We had the good fortune of connecting with Joanna Stone and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Joanna, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
Relationships is by far the most important factor behind the successes of Barre Vida. Relationships with professionals in the fitness industry encouraged me to start Barre Vida plus my family and friends. The first person I trained was a dancer colleague and she was the first person to believe in the Barre Vida Barre method and to teach it. From there it became word of mouth, people heard about the Barre Vida classes from students and started coming. The first training was a success because the students in my classes took the training or referred the training to their friends. My friends and family supported my first master classes and marketing ambitions. Now it is the instructors, master instructors, and long time students who keep Barre Vida going through teaching, referrals, encouragement, and ideas. I am always in gratitude to these relationships.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I was wandering when I first started Barre Vida. I didn’t have a solid passion to poor my energy into and that left me lost. I am a dancer and performer and what makes me most happy is doing those. Teaching barre put the two together. I had been in a ten year dance career and was starting to slow down from the audition chase. I was happy working with just one company, Dance to the People, but needed more for myself which lead me to create Barre Vida. Also I needed to be financially stable and starting a business seemed a good idea for that. Deciding to be a dancer and actor is not an easy road and neither is running a business but it gives me what I need in this life and I enjoy most of it. The hardest challenge is accepting that there will be a lot of highs and lows. It is part of it.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well I’ve actually had lots of friends visit Houston and I love to first take them out for some Tex Mex!! If I can get tickets to a performance either dance or theater I will try to do that because Houston has such great performers. Then I’d probably take them to one of the many art museums, depending on which style they like. If the rodeo was in town, of course I’d take them to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo one afternoon or evening. Then I’d probably take them to Miller Outdoor Theater and Herman Park, just to show them that area which is so great.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
A huge shout-out to Michelle Applebaum for being the first to believe in Barre Vida, to Eva Kalea for helping with all design and marketing ideas, to Fredrik Sahlstrom for helping write the business plan, and Tina Kahn for telling me to do it. I really couldn’t have started without the four of them.

Website: www.jostonemovement.com

Instagram: jostonemovement

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc4h7syGDCV1lCCRrn3bH4w

Other: www.barrevida.org www.dancetothepeople.org

Image Credits
Tyler Gustin

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