Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Jones.
Hi Stephanie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
When people hear that my husband and I opened Pure Barre Conroe, they usually assume fitness was always the plan. It wasn’t.
We’re both engineers by background, and for years we lived a life that revolved around projects, deadlines, and constant travel. We met through work and spent years moving from city to city for different assignments. Every time I landed somewhere new, I had the same problem: I didn’t know anyone.
What started as a way to stay active quickly became something much bigger. In every new city, I would try different workout studios as a way to find community. I tried everything — but barre was the one workout I kept coming back to. It challenged me physically, but it also gave me something I didn’t realize I needed at the time: consistency, connection, and confidence in unfamiliar places.
Then in 2020, my role became remote, and my husband and I decided to settle down in Conroe. He grew up in the Houston area and always loved the energy and growth happening here, so we bought a home and started building our life.
As excited as I was, I immediately felt the gap.
I was looking for the same kind of community I had found in other cities — a place where women could focus on their health, build confidence, meet friends, and feel inspired by the people around them. I wanted a barre studio specifically because I believed in the workout itself. Out of everything I had tried during years of travel, barre was the most sustainable and transformative for me. It was low-impact, effective, empowering, and something I could genuinely see myself doing long term.
The closest option was driving to The Woodlands, and after trying that a few times, I kept thinking the same thing: Conroe deserves this too.
That was really the beginning.
At the time, both my husband and I were still working full-time corporate jobs, so opening a studio felt equal parts exciting and terrifying. But we believed deeply in what it could become — not just as a fitness studio, but as a real community space.
During the year-long buildout process, we didn’t want to sit quietly behind construction walls waiting to open. We wanted people to experience what Pure Barre felt like before we ever unlocked the doors.
So we started hosting pop-up classes all over town. We partnered with local businesses and held workouts in different spaces across Conroe. Those events ended up becoming one of the best decisions we ever made. Women showed up not just for the workout, but because they were craving connection too. We met moms, professionals, entrepreneurs, teachers, and women who had lived in Conroe for years but still felt like they were missing community.
By the time we officially opened in January 2023, it already felt like something bigger than a business.
Today, I still work a full-time corporate role while raising two children and helping run the studio. It’s a constant balancing act, and honestly, none of it would work without the incredible team we’ve built. Our instructors bring passion and energy into every class. Our sales team — who we call barretenders — create an experience where members feel seen, encouraged, and supported from the moment they walk through the door.
But the most powerful part has been watching the members inspire each other.
Women come in looking for a workout, but what they often leave with is confidence, accountability, friendships, and a support system. We’ve watched members celebrate milestones together, encourage each other through hard seasons, and become stronger mentally and physically.
That’s what I’m most proud of.
Pure Barre Conroe was never just about fitness. It was about creating the kind of place I once searched for in every unfamiliar city — a place where people could walk in alone and eventually feel like they belonged.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
One of the biggest misconceptions about opening a business is that once the doors open, the hard part is over. In reality, that’s when the real work begins.
Opening Pure Barre Conroe was incredibly rewarding, but it definitely was not a smooth road.
At the time, both my husband and I were still working full-time corporate jobs, so we were building the business during nights, weekends, early mornings — basically every free moment we had. There were many seasons where it felt like we were carrying multiple full-time responsibilities at once while also raising young children.
One of the biggest challenges was simply building awareness and trust from scratch. Even though Conroe is growing rapidly, we were still introducing a concept that many people had never tried before. Barre can look intimidating from the outside, so we had to work hard to educate people on what it actually is: an approachable, low-impact workout that truly meets people where they are.
Another challenge was building the right team and culture. In a community-focused business, your people are everything. We weren’t just hiring instructors or front desk staff — we were building an environment where members would feel welcomed, supported, and inspired every time they walked through the doors. That takes intentionality, leadership, and constant communication.
There were also moments of self-doubt. When you invest your time, energy, finances, and heart into something, there are naturally moments where you question whether it’s all going to work. Entrepreneurship can feel very personal because the business reflects you in so many ways.
But honestly, the challenges are also what made the mission clearer.
Every time a member told us they finally found a workout they could stick with, made a new friend, rebuilt confidence after becoming a mom, or started prioritizing themselves again, it reminded us why we started this in the first place.
What I’ve learned is that building a business is one thing — building a community is something entirely different. It requires consistency, trust, and showing up for people over and over again. That’s the part I’m most proud of.
We’ve been impressed with Pure Barre Conroe, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
At its core, Pure Barre Conroe is about far more than fitness.
Yes, we offer high-energy, low-impact barre workouts designed to strengthen the body, improve endurance, and create long-term, sustainable results. But what truly sets us apart is the experience and community people walk into every single day.
One thing we’re very intentional about is creating an environment that feels both elevated and welcoming. Boutique fitness can sometimes feel intimidating from the outside, especially for someone walking into their first class, but we work hard to make sure every person feels encouraged regardless of age, fitness level, or background. Some of our members are seasoned athletes, while others are stepping into a fitness studio for the very first time. The goal is the same for everyone: to leave feeling stronger than when they walked in.
We’re also deeply focused on longevity and consistency. In a world where fitness trends are constantly changing, Pure Barre is effective because it’s sustainable. It’s low-impact, intentional, and designed to support people through different seasons of life — whether that’s motherhood, injury recovery, building confidence, stress relief, or simply prioritizing themselves again.
What makes me most proud, though, is the culture that has developed inside the studio.
We’ve watched complete strangers become close friends. We’ve seen members celebrate engagements, pregnancies, career promotions, personal milestones, and major health transformations together. We have members who started because they wanted a workout and stayed because they found accountability, encouragement, and a true support system.
That sense of community is something we protect fiercely because it’s rare.
Brand-wise, I’m most proud that we’ve built something that feels aspirational without feeling exclusive. We want people to walk into the studio and feel inspired, energized, and supported — never judged.
I also think our team is a huge part of what makes us different. Every instructor, every bartender, and every person involved genuinely cares about the member experience. That energy is hard to manufacture, and people feel it when they walk through the doors.
At the end of the day, we want readers to know that Pure Barre Conroe isn’t just a place to work out. It’s a place where people reconnect with themselves, build confidence, and become part of a community that genuinely wants to see them succeed.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I think the fitness industry is shifting away from “all or nothing” fitness and moving more toward longevity, wellness, and sustainability. People still want results, but they’re also prioritizing workouts that support their lives long term instead of burning them out.
I also think people are craving more connection and community. Especially after the last several years, people want places where they feel supported, motivated, and part of something bigger than just a workout class. That’s a big reason boutique fitness continues to grow.
For barre specifically, I think we’ll continue seeing growth because more people are looking for low-impact strength training that’s effective, sustainable, and adaptable through different stages of life. People want to feel strong and healthy without feeling like they have to punish their bodies to get there.
At the end of the day, I think the studios that will stand out over the next 5–10 years are the ones that create both results and real human connection.
Pricing:
- $169/month for Unlimited Classes
- $129/month for an 8 Class Membership
- $79/month for a 4 Class Membership
- Drop ins and Class Pack options available too
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.purebarre.com/location/conroe-tx
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/purebarreconroe?igsh=ajh5YXo5dGFucjh0&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Wqww1mrUj/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Other: @purebarreconroe
