Meet Rebecca Baack | Owner, Mecha Fitness; Co-Owner Level 4 Yoga (a franchise of CorePower Yoga), Co-Owner Ape Co Movement School

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rebecca Baack and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rebecca, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk and the fears associated with taking risks are just as difficult for me as for anyone. It was a huge risk for me to open my first fitness concept, a CorePower Yoga franchise back in 2006 when I had no cash savings at all. I had to take out a loan against my condo and take on a lot of credit card debt and just barely pulled it off. There were many sleepless nights and a lot of penny pinching those first few years.

But just prior to making this big life changing decision to leave my consulting job and start CorePower’s first franchise I had a chance encounter with an elderly man while traveling for business. In a crowded airport cafe I offered him a seat at my table to eat his lunch. At first we chatted politely but then I asked him, “What is one piece of advice you have to offer me based on what you’ve learned in your life?”. Without a second of hesitation, he said “Take more risks”. That advice landed straight into my heart. I returned home, quit my job and opened my first yoga studio. I decided I was more afraid of regret than the worst case scenario of if my business failed.

I never forgot that conversation and it has been a reminder for me through countless scary decisions ever since. Now I stand in a place where I co-own thirtyfour CorePower Yoga locations, two Ape Co Movement School locations, and most recently my new concept, Mecha Fitness, with two locations.

Your risk tolerance grows over time, but also my trust in myself has grown over time. I always map out the worst case scenario before taking on any new risky project and I decide how to protect against that downside but also how to deal with it if it happens. Having a plan helps as well as visualizing those worst case scenarios.

So I pass this advice on: You will regret not trying more than you will regret trying and failing. Just protect against the downside as best as you can. Map out the worst case scenarios and figure out a plan for how you would recover if those occur. Also, time waits for no one and action is better than inaction. Go for it!

What should our readers know about your business?
I love my new fitness concept brand, Mecha Fitness, currently in Boulder and. Louisville.

Our classes are designed to challenge clients in the most efficient and effective way possible with zero to no risk for injury. It is incredible to watch clients become stronger, more resilient and more confident over time while taking classes at Mecha. These physical changes in the body always translate to mental changes as well. Our clients develop grit that translates to life. They become stronger mentally and physically and realize they are very capable of doing hard things. It’s such a gift to help facilitate that change for people.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Start with a class at Mecha Fitness in Boulder. Then cool down after class with a walk down Pearl St. Mall and stop at Wonder on West Pearl for a smoothie. If you still have some energy, head up the hills with a hike of Green Mountain or Sanitas. End the day with afternoon cocktails and snacks on the roof at Corrida Boulder overlooking the beautiful Flatirons.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’ve had many mentors and coaches over the course of my career, but my shoutout goes to that elderly man I met nearly 20 years ago in the Atlanta Airport. In our chance encounter he told me to take more risks and avoid the regret he was experiencing from his vantage point in life. I never forgot those wise words.

Website: mecha.com

Instagram: @mechafitness

Linkedin: Rebecca Baack

Facebook: Mecha Fitness