225. How Sadie Lincoln Started a Global Fitness Empire, Barre3

04/15/25 • 38 min

Sadie's story will inspire you to dream big, work hard, and never give up on your passions.

CEO/Founder Piece: Disenfranchised with the classic, 9-5 capitalistic world, she wanted out. Her and her husband sold their house and with those savings started the first barre3 location in Portland. The brand now has 207 studios (all female owned with no outside investment!).
Community: Sadie also created the class as she was noticing the loneliness epidemic hitting American families (especially women) hard. She felt it was hard to find a community, and wanted to create a space where women could connect, feel seen and ensure they never feel alone.
Motherhood: barre3 has a dedicated PLAYCENTER where mothers can drop off their kids to safely play under supervision while they workout. Sadie identified the importance of allowing mothers to take a break, and wanted to ensure she could make working out an easy thing. She recalls a crying baby and crying mother coming into class once - Sadie took the baby and proceeded to start class WHILE holding the baby.
Fitness: The importance of incorporating mindfulness into your movement practice for a successful workout and the Why behind this

Sadie Lincoln is the co-founder and CEO of barre3, a fitness and wellness company focused on teaching people to be balanced in body and empowered from within. Starting in 2008 with the flagship studio in Portland, Oregon, barre3 has grown to include more than 207 franchise studios powered by female entrepreneurs, plus an online-workout streaming-subscriber base in 100+ countries. What started as a workout has blossomed into a full-blown movement made up of millions of people focused on body positivity, being empowered, and redefining what success in fitness means. Sadie is on the Forbes 50 over 50 list, Inc.'s Female Founders 100 list, the MO100 Impact list, has won EY Entrepreneur of the Year Mountain West and speaks regularly on the topics of mindful leadership, the power of body wisdom, and the movement to redefine what success in fitness means. Beyond running her company and being a global spokesperson, Sadie still enjoys teaching barre3 classes to many of her founding clients in her hometown of Portland, Oregon.

www.barre3.com

https://www.instagram.com/p/DIUE7OVP2eb/

www.emilyjaenson.com

instagram.com/emilyjaenson

Sadie's story will inspire you to dream big, work hard, and never give up on your passions.

CEO/Founder Piece: Disenfranchised with the classic, 9-5 capitalistic world, she wanted out. Her and her husband sold their house and with those savings started the first barre3 location in Portland. The brand now has 207 studios (all female owned with no outside investment!).
Community: Sadie also created the class as she was noticing the loneliness epidemic hitting American families (especially women) hard. She felt it was hard to find a community, and wanted to create a space where women could connect, feel seen and ensure they never feel alone.
Motherhood: barre3 has a dedicated PLAYCENTER where mothers can drop off their kids to safely play under supervision while they workout. Sadie identified the importance of allowing mothers to take a break, and wanted to ensure she could make working out an easy thing. She recalls a crying baby and crying mother coming into class once - Sadie took the baby and proceeded to start class WHILE holding the baby.
Fitness: The importance of incorporating mindfulness into your movement practice for a successful workout and the Why behind this

www.barre3.com

https://www.instagram.com/p/DIUE7OVP2eb/

www.emilyjaenson.com

instagram.com/emilyjaenson

Previous Episode

224. She Came to the U.S. Not Speaking English, Now this 54-Year-Old is Leading Education Brand Sylvan Learning: Susan Valverde

Susan Valverde, the president of Sylvan Learning, has an extraordinary story from a young immigrant to a top leader in education is truly one for the books.

Imagine moving to the U.S. at 12 not speaking English, facing every obstacle you can think of—and not only overcoming them, but using those experiences to reshape the future of education. That’s exactly what Susan did.

After excelling in school despite the language barrier, she became the first in her family to attend college. But it was a Sylvan Learning commercial that set her on a life-changing path. Inspired by the brand’s impact on education, she made the bold decision to leave her career and open three Sylvan Learning centers in Texas, serving some of the nation’s poorest counties. Her centers became some of the highest-performing in the network.

Susan’s franchise success eventually led her to Sylvan’s corporate team, where she rose to president in 2016. Now, she’s transforming Sylvan’s approach to learning, modernizing the curriculum, and pushing the brand forward with parent company Unleashed Brands.

Susan speaks on:

How her journey as an immigrant, first-generation student, and passionate learner ignited her pursuit of a career in education.
The bold move from franchisee to president—and the lessons she learned leading Sylvan centers in some of the most underserved communities in Texas.
The massive changes she’s driving at Sylvan, including a game-changing customer experience overhaul set for 2025.
Her unique perspective on the current state of education—how budget cuts, understaffing, and curriculum changes are impacting kids, and how Sylvan is stepping in to bridge those gaps.

Susan’s journey is a testament to the power of resilience, passion, and believing in the potential of every child.

Let's Go!

instagram.com/leadershipisfemale

instagram.com/emilyjaenson

Next Episode

226. How to Find your Creativity with Jenna Schroeder of Dolphin Hat Games

Welcome Jenna Schroeder, Communications Director at Dolphin Hat Games. She's the marketer for the popular game Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza working alongside her brother.

Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza and the Case of the Missing Hat is her new kids book!

Listen in on our conversation about finding your creativity, using intention to pursue your dreams, and how being teachable will help you reach the next level.

Jenna is also:

Board President of the Loveland Stage Company

Founder of Little Bird Press

Working on a book called: She Gathers Hope (for women)

Yoga Instructor / Labor Doula

Love inspiring women to be who they were meant to be, stepping into their identity and finding freedom in motherhood, work, home and beyond.

Follow Jenna:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennaaschroeder/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/jennaaschroeder

Substack: She Gathers Hope

www.littlebirdpress.co

www.dolphinhat.com