Women in Business: Shelly Smith - Pure Barre Riverchase

A class at Pure Barre Riverchase is so much more than just a workout. It’s a place where the instructors take the time to learn your name and your fitness goals, and where you become part of a close network of friends.

“I think I love Pure Barre more just because I’ve gotten to gain so many friendships throughout the four years that we’ve been open,” owner Shelly Smith said.

Smith got her first taste of Pure Barre about six years ago. She was a self-described “gym junkie,” but the first class was a challenge that “totally whooped my tail.” After a month of classes, she found she loved it so much that she couldn’t stop.

In 2012 after Smith’s father passed away, she decided to look for a new career, away from Mark’s Outdoors where she and her father had worked side by side. Smith recalled sitting on the beach and thinking, “What do I wake up every morning wanting to do?”

Within a matter of months, she was on her way to opening her own location of Pure Barre, a franchise that started in 2001. Since the Riverchase studio’s opening in 2013, Smith said her “gut decision” has paid off big as the location continues to grow. 

Pure Barre Riverchase now offers 40 to 45 classes per week and has about 18 instructors on staff, including three hired in 2017. Smith said they reached “some of our highest attendance levels” in late 2017. 

Their classes include traditional ballet barre workouts based on strength and toning, as well as Empower workouts that focus on cardio. The classes run from 5:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

“I never would have imagined to be at the position we’re in just in the past four years,” Smith said of the franchise’s growth. “It’s definitely a beast, but it’s still small enough where I feel like I know my clients by name.”

Staying small fosters accountability between instructors and students, which Smith said is part of the appeal. Instructors tailor classes around the goals of the people who sign up for it, and if they haven’t seen a particular student in a while, Smith said they call to check in.

“Pure Barre is a little bit different in that, at least in our studio, that we follow up and make sure our clients are getting the most out of it,” Smith said. “Customer service is your No. 1 priority … They are, without a doubt, the only reason you’re in business.”

Pure Barre Riverchase has also become a place where friendships grow as people build healthier bodies together. It’s part of why Smith said she enjoys Pure Barre even more now than when she first started. The studio also does wellness outreach work with Whole Foods, local corporations and neighborhoods that invite them to offer fitness classes.

For the future, Smith said she wants Pure Barre Riverchase to keep growing so more people will experience how barre exercise helps them reach their fitness goals.

“This is not just a fad or a trend. This is something tried and true and proven to be successful,” Smith said.

► WHERE: 1870 Chace Drive, Suite 100

► CALL: 982-8366

► WEBSITE: purebarre.com/al-briverchase

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