#wegotgoals

When The Barre Code first opened its doors in River North eight years ago, there was something different about it from the start. Rather than touting what women could lose—weight, say, or “cottage cheese”—founders Jillian Lorenz and Ariana Chernin instead put their focus squarely on what each and every person who walked in the doors could gain. “Our studios are so much more than just fitness,” Lorenz told me at a special live recording of #WeGotGoals at the Hotel Moxy in Chicago. “We use fitness as a vehicle to provide self-acceptance and love to ourselves, and then support others in their pursuit to find their own.” The approach helped start a sea change in the fitness world overall, Lorenz said. Now that The Barre Code is a national franchise—with 59 locations sold and 31 open, and plans for an even larger expansion—she hopes they’ll continue to set the tone for a broader definition of well-being. Launching that franchise program is one big goal Lorenz is particularly proud of, and getting there was more ha