This is a story about grit and determination – about what it means to live by The Barre Code and “dig deep to discover what we are capable of.
More specifically, this is a story about Jamie Tamboli – owner of The Barre Code Milwaukee – and her community of instructors, staff, and loyal members who were forced to pivot to overcome an unexpected challenge.
The story begins on Christmas Day of 2022 when Jamie faced the unthinkable. Expecting a quiet holiday, she received a call that a pipe had burst and caused water damage to her studio. Jamie soon discovered this was no minor issue: “I came in and it was raining in the studio,” she says. “When the pipe burst, no one was home because it was Christmas, so there was water coming down into the studio for 14 hours.” Jamie knew the repairs would take months.
“For the first few days, I kept looking at photos of the studio and crying.”
Despite the initial despair, in true Barre Code fashion Jamie quickly accepted the situation and sprang into action. Through her strong community ties, she secured a temporary space to host classes. The staff and instructors then rallied beside her to move their entire operation down the street, and soon enough classes were in full swing in their temporary space while Jamie got to work on managing the extensive studio repairs.
Now, after months of unanticipated delays and setbacks, Jamie is thrilled to be opening the doors to her new and improved studio on Saturday, May 27 – almost five months to the day of the flood. “We are having a grand re-opening party and calling it our ‘Welcome Home’ party,” she says excitedly. “We expect to have packed classes, bubbly, cupcakes, a trail mix bar, cold brew on tap… the list goes on. I cannot imagine how it’s going to feel when we’re back in our original space!”
Looking back, Jamie knew there would be challenges with owning a studio, but this one truly tested her limits. Reflecting on lessons learned, she shares:
“My biggest learning is to never stop going.”
“So many times throughout this process, I’ve wanted to stop or give up, but I couldn’t let my team or myself down.” Jamie says she is a changed business owner after navigating this situation: “Now I don’t sweat the small stuff and I realize that nothing is perfect. You have to roll with the punches and try your best to make things work.”
Jamie’s team also recognizes her efforts to keep the community alive and guide them through the past five months. Instructor Kathryn Gage says:
“Jamie took this heartbreaking situation and found a solution while staying positive for her team and community.”
In the end, the story about Jamie and The Barre Code Milwaukee represents a larger story about what The Barre Code is and what we do across Barre Code Nation. As instructors coach their clients to push past their limits and work outside of their comfort zone to get stronger, Jamie and her community were forced to do the same.
Instructor Xiomary Sanchez Rodriguez sums it up perfectly: “The Barre Code mantra has never resonated more to me than in the last few months. Every day we have worked hard to realize the potential of our temporary space. We have dug deep to discover new ways to keep our clients shaking and sweating. We have evolved by adapting to a new schedule and to working out without barres or mirrors. Every single day we have exceeded our expectations by keeping our community strong.” She continues:
“It doesn’t matter where we are – if our community is with us, The Barre Code love runs strong.”
Jamie echoes Xiomary’s words, calling The Barre Code Milwaukee “a special place.” She says, “we accept every body and anybody into our space, while also giving them a place to sweat, talk, cry… the list goes on.” She highly recommends everyone visit Milwaukee – “an underrated city” – and spend a day wandering the Third Ward, making sure to book a class at her studio to admire the newly renovated space and feel the Barre Code Love.
We hope Jamie’s story encourages everyone to visit her studio at 225 N. Water St. (first-time clients get their first three classes free!). If you are not local to the Milwaukee area, you can find a studio closer to you to experience The Barre Code magic that Jamie and her team so valiantly displayed throughout this challenge.
The beautifully renovated Barre Code Milwaukee studio, including the Mantra Wall and locker area with a view into the studio space, which overlooks the Milwaukee River.
