Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Porter

Hi Kelly, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.

Barre Roots started as an alternative to therapy.

OK, maybe that’s a stretch. Maybe it isn’t. But when I was 22 I was living alone outside of Philadelphia, and was at a pretty low point in my life. I was seeing a therapist once a week to help me deal with a great deal of anxiety.

There was a barre studio next to my therapist’s office. But at that point in my life, you NEVER would have found me in a gym. My anxiety was too much. But every week I would look through the window of this barre studio, see the ladies in there who all looked so happy, and the workout didn’t look too crazy, so I wanted to give it a try. I talked a coworker into going with me for the first time, and I was HOOKED. I went back every day that week.

It wasn’t long before I swapped my therapy sessions for barre classes, and I never looked back. Barre helped me not only get control of my physical health- but, most-importantly, it helped me build confidence. I decided to become a certified barre instructor because I wanted a deeper understanding of the workout, and that furthered my obsession with barre and my connection to it.

When my husband and I moved to Nashville in 2016, I tried to find a barre studio near me, but I couldn’t find one where I felt I really fit in. Barre unfortunately gets a bad rap for “only being a workout for people with expensive workout clothes, and who are built like Barbie dolls, and who always look perfect.” I am far from that.

So, in 2019 I decided to open my own barre studio, calling it Barre Roots. It was to be a place where men and women of all shapes, sizes, and walks of life would workout, benefit from the physical aspects of barre, where everyone felt safe and a part of a community. I had grand plans for an elegant brick and mortar studio in Nashville.

But in 2020 the world shut down, and I had to get really creative. I started teaching outdoor classes in parks, I would host pop-up barre classes at local breweries, I would do “lunch and moves” via zoom for various corporations during the pandemic. I also started teaching private barre classes out of my house, and then I started a regular outdoor class schedule and taught in our backyard (since we lived on five acres.)

However, our son was three years old, and the entrepreneurial lifestyle was not conducive for our family at the time, so I put Barre Roots on pause. Life took some crazy turns, and we moved to Fort Myers, Florida at the end of 2021 to help open an athletic performance center where college football players train in hopes of them getting drafted. The center also trains the everyday athlete, like me.

But that itch to get Barre Roots integrated into Southwest Florida was there, and in March of 2023 I started barre Roots again. It has been so awesome to see how welcoming this community is, and I am excited to see what the future holds. Having a new lens on business, and where I’m at in life now, I am excited to help provide functional strength and movement to the community.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

Absolutely not. In fact, I closed the business once.

I opened in 2019 and 9 months later entered into a pandemic that changed everything. It took a lot of resources and family time to keep things running, and at the end of the day I decided that I needed to step back, be with family, and get a job that provided more stability.

When I closed the business, I was thinking Barre Roots would never open again. I was devastated. But I am a firm believer that if it is meant to be, it will be. And that’s exactly what happened. 2 years later I accidentally re-opened Barre Roots.

I call it ‘Barre Roots “1.0” and Barre Roots “2.0.” And while the ups and downs are a bit smoother than Barre Roots 1.0, there are still ups and downs. The entrepreneurial journey is not linear, so the ups and downs just come with the territory.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Barre Roots?

Barre Roots is a blend of barre and mat pilates. When the business was created, it was barre only. But the pandemic forced me out of the studio, so I had to create a method that could be done without a bar. Using my barre certification and my mat pilates certification, I created a fusion of the two of them.

Barre Roots is more than just looking good in a bathing suit. It’s about building confidence through movement.

It is a high vibing, low impact, glute building, and strength in flexibility building class with an emphasis on deep core and pelvic floor.

I love the connection that is built with every single member. Everyone that comes in as a stranger, leaves as family. I pride myself on my follow up and connection built with every client.

No matter where you are on your fitness journey, Barre Roots will meet you there.

You are able to jump into a group class, schedule a private session, or even take a class from the comfort of your own home. Barre Roots is ALWAYS accessible.

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?

I grew up riding horses and I spent several summers at horseback riding camp. I loved spending my days riding horses, playing in the barn, and running in the fields with my friends.

Pricing:

• $20
• $47
• $80

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.barreroots.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barreroots
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barreroots
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx3cftLxJR96c1RCdd5t-yQ