From franchise strategy to leadership mindset, the founders of four top boutique fitness brands unpack what it takes to win in today’s competitive landscape while staying true to brand values during Mariana Tek’s Xplor panel
As brands lean toward the growing interest in women’s specific fitness and wellness, some leading women in this space are making waves in the market to meet demand and uplift demographics that have been left behind in the past.
To amplify that narrative, Xplor Mariana Tek, the leading fitness software platform for boutique fitness franchises, hosted a panel of female founders and executives who spoke about their successes, key strategies and where they think the future of fitness and women’s fitness is headed.
Panelists included Felicia Alexander, co-founder of BoxUnion; Kamille McCollum, president, chief brand officer and co-founder at Bodybar Pilates; Sadie Lincoln, co-founder and CEO of barre3; and Debra Strougo, founder of Row House.
How Experience Voids Are Identified in the Fitness Market
A common thread leading to the creation of women-founded brands is the ability to use their experience in the fitness industry to attract ideas and identify gaps they are passionate about filling.
The moment Lincoln knew he had an interesting idea while pregnant. The founder of barre3 is doing workouts at home, feeling worried about going to the gym while pregnant, when she hits a blissful moment of appreciation for her body, finally seeing fitness as a way to celebrate it, not minimize it, change or punish it as women are often conditioned to feel.
“Perhaps fitness has failed me,” he said as he thought.
Lincoln wants to shift the narrative and framing of fitness, especially for women, to be present in the body rather than feeling like a failure or inadequate.
“I know the problem I want to solve and that will guide me,” he said on the panel.
Strougo also drew on his background when he came up with the idea for Row House, coming from a family of rowers and seeing not only a gap in the market, but also misconceptions about vigorous, total-body exercise.
She realized Baris House, which was acquired by Xponential Fitness and later sold, needed to strike the right balance between entertainment and education, to guide people on how to properly use the machine and dissuade the assumption that this workout is purely upper-body.
“You have to listen to your consumers and figure out what their misconceptions are,” said Strougo.
Alexander, co-founder of BoxUnion, had a similar experience when the idea for a boxing boutique first emerged.
He found boxing to be a good exercise, but the space is often dominated by men, presenting an opportunity to develop the market and bring people to the modality that traditionally would not try it by reducing the intimidation factor and making it more approachable and accessible.
What It Takes to Be a Leader
Among the panelists, there was a common thread about what it means to be a successful and trustworthy leader: humility and having a team you can trust.
Bodybar Pilates’ McCollum admits that he is the first to admit when he makes a mistake or when there is something he doesn’t know, because it surrounds himself with the right people.
That comes in handy when rolling out a new system, he said. At those key points, McCollum said he relied on his team to be accountable, transparent and validate the issues.
“I don’t really struggle with imposter syndrome because I have such a badass team around me,” she said at the panel. “I really try to be someone who is always learning.”
Alexander emphasized that point, saying that a good leader must know when to step away, as he often “dismisses himself” from day-to-day tasks and delegates to trusted team members in order to lead more effectively at the company level.
“If we think we have to be the ones doing everything, then it’s hard to scale,” he says.
Unfortunately, the panelists pointed out, it is not unusual for women to feel competitive and threatened by other women – but realizing it, and unlearning that encouragement, is another key quality in a strong leader.
For Lincoln at barre3, competition only makes him better. “It put me on my A-game,” she said, referring to the fact that seeing other successful women – like Strougo, who consults for major brands like Hydrate IV Bar and Your Reformer – inspires her and invigorates her to work harder.
Strougo says that using that competitive instinct or envy to your advantage is the key, really.
“It makes you a better entrepreneur if you stop and think about what makes you feel competitive or envious of others, what prevents you from lifting others up – what do you want?” she said.
Which Leads to Sustainable Growth
Across the board, panelists agreed that successful scaling comes from two key factors: having a solid brand infrastructure in place, and ensuring any acquisitions or new franchisees are a good fit for the brand.
McCollum saw success in growing Bodybar once he helped the brand implement system standards, ensuring national campaigns and consistent methods across locations.
An important part of that process is talking directly to franchisees who want to learn why they are making changes. McCollum will get on the phone with them and make sure they are on board and understand the system in place.
“As we continue to scale and we make system changes, we’re always trying to communicate as much as possible to everyone,” he said.
But as a brand grows, it’s important not to lose its values, the panelists said.
For Lincoln, evaluating if the new owner is a good fit is non-negotiable – he looks to see if the prospective owner has demonstrated barre3’s core values, has a great studio culture and is excited to carry out a science-backed and supportive women’s fitness mission.
“Barre3 is not a hero, our client. What is best for him?” said Lincoln.
At the same time, he wants to make sure that he has a positive influence and nurtures the female owners, such that barre3 can support them long-term and ensure their success.
Moving forward, Lincoln envisions the boutique fitness industry will only continue to lead with women’s physiology in mind when creating workouts.
“The science is now catching up, and the narrative that we need to shift and focus on women’s health and physiology and design for her and fund more research around it, that’s a great tailwind for us because that’s what we do,” she said.
He also sees the industry adopting two very different dynamics. One leans towards technologies such as AI and software systems that reduce friction, as well as hybrid fitness and studio exits.
On the other hand, he could see more good touch tactics, with brands focusing on personal engagement, community and connection.
“Trust is going to be harder earned in the next five years,” said Lincoln.
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