We were lucky to catch up with Paige DuBois Erwin recently and have shared our conversation below.

Paige DuBois, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

In 2012, I moved back to my home state of Texas after a 20 year long career in Broadway. I found myself needed to create and bring something different and special to my Houston community. Alongside my performing career I was always working in the Fitness Industry. I worked at the very first Equinox in New York City on the Upper West Side. Keeping my mind and body in shape was essential for my vigorous show schedule. I fell in love with yoga in early 2001 then found Pilates shortly after. The concept of BODYBARRE came from a combination of my dance background, choreography, Pilates and yoga. I created a barre method that targeted all body parts while remaining non impact to keep the body safe. Originally BODYBARRE was created as an instructor certification. It took me a year to write the manual and I wanted to teach/ share this seamless method with other studios. I never imagined have a studio of my own and becoming a “business owner”. I mean I went to school for Musical Theatre, not Business!!
When I opened the first BODYBARRE studio in 2017 everything seemed to come together. I found a team of incredible women/ instructors to take this journey with me. They are still with me today and I wouldn’t be where I am without them. Running this business became easy because we all loved what we were doing. They loved what I created and each added their own special style to their classes. I found the best thing to do as a business owner is hire people who inspire you and let them be who they are! I have instructors who don’t teach exactly how I teach and I have never tried to control or pigeon hole them into being me. And it works! Clients want variety and we are all so uniquely different. The girls on my Team genuinely love, support and cheer each other on.
We also love and cheer on our clients. We have created a community for women to move their body’s , relieve stress and make long lasting friendships. We have every client by name love on them hard!
We have a monthly staff meeting where i order lunch, sometimes champagne or wine is involved and we share our ideas and goals to keep BODYBARRE going ONLY UP.
That what I tell them…… ONLY UP.
They bought me a big bright neon purple sign saying ONLY UP that shines brightly in our beautiful studio.
Running a business with these ladies by my side makes it fun and easy. We should all be so lucky to work with a Team/ Sisterhood/ Support system like we have at BODYBARRE.

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?

In 2012, Paige Erwin created BODYBARRE® following her 20+ year career as a professional Broadway dancer. Following her retirement from Broadway, and studying the original barre work created by Lotte Berk, Paige searched for a barre method combining all the elements of classical dance, as well as strength training that she had grown to love. When nothing fit the bill, version 1 of the BODYBARRE® method was born.

The BODYBARRE® method started as a local instructor barre certification, with the focus of training and inspiring instructors in Southeast Texas.

Paige continued to supply a variety of studios in Texas with BODYBARRE® classes and certifications until demand grew so rapidly that a home studio was required. The Royal Academy of Fine Arts was our first home, and within one year, BODYBARRE® outgrew capacity and opened its own dedicated brick and mortar studio in 2017 in Houston, Texas.

Within its first year, the BODYBARRE® YouTube channel attracted 20,000 subscribers and earned the fastest growing barre method on social media with the #3 slot of top YouTube barre workout channels. During this time, BODYBARRE® Global was born as the demand for certifications spread across the United States and overseas to more than 20 countries. You can now find a BODYBARRE® certified instructor on every single continent and in most major cities and countries across the world.

Have you ever had to pivot?

When Covid hit In March 2020 obviously it affected the world especially fitness studios. Being isolated from each other we needed to find a way to stay connected to our clients and to keep them moving.
We offered 3 live stream filmed classes only for our members. We even hand delivered props such as mats. weights and Pilates balls so they could still work out with us from home. Each instructor picked a day/ time to come into the studio alone and film. Let me tell you that in itself is hard, we get energy and inspiration from our clients and we were alone.
Houston’s ABC news did a story on BODYBARRE, how we pivoted to keep the studio alive and instructors paid. We re opened our doors a month and a half later with limited class sizes but we were OPEN!!! A lot of boutique fitness studios had to sadly close their doors. We feel grateful and fortunate.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

When I opened BODYBARRE I never took out a loan or overspent in supplies, props , decor for the studio. I didn’t know what to expect. Was this even going to work? Who is going to buy memberships, keep paying and stay with us. I did thing gradually. When we could afford it we bought it. If not we didn’t. I’ve seen so many people buy franchises, spend excessively, go all out before the first customer walks in the door. You need to be smart about your expectations and at the same time believe in what you are doing. It’s a fine balance.
I learned a lot of what to do or not to do by mistakes I’ve made but no mistake has broken me.
As my business has grown I’ve been able to afford build out on a new beautiful space by adding other wellness businesses to the studio. We now have 2 other business residing in BODYBARRE. SALT REVIVAL , a salt therapy spa and THE FACE SPACE.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bodybarre.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bodybarreofficial/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BODYBARRE.Paige/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/bodybarre

Image Credits

Sean Rainer Photography