In June of 2019, I took my first barre class and fell head-over-sticky-socks with this elegant and grueling form of fitness. I had signed up for the class on a whim, expecting it to be a one-time thing, but even after realizing how bad my form was and how I could barely do a push up on my knees, I felt more empowered and inspired than ever. I was hooked, and I haven’t looked back. Elliptical who?

When the opportunity popped up to interview Michelle Ziegler, owner and master trainer extraordinaire of The Barre Code Cincinnati, I couldn’t say “Yes!” quickly enough. When we arrived, I oohed and ahhed at the studio’s posh-but-approachable vibe. The lobby’s furnishing was chic with a hint of Parisian ambiance, the soft colors sleek yet inviting. The moment you walk into the barre studio, you’re greeted with the most energizing mood lighting you’ll ever see, and you’re suddenly ready to work it.

But my favorite part of The Barre Code is the brand’s motto that’s featured bold and bright on the lobby’s main wall.

“This is our mantra. When we talk about The Barre Code, this is the code. It’s a reminder to focus on the positive, realizing that we all have a right to be here, and promoting body positivity,” says Ziegler.

Michelle’s studio is the result of a desire to uplift others and share confidence with everyone who walks through her door, and it shows. My chat with Michelle was memorable, enthusiastic, and even a bit emotional. And you better believe I tucked a few of her quotes away for days I need a little reminder that I, indeed, am capable of most anything.

Interview by Brittany Barker. Photography by Chelsie Walter.

Sponsored by The Barre Code Cincinnati.

Can you tell us about your barre journey? What made you want to try your first class?

I’m from Chicago originally. I came to Cincinnati just a little more than 10 years ago to work for dunnhumby. I was in marketing analytics and consulting. Fast forward a few years, I had an opportunity to transfer and move to New York City with my job. So I lived and worked in New York City, and then found out my dad was diagnosed with cancer.

It was already stage 4 lung cancer. I was extremely close to my dad – I’m an only child. My boyfriend at the time (now my husband) and I decided it was time to go back to Chicago. We went back and had a really rough time. By that point I had been working with the company for a couple years, but I was struggling to focus. The impact my dad’s health had on me was pretty great, and he passed away about a year after we came back.

It was in that time that I realized I had lost such a sense of myself. I grew up dancing. I love movement, expression; I did theater. I hadn’t danced since high school, but then my dad passed away and I realized I needed something for myself. A friend convinced me to go to a barre class. I pushed back. I fought it and said, “I don’t like group fitness; I like to do my own thing; I don’t like to be told what to do; I don’t look the part; I don’t look like a Barbie doll; I don’t feel like I fit in.”

I think there’s a difference between passion and purpose.

But I gave it a try, and what happened was remarkable. I took my first class and I instantly fell in love with the community. I got to know the founders of the business, who now are celebrating nine years. I started taking classes, like, twice a day. I was addicted. It was my drug of choice.

I started working the desk. I kept my day job, but I was traveling all over the place. I got the chance to go to China for a good chunk of time. While I was there, I started thinking, “What are my goals? I’m in my early 30s. What am I working toward, and what’s my purpose?” I think there’s a difference between passion and purpose. I felt like I wanted to help people, and I thought being a doctor is the way you help people. And I thought, “Nah. I don’t think I want to do that.”

When I came back from China, The Barre Code community wanted to open locations around the Midwest. This was 2014, so quite a while ago, and in the back of my mind I thought, “Wouldn’t that be cool?” Maybe I would have a studio one day. They were talking about Ohio, but they were talking about Columbus, and I don’t know anything about Columbus… but I know Cincinnati. I was watching the city and the renaissance that was going on from a distance. As someone who used to work downtown, there really weren’t options for women and not a lot of variety. And the thing about The Barre Code is, while it’s for everybody, it’s such a message of empowerment and a focus on gaining strength, and never talking about the negativity of losing weight and shedding pounds. It’s never about that. It’s about building yourself up.

After about a year of research, I convinced my husband that I was going to leave my very good job with great benefits and open up a studio. I signed my agreement to do this, and two weeks later I found out I was pregnant. My daughter is six months older than the business. “I have two children that are six months apart,” is what I like to tell people.

What kind of emotions were running through your head in those moments?

I cried; I was really scared. It was a flood of emotions, and committing to something like this, putting the money into it, I was really anxious. And we were doing this all from a distance. We stayed in Chicago while all of this was happening. We did move here for the buildout, but a lot of the moving pieces we did remotely.

Was it hard to hand over the reins and let others play such a big role in opening your studio?

We had our eye on the space [located at 615 Main St.], but the buildout and all the logistics felt like doing two jobs at once. My company didn’t really know that I had this on the backburner, on top of being very pregnant. I just did it. I channeled my dad, who would always say to me, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” I felt so driven to do this. It was just something I had to do.

It sounds like you really did this in honor of your dad.

Completely. I tell my staff, I tell my clients, I tell the co-founders, Jill and Ari: My dad gave me a huge gift. If things hadn’t happened the way they did, I don’t think I would be here. You do what you have to do, and you do it full steam ahead.

When did you start instructing at your studio?

My daughter was born in October of 2016; we opened in April of 2017, and at the time I was so focused on the operations, the business, training the staff… Wearing all the hats. I made a commitment to myself that I wasn’t going to teach until a few months in. I wanted to focus on the business. I had built a solid team: I had five instructors; then I found out my head instructor was relocating to Michigan. So just a few months in I had no choice. I went from zero to like 90, pretty much over the course of 2 1/2 months. I had been on a break from teaching for almost three years, so I was super rusty. I remember the very first class, I got back on the mic and I was so nervous. But I couldn’t be; I had all of these clients there to inspire and lead. Deep down I was freaking out, but I just ripped off the Band-Aid and started doing it.

Can we talk about how you got into instructing before you opened your own location with The Barre Code?

I never thought I was really good enough to be an instructor. We have these bracelets in the studio: I don’t know if you’ve heard of them, but it’s called the Little Words Project, and the words are designed to be a reminder – there are different things you can choose, and so for me I gave all of my instructors “Strength.”

But big ones for me are “Gratitude” and “Worthy.” As a kid I never felt worthy of people’s affection or attention. It was massive self-doubt. I think a lot of it came from being really tall. I was 5’8” when I was 12, so I looked older. I just felt like I didn’t fit in.

My goal for every class is that every single person who comes through these doors leaves feeling better than when they came in.

Even though I was dancing, I was always the tall girl in the back who wasn’t fitting that dancer profile. But I loved it. I had a teacher who supported me and all that stuff, but I never felt worthy. When I started The Barre Code and became one of those uber-clients who took so many classes, the instructors asked me if I would ever consider teaching. They said, “You’re here all the time; you’re great,” and I’m like, “I can barely do a push up. How can I be an instructor?”

When I think about that, it just wasn’t me. It was more of me being convinced that I was worthy, and that I was more than worthy. That I was the kind of person that people could relate to and I could motivate and inspire. It’s not all about skill. It’s partly skill, but it’s also big picture. It’s not just focused on body; it’s focused on mind. It’s coaching your mindset, and I think having the experience of the classes I had taken and the experiences that led to me opening a studio… All of that plays into when I teach a class.

Every class is different. The energy in the room… When those two doors are closed, something extremely special goes on. I tell clients, “The doors are closed for a reason. This is our energy; this is our space; you’re safe here.” It’s a form of self-expression, that artistic creativity that allows me to take my feelings and insecurities and try to use that energy to help inspire others.

How far into your teaching career did you think, “I can do this; I own it?” When did you start realizing you were more than worthy?

Honestly, not until a year after being open here. I taught a little in Chicago, but I was working my day job; I was traveling and consulting. I didn’t really get to teach. And here, I think the reason I postponed teaching is I used all the excuses: “I have a business to run, etc.”

Every class is different. Some classes just flow, and everything kind of happens. Then there’s a class where something’s off and you know it. You can’t pinpoint it and you just get through it. The clients are struggling and you’re just trying to make them understand. And we don’t just teach barre; we teach a cardio kickboxing class called Brawl. I’m going to brag for a minute: It’s the only class that waitlists like a week out, and it’s kind of a cult that takes this class. It’s all about choreographed punches and kicks, so you learn a big sequence – 128 counts of movement that you don’t know when you come in. You learn it, and everyone by the end of class is moving together… and when I’m off, everyone’s off. So those are the moments I have to forgive myself. Just let it go, and your clients are going to love you regardless.

What would you say are some of the most special and inspiring parts of being an instructor?

For me, my goal for every class is that every single person who comes through these doors leaves feeling better than when they came in. That’s it. And I often say that in class – especially when we have new clients: It’s not about getting it; it’s not about comparing yourself to other people. This is your time, right? As women we’re so used to putting others ahead of us. Taking that time is not selfish. Self-care is so important to our longevity and our ability to do everything in our life. I feel blessed that I get to do something that has an impact on others that makes their day a little bit better. This community grows – really, truly grows – when my members bring their friends.

You leave feeling so encouraged and ready to take on the day. And you think, “Why is something that looks so small so hard? Why is it that movement that looks so easy so challenging?” A lot of it comes down to the mental aspect. The minute you say, “I can’t do this, I’m shaking, I’ve got to get out of this,” a good instructor is going to get you in the mindset of, “You can do anything for 20 seconds.”

What about your daughter? Does she ever join you during your day-to-day at work?

Yeah, she is the official barre baby. She started preschool this fall, but Mondays and Fridays she’s not in school. When I’m here, she’s here. She didn’t go to daycare. She kind of grew up here. There’s a picture of her in her little bouncy when she was like 4 months old on the counter. And now she’s 3 and running around and doing all the stuff. The cool thing is my clients have watched her grow up, and it’s really neat. She’s being raised by this awesome community, and you say “Barre Code,” and she sticks her little leg out and points her toe. Apparently, she’s even telling her friends at school about The Barre Code. She’s the best little walking advertisement.

Have you ever had a client who was overcoming an obstacle? How has The Barre Code helped them through it?

There have been a few. There are the ones who I might see a few times and I never see them again, and that’s the part where I always try to reach out. Just as a way to see if they’re okay, and that they didn’t hurt themselves in class, or if there’s something they want to work on, I’m here for them. I really take the time to get to know my clients.

One person comes to mind, and now she works the desk here. She started coming to my Brawl class, and after maybe the second class, I saw her in the back room and she was crying. I don’t often see that. I wanted to respect her privacy, but I just said, “Hey, are you okay?”

I don’t know how long it had been, but she said she had cancer that affected her leg. She beat the cancer, but her doctors told her that she might not walk again, let alone do any major physical activity. And this class is jumping, kicking; you feel like a total badass when you’re done with it. And she was crying because she was happy. She said to me, “I never thought I could do this, and you’ve convinced me that anything is possible.”

It has to feel pretty great knowing you’re building your clients’ confidence. When you opened, how did downtown Cincinnati’s community respond?

When we opened in 2017, The Barre Code, as a brand, hadn’t been in the state of Ohio. A lot of what I did was word of mouth and tapping into my business network. I knew people within different companies here, so a lot of it was reaching out to them, reaching out to their H.R., getting them to take classes, doing popups. Honestly, that was the hardest part. I knew that downtown needed something like this; there was nothing really like it, but I didn’t know how readily people were going to know we were here.

Once people realized what we were, who we were, and where we were, I developed relationships with companies like Fifth Third Bank, Kroger, Macy’s, Procter & Gamble, and Scripps. We became like a wellness partner. I do a lot of corporate discounts. As someone who worked downtown, I would want that. I think about what I would want; how I would take advantage of that. Lunch classes end up being our most popular time. Mothers, realistically, might not be able to make an early morning or an evening work, so they squeeze it in at lunch time.

What are some things you’re striving for and what are some current goals you’re focusing on?

My first year was all about corporate partnerships and forming relationships with the businesses here. My second year was more focused on other local small business partnerships like Down to Mars Vintage. Doing Instagram giveaways with others, doing that cross promotion. Really for me, too, I love supporting other female-owned businesses. That was my focus: working with Marcie Hon [owner of Down to Mars Vintage], working with Lane & Kate and a bunch of others within the downtown area.

Now, with all the residential work that’s going on and all the new units coming into downtown, I’ve been focused on those relationships. Working with North American Properties and some of the other management companies that had buildings popping up, developing a program for their residents.

My focus this year is continuing to embrace downtown. I get asked a lot if I want to expand, if I want to open another studio and, you know, I would love to, but I feel like we’re not to that point yet. There’s just so much more potential and I don’t want to deviate from the course we’re on. As a downtown resident myself, I can’t be pulled in two directions very easily. This is my baby, and it’s going to keep being my baby. There’s so much growth opportunity here.

Tell me more about your community of female-owned businesses.

We’re creating a little collective and we’re calling it Women on Main. So basically, from Sixth Street up to as far as right before O.T.R., there’s like eight of us. The Sewendipity Lounge, several retail stores, and a doctor here. I think from a female business owner perspective, I greatly admire Megan Tysoe from Rooted Juicery & Kitchen. She’s done incredible things.

And Marcie Hon – I love working with her. I’ve gotten to know Lane and Kate and Molly Reckman Nagle from Spruce Nail Shop and we’ve gotten to partner together. I’m not just married to female-owned businesses, but I do like to support them whenever I can.

Do you have any advice for aspiring business owners that you would like to share?

My advice would be to believe you’re capable. And even if you don’t think you have it figured out, know that nobody does. Under the surface we’re all working through so many things. In this world, especially, with how prevalent social media is and the way we only see the good, you have to really put things in perspective, and at the end of the day know if this is something you believe in. You’ll make it happen and you can’t compare yourself to others. We’re all on our own path, our own course. Realize what you’re doing and working towards is something not everyone has the guts to do, or the opportunity.

Who is the most inspiring woman in your life?

I would say one of my closest friends; we were in dance class together from age 3 up until we went to college. She finished school early so she could go to New York City and live her dream. And she never left. She got into dancing, choreography, and now into acting. She has faced so much rejection to the point that I tell her, “I don’t know how you do it; I would have come home.” I would have left, and she keeps doing it.

Are there any upcoming events at The Barre Code we should have on our radar?

Right around Valentine’s Day every year we do a week of Barre Code Love, and it’s about promoting self-love. We do stickers and things, but if you look at our Instagram from the last few years, you’ll see that. It’s a really nice way to show self-love.

Community Mix is our monthly hodge-podge of content from the voices of a hodge-podge of beautiful Cincinnatians. We’re lucky to partner with other change-makers in Cincy on sponsored pieces like this one and more. For more information on sponsorships, contact executive director Chelsie Walter.

The Barre Code Cincinnati’s Michelle Ziegler