At just 21 years old, Ashley Allen began her entrepreneurial journey and now owns two Pure Barre fitness franchises. Pure Barre, a part of the Xponential Fitness family of brands, is a boutique fitness concept that mixes Pilates, yoga and ballet to supply a spread of low-impact, high-intensity full-body workouts targeting strength, agility and adaptability for people of all levels.

In 2023, Allen’s first studio, Pure Barre Greenwich, celebrated 11 years in business, and her second studio in White Plains, New York is approaching five. Now, at age 33, Allen has achieved more entrepreneurial success than most individuals twice her age.

“I knew from a young age that I wanted to study exercise science,” Allen said BLACK ENTERPRISES. “I taught at the local Pure Barre for about a year and started thinking about having one during my senior year (Fall 2021) at Temple University.”

While continuing her undergraduate studies, Allen earned her B.A National Academy of Sports Medicine personal training certificate and Certified Strength and Condition Specialist (CSCS) certificate to expand your knowledge on this field. “After college, the thought of being in a big city was appealing, so I chose Greenwich, Connecticut to open my first studio – just 45 minutes from New York!”

Allen has entrepreneurship in her blood and uses much of what she has learned in her own business. Her father owned a clothing store for a few years and currently owns a boutique hotel in Jamaica. “My father always held monthly team meetings for his employees on Sundays. I attended this meeting several times a year,” he recalls. “It was great to see him lead and connect with his employees. He was extremely motivating and positive, even when the company was struggling. These meetings were a great example of how to be a strong business owner.”

Allen also worked at an area arts and crafts store in highschool. “I liked the commitment of the owner of this store and how much she cared about her employees. She was another inspiration for me as an entrepreneur.”

From instructor to owner

The journey from instructor to franchise owner is sort of unique and has provided Allen with precious insight into understanding the business. “I first tried the class at an instructor training course in Denver, Colorado. I really had no idea what I was getting into, but I was excited nonetheless and luckily, I really enjoyed the training,” says Allen.

He continues: “Having experience as an instructor and being one and being so deeply connected to the brand allows me to set an example for my employees. Because I do know programming and teach great classes, I can train good teachers, which may be seen within the amazing classes in our studio. “I didn’t get to learn the real ins and outs of running a business until I actually took on the role – it’s a lot of work – but being able to understand my employees from my own experience really helps the ‘people’ and ‘community’ front.”

Overcoming obstacles

Fortunately, financing wasn’t one in all the challenges Allen faced in purchasing the Pure Barre studio — she had support from her family and a enterprise capitalist. But that does not imply it didn’t face other challenges.

“Hiring employees has been a big challenge, as it is for many small businesses. Finding and retaining top talent, especially when you need instructors who can command a room of more than 20 members, is difficult. COVID was also a huge challenge. “My studio in White Plains was closed for six months and my studio in Greenwich was closed for three months,” he recalled. “We had to get creative and keep our community engaged despite the shutdowns. We held virtual classes, engaged with members on social media, and eventually moved to pop-ups and outdoor events before business could return to normal. Anything we could do to keep the doors open!”

Another challenge Allen had to beat was opening her first location in an area where she wasn’t a part of the community. Deciding to open a business within the strong market or community where you reside may be difficult – each has its benefits and drawbacks.

“It was a challenge not being from the area where I opened the studio. Since I didn’t have roots in the community or had many relationships with people as a newbie, it was difficult for me to establish myself and build enough connections early on to expand my study community. In retrospect, I was so focused on the people who were within the four walls of my studio that I ignored many potential prospects outside the studio. I should have done more community outreach and made my presence known in the area,” Allen says.

For now, she has no development plans, preferring to give attention to the 2 studios and clients she currently has, but she is open to future ventures.

Allen’s advice BLACK ENTERPRISES for entrepreneurial readers is to explore the boutique fitness sector. “As people become more health-conscious post-pandemic, I would recommend boutique fitness as an entrepreneurial option,” she offers. “We are fortunate to live in a time where dozens of fitness and wellness concepts have a proven method. If you connect with a brand or workout and think others in your community will too, opening a studio is certainly value considering because you’ll be able to be your individual boss and have a positive impact in your community. I’m lucky to have the opportunity to do that day by day in my Pure Barre studios.