In conversation with Jen Brown, the founder of Meet You At The Barre.
Jen is one of the most inspiring and motivating women in the realm of sport. She began her online barre classes when lockdown came down upon us and has been doing them ever since. Her barre classes are a mixture of ballet, regular strengthening exercises and pilates. It burns, leaves you drenched in sweat and starts your day just the right way.
On top of all of this, Jen has a wonderful family - how does she do it all you ask? Good question! Keep reading to find out all about Jen and her barre.
Could you please tell us a little bit about the process of becoming a barre instructor: why did you decide to become one, how did it happen, when etc...?
I used to be a women's Personal Trainer, specialising in pre and post natal fitness. I am in awe of the female body and what it goes through, and having had 4 kids I am also very aware of how much we need to look after ourselves and these things that carry us through our daily lives. My body was starting to ache and my joints were getting sore as I was approaching 40, and I just wasn't enjoying HIIT, running etc the way I used to. I started doing a course on the menopause and learned how the needs of the female body change as our hormone levels alter, and it made perfect sense as my own body was experience many of the signs. I wanted to find something that was low impact but high intensity, and would give results my clients want but also be fun, and crucially, good for us. I had heard about barre, but never done a class. Never one to be deterred I signed up to train and the rest is history.
Could you tell us a little bit about yourself outside of the barre studio?
I'm a mum of 4 young-ish kids - 2, 5, 10 and 12 so that pretty much sums up my life outside the studio! It's hard work but great fun, and keeps me on my toes. I used to be a real party girl but have evolved into a real homebody over the years - if the 23 year old me could see the 43 year old me she would be horrified, but I'm happy with my choices. Plus I'm always completely knackered so it's a good choice!
What have been the up's and down's you have faced as an online barre instructor?
I suffer from crippling imposter syndrome which is absolutely brutal. There's nothing like putting yourself out in the world of social media to really nail your insecurities to the mast. I never had a single ballet lesson as a child, and I feel like my technique in those parts of my classes is horrible. I've got better at dealing with the self-doubt but I don't think it ever goes away. I feel there are a million instructors who are better than me out there and am fairly nonplussed why success landed at my door, and plucking up the courage to run with it can be hard. On the plus side there are lots of ex-ballet dancers who do my classes who tell me I'm not awful, so that helps. The biggest upside has always been this incredible community of strong, beautiful, wise and incredibly supportive women that has grown up around MYATB. I find it a source of daily pleasure and wonder.
Have you always been into sports? And if so, which ones?
I played loads and loads of sport as a kid - every single one going. Then when I went to University I just suddenly stopped overnight and I really regret that as the camaraderie of team sports is second-to-none. In my 20's I always kept fit - going to the gym, running etc. and then in my 30's I got into exercising online. I was the only one of my peers who adopted it so early on, but I found the convenience of it just brilliant. I guess my technique is pretty spot on, so I wasn't worried about that, and just couldn't understand why people went to the gym when you could do it in the convenience of your own home and in private! I still play a lot of tennis (not as much as I'd like to but you know) and am at my happiest on a pair of skis.
As a young adult myself who does your classes everyday I wonder which age range is the most popular in your classes - how do you try and cater for the widest range of ages?
The data suggests my main body of clients are aged between 35-55 but there are outliers on either side of the age range. I try and cater across the ages by offering adaptations to the moves and encourage everyone to listen to their bodies and do what is right for them on that particular day. I must say "You do you" in every single class. I try and use music we are all familiar with and try to mix up the genres so everyone gets a little bit of something. I think people like the fact that I find the classes really tough - which they are - and like seeing me struggling along with them.
You put out 4 classes a week - do you workout 4 times a week or do you find yourself doing more barre or other sports?
It takes me quite a long time to prep for each class, sometimes up to a couple of hours if there is a lot of new choreography to learn or put to music. I play tennis once a week, and have a pilates reformer class once a fortnight. I'd always love to do more - I'm really keen to start lifting some heavy weights again but there's not enough time. I'm hoping that one day, when all my kids are in school, there'll be swathes of the day when I can do what I feel like doing, but I'm guessing that's just a pipedream.
Doing exercise as your everyday job must be challenging in terms of setting boundaries - do you find it hard to tell yourself to take a break before overdoing it?
Yes of course. It's very easy to dole out advice, much harder to take it. I have at least 2 rest days a week though and I am firm about that. Running your own business can be all consuming, I could work every minute of every day because I am lucky enough to love what I do, but I also love my family and want to do right by them. It's a constant balancing act.
What advice would you give other women who are inspiring to become a sport/barre instructor?
I think it's easy to be overwhelmed by the number of other instructors out there all looking like they are succeeding and to feel intimidated. As long as you can look at yourself in the mirror and know that you're going to love it and give it your all then there's always room for more instructors in the world!
If you hadn't had the chance to become a barre instructor, what would you have liked to work as?
I used to be a teacher, but I think I would struggle to go back to that now, as much as I loved it at the time. I have discovered a real entrepreneurial flair that I didn't know existed within me, but now I see business opportunities everywhere, so I am sure that I would end up striking out on my own again.
How do you juggle work, your family time and running a full on social media account?
It's really, really hard. I try to be disciplined with my time but fail most days. I am usually late for everything and my kids are constantly having balls dropped for them by me. It can be very stressful which I don't like at all, but as long as everyone knows how much I love them and that there is always time for them I try not to sweat the small stuff. My standards are a hell of a lot lower than they used to be. I also am hiring in help left, right and centre because I thought I could do it all, and discovered I couldn't. I really lost my mojo and got very grumpy and resentful, until I realised that I hadn't taken anything off my plate - just added a pretty-much full time business. So I am in the process of trying to delegate the stuff that I can within the home, and take on someone at work to make the balance a bit better. I think it's important that women speak up about the pressure that they find themselves under and share their solutions, so none of us are left scratching our heads and wondering why we can't do it all. I have found social media really helpful for that; I'm pretty careful about who I follow and that they enhance my life in some way, and finding authentic, honest accounts has been very useful for me. I try to make my account in a similar vein as I can't stand being made to feel "less than", and I would be mortified if I ever came across as someone who has their life together. I very definitely do not! We are balanced on a fine thread most days.
What is next for Meet You At The Barre? Are you planning to start in person classes again and if so, will you continue online classes (please say yes!)?
Again, that's a tricky question. Gyms have reopened but my studio has not. I have 4 kids in 4 different schools and running a gym as well fills me with fear of being a super-spreader. As long as there is demand for the classes online, and I can cope, then MYATB will remain fully operational! I may add in some live classes as I miss the interaction with my lovely students, but again I'm limited with time. It certainly won't be until September though. I love the flexibility of the online classes and online community I've built up, so I won't be going anywhere.
