Hey.  Profound, I know, but short and sweet is how I’m coping with all the things happening at the same time.  It’s just been a week since I rolled back in to Charlottesville and I’ve been trying to get everything set and ready before heading back to Charlotte this week.

Like every holiday weekend I’m not really sure where the time went, but I can tell you for sure that it’s not standing still, and in some ways, that’s something to celebrate.  Construction has also (finally) started for b:core, which is turning out to be better than I had imagined, and is lining up to mirror the vision that had long been living in my mind.

I’m trying to squeeze in another 3-4 day stint in Cville before heading on Vacation (which is ‘conveniently’ out of Charlotte) so this whole month is pretty much wiped out, and each day feels crucial.  We’re past most of the logistics and planning for creating the space and business foundation, so now it’s ramping up into my favorite part — aesthetics and strategic planning.   The good news is that most of this direction can be given remotely (as we’ve finally mastered) but I’m a little bummed to be missing out on seeing the day to day progress first hand through this initial phase.

Over the past two years our MAD folks have become pretty familiar with the IX building — at least the sweetly tucked away location, and our extremely visible retail storefront.  b:core, while in the same building (and actually sharing a back wall with MAD) has a much different entrance, vibe, and overall comfort and serenity that so perfectly matches what we’re building. So, here’s a little tour in pre-build pictures.

[ this is the entrance hallway to the space; the actual entrance will be on the left hand side; and that sweet sunlight? that’s our little outdoor zen garden with exclusive entrance to/from our reception area.]

[ this is the inside – inside of the above wall; entrance on the right (and future barre studio to the far right), zen garden in the center right off of reception area; and that far, far left nook? that’s a small view of purvelo’s cycle studio]

[and this is the back side (the gluteus maximus, the guts, or the power source, if you will) of the whole enterprise — barre studio on the left, reception + core studio straight ahead, showers/bathrooms/changing rooms to the immediate right, and then the small sliver of purvelo, peeking through again.] 

Obviously these were pretty preliminary pictures, and I’m pumped to say that work has started and progress has been made on all fronts to take this shell and breathe life into it’s four (or I guess soon close to 20?) walls. I’ve got more (about a million) pictures that I’m saving for further down the road where I can see extremely tangible progress and share it with you via my ‘construction photo diary,’ but until then, these bones will have to do.

We’ve got a pretty sweet inspiration board locked down on Pinterest that I’ll share later, but our Brand DNA certainly gives us the warm and fuzzies, and mirrors the vibe of all our bells and whistles.

With so much happening and so many gears shifting constantly, it’s been tougher than ever to manage all things time, work, and life (but you can follow us, or me, on instagram anytime!).  We’re just about through the hardest parts and I could not be more ready for the next stretch of the build.  June not only brings more progress on the buildout, but it also brings two big celebrations at MADabolic Charleston (It’s our 1st Birthday!) and the impending vacation that you better believe I’m ready for this year.  Here’s to you June — I love you already.