CHRISTINE SHARPE
TELL ME A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR BUSINESS.
My name is Christine Sharpe and I am a mom of 2 and the owner of Cbarre, a boutique Barre Fitness Studio on the Danforth right in the heart of Greektown. We teach Barre Classes to women in their twenties to their sixties and we are a super inclusive and welcoming hub of fitness, health and connection.
WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO START YOUR OWN BUSINESS?
I started Cbarre because I absolutely fell in love with Barre myself. As a former dancer the classes really spoke to me and I found I got better results than I had ever had during any other fitness regime. But the best part about Barre for me was that is was so FUN I wanted to keep coming back even with my hectic schedule as a single mom of 2 little ones. Once I completed my Certification in Barre and Pilates and began teaching Barre I found that sharing my passion and connecting with clients every day was the absolute perfect fit for my life. Building my own small business has so many creative aspects from the hiring and training of my team, to the social media marketing and branding - I love all of that too.
WHAT WAS ONE HIGH POINT FOR YOU?
A recent high point for the studio was hitting 100 5 star reviews. Just knowing that we are changing people's lives for the better and helping them find a fun and engaging way to not only get in shape, but to deeply connect back to themselves. All our students really enjoy meeting other amazing women in the classes too which has been enjoyable to see. It's a very rewarding job.
WAS THERE EVER A SITUATION WHERE YOU WANTED TO GIVE UP? AND HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THAT (YOUR A-HA MOMENT)?:
There hasn't been a moment where I have truly wanted to throw in the towel (yet!) but our first month opening the Studio was probably the toughest month I have had in any career I've been in. So many highs and so many lows. Our contractor walked off the site and the studio toilet broke the week before our Grand opening, the furnace at the studio and my own house broke the week after we opened our doors. I did a 6 week reno on a commercial space in 2 weeks with zero experience or knowledge on how to manage a project like that. Running a Barre studio seems like a breeze now compared to that first crazy month!
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT BEING A B.A.B.E.?
I love the supportive environment and being able to learn from other like minded women. I even found my amazing bookkeeper on B.A.B.E. and a woman who helped me with social media for my studio launch. I am all about women lifting each other up!
TELL ME 3 FUN FACTS ABOUT YOU.
I once played a bride in a Colin Firth movie - and I am a HUGE fan of his.
I adore rollercoasters but am also terrified of heights.
I have travelled to over 33 countries in my 40 years! My faves are Laos, Italy and Australia.
WHAT’S ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU CAN GIVE US?
The advice I always give is that you don't need to be the best at something to succeed but you do need to have more perseverance than those around you and commit whole-heartedly to your goal - then just never give up. You can always pivot a bit if need be, or shift gears along the way, but the truly successful people that I know had a dream and then dove in. They didn't say "I'll give this a try", they said, "I am doing this"! So just go for it and know that the universe really wants you to succeed!