We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Janeen McCormick a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Janeen, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Crazy stuff happening is almost as certain as death and taxes – it’s technically “unexpected” but something unexpected happening is to be expected and so can you share a crazy story with our readers
One of our longtime clients has been coming to btone twice a week for almost a year, and her story captures what this workout is all about. btone focuses on building strength, balance, and truly functional movement by targeting the small stabilizer muscles that support the joints and keep the body moving well in everyday life. She is an avid outdoor enthusiast who spends much of her free time hiking in the Wasatch, one of the great gifts of living in the Salt Lake Valley. On a recent descent from Mount Olympus, a famously steep trail that climbs roughly 4,000 vertical feet in four miles, she slipped and broke her ankle. Hikers nearby were able to help her down the mountain, but an emergency room visit ended with the news that she would likely need surgery and be non weight bearing for six weeks. Devastated, she called to tell me what had happened. The next day, however, an orthopedic surgeon delivered a very different verdict. Thanks to the remarkable strength of the stabilizer muscles around her ankle, surgery was not necessary and she would only need to stay off the leg for about a week. She called again and told me she would be a btone believer for life.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am the owner of btone FITNESS Brickyard, a Pilates Remixed studio in the Brickyard area of Millcreek that serves the greater Salt Lake City community. I have been part of the btone world since 2022, when I joined as one of the founding members of the Hamilton, now Beverly, studio. By my third class I was already asking who owned the studio and how I could become more involved. The workout felt unlike anything I had done before, and the culture in the room was intense, welcoming, and completely free of judgment. I knew right away that I wanted this to be a much bigger part of my life, which eventually led me to bring btone to Utah.
My path to studio ownership started in a very different place. I began my career as an ICU nurse, caring for critically ill patients and learning how to stay calm, make decisions, and communicate clearly when a lot is at stake. From there I spent about thirty years in the pharmaceutical and medical device industry in roles that spanned sales, sales leadership, marketing, and global business and market development. I lived and worked in eight different states, which gave me a deep appreciation for how different each market, community, and culture can be. That experience taught me how to build relationships quickly, how to listen to what people truly need, and how to tailor strategy to fit a specific place rather than forcing a one size fits all approach. All of those skills are now at the heart of how I run my studio.
At btone Brickyard, we provide a high intensity, low impact, Pilates inspired strength and endurance workout that is designed to be both athletic and intelligent. Our classes focus on slow, controlled movements that recruit the small stabilizer muscles, build core strength, improve balance, and support functional movement for everyday life and outdoor adventure. We offer group classes, memberships, and intro offers, as well as a community that is genuinely invested in seeing each other thrive. The “problem” we solve for our clients is bigger than wanting toned arms or a stronger core. Many of our clients are driven, busy people who need a workout that is efficient, challenging, and safe on their joints, and who crave a space where they can feel both pushed and fully accepted. We help them build strength and resilience in a setting that feels like a second home.
What sets us apart is the combination of our training philosophy and our culture. The workout itself is incredibly effective, but what keeps people coming back is how they feel when they walk into the studio. We care deeply about the entire client experience from the moment someone finds us online, to their first class, to how they are greeted, coached, and supported over time. Continuous improvement is a core value for us. We are always asking for feedback, refining our systems, and looking for small ways to make the experience smoother, more welcoming, and more impactful. We also put a lot of energy into connecting people with similar interests, so that clients are not just coming for a class, they are coming to see their people. Watching friendships form and confidence grow on and off the machine is one of the most rewarding parts of my job.
I am most proud of the community we have built in Utah. We operate in a very competitive fitness market, yet our clients regularly tell us that btone feels different from anywhere else they have worked out. They feel seen, supported, and appropriately challenged. Hearing stories like the client who credits her btone training with helping her avoid ankle surgery after a hiking injury on Mount Olympus reminds me that what we do here has real impact on people’s lives outside the studio. For potential clients and followers, the main thing I want you to know is that btone is for you if you want a smart, challenging workout and a place where you can show up exactly as you are. You do not need to be “in shape” to start. You just need a willingness to try, and we will meet you there, help you progress, and cheer for you every step of the way.
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
My leadership style is rooted in servant leadership, and continuous improvement is woven into everything we do. I see my primary role as serving the team so they have what they need to succeed. I listen closely to their ideas and concerns, ask often what is working and what is not, and use that feedback to remove obstacles and refine our systems. At the same time, I set clear standards and expectations so everyone understands what excellence looks like at btone. That combination of listening, structure, and ongoing refinement helps the entire team feel supported, aligned, and confident in the way we show up for our clients and for each other.
Our Mission is anchored in people helping people. We are committed to creating a supportive and inclusive fitness community where individuals inspire and empower one another. We focus on fostering genuine connections, sharing knowledge, and offering personalized support so that every person who walks through our doors can move closer to their health and wellness goals. One client, one class, and one conversation at a time, we aim to build a stronger, healthier world.
Our Vision centers on empowering our btone FITNESS team to reach their full potential. We strive to cultivate a culture of continuous growth, progression, and well being. Continuous improvement for us means regularly reviewing what we do, inviting honest feedback, testing new ideas, and making small, consistent adjustments rather than waiting for big, infrequent changes. We are committed to providing the support, thoughtful feedback, and real opportunities each employee needs to thrive both personally and professionally. As our team grows, our ability to build a transformative fitness community grows with it.
Being an instructor with btone FITNESS is much more than a job. You become part of the btone family and a key leader within our community. btone Brickyard is just the beginning, with more btone FITNESS studios planned across the state. As we expand, we are intentionally creating pathways for career development so that team members can grow with us into new roles and new locations. Building btone FITNESS is a journey we take together, where every challenge becomes a stepping stone to success, every improvement makes the experience stronger, and every team member’s growth fuels our collective strength.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
One of the most influential resources for my management and entrepreneurial philosophy has been the book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. It is technically a classic on wealth, but what shaped me most are its principles of leadership and organized planning. Hill talks about having a definite purpose, building clear and practical plans, and then taking continuous, persistent action toward that purpose. Those ideas inform how I set the vision for btone, how I organize our goals, and how I coach my team to focus on what matters most instead of getting lost in noise.
The book also lays out core attributes of effective leadership that I try to embody every day: courage, self control, a keen sense of justice, decisiveness, mastery of detail, willingness to do more than you are paid for, and full responsibility for the team’s results. It emphasizes cooperation and the power of a mastermind, the idea that when people come together around a shared purpose, their collective intelligence and energy create something much greater than what any one person can do alone. That has deeply influenced my servant leadership style and my belief in building a team culture where everyone’s ideas are valued and where we win or learn together.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.btonefitness.com/locations/brickyard-millcreek-sugar-house-slc
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stories/btonefitnessbrickyard/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/15WrhS4WVc/?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janeenmcc/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/btone-fitness-brickyard-millcreek-3?osq=btone+FITNESS+-+Brickyard
