The Everyday Mystic

Somatic Strategy: Using Body Wisdom to Scale a Global Brand w/ Sadie Lincoln

• Corissa Saint Laurent • Episode 13

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Most people know Sadie Lincoln as the co-founder and CEO of barre3, where she built a fitness empire with 170 franchise studios and a massive online following. But as she reveals in this intimate conversation, she wasn't just building a business, she was learning to dismantle the guru model of fitness to help people access their own inner authority.

In this episode, Sadie opens up about the "intoxication of success" that left her with the dream job but a sense of deep unhappiness, and the profound spiritual lessons she learned by finally stopping to listen to what her life was telling her. She discusses her innate ability to notice (a skill she uses to bridge the gap between high-performance and mindfulness) and how she navigated the shadow side of leadership.

Corissa and Sadie dive deep into the power of Body Wisdom, specifically why "motion creates emotion." Sadie explains how she reclaimed the concept of fitness from a tool for validation into a practice of self-love, and why facing the darkness is the only way to truly flourish.

In this episode, we cover:

  • The Wintering Philosophy: How Sadie learned to honor seasons of stillness and not blooming in a culture obsessed with constant growth.
  • Intuition as a Business Skill: How Sadie uses the "I Notice" practice to quiet the inner critic and connect to the present moment, even during a run.
  • The Metaphysical Deep Dive: How to sit with the discomfort of criticism and shadow emotions, knowing that they hold equal purpose to the light.
  • Reclaiming Authenticity: Why we need to stop letting dream jobs define us and rewrite our definitions of success based on our core values.
  • The Archetype in Leadership: Why the best teams aren't uniform, but a mix of Merchants (visionaries) and Bankers (data-lovers) who respect each other's disparate energies.

Notable Quotes:

  • "There's equal purpose in darkness as there is in enlightenment." — Sadie Lincoln
  • "Motion creates emotion." — Sadie Lincoln
  • "I got so intoxicated with success... I had the dream job, but I wasn't happy... I was addicted to it almost, but it was not congruent with my core value." — Sadie Lincoln

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Connect with Corissa:

If this conversation awoke or inspired something in you, please consider leaving us a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review to help us reach more people.

Thanks for tuning in!

Corissa Saint Laurent:

Hey, beautiful souls. Welcome to the Everyday Mystic, where we demystify the mystical and transform your everyday life into one of greater meaning, higher purpose, and true joy. Today we are going deep with Sadie Lincoln, the co-founder and CEO of Bar 3, a fitness company focused on teaching people to be balanced in body and empowered from within. Starting in 2008 with their flagship studio in Portland, Oregon, Bar 3 has grown to include 170 franchise studios powered by female entrepreneurs, plus an online workout streaming subscriber base in more than 156 countries. Sadie is on Inc.'s female founder 100 list, has been featured on NPR's How I Built This, one of my favorite podcasts, and speaks regularly on the topics of mindful leadership, the power of body wisdom, and the movement to redefine what success and fitness means. You'll learn how mindfulness is woven into what she's built and who she is, as well as how stillness, noticing, and sitting with discomfort are all part of the journey on this episode of The Everyday Mystic. Hello, Sadie. Thank you so much for coming on to The Everyday Mystic. My pleasure.

Sadie Lincoln:

Happy to be here.

Corissa Saint Laurent:

It's so good to see you. It's been a while since moving from Portland and moving all around the world. What I have, well, not around the world. I've been moving around the United States. But what I've warmed my heart, every new city I've come into, settled into over the last three years, I'll I'll spot a bar three in a neighborhood and go, woo! Look, it's it's there's a bar three, and and it's always in the most uh beautiful and uh just nicest parts of town. So it feels uh like a piece of a piece of Portland and certainly a piece of you uh that I get to experience around the country. It's been neat.

Sadie Lincoln:

Wow, that's so sweet. I love hearing that. I've that's a sentiment that's echoed throughout our community. We hear people move into a new town and find their home at bar three again. And it's it's a really kind of an unexpected benefit that we have. I never I didn't really think about that when we decided to open many locations, but um it it feels good to know that we um create a sense of place and home for people.

Corissa Saint Laurent:

Oh yeah. And I mean, how familiar. I mean, it's like the healthy version of people seeing a McDonald's, I guess, in somewhere where, you know, they're traveling and they're like, oh, thank goodness I can get a Big Mac or whatever they say. Um yeah, to have that brand recognition, have that sense of community and home for people as they move. You know, people are so much more mobile these days than they ever were, probably, you know, in our parents' generation, um where they just stayed in their town and they, you know, raised their kids and then they never left. People now are moving for jobs, moving because they can. We'd be they're working remotely and they can just move anywhere. Uh so yet to have that be that uh ability to reconnect into your wellness space and in your the this place that you know so well and have it be different but the same is probably so yeah, it's huge for people. So I want you to to share a little bit with the listeners about um you know, some of these early, you know, you I you launched in Portland and and now, like you said, you've got these these um studios all over. How many studios are you up to now?

Sadie Lincoln:

We have 170.

Corissa Saint Laurent:

Wow.

Sadie Lincoln:

Yeah, all owned and operated by women. Um I own six of them, as you mentioned. Five of them are in Portland, one is in the West Village, and the rest are franchised and all of our own, it's an owner-operated model. So the women who run the studios are in the studios, and I think that's why it does feel like home. If you go to my studio versus Washington, DC's studio, um, you know that um a woman's behind it, running it, caring about the same core values that I care about. And so there's that continuity that's really important to us.

Corissa Saint Laurent:

What are your core values at bar three?

Sadie Lincoln:

Uh, it starts with stronger together. And that's the idea in fitness, often how how the core value kind of started and it's grown and blossomed, but um, is fitness traditionally was sort of a guru model where you followed one sort of spectacular athlete or fitness person and what they did to get fit. Um, and I, over my years in the fitness industry, realized that model doesn't serve most people, and that a stronger model and more related to who I am is this idea of collective wisdom that every single client informs the experience of bar three and the wisdom of bar three. Every instructor, every play lounge worker, every owner brings their unique contribution. And because of that, we become stronger as a collective, as a brand, as a product, but also as a movement towards body positivity. So it starts a stronger together, then practice authenticity. And that is really about a practice of remembering who we are and what our bodies need in the moment, versus trying to shape and mold our bodies into something that isn't us to belong, to be sexy, to be worthy, to be achieving, to be successful. Again, another core thing that I think is broken in the industry and doesn't serve people is a motivation to be something other than we are. Um, so we practice that in our bodies in the studios, but also in our lives at bar three. Um, and then give generously, and that's about just the almost like the uh trustfall of just knowing that when you give out generously, there's just a reciprocation that happens. Um, giving of ourselves generously. It's we are a service-based model. So when we walk into that studio, we are serving other people. And so that core value is very important to the success of our organization. Love of learning is about growth mindset, um, not being rigid, not being stuck in one heritage, one mode, uh, but deeply curious and always learning and evolving to meet um people where they are in that moment. And then to teach that fun curiosity in your body too. When you take a bar three class, you'll feel the love of learning right from minute one because we always say things like, hey, yeah, I'm your bar three instructor, but you are your own best teacher. You're going to learn through this class what your body needs. Um, so love of learning. Um, make it happen. And that's about, you know, you can sit there and analyze yourself forever and ever and ever. Um, but it's really important to now put action to that authenticity to move out in the world and make choices that are maybe out of your comfort zone, but um are a true signal of progress. Um, I think that's it. I think those are the all of them.

Corissa Saint Laurent:

And you know, that's so true that uh oftentimes people are in their heads, right? I mean, we spend so much time in our heads overthinking things, thinking and analyzing and breaking down whether that's thinking about ourselves or just thinking about our work or the world, our families, and you know, it's really carving out time, whether it's an hour or more, to just spend some time in your body and not, you know, to get out of your mind is such a gift.

Sadie Lincoln:

It really is. It really is, and it translates into your life too. The the practice of not being in your head, but truly being in your body and trusting your body and moving in a way that is authentic to your body, it's a practice of self-love and compassion for your body, for one thing, and respect for your body. Um, but I think it also is a metaphor for learning um to move into the world that way and to make choices in the world that way that are authentic to what you really need and what what really serves you.

Corissa Saint Laurent:

Yeah. And I think, you know, the one one of the things that I I love about, you know, any type of embodiment practice, whether it's, you know, an exercise practice or breath work, or you know, just just um taking a walk even and kind of just focusing on how that feels being um in your body, that when you when you spend some time there, you are you know energizing these long-forgotten places. And sometimes I one of the only times I've ever cried while exercising was in a yoga class because I was in this particular posture, and then just like tears started pouring out of my eyes. And I was just, I was accessing these deep and forgotten emotions that I, you know, had had stored away. And so connecting to our bodies can be, you know, such a powerful way to just spur action in our lives. Because for me, that was like, oh, I need to address this thing. I need to actually bring that up into my mind and start thinking about dealing with it so that I can move on and I don't, you know, cry when I do yoga.

Sadie Lincoln:

Right. You know, those moments are so beautiful though. That's such a gift. We hear that a lot. Specifically, there was an uptick in tears after COVID. And I think when we all were still in our homes, um, and then went out to the studio and started moving again, like so much came out, right? Um, I always I like the phrase motion creates emotion.

Corissa Saint Laurent:

Yes.

Sadie Lincoln:

And just like releasing that, the tears, and it's just such a beautiful like moment. Um yeah, I treasure those moments.

Corissa Saint Laurent:

Yeah, it's so it is. It's a it's a connection that again a gift to have because we so often will spend time, but also I think honor more of the the energy and the activity of the mind. You know, that's the stuff that gets, you know, the awards and it gets you the promotions and it gets you, you know, the the success markers in the world. You know, when you're when you're up here, uh we're not necessarily honoring as much in our society the um that experience of the body. So I love that your company and your practice and you as a person are honoring that in the world and providing that for people.

Sadie Lincoln:

Yeah, I think a practice of stillness and being honest is so important and that that can be our measure of success. We can redefine what success means. I was talking to my daughter, she's a freshman in college, and she had a little stint where she just couldn't get out of bed. And she was just, and we are talking about it, and I said, Look out, she's in Denver. I'm like, look out your window. Um, what does that tree look like? And she's like, Well, it's just a tree. And I said, Well, what does it explain it to me? And she's like, It's just branches. There's like ice on it and snow. And I'm like, it's really still, right? And it's just bare and and not moving, right? Can you imagine if you told that tree right now to explode with leaves and flowers? Like, go, like bloom, grow, like be awesome, right? It's not natural. It's not natural. And like I I heard a podcast, I forget her name and author, I think their name, I'm I'm not sure their pronouns, but uh, it's called wintering, and it's all about that idea of like it's okay to be still and to not bloom and to not have leaves on your tree all the time. And that, you know, I think we can learn so much from that of just the honesty of accepting whatever is happening for you and your body in that moment. And then all of a sudden, you know, you release the shame, things work out, and just like a tree, eventually you do start to like blossom and move and and grow and do all the things that our society is excited about.

Corissa Saint Laurent:

Right. Yeah. The I know we have so much to learn from nature, just follow, you know, and not necessarily following the seasons to a T, but understanding that we have seasons. And even you know, for women, I I just had a woman on uh the pod, it it hasn't released yet, but um, we talked all about periods. She has a company where uh that sends it's just it's a sacred, uh, sacred period box. It's a kit that gets sent to or can be gifted to uh young women before their periods, and it has all these beautiful products in it uh to help usher them into womanhood, to help destigmatize periods. And um, we talked a lot about the sacred feminine and you know how even within our menstrual cycle, we often aren't aren't honoring the days, right? The days that we have where you're just like, I just need to lay with some tea in bed, and I I can't play pickleball today because my body is like not, you know, producing that kind of energy. And I just need to be still and I need to be in this moment. Honestly, I think it's like we were talking about earlier about those tears being a gift. The the menstrual cycle is such a gift to women and to the to um having something that's so viscerally physical that you sometimes forces you into being still and being present and being um quiet, you know, because of maybe pain or just discomfort. Um, but I think that's a beautiful gift.

Sadie Lincoln:

Yeah, and I think another way to think about that is it's a gift of noticing. Like women's menstrual cycle is such a physical knocking on the door, like notice me, notice, you know, listen to your body, right? Um, and I think that is such a gift is just noticing, and that translates beyond menstrual cycle to like moments when you know you feel like you're breathing in your chest shallowly, kind of like panting. Like, notice that, right? And that's a sign that you know your stress levels are high, or a foggy sensation behind your eyes, or oh wow, I feel really relaxed and calm right now, and just starting to notice how the body is reacting to the environment. It's a really powerful way to start to then take action to create an environment where you feel more alive and full and whole and happy is really important. I think a lot of us shove that down and we don't notice it. We don't take it too seriously, and um, the menstrual cycle is like you can't not notice it. Like again.

Corissa Saint Laurent:

Good luck trying to ignore that.

Sadie Lincoln:

Yeah.

Corissa Saint Laurent:

Yeah. One thing I've noticed in um, you know, your classes, bar three classes, or um some slower yin yoga classes, and just just practices that are about noticing, really. Like I guess we can just sum it up that way. Um, that are that I really personally shunned those kinds of practices in my earlier days. I was all about ashtanga and flow yoga and hiking, like lots of like um physical stress and strain and strenuousness and movement and fast movement. I walk really fast, uh, you know, just in general, my body. And it took me a while to get into this practice of slowing down. And so even my exercise was matching that that rigor of movement. And uh I'll I'll be honest, like the first time I ever took like a bar three or bar three style class was like it was annoying to me. I was like, I don't like like holding all these things or just like stopping and not, you know, flowing. And and that was a great lesson for me that, you know, oh, you know, this is about like actually paying attention and noticing what's going on. And that is deeply challenging.

Sadie Lincoln:

And yeah, I I think it can be more challenging for many of us and more results-oriented for many of us to slow down and be still and to feel the burn in the muscle, acknowledge it and sit in it, right? And just notice it and let it build and build and build. Um, whereas if you're distracted in your mind, you don't, you don't do that. Um, and there's a comfort in that, even though it might seem more strenuous, like you're sweating more, but you're you're not paying attention quite as much. I will put in a plug though for a noticing practice with vigor. So um, you know, you can take, I'm the same exact way. I'm a fast walker, we should go on a walk. Um I'm a fast walker, like I just want to get there. It just feels good, it's where my body is. And I love vigor, I love challenge. Um, and it's really exciting to put a practice of presence into those modalities. And so one way to do that is if you're like a trail runner, let's say, is while you're running, just in your head, say everything you notice. I notice that tree, I notice my foot, I notice an itch on my back, I notice, you know, the breeze on my face, I notice the smell of pine, I notice, and just note and literally saying, I notice, I notice, I notice, I notice. Um, and you can tear up that trail run while being present. And what you might notice afterwards is a almost a feeling of euphoria because you gave your thinking mind um a break in a way. You drove your awareness to presence, um, which is deeply rejuvenating. It's been proven you can problem solve better, deal with conflict better after that, um, metabolize food better, sleep better. It's so healthy to drive our awareness towards a present moment. Um, where, you know, and there's nothing wrong with it, but you know, I know I'll do this, I'll listen to a podcast during a whole walk because I'm such an achiever. I'm like, well, I'm gonna learn and walk, right?

Corissa Saint Laurent:

Right.

Sadie Lincoln:

Um, or I'll really get in my head trying to like problem solve um while I'm on a walk or a hike or something. And that's okay too. It's just notice that it's a different, it's a different outcome.

Corissa Saint Laurent:

It's a different type of going in within, right? A different type of of connection. And, you know, that kind of mindfulness in action is as valuable as still full or you know, still meditations or still mindfulness. I think there is that misconception that people need to get completely still, not move, not think, just empty themselves in order to connect. And we can be mindful in so many other ways, just like you mentioned. And I love that practice of saying, I notice. That's uh that's that's beautiful. I I do that when it comes to meditation because the same thing. I used to not be able to meditate, quote unquote, because I thought you just Had to sit and lay and be still and empty the mind. Um, so I would find other ways to meditate and I would do that kind of meditative hiking or meditative cooking. And there's so many ways that you can get into that flow and then that inner connection. And now I can meditate just by sitting and like emptying and being in that state as well. But for those who are listening who think, you know, um, I'll never be that person. I'll never be the person who can like sit down or lay down and just empty their mind of thoughts and and be able to just lay there and breathe. I'm gonna want to jump up, or it's annoying and itchy for me. Um, know that there's so many other paths to that stillness or that connection. And that maybe someday it will lead you to that place where you you can be um just be by yourself and with your just in a in a state of stillness or sitting sitting in the woods, not running through the woods necessarily.

Sadie Lincoln:

Right. I've rarely met anybody who thinks they are the sitting and emptying the mind person. I've I mean, I I don't, I'm just sitting here trying to think if I've ever met someone who says, oh yeah, I'm not person. I think it's so deeply human to want to bounce out of the bed and not stay and do the breath work or to do, to do, to do. Because we're we've been brought up in a culture of doing. So I think I also find that comforting that we're all almost every single one of us universally think we don't, we're not the type to meditate. Um, and I think it's more about redefining it, like you were saying, um, and taking, getting out of your comfort zone, because it is uncomfortable to be still and to notice. Um, but just enough, right? Just enough so that you can start to see, oh, and then notice how that affected your sleep that day, your connection with other people. More for me, it's like my inner critic, you know, how it affected that. Like when I sit still, it's such a practice of self-love at this point. And that serves me all the time. Like it's just like, you know, fuel for my day. Um, so yeah, I think I I've never met anyone that's like, oh, I love emptying my mind and sitting still naturally.

Corissa Saint Laurent:

Yeah. You know, it's just the the things that create some discomfort for us, whether it's sitting or, you know, taking on a new challenge, I think are such great things to notice. Like, where where is this discomfort coming from? Why can't I sit still? And or why do I want to avoid that conversation or why is this thing, whatever it is, making me uncomfortable? And it's such a great uh practice of self-awareness and self-examination to be like, okay, well, I think those kinds of conversations challenge me because, hmm, why? And it's just starting to ask yourselves and having those inner conversations. So I know that you are very self-aware and that you practice a lot of self-awareness. Um, in those practices, is there a lot of self-talk going on?

Sadie Lincoln:

Yes, um, for sure. I would say the biggest um like eye-opening unlocking that I've ever had was, and it's been a process, it's been like maybe I don't know, seven years of really investigating this. And it started with my friend Kristen Fritz. Uh she has um, I think it's called Dharma Laundry. You can look her up, Kristen Fritz. Uh, and she has this little Dharma school. She does a retreat that's really beautiful here in Portland with Andrea Lita. Um, but a long time ago she said to me, There's equal purpose in darkness as there is in enlightenment. And that just stuck with me. I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa, can you say that again? Can you explain that a little more? And over time I've really learned to not run from the discomfort, the shadow, the dark side of myself. So if I'm jealous, if I'm fearful, if I'm um disappointed, angry, um, you know, those yucky, those feelings that just that's the tape, that's the stuff that's harder for me to get rid of. Or if someone criticizes me, like on social media or something. Um someone just did that. They they DM'd me and told me all the I posted a picture of me to show my Beyond Yoga outfit. And she was telling me, she said, tisk, tisk, you're using your traps instead of your lats, and your hip is way out of alignment, or something like that. And I kid you not, like I sat there, I stewed on that. It is so stupid, you know. But the thing is, I can't run. I need to sit with that. Like, what was that? Like, oh, I and just really sit with the discomfort of of not performing well, not doing it right, feeling like an imposter. Also, that was mean. How could she do that? Like, yeah, and just really, really sit there with it. Um, because there's always like a doorway into something I need to learn about myself in that moment. And it's such a deep disservice to not honor it and not, you know, sit with it, not run with it, and not try to solve it, make it go away. Just truly remember what Kristen said is there's equal purpose in this feeling right now, as when you feel like you're really crushing it or you're in flow state and everything's great. Um, and again, that's goes back to the whole noticing thing. It's like even in my body, like even talking about it right now, I feel my chest kind of tightening. It almost like hurts my heart, to be honest. Um, and I have to just soften and listen and like hold my heart and be okay in that moment, as trivial as it sounds.

Corissa Saint Laurent:

Yeah. Don't though. Those things are are the things to notice. I think that we spend so much time distracting ourselves because we don't want to feel that discomfort, right? So it's just like another thing to anesthesize the discomfort of life. I mean, there are a lot of discomforts, whether it's the those types of um social exchanges and human-to-human stuff. Um, I actually read this really fascinating book called The Courage to Be Disliked. And it is, it's written like a, you know, it's one of those types of books that that shares a philosophy, but through um, you know, the telling of a parable, a story of, you know, this person goes to this, they find this teacher and then they go through all the lessons. And um, it's a fascinating book, but in it, the the main tenet is that all problems are interpersonal problems. And at first you read it and you're like, oh, well, that's not true. I have this problem with myself that's a blah, blah, blah. But actually, oh no, that stemmed from you know, my parent telling me that thing about me, right? That it started as this interpersonal thing. And so you start to like follow those threads for all the things that you feel, and you're like, oh, yeah, there is this connection with another person there. It's so, it's it's pretty fascinating.

Sadie Lincoln:

It's so true. I've, I mean, through my therapy, I've learned that um, the unwinding to go back in our story early as early as we possibly can and figure out like when, you know, why did I want to be on the stage in kindergarten? You know, what, you know, what was the root of that, or you know, whatever it was. Um, and really understanding that side of myself or a bad exchange or feeling abandoned, you know, um, understanding that unwinds the future. Like it does. I think if we don't go back and solve those problems for ourselves when we were little, they recreate over and over in our subconscious, or maybe we somehow attract them back into our lives. I really believe that. Um, but if we go back into the core and it's the inner child work, like go back and hold that little girl who needed to be on a stage because she wasn't seen in her home, right? Like and and remind her, oh, you're so seen and loved. You know, you're you're good. Like you don't need to be on a stage to be to belong. Like you belong, you're awesome, you know. And that kind of work um helps every I just feel like it unwinds everything.

Corissa Saint Laurent:

Yeah. And it's so important. I mean, you're doing this for yourself, you're doing this for your children, you're doing it also um for your company and for the the mission and the the values that that each person that connects to you as a studio owner, franchise owner, every student that comes, because there's no way that that, what you just described and you're are doing doesn't infuse into the the core of the company, right? So that's so powerful that you have taken, and and you know, you're such a great example of you know being a soulful CEO or a conscious leader and a conscious CEO in that way, that you're doing the work, you know, you're not just like sitting on high and going, okay, let me dispense this knowledge and this wisdom down to you all. It's like you're in the trenches doing work. And and then uh, you know, and and so it's no surprise that all of that gets infused into each of your studios and and students.

Sadie Lincoln:

Well, it's really our a core value. It's the growth mindset love of learning, all the things, all the values we started this call with. Um I have we have a company of people that are doing the work. Like it is a core value to be self-aware. Practice authenticity is about a practice of self-awareness. And so that is something when we upstream figure out, you know, putting together our teams, you know, do we all share in these values? Um, if you don't share in the values, you're not gonna thrive at bar three because it's who we are. Like it's it's where we grow, it's where we innovate. And um it's it's our purpose. Um and so yeah, I think, you know, it does. I guess it started with me and Chris just because we started it, but now it's just grown into this amazing group of humans that are all on their individual discoveries, figuring things out, um, with this idea of, oh wow, if we can all unlock this way, what we're just there's more joy and honesty in life, whether it's at work or in our bodies in the classroom, you know, it's all kind of the same.

Corissa Saint Laurent:

Yeah. And and we all, you know, well, most of us spend so much time at work or working that to have a place where you can also be working on your human and not, you know, and delving deep into your personal development work while at work uh is is a gift.

Sadie Lincoln:

And there's boundaries. We don't talk about like our deepest, darkest secrets or anything around the boardroom. I I probably did at one point because I was, you know, a baby Sadie trying to figure shit out. But um, now it's it's it's with safety, right? There's a container, but we do things around discovering our true motivations. Um, one of my favorite, sort of like a strength finder we did was CVI, it's the core values index. It was one of the most profound things we've done as a team. And we had an executive coach come in, Dan Cox, and guide the whole organization in this. And it's really discovering through a lot of analysis what your core authentic motivation is in the world. And then kind of owning that and making sure that your career choice isn't congruent with that. I think so many of us try to play on our weaknesses and we spend all this energy trying to be another thing because we think that's what we should be or whatever. And that's really defeating, right? And way more energy. It takes 10 times more time to do something well that you're not innately good at or motivated to be good at, uh, even more importantly. Um, so that's that it's the first step of like, oh, oh, that's who I am. So I need to make sure I'm not in the room for that conversation because it's not authentic to who I am, right? And that the right people are. But even more importantly, I think it's for us as a team respecting each other. Like my core team, we are one of each category. There's four categories. It's the banker, the merchant, the builder, and the innovator. And my the four leaders that run bar three are each of those things. So we're wildly different. Like, and I'm I'm a merchant, which another way is we are more visionary, we lead with our hearts. We have imagination, we see into the future. We're very colorful, we're very, like we always want to bring our heart into conversation. Um, my CFO is a banker, very literal, grounded, and his whole thing is knowledge. Like he wants to see the data, right? Makes sense. Um, the numbers, and he can't even understand why I'm imagining something in the future, right? But I'm like, what a stick in the mud. Why are you talking to me about what we can't do right now? Yeah. But we have learned to deeply respect each other, and our chemistry is so powerful. Um, and I think a lot of us in the workplace specifically, we judge each other because we're not the same, instead of tapping into each other because we're different. And that collective wisdom stronger together is what creates workplace awesomeness, innovation, problem solving, um, joy, you know. Um, and that kind that's an example of an active practice I've brought into the workplace that fits, and and it's great because people know once I figure out what my motivation is, now I can design a career around something that is going to authentically enrich my life.

Corissa Saint Laurent:

And core values are so uh universal that you can find and like meet and serve those values in so many different ways. I think that's it's I was just talking about this because you know, I I I'm a public speaker, teach public speaking uh workshops and all um, I love helping people feel confident and comfortable speaking in front of groups and in front of audiences. And so I was just talking about this uh earlier about how um finding, you know, and understanding that, you know, your motivation here, the the value that you hold um may not be the exact thing that you are talking about for so in this realm of public speaking, you know, may maybe the topic itself is not a passionate topic for you or you you don't, it's boring to you or whatever it might be. But if your one of your core values is that you need to be passionate about something and to actually feel confident and comfortable doing it, then what can you find passion in in the act of doing the speaking? Is it that you are going to be helping others transform, or is it because you're gonna be through that sharing of knowledge that might be boring? You're going to help um, you know, lift someone else up or you know, too. So it's like you can still find the and meet your value in so many different ways. Uh so it doesn't have to be, yeah, it doesn't have to be literal.

Sadie Lincoln:

Yeah.

Corissa Saint Laurent:

Yeah.

Sadie Lincoln:

Yeah.

Corissa Saint Laurent:

Knowing that about yourself and and then connecting to each other and knowing those things about your your your teammates and uh your colleagues is is so valuable because you know what turns them on, lights them up, and you can help even instill that for each other and and also honor each other. That's beautiful. Yeah, yeah, it's really it's really great.

Sadie Lincoln:

It's just builds so much respect. And I think we say these things a lot, but actually, again, putting it into action, like I've over the years, I know in my head, like it's so important for the team to feel seen and heard, right? Seen and heard, just like raising children. Children need to be seen and heard and delighted in, right? Um, and we need to be inconvenienced by them. That's like the art of being a parent or the art of being a leader. Like, you know, it's not always easy, but um, something like the core values index or the other things we've done like that is an exercise and an active practice and seeing Michael as the banker, seeing Anna as the innovator. She asks a ton of questions, and then Hannah as my builder, who just doesn't want to maybe problem solve so much, she just wants to get things done. And then Harper, who's like me, she's the merchant, she's the heart, you know, it's just um knowing that they're seen and and validated and then their respective teams are as well. Um, it's just like the soul of a company. It's it feels good no matter. And we could we have a really, I mean, kind of a a very like we we got the feels at bar three, like just the brand and the organization. But to your point, we could be working for, I don't know, PGE or you know, Clorox headquarters, if they have the same, like, um, I don't know why I thought of Clorox, but it just sounded kind of boring, but you know, a boring brand, let's say, but that has that kind of heart and soul, it doesn't matter, you can still thrive, you can still feel alive and enriched.

Corissa Saint Laurent:

Right. And and right for the most quote unquote boring, and I won't name any industries necessarily, but we all know what we're probably we all have an idea of that, and it's popping up in our own minds. Um, but within those industries, within those jobs, you can find you can find, even if it's your own personal, maybe your whole team is not on board and you don't have that um, you know, everybody, because it's not coming from any place of where, you know, that's an instilled value to connect in that way, but even for yourself to be able to find joy and deeper meaning and and having a higher purpose with this thing that you're doing, sweeping floors or launching numbers or something that you may not um be and I so excited and passionate about. I I think that's an important element of true really finding that true joy in life because life doesn't always serve you the dream job or that you know, right? You can you can find, however, that that uh deep meaning in something that may not be um in your what your vision is of the yeah, and I don't I learned the dream job doesn't make me happy.

Sadie Lincoln:

I have my dream job, but I wasn't happy for years. And what I lost was my core values around the dream job and who I who I was within my own organization. I was just talking, we just did a women's networking event um for National Women's Day, I think it was, um, with Portland Business Journal, and my table was about core values, and I was Telling them, I started bar three in 2008 with a very clear core value around work-life balance and around raising my children and creating uh my career self around honoring my home self and um my desire to be a nurturing, nurturing, kind of mothering um homebody, if you will. And I got so intoxicated as bar three started to fly. I got so intoxicated with success and achievement and accolades and being on stages and traveling. And I I um I was addicted to it almost, but it was not congruent with my core value. And so I would sit there at night. I remember I'm like, what am I looking for? What am I searching for? I am so not happy, even though I'm checking all the boxes, and I have the dream job and I have the things, and I just bought the house, and my kids get to go to a good school now. And like, why am I so depleted? And it was because I wasn't forming my company around my core value anymore, around work-life balance. And when I got back to that, it took me a minute, I hired the amazing executive team that we have, you know, and that's been a process who can run the day-to-day business while I have more balance for what is right for me. I had choice in that moment. I didn't think I had choice. And um, you know, a lot of other people have a different core value. Like around our our our table, other people had complete power as a core value or fame, or you know, you can have other core values that are authentic to you.

Corissa Saint Laurent:

Right.

Sadie Lincoln:

Um, that just happened to be mine that I I sort of lost along the way and then and then picked back up.

Corissa Saint Laurent:

Fished back in. Well, I mean, thankfully you you had you knew that and and had identified it because you you could have probably spent many, many more years because you had never discovered that, just going, why am I so unhappy? I have it all, I have the dream. And um and and I think that's why these practices of self-awareness and self-reflection and and going in and and and getting to know our our inner self and and then you know, being introduced to our higher self of where we get this guidance from a wiser part of of who we are to to show us the way and guide us back to the path, you know, when you get a little lost like that.

Sadie Lincoln:

Yeah, the return, coming back, coming back, coming back, yeah.

Corissa Saint Laurent:

Yeah, because there's all your you, yourself is always there, right? That higher self, that inner knowing is always there for you. And I think that's um even if you feel like you're lost in the woods or you know, that you've you've lost your way, you know, getting back to that that center is is always is an opportunity that's always there. So for tell us, like I know you said it was a long road back, but what were some of the things that you did to kind of get back to to that um and and get back to yourself?

Sadie Lincoln:

I think things just sort of started coming to me. Like I'd pick up a book and it would, you know, I think a lot of it was learning and be having the first step was curiosity. Like, why am I not totally happy right now? What am I searching for? Like I remember being on Facebook at night one night. Lit I had sit, I had all these little mini aha's, right, along the way. They're like these little moments that really shifted things for me. I remember being on Facebook one night. Like I fed the kids, they were in bed, it was like lovely. Chris had a fire going, and I was on Facebook and I literally said out loud, what am I searching for? What am I looking for? Like, why aren't I completely content right now? Curled up on the couch with my dog, like by the fire. Like I just was not content in myself, in my life, in my body. And it was like, oh, I'm curious about that. Like, why am I not, you know? Um, I remember sitting, I had a very vivid moment where I was sitting outside with my son, and a butterfly came in and landed on a plant right by him. And I just had this moment of, I always wanted to be a mom. I never wanted to be a CEO. Like, what am I? I'm and I I promptly booked a vacation with just the two of us to go to Alaska and I like canceled all my meetings. I was like, I need to be with my son. Like, whoa, you know, and so I would have these little moments, and then so it started with curiosity, then then it's okay, put that curiosity to practice. I need help. Um, and that was um then seeking out outside folks to help guide me. Um, so therapist, love my therapist, um, retreats, going to retreats, like I mentioned, Kristen Fritz, reading a book, calling the author. Um, oh, I cannot. I wish I could remember this book because she's an author in Bend, Oregon. It's something around intuition.

Corissa Saint Laurent:

Well, if you remember it, I'll put it in the show notes. Okay, thank you.

Sadie Lincoln:

Um, but I remember I read her book and I was like, oh my gosh. So I called her and I just connected with her. Like, you know, like just like finding coaches um and doing my own work, um, finding, you know, discovering meditation, the art of slowing down. Um, and I would say I'm 50 now. I did that for 10 years. 40 to 50 was all about figuring it out. And at this point, my word for the year is flourish. Now I just want to live fully into things and put it to practice a little more versus kind of reading it, thinking it, analyzing it. It's really about putting it into motion more now for myself and figuring it all out.

Corissa Saint Laurent:

Yeah, that's that's so beautiful. And and what a great uh path that you've just shared that anybody can follow of just getting curious, asking yourself these questions of why am I not satisfied? Why am I unhappy? Why am I this? Why am I that? What just starting to get curious about the self rather than accepting that this is it. Okay, I guess I have to live with this, you know. I have to live within the confines of our own current mindset.

Sadie Lincoln:

We can Yeah, but I think it's it's not, it's not, it's interesting because I think the other word is compassion and courage. So because it's curious first. Oh, why? What am I searching for? But then the compassion part's important and it's not accepting, but being compassionate that you're honestly not happy.

Corissa Saint Laurent:

Yeah.

Sadie Lincoln:

Right? Like the compassion part, otherwise we beat ourselves up because my dialogue was who am I to be unhappy right now? What is wrong with it? Like, I have it all. What yeah, yeah, and I think a lot of us do that. We beat ourselves up for um the inner critic. You know, why am I, or like the habits that we form versus giving ourselves love around those habits. Oh, I'm searching for something else. Yeah, I'm trying to feed my soul some because I'm not fulfilled right now, and that's okay. Um, and then the courage part is taking the being courageous and and making change.

Corissa Saint Laurent:

Yeah. It's, you know, I think it's fascinating that um, and I talk about this, that uh, you know, I've written about this, that it can be on both of these extreme ends of the spectrum that it can be have it all and feel like what you exactly what you described, or have lost it all or don't have it all, and feel exactly the same way, and and beating be beating yourself up for well, how could I let myself get to this point? How can I, you know, how could I um have I, how could I have lost it all, or how could I be, you know, an alcoholic on the streets? And I mean, you it at both ends of these these spectrums, it is that right, that lack of that lack of compassion and um so much shame that doesn't need to be there. And when we start to fill up our own well, um being uh loving to ourselves, compassionate for where we are, and starting from that point, wherever that point is for somebody, to then, like you said, go and seek seek some answers. If you don't have them all within, seek outside of you. There's so many sources of information and help and support and and reaching out and not and not being embarrassed to or too shameful to do that.

Sadie Lincoln:

Uh we heal in we heal in community. It's really hard to be alone in this stuff. I've learned that like it's so so great to have people to to to give yourself permission to be helped. It's a gift and it works. I mean, um, you know, and there's people like you that like live for this, right? That just they want to help you. That is their calling, that is who they are and are truly gifted at it. Um, I'm so thankful for the people in my life, the teachers in my life who have helped me unlock um myself and and figure some of this stuff out.

Corissa Saint Laurent:

Yeah, yeah. We're uh we are and can be that for people in our lives, you know, even if you're not doing it professionally, the, you know, you do it for your colleagues and your children and others can, you know, maybe do it for um, you know, just someone that a stranger that they meet on the streets. And, you know, this, this uh as we fill the well and as we get more in tune with our own selves, the more we can be there uh externally for others and and connect to others. So it's like it's a virtuous cycle, right? We might be getting that help from others, but it fills us so that we can then give that help and you know become so much more connected to humanity and the energy all around us, both in taking it and giving it. And it feels like it makes it all worthwhile. Definitely. Yeah. So what's next for you, Sadie? You said you're 50 now, you've got this booming and successful company, and your kids are you've got some in college. Do you have uh some things on the horizon?

Sadie Lincoln:

I think it's just um no, like I don't have any major like moves I'm making, which is like I just just being present in the moment, appreciate where I'm in, it feels really good right now. You know, when you go through something really, really hard. Again, that's that darkness, right? The the beauty of that is when you come through the portal of hardness, everything that is good is so much better and so much brighter, yeah, and so much more fulfilling. And our studios, I mean, we had to shut all our doors. I mean, it was dicey um and hard work, and we are coming through a recovery now. Our classes are full, we have weight lists. It there's just this sense of like the Phoenix rising right now, and we're just elated. We're so happy and in our element again at bar three. And it we're all so much more appreciative than we were pre-COVID. Of every client, of every movement, of every decision we're making. Like I was asked in an interview recently, what are you worried about in 2023? And I really thought about it, and I told her nothing. Uh because for the first time in 15 years, nothing, because I know we can do anything. Yeah, you've been like, Yeah, and so nothing worries me. Nothing worries me anymore. I bet a lot of us feel that way. I mean, and a lot of us are still really struggling. I mean, the hangover and the tiredness and the exhaustion is real. Um, and picking back up is hard. Um, and so I try to just appreciate the little moments. It's not like we're crushing it, we're not pre-COVID numbers yet. Um, but it I just try to focus on the gratitude and the things that are working and the flow that is happening. Um, and just that is also what I'm doing in my my life is just pouring into things that work and feel good. And I'm really working on the practice of letting go the things that don't.

Corissa Saint Laurent:

Well, I would argue that those are the biggest things that you could have on the horizon, all of this incredible um recognition of uh what you have, what you've overcome, what the strength that you have within, the the strength that your company has to persevere, and the gratitude that you are experiencing, the flourishing that you're in, the letting go, all of these things. So, so so beautiful. If um if that's what takes you into the and through the next decade, I think you'll be in really great space. So I love hearing all that.

Sadie Lincoln:

I will say that the team, um, it's amazing when you go through constraints and hard times, innovation can happen. And we talked earlier about vigor and a kind of traditional exercise. The team has developed and is launching B3 Strength, which is a traditional strength training class, and B3 Cardio, which is a traditional cardio class infused with presence and mindfulness with the bar three signature class philosophies. Um, and so that's like a new emerging thing. Um, so there is this sense of new now um and change, which is really beautiful. Uh, it's not like we're going back to what we used to be pre-COVID. We've really evolved into something new. So it's pretty exciting.

Corissa Saint Laurent:

So it's that's so exciting. And the that's the gift, right? Of challenges and challenging times and um constraint and uh what you you've created and and built from that. So yeah, absolutely. Phoenix rising from the ashes kind of um metaphor. That's so perfect. Well, thank you so much for joining us. Where can people connect to you? Do you want to send them anywhere in particular?

Sadie Lincoln:

Yeah, I truly am happy to connect on Instagram. I really do appreciate it for that reason. So Sadie Lincoln, and then bar three has all the regular channels too, B-A-R-R-E three, um, connecting with our community. There are real people behind every post and every response that are amazing and love to hear from you. Um, so Instagram, Facebook, our website, the usual, usual places, LinkedIn. We're all we're everywhere.

Corissa Saint Laurent:

We are everywhere and all at once. Wonderful. Well, thank you again so much for spending time with us, and we'll look forward to seeing all what's what the future holds for bar three. And I know that with you at the helm and uh you continuing to do all the beautiful work that you're doing personally and internally, that uh the all the moves there are going to be very meaningful.