EPISODE 3: BUILDING YOUR DREAMS FROM THE GROUND UP WITH LACEY GARRETT AND KIRBY DUDLEY OF GARAGE BARRE + BIKE
Live Date: June 1, 2020
Show Description: Today, we are delighted to bring to TIL listeners two of our favorite women! Two #boymoms just like Heather, Lacey Garrett and Kirby Dudley are the dynamic duo behind Garage Barre + Bike, based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. As a small business owner herself, Heather is wowed by the success Lacey and Kirby have experienced in a few short years, but she’s even more blown away by the community Lacey and Kirby have built. Their passion is lifting women up and creating space for everyone and every body. Heather has felt this firsthand as a member of Garage Barre + Bike, and she knows you will enjoy the conversation with these women as they chat about female entrepreneurship, promoting positive self talk and body image, building community that lifts women up, navigating small business heartbreak, and so much more.
Biggest Takeaways:
Building a community that empowers women, particularly in the fitness space, doesn’t happen overnight. It takes a lot of hard work. While their “Garage Barre Babes” are champions for each other, it wasn’t just a happy accident. They’ve been intentional about making their resources accessible to all shapes, all sizes, all ages, all backgrounds in a community that creates belonging.
How can we make women feel seen and known in everyday life – at work, at our children’s schools, in our friendships? Kirby says to be the first one to make a move: We’ve built these walls so high. We feel like everyone is trying to compete with us. We wear these masks of perfection. So some people won’t respond to your outreach at first. But be the first one to do it anyway. Say hi or break the ice with a stupid joke.
Everyone goes through hard seasons. It may not be business-related (you don’t want to miss their nightmare neighbor story!), but everyone walks through stressful, painful obstacles. While the heartache is hard to walk through, Lacey and Kirby believe it’s all worth it. They believe this tough season led to so much growth. Lacey shares: “We see it as the best part of our business. If we had not had any of these obstacles, we would have never grown or taken the next step. We were literally pushed in the direction of growth.”
If you are a woman and you are here, you have likely dealt with body image issues and negative self-talk. Lacey and Kirby have some tips to combat those unconstructive thoughts and be kinder to yourself:
Be proud of yourself for just walking in the door. It’s truly the hardest part.
Celebrate non-scale victories
Embracing bodies at every size and celebrate strength
Working out to be strong and healthy and nourishing your body, while indulging occasionally, is the point
Quotables:
“It’s not what you sell. It’s why you sell it.” – Lacey Garrett
“I’ve found that by stepping forward in that vulnerability and transparency, somebody else steps forward and says, ‘Me too.’” – Heather Adams
“Comfort does not promote growth. It’s when you get uncomfortable that you’re forced to move, to grow, and to become stronger.” – Lacey Garrett
“As fitness studio owners, sometimes we get in our own heads, like ‘we don’t look like fitness studio owners.’ But then realizing, that’s the point. You don’t have to be perfect.” – Kirby Dudley
Resources and Links from Show:
