We were lucky to catch up with Kacia Kitchukova recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kacia, thank you so much for making time for us today. We’re excited to discuss a handful of topics with you, but perhaps the most important one is around decision making. The ability to make decisions is a key requirement for anyone who wants to make a difference and so we’d love to hear about how you developed your decision-making skills.
Truthfully I have always been a confident decision-maker, so leadership has come natural to me. Whether it comes from being a Leo, a Projector, or simply an eldest sibling, I’ve had a lot of practice taking the lead! I have really developed this natural ability, though, by continuously taking inventory of when my decisions have turned out well, or have ended up as learning opportunities instead – both are equally important. Decisions that lead to learning lessons are the best education that you can get, and for me personally have helped sharpen my sense of trusting my instincts when faced with difficult decisions. I think it’s crucial to reflect in order to get the most out of each experience and to take those tools with you and above all – to trust that you’re equipped with what you need to make a determination. Indecision is worse than making the wrong decision and learning from it!
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I would describe myself as a dynamic business professional, recently trading a corporate finance career in the Arizona Desert for my entrepreneurial ambitions in vibrant Miami! I am so proud to be building Pure Barre Miami and of my unique path to a career in the fitness industry. My background in finance really shaped and developed my business acumen, having spent a decade at a midsize corporation and growing into an executive leadership position that involved team building, negotiations, business operations and board-level decision making.
Fitness has always been at the forefront of my lifestyle. Pure Barre specifically has been my favorite way to work out, because the results are unmatched and it challenges me in ways that make me better every single class – both physically and mentally! As a client, I had taken hundreds of classes before I sought out the opportunity to bring Pure Barre to the urban Miami areas. It’s so exciting because Miami has become such a fitness hub, but there really aren’t any true barre studios, so this method is newer here and I think that people are going to fall in love with the way it helps them look and feel. It’s really for everybody and it never gets easy, ever.
It’s an exciting time to be part of Pure Barre for the team and clients alike because we’ve just launched a new format, Pure Barre Define, which incorporates strength training and barre! On top of our Classic, Empower (HIIT, cardio and barre), and Align (think yoga and barre) formats, it’s the one place that you can get the most well-rounded fitness routine. And we’re just getting started!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Most importantly, being able to hone a sense of what’s important to you, and shutting out the noise of everything that’s not that. It’s completely okay to know that you want to do something but to not be sure of what it is yet, but being able to identify what resonates with you and where you see yourself is a crucial part of the path between the two. Once I had done this, I was able to more clearly see opportunities that were aligned with where I wanted to be, and I could take small but impactful steps, one-at-a-time, to make that a reality! Second is negotiation skills, which are something that I personally love to practice! Business deals should be looked at as projects, or unfinished works of art, which must be fine-tuned before they are finished and ready to display. People should NOT be afraid of negotiating when it comes to their business and their livelihood – it’s how it’s meant to be. It also builds confidence, mutual respect, and structures that can last. Third, is resilience, because the vision and securing the deal are just the beginning! It’s a common theme that entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart, and resilience is a skill. Show up for yourself and be consistent with your work even when you don’t want to, don’t quit when you’re faced with challenges that feel impossible, and you’ll be well-equipped to do the same for your business and your team. You’ll need to be!
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
Collaborations are the most rewarding part of this industry in my opinion because there is so much pure gold here in the fitness, health and wellness spaces. I love to collaborate with like-minded communities, health food restaurants and cafes, boutiques, jewelry & swim companies, med spas, juice bars and IV bars and sometimes even real bars (barre to bar, anyone!?) for cocktails or mocktails because #balance. I even love working with other fitness studios because there’s enough for everyone, that’s what it’s all about for me. Instagram is the best way to reach out so we can get a sense of who you are, via @purebarremiami.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.purebarre.com/location/miami-midtown-fl
- Instagram: @purebarremiami @kaciaalene
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PureBarreMiami/
- Linkedin: Kacia Kitchukova
