Sadie Lincoln Is Rewriting The Fitness Story -- Thoughts On Movement, Community, Risk & Vulnerability

“Numbers don’t mean anything when it comes to success.”

Sadie Lincoln

The alarm goes off and from that moment forward, life is a harried rush. Commuting, coffee, e-mails, meetings and take out. Getting Jenny to soccer practice and Billy back from theatre. When you finally land home, you're too beat to move. So you crash on the couch and doze off with a pint. Rinse and repeat.

We all do the best we can. But the pressures of daily life can leave us stressed and exhausted. Sedentary and stiff, our shoulders slump. Our spine rounds and our stance is lopsided. Without corrective action, we can't function properly. And everything we do -- including exercise -- only exacerbates the problem.

It's high time we restore the balance.

Let's just say Sadie Lincoln can relate. When her powerhouse career with a global fitness brand almost broke her, her passion for wellness made her unwell, and her path no longer aligned with who she was and how she wanted to contribute to the world, she decided to do something about it.

So, Sadie and her husband Chris quit their jobs. They sold their home. And they moved from the Bay Area to Portland -- downsizing in the pursuit of a dream most said was bat shit crazy.

Hence was born barre3, a whole-health movement studio, community, and fitness company focused on teaching people to be balanced in body and empowered from within.

What started out as a workout Sadie devised to help restore personal equanimity blossomed into a daily practice embraced by millions that focuses not on weight loss but rather on body positivity and personal empowerment. Since its 2008 inception, barre3 has grown to more than 140 franchise studios powered by female entrepreneurs, plus an online-workout streaming-subscriber base in 98+ countries.

Sadie is on Inc. magazine's Female Founders 100 list, has been featured on NPR's How I Built This, and speaks regularly on the topics of mindful leadership, the power of body wisdom and the movement to redefine what success in fitness means.

Today she shares her story.

If you enjoyed my conversation with WeWork co founder Miguel McKelvey from July 2019 (RRP #452), then you may recall Miguel's untraditional upbringing -- collectively raised by his mom and her small group of friends he called ‘aunties’.

Sadie also grew up in that very same communal dynamic community. Although not genetically related, Sadie and Miguel nonetheless consider themselves brother and sister.

So, we talk about that.

We discuss how Sadie's love of motion, creativity and teaching informs her particular strain of entrepreneurship and activism.

We talk about what it means to not just create a business -- but a movement. The importance of serendipity in the world of fitness. And why physical balance also requires spiritual balance.

Finally, we explore Sadie's commitment to empowering women. To cultivating their voices. And sharing their stories.

But more than anything, this is a conversation about the importance of defining your values. Staying true no matter what. And creating the change you want to see in yourself and the world -- even if it requires risking everything.

The visually inclined can watch it all go down on YouTube. And as always, the audio version streams wild and free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

If you enjoyed my conversation with Kelly McGonigal, you’re going to love Sadie.

May you find this conversation as enlightening and transformative as I did.

Peace + Plants,

Listen, Watch & Subscribe

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Thanks to this week’s sponsors

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Note: One of the best ways to support the podcast is to support the sponsors. For a complete list of all RRP sponsors and their respective vanity url's and discount codes, visit my Resources page and click "Sponsors".

SHOW NOTES

• Connect With Sadie: Bio | Instagram | Twitter
• barre3: barre3.com
• TIME: The Boss: How Sadie Lincoln's Unconventional Childhood Shaped Her Business Dreams
• Forbes: Barre3 CEO Sadie Lincoln Talks Tough Feedback And Vulnerable Leadership
• Inc.: Remarkable Women Are Building Empires
• Marie Claire: "Being A Female CEO Is Not My Identity"
• Pop Sugar: How — and Why — the Founder of a Successful Barre Company Practices Self-Care
• Shape: The Beginner's Guide to Barre Class
• SheKnows: Real Women On the Workouts That Made Them Fall in Love With Fitness

Related Podcasts You Might Enjoy:

• RRP #491: Kelly McGonigal Wants You To Fall In Love With Movement
• RRP #452: Miguel McKelvey Is Reimagining The Workplace
• RRP #230: Robin Arzon Wants You To Shut Up and Run

Thanks to Jason Camiolo for production, audio engineering and show notes; Margo Lubin and Blake Curtis for video, editing and graphics; portraits by Ali Rogers; and theme music by Ana Leimma.

*Disclosure: Books and products denoted with an asterisk are hyperlinked to an affiliate program. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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Support The Sponsors: One of the best ways to support the podcast is to support our sponsors. For a complete list of all RRP sponsors and their respective vanity url's and discount codes, visit my Resources page and click "Sponsors".