2026 Fitness Reset: Barre3's Sadie Lincoln Says Your Body Needs Love, Not Another Boot Camp
Show Snapshot:
Ready to revolutionize your relationship with fitness in 2026? If you've spent decades exercising to "fix" your body, it's time for a radical shift. Sadie Lincoln, founder of barre3 with 200+ studios and 2,000+ online courses, transformed her own struggle with a punishing gym culture into a compassionate workout practice during her first pregnancy—and built an empire helping millions of women do the same. A Forbes 50 Over 50 honoree, Sadie shares how she created barre3's unique blend of cardio, strength, and mindfulness, and grew it through female franchisees embodying her "stronger together" philosophy. Discover why "fitness isn't broken—our relationship to fitness is broken," how modifications amplify results, and why separating your worth from your workout changes everything. Listen in for practical wisdom to care for your body versus working out to conquer it.
Transcript:
Katie Fogarty 0:05
Katie, welcome to A Certain Age, a show for women who are unafraid to age out loud. I'm your host, Katie Fogarty. Beauties, I know you are being positively bombarded with 'New year, new you' messaging, but we are not going to condone that stuff over here on A Certain Age. We like old you and we like old us. Getting to midlife teaches us we are enough, just as we are, but getting to midlife also teaches us that staying healthy, strong, mobile, and agile as we age takes intention. We need a fresh toolkit for the new year. All month long, we are spending time with women who offer real tools and lived expertise in the art and science of living well at midlife and beyond. We'll look at heart health, breaking up with alcohol, functional fitness, and health tech to supercharge your 2026 wellness routines. Today, we are kicking off the month with a truly exceptional guest who's revolutionizing how women across the globe think about fitness, balance, and strength. Sadie Lincoln is the founder of the mega-popular workout Barre3, one of the largest and most popular fitness and wellness omni-channel platforms going. She has 200-plus studios and online fitness programs across 100-plus countries and a library of thousands of classes. Since launching her Portland, Oregon studio in 2008...
Katie Fogarty 1:33
Sadie has grown her company across the country and globe, impacting millions of people and garnering accolades and awards, including a spot on the Inc. Female Founders 100 list, an EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and my personal favorite, a spot on the Forbes 50 Over 50 list—because fitness, impact, and awesomeness have no expiration date. I have been lucky enough to take a class at Sadie's beautiful New York studio and do a live class with her at an event in Washington, DC. The workout is incredible, as is Sadie and her commitment to helping women build vibrant, resilient bodies and businesses. I am so excited to do a deep dive into both her entrepreneurial story and her Barre3 workout on today's show. Welcome to A Certain Age, Sadie.
Sadie Lincoln 2:27
Thank you, Katie. Happy to be here.
Katie Fogarty 2:30
Sadie, I'm so excited to have you on the show. I had the absolute pleasure of being in your gorgeous New York studio. As I shared, we got to do a live class together in DC at the end of 2025. You have an incredible workout. You've got such a compelling story. I'd love to kick it off by hearing you briefly share how you got started on your entrepreneurial journey, and ask you: did you come from a family of entrepreneurs?
Sadie Lincoln 2:54
Yes, well, I'll start there. I did come from a family of entrepreneurs. My mom and her dear friends, who I consider like my aunties, they started the alternative paper in Eugene, Oregon. It was called What's Happening to start in the 80s, and it's now the Eugene Weekly. They started this paper out of their core values and their desire to provide a different kind of news channel for the Eugene community. It started in our living room. I'll never forget them all with their light tables, literally an exacto knife cutting out a couple ads. I actually drew pictures—I was 10 years old. I drew pictures to fill up ad space because they didn't have enough people advertising in the beginning. So yes, I did come from a family of entrepreneurs, and I started Barre3, like many people, including my mom, of just scratching my own itch, and I really wanted to create something in the fitness space that was missing for me as a woman. I wanted to create a workout that was designed around women's physiology, but also our psychology and what I thought was a real need in being able to provide women an exercise practice that honored their bodies right where they were in that present moment, versus exercising to conquer your body or change it into a future shape or ideal. And that really is the genesis of what prompted me to start my own business with Barre3. Barre3 is built not only as a workout, it's really a philosophy. On your website, you say, quote, 'Fitness isn't broken. Our relationship to fitness is broken.' Walk us through what you mean by this. When I was pregnant with my first child, Audrey, that was now over 21 years ago, I, for the first time, started to exercise...
Sadie Lincoln 5:00
...in a way that honored my body as it was and celebrated my body as it was. But I couldn't find a studio to work out in, or a gym to work out in that really guided me in that kind of authentic practice. So I started to work out at home, and I started to combine different elements of fitness that I knew would really fortify me in that moment—yoga, Pilates, and barre—and I started to create a methodology that was all about modifying the moves based on my ever-changing, growing body. And that was a huge paradigm shift for me, because prior to that, my relationship with fitness was about, 'I'm going to do this fitness protocol so that I can change my body, because it is not enough as it is.' I thought of fitness as something that would finally make me worthy, attractive, winning, achieving. I had all these ideas of what I needed to become in my body in order to essentially belong.
Sadie Lincoln 6:10
And in that moment when I started to modify workouts at home and to work out with a motivation of compassion versus shame...
Sadie Lincoln 6:21
I literally said out loud, 'Oh, my God, maybe I'm not failing fitness. Maybe fitness has been failing me. Maybe our mindset around fitness and the narrative around fitness is what is failing us women. I can't be alone.' And so that quote on our website was a literal thing I said out loud to myself many years ago.
Katie Fogarty 6:50
It's so good that you listened to that and embraced this more compassionate approach to how you interacted with fitness. It's amazing to think this started at this sort of aha moment that you had at home working out. You took this into a studio in Portland. You've now grown Barre3 into this global force, and your growth, in part, has largely been fueled by a franchise model, right, which centers and supports women owners. I love hearing your backstory, that you were raised in sort of a female collective. Your mom with her friends, your aunties, raising all of you children together as a collective. How did this notion—or this decision rather—to rely on female business owners fuel the growth of Barre3?
Sadie Lincoln 7:33
One of our core values at Barre3 is 'stronger together.' It started out as 'collective wisdom.' It's one in the same, and it is based on how I was raised. I was raised with a collective of women who just surrounded me with different points of view, but also really encouraged me to honor my own wisdom, that it wasn't just about one person being the hero or the guru. It really was about everybody's informed truth in that collective is what makes us stronger, and that is very much a core value at Barre3. We are the anti-guru company. This is not the Sadie Lincoln method. This is not about copying what I've learned over the years. It's more about all of us as instructors being the guide. We are not the hero. Our clients are the hero, and we guide them into remembering that their wisdom matters, their inner voice matters. So much of fitness is on the inside that you can't see. I can't see in a class if a woman is struggling with grief, losing a husband recently, or a miscarriage. I can't see in a class if a woman is pushing through negative pain in her knee because she's been told 'no pain, no gain.' I can't see that, but she can feel it, and I can remind her to notice if that struggle in her body is really serving her, or if she could modify it and move that struggle to where she really wants to grow. I can remind her to focus on sensations in her body so that she is not hijacked by thoughts of 'what I need to be doing,' 'I'm not good enough,' 'Why did I wear this outfit?' 'Oh my gosh, I did a push-up yesterday, and why can't I do it today?' Every time we guide her into sensations in her body, we're guiding her into remembering that she is truly empowered and she is her own best teacher. And all of that really, really did come from my upbringing and is the foundation of our success today at Barre3.
Katie Fogarty 10:00
I love that you share that the woman is the sort of the hero of the story, the sort of the center of the action within the class. One of the things I noticed in the two classes that I've taken at Barre3—one I took with an instructor in New York, one I took with you in Washington, DC—modifications are loud and encouraged. It's like every single person can show up in the class and have a different experience from one another. Walk us through what a Barre3 fitness class looks like for listeners who are not familiar with this workout.
Sadie Lincoln 10:32
Yeah. Well, Barre3, a barre class versus Barre3, right? So 'barre' is a niche. And so I would say right from the start, what makes us different is that we really focus on balance. So we have what we call the three B's: we balance cardio, strength, and mindfulness in every single workout. So we're not just doing barre work at the ballet barre. We are really focused on full-body functional strength training. We use light hand weights. We use our body weight. We use resistance bands. We focus on isometric holds, which is really where you get that beautiful muscle definition and that long, lean, strong feeling in your body. But we also focus on large muscle group training and cardio bursts so that you're getting your heart rate up. You're sweating. You're building cardiovascular health, which is so important, especially as we age. And then we also weave in mindfulness throughout the entire class. So from the very beginning, we're asking you to check in with your body, to notice how you feel, to set an intention for your practice. And throughout the class, we're constantly reminding you to come back to your breath, to notice sensations, to modify based on what you need in that moment. And then we always end with a beautiful cool-down and a savasana-style rest at the end. So it really is a holistic practice that honors your whole self—your physical body, your cardiovascular system, and your mental and emotional wellbeing.
Katie Fogarty 12:15
I love that. And I experienced that myself. It's really a beautiful practice. One of the things that strikes me about your business model is that you've chosen to grow primarily through franchising, and you've specifically focused on empowering women entrepreneurs to open their own Barre3 studios. Can you talk about why that was important to you and how that's shaped the culture of the company?
Sadie Lincoln 12:42
Yeah, I mean, it goes back to that core value of 'stronger together' and collective wisdom. I knew from the very beginning that I couldn't do this alone, and I didn't want to do it alone. I wanted to build something that was bigger than me, that would outlast me, that would have a ripple effect in communities all across the world. And I knew that the best way to do that was to empower other women to be entrepreneurs, to own their own businesses, to create their own success stories. And so from the very beginning, we designed our franchise model to really support women. We provide extensive training. We provide ongoing support. We have regional meetings where franchisees can come together and share best practices. We have an annual conference where we all gather and learn from each other. It's really about creating this community of women who are supporting each other, who are learning from each other, who are growing together. And I think that's been one of the biggest keys to our success—that we're not just a bunch of individual studios operating independently. We really are a collective, a community of women who are all working towards the same goal of helping women feel empowered in their bodies.
Katie Fogarty 14:05
That's beautiful. And I think it really comes through in the experience of taking a class. You can feel that sense of community and support. I want to shift gears a little bit and talk about the physical benefits of Barre3. As we age, maintaining strength, balance, and mobility becomes increasingly important. How does Barre3 specifically address the needs of women in midlife and beyond?
Sadie Lincoln 14:32
Oh my gosh, this is one of my favorite things to talk about because I am 52 years old, and I am in the best shape of my life. And I truly believe that Barre3 is a huge part of that. As we age, we lose muscle mass. We lose bone density. Our balance starts to decline. Our flexibility starts to decline. All of these things are natural parts of aging, but they don't have to be inevitable. We can slow down that process. We can even reverse some of those effects through intentional strength training and balance work. And that's exactly what Barre3 does. We focus on building lean muscle mass through isometric holds and strength training. We focus on balance work in every single class. We're constantly challenging your proprioception, your ability to know where your body is in space. We focus on flexibility and mobility through our stretching and our mindful movement. And all of this together creates a practice that really fortifies you as you age. It helps you maintain your independence. It helps you prevent falls. It helps you prevent injuries. It helps you feel strong and capable in your body. And I think that's what women in midlife and beyond really need. We need to feel like we can do hard things with our bodies. We need to feel like we're getting stronger, not weaker. And that's what Barre3 provides.
Katie Fogarty 16:20
I love that. And I think it's such an important message because there is so much messaging out there that as we age, we should just accept decline. And what you're saying is, no, we can actually build strength. We can build resilience. We can build capability. And I think that's such an empowering message. You mentioned that you're 52 and you're in the best shape of your life. Can you talk a little bit about your own personal fitness journey and how it's evolved as you've aged?
Sadie Lincoln 16:52
Yeah, I mean, I think my fitness journey really mirrors the evolution of Barre3. When I was younger, I was very much in that mindset of 'no pain, no gain,' 'push through,' 'more is better.' I was doing a lot of high-impact exercise. I was running. I was doing intense cardio classes. And I was also struggling with disordered eating and a really unhealthy relationship with my body. And it wasn't until I got pregnant with my first daughter that I really started to shift that relationship. I started to exercise from a place of honoring my body rather than punishing it. And that shift was transformative for me. And as I've aged, I've continued to deepen that practice. I've become more attuned to what my body needs in any given moment. I've become better at modifying. I've become better at listening to my body's signals. And I've also become more intentional about my strength training. I used to think that just doing barre work was enough, but as I've gotten older, I've realized that I need to really focus on building and maintaining muscle mass. I need to focus on progressive overload. I need to challenge myself in new ways. And so my practice has evolved to include more strength training, more intentional muscle-building work, while still maintaining that mind-body connection and that compassionate approach that's always been at the core of my practice.
Katie Fogarty 18:35
That's so helpful to hear because I think a lot of women, especially as we age, we're trying to figure out, 'What is the right balance? How much should I be doing? What types of exercise should I be prioritizing?' And what I'm hearing from you is that it's really about listening to your body, being intentional, and focusing on strength training while maintaining that mind-body connection. Is that a fair summary?
Sadie Lincoln 19:02
Absolutely. And I would also add that it's about finding something that you enjoy, that you look forward to, that doesn't feel like a punishment or a chore. Because the reality is, the best exercise is the one that you'll actually do consistently. And if you're forcing yourself to do something that you hate, you're probably not going to stick with it. So finding a practice that brings you joy, that makes you feel good, that honors your body—that's really the key to long-term success.
Katie Fogarty 19:35
I love that. Such wise words. Sadie, I want to shift and talk about your entrepreneurial journey because you've built this incredible business. You've grown it from one studio in Portland to 200-plus studios around the world. That's a massive achievement. What have been some of the biggest challenges you've faced as an entrepreneur, and how have you overcome them?
Sadie Lincoln 20:02
Oh my gosh, there have been so many challenges. I mean, building a business is hard. It's really hard. And I think one of the biggest challenges for me has been learning to let go. Learning to delegate. Learning to trust other people to do things that I used to do myself. And that's been a constant practice throughout my entrepreneurial journey. In the early days, I was teaching every class. I was managing every detail. I was doing all the social media. I was the face of the brand. I was everything. And as the company has grown, I've had to learn to step back and let other people shine. I've had to learn to hire people who are better than me at certain things and then trust them to do those things. And that's been really hard for me because I'm a bit of a control freak, and I care so deeply about this company and this mission. But I've learned that if I want Barre3 to continue to grow and thrive, I have to let go. I have to empower other people. I have to create space for other leaders to emerge. And that's been one of the biggest lessons of my entrepreneurial journey.
Katie Fogarty 21:22
That's such an important lesson, and I think it's one that a lot of entrepreneurs struggle with. The idea of letting go of control, of trusting other people with something that you've built from scratch, something that's so personal to you. How did you learn to do that? Was there a specific moment or experience that helped you make that shift?
Sadie Lincoln 21:48
You know, I think it was a series of moments rather than one specific moment. But I remember early on, probably around year three or four of the business, I was completely burned out. I was exhausted. I was trying to do everything myself, and I was failing. I was failing my family. I was failing myself. I was failing the business. And I realized that if I didn't make a change, something was going to break. And so I hired my first real employee, someone to help me with operations. And I remember feeling so scared to hand things over to her, but also feeling this sense of relief. Like, 'Oh my gosh, I don't have to do everything myself. There are other capable people who can help me.' And that was the beginning of me learning to let go. And then over the years, I've had to practice that again and again. Every time we've hit a new level of growth, I've had to fire myself from certain roles and hire someone else to take over. And that can be really humbling, but it's also incredibly liberating.
Katie Fogarty 23:05
I love that phrase, 'fire myself from certain roles.' That's such a powerful way to think about it. And I think it speaks to the evolution of entrepreneurship, right? The skills that you need to start a business are often very different from the skills that you need to scale a business. And being willing to recognize that and make those changes is really important.
Sadie Lincoln 23:28
Absolutely. And I think that's one of the things that I try to coach our franchisees on as well. When they first open their studio, they're often the star instructor. They're teaching every class. They're at the front desk. They're doing all the things. And I always tell them, 'That's great for now, but if you want to scale your business, if you want to open a second location or even just have a life outside of your studio, you're going to have to learn to let go. You're going to have to hire great instructors. You're going to have to train great managers. You're going to have to build systems that allow the business to run without you being there all the time.' And that can be really hard for people to hear, but it's so important.
Katie Fogarty 24:15
It is so important. And I think it's a lesson that applies not just to business, but to life in general. Learning to let go, learning to trust others, learning to delegate—these are all skills that serve us well in every aspect of our lives. Sadie, you mentioned earlier that you recently hired a new president for Barre3. Can you talk a little bit about that decision and what it means for you and for the company?
Sadie Lincoln 24:42
Oh my gosh, yes. So this was a huge decision for me, and it was something that I had been thinking about for a few years. As Barre3 has grown, I've realized that my strengths really lie in the creative side of the business—the teaching methodology, the brand, the content creation, the community building. Those are the things that I'm really good at and that I'm really passionate about. But running the day-to-day operations of a multi-million dollar company with 200-plus locations—that's not my strength. And I finally got to a place where I was able to admit that to myself and to say, 'I need to bring in someone who's better at this than I am.' And so we hired Emerald, who has incredible experience in scaling retail and fitness businesses. And she is now at the helm of the day-to-day operations and the strategic growth of the company. And that has freed me up to focus on what I do best, which is creating content, building community, teaching, and being the face and the heart of the brand. And it's been so liberating.
Katie Fogarty 26:02
That's wonderful. And I think it's such a mature and wise decision to recognize where your strengths lie and to bring in people who can complement those strengths and fill in the gaps. That takes a lot of self-awareness and a lot of humility.
Sadie Lincoln 26:22
It does. And I'll be honest, it was scary at first. There was definitely a part of me that was like, 'Wait, am I still relevant? Am I still needed? What's my role going to be?' But I've done a lot of work with therapists and coaches over the years to separate my identity from my business. And I've realized that my worth is not tied to my title or my role at Barre3. My worth comes from who I am as a person, from the relationships I have, from the impact I make in the world. And Barre3 is a vehicle for me to make that impact, but it's not who I am. And once I was able to really internalize that, it became so much easier to let go and to bring in other people to help lead the company.
Katie Fogarty 27:15
That's such powerful wisdom, Sadie. And I think it's something that a lot of women, especially high-achieving women, struggle with—separating our identity from our accomplishments, from our work, from our titles. And recognizing that we have inherent worth just by virtue of being human beings. That's a really important message.
Sadie Lincoln 27:42
Thank you. And it's something that I continue to work on every day. It's not like I figured it out once and now I'm good. It's an ongoing practice, just like fitness is an ongoing practice. But I do think that getting older has helped with that. I think wisdom does come with age. And I'm so grateful for that.
Katie Fogarty 28:05
I love that. And I think that's a perfect segue to talk about aging and how you think about it. You were honored on the Forbes 50 Over 50 list, which celebrates women over 50 who are doing incredible things in their fields. What did that recognition mean to you, and how do you think about aging in general?
Sadie Lincoln 28:32
Oh my gosh, being on the Forbes 50 Over 50 list was honestly one of the greatest honors of my life. It was more meaningful to me than any other award I've received because it felt like a validation of everything I've been working towards—this idea that we don't peak at 30 or 40, that we can continue to grow and evolve and achieve incredible things as we age. And I think that's such an important message, especially for women, because we live in a culture that's so obsessed with youth and that tells us that our value decreases as we age. And that's just not true. I mean, I am doing the best work of my life right now. I am the strongest I've ever been, physically and mentally. I am the most confident I've ever been. I am the most clear about my purpose and my values. And all of that has come with age and experience. So I think aging is actually something to celebrate, not something to fear or fight against.
Katie Fogarty 29:45
I love that so much. And I think it's exactly the message that we need to hear more of. That aging is not about decline. It's about evolution and growth and wisdom. And that we can continue to do incredible things at every stage of our lives.
Sadie Lincoln 30:08
Absolutely. And I think exercise plays such a huge role in that. When you feel strong in your body, when you feel capable, when you feel like you can do hard things physically, that translates to every other area of your life. You feel more confident at work. You feel more confident in your relationships. You feel more willing to take risks and try new things. And I think that's one of the greatest gifts that Barre3 has given me and that I hope we're giving to our clients—this sense of physical empowerment that ripples out into every other area of their lives.
Katie Fogarty 30:52
That's beautiful. Sadie, before we wrap up, I want to ask you about the future. What's next for you and for Barre3? Where do you see the company going? What are you most excited about?
Sadie Lincoln 31:12
Oh, I'm so excited about the future. I think we're just getting started, honestly. With Emerald at the helm of operations and strategy, I think we're going to see some really exciting growth in the next few years. We're focused on continuing to expand our studio footprint, both in the US and internationally. We're also really focused on our digital platform and making sure that Barre3 is accessible to women all over the world, not just women who live near a studio. And personally, I'm excited to focus more on content creation, on teaching, on building community, on being the heart and soul of the brand. I want to continue to be a voice for body acceptance and for compassionate fitness. I want to continue to challenge the narratives around aging and around women's bodies. And I want to continue to empower women to feel strong and capable in their bodies, no matter their age or their fitness level.
Katie Fogarty 32:22
That's wonderful. And I have no doubt that you're going to continue to make an incredible impact. Sadie, this has been such a rich and inspiring conversation. Before we say goodbye, I want to give you a chance to tell our listeners where they can find you and Barre3.
Sadie Lincoln 32:45
Yes, absolutely. So you can find me on Instagram at Sadie Lincoln, and Barre3 is everywhere you'd expect. We have a website at barre3.com where you can find studio locations, sign up for our digital platform, learn more about franchising. And we're on all the social media channels as well—Instagram, Facebook, TikTok. We'd love to have you join our community.
Katie Fogarty 33:15
Wonderful. Well, thank you so much for your time today, Sadie. This has been truly inspiring, and I know our listeners are going to get so much out of this conversation.
Sadie Lincoln 33:28
Thank you so much, Katie. This has been wonderful.
Katie Fogarty 33:32
Sadie, I want to circle back because I realize we didn't fully cover something really important. You mentioned earlier that you went through a period of disordered eating and an unhealthy relationship with your body when you were younger. And I think a lot of women struggle with this, especially in the fitness world where there's so much pressure around appearance and body size. Can you talk a little bit more about that journey and how you healed that relationship?
Sadie Lincoln 34:08
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, it's something I'm very open about because I know how many women struggle with this. And I think the fitness industry has historically been a big part of the problem. You know, when I was younger, I was very much caught up in diet culture and this idea that I needed to look a certain way, be a certain size, in order to be worthy or attractive or successful. And I would restrict my eating. I would over-exercise. I would constantly be weighing myself and measuring myself and judging myself. And it was exhausting and it was damaging, both physically and mentally. And the turning point for me was really when I got pregnant. Because suddenly, my body was doing this amazing thing—growing a human being—and I couldn't control it in the same way. And I started to see my body as this incredible, capable vessel rather than this object that needed to be controlled or changed. And that shift in perspective was everything. I started to eat to nourish my body rather than restrict it. I started to exercise to strengthen my body rather than punish it. And I started to practice self-compassion rather than self-criticism. And it was a process. It didn't happen overnight. But over time, I really healed that relationship. And now, almost 22 years later, I can honestly say that I love my body. I'm grateful for my body. And I honor my body. And that's what I want for every woman who comes to Barre3.
Katie Fogarty 35:50
That's so powerful, Sadie. And I think it's such an important story to share because so many women are still stuck in that cycle of restriction and punishment and self-criticism. And to hear that there's another way, that we can actually heal that relationship and come to a place of love and gratitude for our bodies—that's incredibly hopeful.
Sadie Lincoln 36:18
It is hopeful. And I want women to know that it's possible. It's not easy, and it takes work, but it's possible. And it starts with changing the narrative that you tell yourself about your body and about exercise. Instead of 'I need to exercise to lose weight' or 'I need to exercise to look a certain way,' it's 'I exercise because it makes me feel strong and capable and alive.' Instead of 'My body is not good enough,' it's 'My body is amazing and I'm grateful for everything it allows me to do.' And when you start to shift those narratives, everything changes.
Katie Fogarty 37:05
I love that. And I think that's exactly what Barre3 is about—changing those narratives and helping women develop a healthier, more compassionate relationship with their bodies and with fitness. Sadie, I also want to talk about the business side of things for a moment because you mentioned earlier that you've had to 'fire yourself' from certain roles as the company has grown. Can you give us some specific examples of roles that you've let go of and how that's freed you up to focus on what you do best?
Sadie Lincoln 37:38
Yes, absolutely. So in the early days, I was teaching probably 15 to 20 classes a week. I was the primary instructor at our Portland studio. And as we started to grow and open more locations, I realized I couldn't keep teaching that many classes and also run the business. So the first thing I had to let go of was being the star instructor. I had to hire other amazing instructors and train them in the Barre3 methodology and trust them to teach classes that were just as good as mine, if not better. And that was really hard at first because I loved teaching and I felt like that was my identity. But it was also incredibly freeing because it meant that I could focus on other aspects of the business. Then as we continued to grow, I had to let go of operations. I was managing inventory, I was managing schedules, I was doing payroll—all these day-to-day operational tasks that were just not the best use of my time. So we hired an operations manager, and then eventually a COO, and now we have Emerald as our president. And each time I've let go of a role, it's been scary, but it's also allowed me to focus more on the things that only I can do—the vision, the brand, the content, the community building. And I think that's really important for entrepreneurs to understand. You have to be willing to let go of the things that other people can do better than you so that you can focus on the things that only you can do.
Katie Fogarty 39:28
That's such wise advice. And I think it applies to so many areas of life, not just business. We all need to learn to let go of the things that are draining us or that other people can do better so that we can focus our energy on what truly matters and what we're uniquely suited to do. Sadie, you also mentioned earlier that you've worked with therapists and executive coaches over the years. Can you talk about the role that personal development and inner work has played in your journey as an entrepreneur?
Sadie Lincoln 40:05
Oh my gosh, it's been essential. I don't think I would be where I am today without the support of therapists and coaches and mentors who have helped me navigate the challenges of entrepreneurship and leadership. Because the truth is, building a business brings up all your stuff. All your insecurities, all your fears, all your patterns and behaviors that aren't serving you—they all come to the surface when you're trying to lead a company and manage people and make big decisions. And I've had to do a lot of work to heal old wounds, to develop self-awareness, to manage my ego, to learn how to communicate effectively, to set boundaries. I mean, I could go on and on. And I've had some amazing therapists and coaches who have supported me through that work. I've also learned so much from people like Brené Brown, whose work on vulnerability and shame has been incredibly influential for me. And I think that personal development work has made me a better leader, a better entrepreneur, and a better person. And it's something I continue to invest in because I believe that if you want to grow your business, you have to grow yourself.
Katie Fogarty 41:32
I love that phrase: 'If you want to grow your business, you have to grow yourself.' That's so true. And I think it's something that's often overlooked in business advice. People focus on the tactics and the strategies, but they don't talk enough about the inner work that's required to be a successful leader and entrepreneur.
Sadie Lincoln 41:58
Exactly. And I think that's especially true for women because we often carry so much additional baggage around worthiness and perfectionism and people-pleasing. And if we don't address those things, they will hold us back from achieving our full potential. So I always encourage women entrepreneurs to invest in therapy, to invest in coaching, to invest in their personal development, because it will pay dividends not just in your business but in every area of your life.
Katie Fogarty 42:35
Such important advice. Sadie, I want to ask you one more question about leadership. You've built this company that's centered on empowering women, on creating community, on collective wisdom rather than the guru model. How has that philosophy shaped your leadership style and the culture of Barre3?
Sadie Lincoln 43:02
Yeah, I mean, it's really shaped everything about how we operate. From the very beginning, I wanted Barre3 to be a place where everyone's voice mattered, where we honored different perspectives, where we made decisions collectively rather than having everything come from the top down. And that's not always the most efficient way to operate, I'll be honest. Sometimes it takes longer to make decisions when you're getting input from multiple people. But I think it leads to better decisions and it creates a culture where people feel valued and heard. And I think that's reflected in everything we do. It's reflected in how we train our instructors—we don't give them a script to follow, we give them a framework and then encourage them to bring their own authentic voice and wisdom to their teaching. It's reflected in how we support our franchisees—we have regular regional meetings where they can share best practices and learn from each other. It's reflected in how we talk to our clients—we don't tell them what they should do, we guide them to listen to their own bodies and their own wisdom. And I think that's what makes Barre3 special. It's not about me. It's not about any one person. It's about all of us coming together and supporting each other and growing together.
Katie Fogarty 44:38
That's beautiful. And I think it really comes through in the experience of being in a Barre3 class or being part of the Barre3 community. You can feel that sense of collective support and empowerment. Sadie, we're coming up on time, but I want to make sure we touch on one more thing. You mentioned earlier that you're 52 and you're in the best shape of your life. For women who are listening who maybe are feeling discouraged about their fitness or their bodies as they age, what advice would you give them?
Sadie Lincoln 45:12
I would say, first of all, that it's never too late to start. No matter how old you are, no matter what shape you're in, you can always start building strength and improving your fitness. And I would say, start where you are. Don't compare yourself to where you used to be or where you think you should be. Just start where you are right now and commit to showing up for yourself consistently. Even if it's just 10 minutes a day, that's enough. Just start. And then I would say, find something that you enjoy. Find a practice that brings you joy, that makes you feel good, that honors your body. Because if you're forcing yourself to do something that you hate, you're not going to stick with it. And finally, I would say, be patient and be compassionate with yourself. Progress is not linear. There will be setbacks. There will be days when you don't feel strong or capable. And that's okay. Just keep showing up. Keep doing the work. And trust that over time, you will get stronger, you will get more capable, and you will feel better in your body. I promise.
Katie Fogarty 46:32
That's such beautiful advice, Sadie. Start where you are, find something you enjoy, be patient and compassionate with yourself. I love it. Sadie, this conversation has been absolutely incredible. I feel like we could talk for hours and hours. Before we wrap up, I want to give you one more chance to tell our listeners how they can connect with you and learn more about Barre3.
Sadie Lincoln 47:02
Yes, absolutely. So you can find me on Instagram at Sadie Lincoln. That's where I share a lot of personal content about my fitness journey, my entrepreneurial journey, my life. And then Barre3, you can find us at barre3.com. That's B-A-R-R-E and then the number 3 dot com. And on the website, you can find studio locations, you can sign up for our digital platform if you want to work out from home, you can learn more about franchising if you're interested in opening your own studio. And we're on all the social media channels—Instagram, Facebook, TikTok. We'd love to have you join our community.
Katie Fogarty 47:45
Perfect. Well, Sadie, thank you so much for your time today and for sharing your wisdom and your story with us. This has been truly inspiring.
Sadie Lincoln 48:00
Thank you so much, Katie. This has been such a pleasure.
Katie Fogarty 48:05
This wraps A Certain Age, a show for women who are aging without apology. We have a month of phenomenal shows up ahead. We are covering heart health. We are covering health tech that's going to supercharge your 2026. We are covering how to break up with alcohol and more. If you enjoyed this show, if you took something away from it, spread the word to your girlfriends. Let me know in an Apple Podcast or Spotify review. If you enjoy the show, there's more to come all month long. I hope you're going to hang out with me in 2026. Thanks for being a friend of the show. Thanks for sticking around to the end, and as always, special thanks to Michael Mancuso, who composed and produced our theme music. See you next time. And until then, age boldly, beauties.