This story is part of our 1,000+ Stories campaign. What’s your story?
Name: Tori Levine
Business: Babies at the Barre, LLC
Location: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Industry: Healthcare, Wellness & Fitness
Reason for starting? After the birth of my son in June 2014, I wanted to be able to work doing something I loved part-time while staying home with my son. As a former dancer I was interested in becoming pilates and barre certified. I told the owner of the pilates and barre studio I was training at that I would love to teach a class, but I would have a baby ‘strapped to me.’ The owner was on board and suggested I teach “mommy and me” style barre classes. Local interest in the class grew and not long after, Babies at the Barre™ was born! I also became a certified pre/postnatal fitness educator because I found that there is a need in the ‘new mom fitness world’ for a program that educates new moms about the importance of their core and pelvic floor and how to strengthen these areas after pregnancy and birth.
Related: Read about another healthcare, wellness & fitness entrepreneur here.
How do you define success? Success is a myriad of things to me. In business, success is running a profitable business that helps new moms locally and across the world to feel great about themselves as mothers and be comfortable with their body after baby. This also includes providing opportunities for new moms who do not want to return to the traditional workforce the ability to manage their own business, set their own schedule, help other new moms, and earn extra money while taking baby along!
At home, success is having a happy and healthy family. I feel I am successful when I am able to have time at home where work is not on my mind or in front of me and I am able to enjoy teaching my son and watching him grow and learn. Success is being able to take advantage of those little moments throughout the day to stop and look my husband in the eyes, look my son in the eyes, take a deep breath and smile knowing that I am helping others to do to the same thing.
Biggest success: My biggest success to date has been providing four other new moms, within a year of founding Babies at the Barre™, with the opportunity to own and run their own businesses while helping other new moms regain strength and connect with baby.
What is your top challenge and how you have addressed it? My biggest challenge has been marketing and expanding my business on a startup budget. I have taken advantage of social media networks to assist with getting into new markets. I have taken a course on PR which has assisted me in marketing myself as an expert in pre/postnatal fitness and I have learned how to use media outlets to promote my business for free rather than buy advertisements.
Related: Secrets of GrowthL How to Become an Expert
Who is your most important role model? My mother has always been an important role model in my life in the way she modeled work ethic and providing and being there for your family.
[box_light]Website www.babiesatthebarre.com
Twitter twitter.com/BbysattheBarre
Facebook facebook.com/babiesatthebarre
Instagram www.instagram.com/babiesatthebarre
Pinterest www.pinterest.com/bbysatthebarre
Other www.youtube.com/babiesatthebarre[/box_light]
Tell us your story!
Read about another entrepreneur here.
Edited by The Story Exchange