I was seriously nervous before my live radio interview with the New Hampshire Brand Project, which highlights entrepreneurs in New Hampshire.

Before heading in, I texted a friend that my stomach felt weird and I had just spilled coffee down my shirt.

She reminded me that at least I wasn't going to be on TV.

This was a good point.

"I'll just pretend I'm Oprah," I said. "Or David Vendetti."

And with that, it turned out to be an AMAZING experience. I hope I get to wear my coffee on the radio again sometime!

They made it easy by asking me about a bunch of stuff I REALLY like talking about.

The interview is below. For the quick and dirty version, just skip ahead to these topics:

4:22 Interview starts
5:30 WTF is barre?
8:07 Info for future cult members barre beginners
10:40 My sordid past
16:20 Butts, young and old
18:33 WTF is fit feminist?
22:50 Is it my turn to do something great?
31:02 Working out isn't all that fun
32:22 Maybe don't eat that twinkie
37:55 Why can't I just like yoga like everybody else?
39:00 WTF is aerial yoga?
43:00 The #1 thing that will change your body and your life

For real though:

If feminism is going to continue to progress as a movement... it needs to be much more inclusive, a "me and you" philosophy, not "me or you."

No "us vs. them." There is no "them." There is only "us." We are all one.

Peace.

I'm excited to be returning to the blog after almost a year off! Wow. Glad you're still reading! The last big moment I shared was in April 2014. Here are a few events, big and small, that have happened since then. I'm looking forward to diving deeper into a few of the stories below, and I have a list of other topics I can't wait to write about.

April 2014: Harry Potter World at Universal Orlando! I had to include this because OMG, have I told you how much I LOVE Harry Potter?

We made a trip up to Maine for my birthday at the end of April break 2014. Driving through Portsmouth, NH on the way home, I noticed this space for lease. One thing led to another... and for the next few months...

May, June, July... Many delirious days and late nights were spent creating Barre & Soul's second studio (after Melrose). Having grown up close to Portsmouth, each day that I made the drive felt like coming home. This is one of the playlists that kept me company on the many trips back and forth.

The day we put this floor down, I was so exhausted I stretched out on it and fell asleep in the middle of the afternoon.Later that night, Jason and I watched the 4th of July fireworks through the studio window. And then we finished the floor. And then one day... sometime in August...It. Was. Done.Jay and I drove up to Bar Harbor, Maine and celebrated our 7th (!) anniversary. I had never been before and it was soooo beautiful.All the while, my kids continued to get huge. They went back to school. 3rd grade and 9th grade!!I did a radio interview. I was nervous at first, but it turned out to be an AWESOME experience! I look forward to sharing more about that.When I decided to make a go of opening this studio, "Fortune Favors the Brave," was the mantra I repeated daily... I could not have had a better group of women find me. I am so grateful for the team that makes it all possible. This is the truth. September... Barre & Soul Portsmouth's Grand Opening. We partied in partnership with the very gorgeous and talented ladies of oomph salon, downstairs from us. Also, I get so much help from this guy.October. I went to hear the Dalai Lama speak. (You couldn't take pictures, but this is one I took outside.) He said some things that really resonated with me. He also said some things I couldn't relate to at all. It was an interesting experience and I'm glad I went.Halloween. After spending the summer painting and driving to his music, I got to see my favorite artist, Hozier, live. There are really no words. I realize that by the time of this writing, you've all heard at least one of his songs (over and over and over.) Listen to them all. Really.November. Barre & Soul partnered with Centre Yoga at their beautiful new studio in Woburn, MA as our second "affiliate" location, (after Lexington Power Yoga, where it all started!) This means our signature barre program and teachers can now be found there, in addition to Centre's already- wonderful yoga offerings. Then the holidays came. We did family stuff. These are just a few of the members of the incredible team I get to work with. A lot of people ask me how I have managed to grow the business so quickly. Sometimes I can hear their doubt, like they are really asking, "Are you out of your mind? How can this work?" I will tell you what I tell them: It's not me. There is a huge team that makes it work... I don't mean to sound sappy, but I love this team so, so much... I was very emotional, and cried a lot throughout the holidays. They were almost always happy tears.

Oh yeah, and then I saw this place... You can probably guess where this is going.Huge portions of the past year were spent leading Teacher Trainings (barre and sometimes yoga.) The bad: The schedule is usually grueling and it is nearly impossible to maintain what we call "balance" during these periods. The good: There is no other experience like it for building instant connection, community, and long-lasting friendships.

February: MEXICO. I swam in this cave. There were bats. It was awesome. March. More Hozier.More joy. And then this happened. Barre & Soul Studio #3 lease was signed. The big one. Harvard Square.

First selfie in the future flagship studio.

I also got to cry my eyes out on opening night at Big Fish, Boston. I am so proud of my friend, Lee, who is starring as Karl, the giant (obviously.) This was a true "War of Art" moment and a triumph for self expression. This man was born to perform. He is also the one who encouraged me to sign up for a 10 month personal development course I just completed, called the Wisdom Course. I don't have any photos from the course specifically, but I want to acknowledge that since last June, risks are less scary, friendships more dear, and life a bit more playful.

One of the facets of my divorce/custody arrangement is that roughly once a month I have to drive to upstate NY. This can be a burden when it comes to scheduling, driving, overnight accommodations, you name it. What has been interesting is how I have come to embrace these weekends as an opportunity to recharge. I've really fallen in love with Lake George and the Adirondack Mountains. I've found that perhaps the best thing for my creativity is to book a room, alone, for a weekend. ("A room of one's own" still ringing true 86 years later.)

The past year has been a whirlwind, and as you can see it has been largely focused on my business. I love it! And, it's exhausting. A "day in the life" is not what you may think. There is generally less yoga, less play, less sleep than I would like, and more stress, more sugar, more over-scheduling than I care to admit. Being a mom of two and a business owner, plus trying to take care of my physical and non-physical well-being is a balancing act.

One thing that has been missing for me is writing, more specifically, expression around issues that matter to women and to me. Sure, I've been busy. We're all busy. But I want perfectionism to lose. I want self-expression to win. I want to share.

Thanks for reading,

Andrea

Just Pretend You're Oprah...

The Past Year, Mostly in Pictures