Introducing Marlo Brausse, owner of Barre Body Studio in Calgary, Canada; her business is this month’s Feet to the Fire Hall of Fame™ inductee.

Marlo launched her business in 2012 and has amassed loyal followers and raving fans. Prior to opening her doors, she was the youngest-ever female Assistant Chief Probation Officer and already had a demanding professional and personal life. As a true entrepreneur, her initial idea to open a yoga studio changed when she heard about a barre class in Boston. She later attended her first barre class in Vancouver. Although she had two young children and a full life, equipped with investment capital, she knew she wanted to create something unique. Now the two studio locations offer a variety of classes seven days per week.

I have attended fitness and yoga clubs and studios, in Canada and the US, since my late teens. While many gyms and studios strive to create a non-threatening environment for all ages and levels of physical fitness, many are not able to achieve this. Often, attendees feel like the gym or studio will be a good place to participate “when” they get into shape, or “if” they were younger or older or different gender. What differentiates Marlo’s studios are three things: the consistent customer experience every single time you walk through the door (no matter who is at the front desk), the truly welcoming atmosphere, and a vibe that radiates, “I see you. You’ve got this. You can do it.” 

I asked Marlo how she consistently creates and maintains this customer experience. She attributes some of it to learning early on, “You cannot force anyone to make changes in their lives – even with a big stick.” Her approach is simple, but not always easy. She hires very carefully. She has assessed successful and less successful hires over time and has applied the learnings, even when difficult.

Recognizing that as her business grew, she could not be physically present to observe and coach her team, she established and carefully selected master instructors who observe and provide feedback to the staff. Then, when she experienced challenges, she returned to the values she wanted to demonstrate and made adjustments where necessary. And key to any small business, Marlo is often present in both studios. Her customers can engage with her and share their stories and their ideas, plus her staff can observe her interactions. She knows her customers directly, and through her staff who also seek to understand what the customers like and want.

I recently experienced quite poor customer service with a large institution that prides themselves on winning awards for customer satisfaction. Like Marlo, they regularly survey their customers and theoretically utilize the responses to make things better. I have left two voicemails directly for the executive who runs the national division with which I am dealing. I have been a customer for over 20 years. The VP has yet to return my call. My next call will be to the global head. When a Barre Body customer emails Marlo, they typically receive a response within 24 hours. The large institution can learn something from this successful entrepreneur.

Every month, I feature an exceptional business, recognizing their efforts and strengths through my Feet to the Fire© Hall of Fame. Contact me to nominate an outstanding business that demonstrates accountability and business excellence.

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©2019 Lorraine A. Moore. All rights reserved. Permission granted to excerpt or reprint with attribution.