, compared to what it looks like today, I think we have plenty of reasons to celebrate.

A year ago, we were opening the doors to a studio that had never taught an official class under the BARE name. We had twelve X-Formers, a team that had

spent months preparing, and a very clear idea of the experience we wanted to create. We knew what we believed in, we knew what we wanted to do differently,

and we were excited to finally let people experience it for themselves.

What we didn't have was a year's worth of people, personalities, relationships, and memories attached to any of it.We didn't have clients who knew exactly which X-Former they wanted before they walked through the door. We didn't have people who planned their mornings around seeing their favorite instructor. We didn't have class friends, lobby conversations, familiar faces at the desk, or people walking in already

knowing half the room.

Those things came later, and they've become some of my favorite parts of BARE. I love walking into the studio and seeing how comfortable everyone has become in a place that was completely unfamiliar to them a year ago.

I love that people have opinions about their favorite class times, their favorite instructors, and where they like to be in the room. I love that our team knows the personalities of our clients, and our clients know the personalities of our team.

I especially love when I hear people making plans together after class, because somewhere along the way, BARE became a place where people don't just come to work out. They come to see people they genuinely enjoy being around.

And I think that's a pretty incredible thing to create in one year. Of course, BARE has developed quite the personality herself. She likes things done a certain way. She has high standards, a very specific taste

in music, and a strong opinion about what constitutes a good workout. She believes in showing up on time, putting your phone away, working harder than

you probably planned to, and staying for a conversation afterward.

She's welcoming, but she's not particularly interested in making the workout easy for you. She'll remember your name, celebrate your progress, and then ask

you to hold that position for another ten seconds.

I wonder where she gets that from.

And while I'm obviously having fun talking about BARE like she's an actual person, there is something interesting about watching a brand develop an

identity beyond the person who created it.

I came into this with a very clear vision for what BARE should be. I knew how I wanted the classes taught, how I wanted clients treated, what the space should

feel like, and what kind of people I wanted representing the brand.

I cared about every detail because I knew those details would eventually determine whether people wanted to make BARE part of their lives.But what I couldn't create on my own was the personality that comes from hundreds of people experiencing the same place in their own ways.

Our instructors have brought so much of themselves into BARE. They've built relationships, developed their teaching styles, challenged their clients, and made

the experience their own while still protecting the standards that make BARE consistent.

Our clients have brought their personalities, their friendships, their routines, and their energy into the studio. And now, a year later, BARE feels like BARE in a way that I couldn't have fully explained before we opened.

It's one thing to design a brand. It's another thing to watch people bring it to life every single day.

Which brings me to another thing about our birthday girl. She's apparently not interested in staying an only child. When we opened Odessa, that was where my attention was. I wanted to build

one really great studio. I wanted to prove that we could deliver the kind of experience I'd spent years believing was possible, and I wanted to create

something people genuinely loved being part of.

Now, as we're celebrating Odessa's first birthday, we're also getting ready to welcome Wesley Chapel and have officially announced St. Pete.

So while our first studio is turning one, BARE is already preparing to introduce herself to two more communities.

And yes, I recognize that this is a lot of activity for someone who just learned how to walk.

But what's exciting to me isn't simply that we're opening more locations. It's that we have the opportunity to take something people have come to love in Odessa and create that same quality of experience somewhere new.

Different people, different personalities, different communities, but the same commitment to what makes BARE special.

And as excited as I am about everything that's coming, I don't want to spend our first birthday talking too much about what we're doing next.

Because this week belongs to Odessa.Our first studio. Our first instructors. Our first clients. The first people who trusted a brand they‘d never heard of and booked a class anyway.

The people who brought their friends, purchased memberships, showed up for challenges,

attended events, and made this place part of their weekly routines.

And the team who has spent the last year making sure the experience we promised is the experience people actually receive. I am incredibly proud of what we've created together. I don't think there's anything wrong with saying that, either. I think sometimes

we get so caught up in being humble or immediately talking about what's next that we forget we're allowed to be really excited about something we've accomplished.

And I'm excited.

I'm excited that a name I came up with in 2021 is now on the front of a studio filled with people I love seeing every day. I'm excited that our instructors have

built such meaningful relationships with their clients. I'm excited that people care enough about BARE to make it part of their lives. I'm excited that we've created something worth celebrating, and I'm especially excited that we get to celebrate it with the people who made it possible.

Which is exactly why we're making such a big deal out of this birthday. We're spending October celebrating with our 10/13 Challenge, birthday specials,

merchandise, and plenty of reasons to come spend time with us. And on October 16, we're getting everyone together for our one-year anniversary party.

Cocktail attire, of course. She's one, but she has standards. I hope everyone who has been part of this first year takes a moment to

appreciate what they've helped create. Whether you've been here since opening week, joined us somewhere along the way, or just recently walked through our doors for the first time, you've become part of BARE's story.

And I hope you're as excited to celebrate as I am, because I really do believe our first birthday deserves the attention we're giving it.

One year ago, BARE was a brand-new name on a door. Today, she's got a full schedule, a lot of friends, some very strong opinions, two new locations on the horizon, and a birthday party to get ready for.

She's one. She's booked. She's busy.

And she's just getting started.

Happy first birthday, BARE. I couldn't be prouder of you.

Now, let's go celebrate.

From my core to yours,

Maria Stege

Founder & CEO, BARE Pilates Studio

…and that’s The Naked Truth