We recently connected with Keeley Young and have shared our conversation below.

Keeley , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

For me, it was never about “weight loss, fitness, or looking a certain way.” Barre made me feel strong, confident, and simply put — happy. When I was pregnant with my daughter, Stella, in 2021, I wasn’t able to run the long distances I was normally able to. During that time, I needed to find another outlet, and barre became just that. After delivery, I continued taking online barre classes but was missing the community aspect. In 2022, I decided that I would take the leap and get trained to be a teacher so I could share the love I have for Barre. Our mission is mindfulness, movement, community. Being mindful of what we tell ourselves, moving our bodies in a way that makes us HAPPY, and finding community with the women we share space with.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Keeley Young, and I’m from Carroll, Iowa. I am married to my high school sweetheart, Josh, and together we have a daughter named Stella and a Mini Golden Doodle named Berkley. Owning a business was never something I imagined for myself. Growing up, both sets of my grandparents owned local businesses, but it was never something I saw myself doing. In 2021, while I was pregnant with my daughter, I fell in love with Barre. I had been taking classes off and on for years, but the physical and mental benefits that Barre offered me during those 9 months were something I had never experienced. My balance improved, I felt strong, and towards the end of my pregnancy, I was even able to get back to running because of the pelvic floor strength I gained.

After I delivered my daughter, I continued taking online classes and knew that Barre was something I wanted to share with those around me. The closest training was in Des Moines, IA (just 70 miles away), but I knew I had to do it. I took the leap, signed up, and drove back and forth from Des Moines 3 days a week for 4 weeks while working full-time and having a newborn at home. It was some of the most challenging times of my life, but I would do it over and over again knowing what I know now. I graduated from my first training program on a Wednesday and started my first studio job just three days later.

During that class, I met my now friend, Alma Sexton. Alma had been teaching barre for over ten years and decided I was worth taking under her wing for the summer. She mentored and taught with me every weekend, chatted throughout the week, and made sure I was bringing back a worthwhile Barre class to Carroll. I began teaching classes of eight people in August of that year. I taught twice a week and occasionally filled those classes. The next month, classes doubled, waitlists began, and word was spreading. The following month the same thing happened, and so on and so forth. The demand was higher than what my little notebook and I could handle.

I started looking into new spaces and technology to make Relevé run smoother. In November, I moved into our current space on Thomas Plaza and also welcomed my first yoga teacher, Ashley. The demand continued to grow, word continued to spread, so I then hired two of my best friends, Karly and Macie. Alma trained them, and they hit the floor running teaching in January. Their classes quickly filled, and I saw the need for another teacher, Ashlee. Ashlee had been coming to classes for months, loves fitness, and is a former dancer. I saw something in her that she hadn’t yet seen, and before she knew it, she was agreeing to come train and teach with me as our first Power Barre instructor. The last piece of the puzzle was a second yoga instructor, Jen. She just joined our team in May and is an invaluable asset. She brought vast knowledge and a wide variety of yoga classes. We now have six instructors, classes seven days a week, and hundreds of women a part of our community.

I’m proud of the business and all of my instructors, but what I’m most proud of? The community WE have created. Not me, not the instructors, but the women who come into our classes. The conversations, smiles, and friendships formed are something that fuels our desire to continue to create. We have weekly happy hours after classes, group events, and always have ladies chatting long after class is over. Group fitness classes can be intimidating, but at Relevé, we strive to destroy that notion. We truly believe we have some of the most welcoming and genuine women in our studio. It’s never about how low you can plié, how long you can hold a yoga pose, or how much weight you can lift. We strive to be the best version of OURSELVES, not anyone else. I promise you, one step into our studio, and you will leave with a friend that you never knew you needed.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

Manage your team how you want to be managed. That may sound cheesy, but the “golden rule” we all learned in elementary school applies to business practices as well. Your team wants to feel appreciated; after all, owners are nothing without a good team, right?

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Relevé has experienced several “pivotal moments.” When I first opened at my initial location, the plan was to teach a couple of classes a week to just a few people. As the business grew, the need to expand in terms of space, technology, and instructors became evident to achieve a healthy work/life balance for myself. When I began instructing, clients would sign up via Facebook Messenger, and I would record their names, numbers, and class passes in a notebook. As classes grew, I gradually transitioned to using spreadsheets, although it remained quite time-consuming.

The time eventually came for a new, larger location, and I simultaneously decided to expand with more instructors while incorporating technology. I acquired the Mindbody app, which revolutionized the way I managed my business. I now maintain a stable schedule, enjoy an excellent work/life balance, and genuinely take pleasure in what I/we do at the studio.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @releve.barre and @keeleyyoung
• Facebook: Relevé Barre & Yoga
• Youtube: keeleyyoung

Image Credits
All photos are taken by Ashley Hinners of Ashley Hinners Photography located in Manning, Iowa