We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mackenzie Te’o a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Mackenzie, appreciate you joining us today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard.
At Bag+Barre we pair high-intensity boxing rounds with low-impact barre series to create a dynamic and balanced fitness experience. Our classes invite women to swing at the bag and sculpt at the barre encouraging them to be both fierce and feminine, powerful and poised, a beauty and a beast. This dual expression in a single workout is hard to come by as many fitness centers curate programs highlighting either the grace OR the grit of women. And we believe women are both graceful and gritty. Women are often categorized as a girly-girl or a tomboy – one preferring dolls and modesty while the other prefers dirt and destruction, but I believe most women feel free when they’re given permission to be both.
As a female business owner who loves both boxing and barre, I value dressing up and throwing down. I love feeling beautiful, lean and controlled at the barre while I tone by body knowing minutes later I will feel strong and unwavering as I hit the bag with bare knuckles.
This is what we hope to provide to all of our members. You are beautiful, you are a beast. Do your thing, sis. We’ve got your back.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
About a decade ago I was disappointed in my self-consciousness and wanted to find a fitness experience to fan my confidence and improve my health. I was looking for an activity that was exhilarating, fun, and had a supportive female community. I found an MMA gym and after I finished my first round on a Muay Thai heavy bag, I was hooked. I loved the explosive nature of boxing and the camaraderie of a great sweat sesh. A few years later I tried out barre and felt so humbled that my high endurance and strengthened major muscles were no help in the minor muscle focus, low weights, high reps intensity of barre. The barre sculpt paired with the boxing build created this beautiful lean and muscular physique.
I began to combine these two fitness styles and fell in love with the results. I couldn’t wait to share this fitness hybrid with other women. In 2023, we opened the first boxing and barre studio in the country!
In addition to our fitness niche, we’ve curated our classes to be pregnancy and postpartum safe. Protecting and repairing mom’s bodies became a passion when I became pregnant with our little girl. In 60% of pregnancies, the abdominals separate to make room for the growing baby so adjusting the core workouts to protect the body from further separation is vital. And the postpartum body rebuild is not for the fainthearted so we’re always providing tips in class.
We also offer a quarterly class called Strong As A Mother where we educate postpartum mom’s on their body’s recovery and how postpartum core-friendly fitness can aid in their health. We demonstrate proper core-rebuilding breathing for both barre and bag work and provide resources and a community of mom’s to encourage one another on their journey.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
About a year or so into my boxing journey I applied to be an instructor at a local boxing gym. I felt confident in my ability to inspire, teach and cultivate a high-energy class for members. I was a bit green in my technique but I thought teaching would help increase my ability. I showed up for my fitness interview fully suited with shin guards, a mouthguard, hand wraps and boxing gloves. Looking back, it was a bit overkill. The owner of the gym introduced himself and made it a point to share that several other applicants had ‘wasted his time’ with their lack of skill. I was determined to break his losing streak and provide him with a potential trainer he was excited about.
We began the interview with some basic combos on the bag and moved to some light sparring. I had missed a few of his cues but didn’t think much of it because the vibe of our time seemed so relaxed. I love improving my abilities and began asking questions about technique and was trying out a few of the more complicated combinations he had demonstrated.
I had missed yet another cue and suddenly he ripped one glove off, threw it on the ground, grabbed the velcro on the other glove and chucked in down beside us. Frustrated, he shared his disappointment in my lack of body control and poor form. He said that the interview was over and there was not a position available for me…then he walked away.
I was caught off guard. Our time felt casual and safe to try and fail at the moves he was showing me. I had been wildly mistaken. There I stood, in my over-the-top gear, with tears in my eyes and a broken heart.
I left the gym humbled and humiliated. I was determined to prove him wrong. Over the following three years I focused all of my attention on my form and control through repetition and time in front of the mirror. I once heard someone say, “Amateurs practice until they get it right, professionals practice until they can’t get it wrong.” This became my motto.
I spent hours in front of the mirror watching, correcting and perfecting every part of my body during my workouts. Soon the compounded daily sessions, weeks, months and years of practice began to show off.
On Bag+Barre’s grand opening, I cut the ribbon with this interview in mind. I have a high standard for myself and believe that those you lead can only go as far as you are. This expectation is at the forefront of my thoughts when I’m teaching class.
You can imagine the tears that came to my eyes when a member told me they thought I looked graceful and controlled on the bag and that I was their inspiration.
Just because something doesn’t come natural, it doesn’t mean that it’s off the table. Keep working, keep failing, keep trying, and just keep swinging. It’ll come and soon our stories will lend hope to others.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
Like. Know. Trust.
When a potential member, is looking for someone to follow or somewhere to workout, we want them to be attracted to our story, our vibe, and our boxing and barre product. To like someone is the first step to investment.
A friend once said, “You can be impressive or known but you can’t be both”. At Bag+Barre we strive for authenticity. Our training team is filled with mom’s, entrepreneurs, and fitness enthusiasts. We’re average women who happen to love boxing and barre and we strive to communicate this. Our physique and ability is inspiring but more importantly, attainable. We hope everyone who comes feels seen, loved, and welcome.
Consistency is the key to trust. Show up when you say you will. Let your yes be yes and your no be no. Know exactly who you are as a brand, a company, and team and don’t waiver from that to appease anyone else.
Your members, clients, customers can like, know and trust you…you’ve made a lifelong friend and advocate.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bagandbarre.com/
- Instagram: @bagandbarre
- Other: [email protected]
Image Credits
Spencer Te’o