For Kelly Backert, the path to opening Kore Barre & Yoga didn’t begin with a business plan. It started with movement, connection, and a willingness to follow where life led.
“I was in my early twenties and took group fitness classes, and I started to get into spin classes,” she said. What began as a personal interest quickly evolved. “In 2006, when my first son was born, I got certification and started working at Quest gym in Abingdon and at the YMCA of Central MD, teaching cycle classes.”
Over time, her passion grew into something much bigger. After years of teaching, building programs, and working one-on-one with clients in the capacity of both fitness and nutrition, Backert leaped. “People started asking for training, so I ended up quitting the YMCA and started my own business,” she said. From rented spaces like church basements and community buildings to in-home training sessions, she built her personal training business.
Then, in 2017, she opened her first studio in a Bel Air incubator space. “It felt like it was my chance and I wanted to do it,” she said. She soon became the program’s first graduate and expanded into a larger location, eventually growing Kore Barre & Yoga into multiple studios across the region.
Today, her business includes more than 30 instructors and a wide range of class offerings, all designed to meet people where they are. “We offer such a variety of classes. Whatever you’re looking for, we have something for you,” Backert said. She also offers online classes, both live and on-demand.
From strength training and spin to yoga and slower-paced classes, the goal is to create a space where everyone feels comfortable showing up. “I offer everything. I’m willing to do whatever it takes,” she said.
Backert has also remained connected to the local community, hosting events, partnering with small businesses, and organizing fundraisers. “I try to do a lot of fundraisers and work with the local community, and I’m really proud of that,” she said.
Despite the growth, Backert remains grounded in her original vision. “It’s about facilitating people moving their bodies,” she said. “And my team is amazing, they are all unique and bring their own skill set.”
For women considering starting a business of their own, her advice is simple and honest: “Definitely trust your instincts. Whatever is unique and weird about you, do that! Be authentically you and make your business authentically you.”
Definitely trust your instincts. Whatever is unique and weird about you, do that! Be authentically you and make your business authentically you.