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“That's a beautiful thing of what we've built is it really is inside out. It's really authentic..So it just feels good and it feels very, very aligned too.”
In this episode of The Entreprenista Podcast, we sit down with Sadie Lincoln, co-founder of Barre3, the global fitness franchise that has grown to over 200 studios, all owned and operated by women. Built without outside funding, Sadie scaled Barre3 through cash flow and a franchise model designed to empower female entrepreneurs in their own communities.
Sadie shares the deeply personal story behind Barre3’s methodology, rooted in her recovery from a decade-long eating disorder and her mission to redefine what it means to be “fit.” You’ll hear how her mantra, “Listen to Her,” became the foundation of a brand that prioritizes connection, authenticity, and inner strength over external perfection.
We also dive into the realities of scaling a business from choosing franchising as a growth strategy to learning the art of letting go as a founder. Sadie opens up about hiring a president who accelerated the company’s growth, the challenges of leadership evolution, and the power of building authentic, community-driven relationships.
What We Talked About:
Franchising Insights [5:57]
Navigating Challenges & Letting Go [9:04]
Marketing Strategies for Local Businesses [15:12]
Operationalizing Growth and Learning [20:45]
The Future Vision for Barre3 [27:01]
Resources mentioned:
Mariana Tek
Connect with Sadie:
@sadielincoln on Instagram
Sadie Lincoln on LinkedIn
Visit a Barre3 near you
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Guests
Sadie Lincoln
Hosts
Stephanie Cartin
Co-founder of Socialfly and Entreprenista.
Stephanie Cartin is the co-founder and CEO of Entreprenista, an all-in-one platform – which includes a private community & business membership called The Entreprenista League that's made up of over 2,000 women founders at all stages of business, a weekly newsletter received by 60,000 readers, two podcasts, in-person educational & networking events, and an award program – that women founders at all stages can turn to for everything they need to grow.
Stephanie is also the co-founder of Socialfly (acquired by Truform Media Group in 2024), Markid, and Pearl Influential Capital. She has won countless awards, including the SmartCEO Brava award, which recognizes the top women CEOs in New York, and a Stevie Award for Women-Run Workplace of the Year. She has also appeared in Bloomberg, Forbes, Entrepreneur, Refinery29, and more.
Courtney Spritzer
Co-founder of Entreprenista.
Courtney Spritzer is a serial entrepreneur, angel investor, author, and community builder with a passion for creating brands and platforms that empower women to lead, grow, and thrive.
In 2012, she co-founded Socialfly, a leading social-first digital and influencer marketing agency. Over the course of a decade, she helped scale the business into an award-winning agency working with Fortune 500 brands and emerging startups, building a powerhouse team and culture along the way. In 2024, Socialfly was acquired.
In 2018, Courtney launched the Entreprenista Podcast to spotlight the stories of inspiring women founders. That passion evolved into Entreprenista Media in 2021, a media platform and community supporting women entrepreneurs at every stage of growth. She now co-leads the continued expansion of The Entreprenista League, a membership-driven community and ecosystem for founders.
As an angel investor, Courtney supports female-led and mission-driven startups aligned with her vision for a more inclusive and equitable business landscape.
She is the co-author of Like, Love, Follow: The Entreprenista’s Guide to Using Social Media to Grow Your Business (2015), a strategic guide for leveraging social platforms to drive business success.
Her work and ventures have been featured in Bloomberg, Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur, and The New York Times. She is committed to championing visionary founders and helping build the next generation of impactful, community-driven businesses.
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