Life and Work with Andrea Barge

Thanks for sharing your story with us Andrea. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I am a career changer.  I spent over 10 years in Engineering and now run my own Outdoor Fitness Business. Fitness has always been a fun part of my life, but was not my career until recently. Before moving to San Diego in 2016, my husband, Patrick and I (pre-kids), lived in Frankfurt, Germany. We met in Indianapolis working for the same company and moved there for three years with work. It was amazing. Hard work, but a great experience and lots of amazing travel. When he was offered a job here, I quit my job and took time off to have our first child. Once he was born, I decided I wanted to do something else. I wanted more flexibility. I have always loved being active and indirectly teaching fitness. I used to set up bootcamps for friends in my basement and mini-triathlons at our gym. I decided to make my hobby my new gig. Well, originally, I wanted to start my own brick and mortar boutique gym & health cafe, but as an interim step (so I thought at the time), I got my personal trainer certification and started with outdoor fitness classes. I launched in October 2017. It was all for my family so it makes sense (in hindsight… lots of learning along the way) the business is targeted to family fitness. Now, with two boys, Mateo, 2, and Rafael, 4 months, I wouldn’t change it for the world.

Has it been a smooth road?
No, but I enjoy a challenge. I think to go into something completely new, you must be ready for the challenge of the unknown. I had no idea how to start a business, get permits, create a website, market, etc. My biggest struggle was how to get people interested. Starting from nothing and no brand, I had to learn how to network, find the right groups, and get my name out there. It took MUCH longer than I expected. I had these grand plans of growth and profit over just a couple of months. I knew it was going to take work, but I also kind of thought, people will just see how awesome I am and want in right?? Errrrr, not so much. My biggest advice is to find someone to be your mentor. I utilized the free services of San Diego SCORE and SBA. Even though my bull-headed self thought I could do it all myself, this did wonders for focusing and getting up and running. Also, be good at bad juggling. Trying to be the best business owner, mother, husband, friend is exhausting. I learned (well… am learning) to figure out what I am ok with being “ok with” so I can focus my time and energy on what I want to excel at. Timely laundry I do not excel at. Fun new energizing workouts however, I do. I mean, who really NEEDS socks.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with KickStart Fitness – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
KickStart Fitness is kids, family, and adult outdoor fitness classes. I specialize in family-friendly fitness. All our classes are either for the family or offer on-site childcare in the park so parents can get a workout in. The KickStart Kids classes are for toddlers & preschoolers and use fun fitness with obstacle courses, animal races, bubble dancing, etc. to really get them moving… and maybe help with an extra-long nap? Family Yoga is a new class I have teamed up with another local mama, Erika Williams, and her Aloha Kids Yoga. It was a perfect fit as we both put family first and love we can bring our kids to work with us. The kids and family classes are so much fun, but I am most proud of the growing community with the adult fitness classes. I use challenges to push people to reach their health and fitness goals. I absolutely love watching people get stronger and more confident. The group support is so inspiring to me. They genuinely want each other to succeed. I cannot wait to see how well everyone does with our upcoming Summer Fitness Challenge which incorporates a new 5-day fitness camp. We are going after those personal goals.

My close friends are my inspiration. They are strong-minded, ambitious, know what they want… but can also admit that sometimes, they have no idea what they are doing. That, for me, is the most inspiring. They helped me learn you just need to jump in, work hard, hope for the best, and be ok if it doesn’t go exactly the way you planned. People may seem like they are experts and a perfect fit for what they do, but the likelihood is, they are just passionate, enjoy what they do, and don’t give up. Trust yourself to figure it out as you go.