Wesleyan entrepreneurs and small business owners thrive.

During her senior year at Wesleyan, Lane Scholar Sydney King ’19 self-designed her own Professional Development Experience focused on launching an online option of BARRE NONE, the personal training company she established in 2017. Sydney began training students and community members at Mathews Athletic Center (MAC) after earning her barre fitness certification during her first year at Wesleyan. Barre fitness is a workout program that combines ballet-inspired moves with elements of Pilates, dance, yoga, and strength training. She discovered that many people were having trouble fitting pre-set personal or group training sessions into their schedules, so she decided to try another approach by offering online clients exactly what they would get in person – except on their own time.

In building an online fitness community, Sydney created a private page to keep things team-oriented, yet personal. Agreements were uploaded as a way to keep one another accountable and there was an open section for comments and questions. “Clients received healthy eating tips, accountability agreements, personalized workout material, and videos were posted three times a week to help them reach their individual goals.” The program was launched through a social media marketing campaign and Sydney found that her supporters were reposting and sharing announcements which helped grow her new business.

Online instruction is still an important facet of the BARRE NONE brand, but Sydney also teaches barre and fitness, cardio dance, group fitness, stretch and flexibility, glutes, and legs, and offers 

personal training services through the MAC. Additionally, she serves as drama instructor at Macon’s Vineville Academy of the Arts, teaching grades PreK-5, and as a hop jazz instructor for ages nine through eighteen at The Madison Studio - Dance Education.

Sydney said the biggest struggle she has as a young business owner is accepting the fact that things don’t always happen the way she wants them to. “I have to practice coming to terms with knowing that sometimes I will just have to learn from mistakes, start over from scratch, and hope it works out better the next time. It is important to understand and accept the process of building a business.”

Learn more about Sydney’s business by joining her Facebook page, Barre None Arts and Fitness.