 Photo by You're My Art Studios http://www.urmyart.com/  Having never been inside a gym until I was 32 years old, just idea of wearing athletic shoes made me feel self conscious. After a bout of sickness in 2012 that lasted three months and included a sinus infection, ear infection, bronchitis and antibiotic induced asthma that I couldn't get rid of, I knew it was time to take action. Shoes be damned, I was ready to get moving, get in shape and become a person who took care of herself. I signed up for a membership at my local YMCA and started doing Zumba with my sister-in-law. At first, I really struggled with being able to keep up with the class, it was like my legs were made out of lead and only my right arm cooperated with the dance moves. As time passed the struggle got easier and when I barely broke a sweat at Zumba, I knew it was time to look for something more challenging. Enter: Michele McEntire.
Michele began teaching at the YMCA and offering her first class called Haute Beats. The first time I attended this 60 minute class I was seeing spots half way through and I thought I was going to pass out for real. I had found my fitness challenge and I made it a point to be there every week. Part of what kept me coming back was Michele's super upbeat teaching style, her focused energy, efficient time use and gorgeous body. She was and still is my health and fitness inspiration. That class got me through some tough times. Having that as part of my routine helped me feel more focused, gave me the energy to deal with my husband being laid off, our dog passing away, personal struggles, financial stress, and pushing myself to continue to be creative with my business. In other words fitness upped my mental and physical toughness. So, you can imagine my disappointment when Michele told me at the beginning of 2015 that she would not be teaching at the YMCA and she was going to be the instructor of a private studio. I immediately assumed I wouldn't be able to make it work in my budget or schedule. I was also worried that without the big customer base that the YMCA pulls in, Michele wouldn't be able to keep the class going. Where were these clients going to come from? After going and trying a class at the beautiful new studio I knew there was such a huge potential for growth. Barre workouts are a modern, trendy, effective style of fitness that Redding, Ca was desperately in need of. And so began our business partnership. Determined to get the HauteBarre' Fitness name out there to the community, I started helping Michele with facebook marketing, brand building, designing and maintaining a website, setting up yelp, and taking photos and video. By September, Michele was able to quit all of her part time jobs and become a full time entrepreneur and fitness instructor. I am so proud of all of the hard work we have done together. I am amazed and inspired to see how many women love and appreciate this class like I do. Most of all, I am so excited to be involved in a business that is creating a supportive, healthy community for women in Shasta County, something I feel is so incredibly needed. I am so glad I made the decision to make exercise part of my life. I have met so many people and have had a lot of fun. Michele thank you for doing what you do. Doors are opening and the light is shining through. |