Northern Heart + Home was designed to celebrate the people, places and positives that set the North apart. This spotlight series focuses on exactly that: the people who are at the very heart of our Northern communities. Each profile highlights leaders who are pursuing their dreams, creating meaningful lives and truly shining in the North. This Northern Heart Q+A features Brianna Linter of BRealStudios
Brianna Lintner is the spirited, strong and smart founder of North Bay’sBRealStudios. Her skills shine as a certified Hatha Yoga instructor, a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and the founder of small batch cosmetic company BRealBeauty.
As the name suggests, BRealStudios’ focus is on getting REAL. Their intention is “to meet you where you are and create a space for you – for whatever you need”. It could be “a moment, a stretch, a sweat, or a space for reflection and intention”. BRealStudios’ promise is to “hold space for you with the hopes that you pause and connect to your intuition, your body, and your spirit”. Who couldn’t use that?!
The BRealStudios site features an impressive array of services, a stellar online shop, and scrumptious recipes. You can also check out their latest endeavour – the membership-based BYouMovement. It “strives to find your unique version of balance” and aims to redefine holistic health. Think yoga videos, guided meditations, life coaching, meal plans and more.
Read below to learn about Brianna’s inspiring journey and all BRealStudios has to offer!
PLUS use discount code “HeartAndHome” for 10% off anything on brealstudios.com until March 1st!
And stay tuned to our Facebook and Instagram for an AMAZING GIVEAWAY ANNOUNCEMENT from BRealStudios!
The Northern Heart Q+A: Brianna Linter of BRealStudios
Tell us about yourself and why you call the North your home.
Hey! My name is Brianna and I’m a certified Hatha Yoga instructor, a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, the founder of BRealBeauty – my small batch hand made cosmetic line, pet mom to two energetic puppies and a hairless cat, and wife of a hilarious, back woods, machine obsessed Gemini who is both my partner in life and in business. Honestly, growing up I considered living in “the North” to be more of a geographical truth, but since marrying my best friend and moving to our little secret plot of bush about 15 minutes outside of town, I now understand it as a feeling, a perspective, and a source of great pride.
You have many entrepreneurial endeavours. How did BRealSudios come to be?
If there’s one thing I remember most clearly from my childhood it’s being told that I could do anything I wanted as long as I was prepared to “swim the moat”. My parents would always tell me and my brother that we could design, manifest, and attain any “castle” we wanted to live in, as long as we were prepared to swim the moat to get there – or – put in the work. The “castle” of course representing whatever “life” we wanted.
I also vividly remember my amazingly sassy grandma always looking me right in the eyes and telling me never to let anyone tell me that being a girl would stop me from attaining anything.
Being raised with these mantras along with a pure resistance of following any kind of rules laid out in front of me made me a pretty awful employee, always trying to innovate on more efficient business practices but as it turns out, a pretty great entrepreneur. I’m obsessed with creating but I’m also obsessed with structure, laying out the plan, the lists, the bigger picture… and then working my way backwards to execute it all.
How has your business pivoted during the pandemic?
This pandemic has truly affected us all and especially as a small business owner who is still considered a “start-up”, I really felt this last year. That being said, being a start-up, with my companies still so young, my life has been nothing but pivoting in the best way. Being the owner of a start up in the alternative health industry in a town that hasn’t fully embraced holistic living has proven to be more of a struggle than I thought when I started practicing nutrition, yoga, and selling my handmade cosmetics in Ottawa, Ontario, where I went to school. On the bright side, I’m super grateful for how versatile, dynamic, and determined it has made me, as I most definitely could not have survived the pandemic without these valuable tools.
What is your biggest accomplishment/what’s the key to your success?
Social media these days makes “becoming your own boss” look like all it takes is a ring light and a subscription to “Canva” – but it’s much, much more than that. I believe my biggest accomplishment to be my ability to persevere. I always equate being an entrepreneur to being a warrior. You’ve got to go out and hunt your own food. Sometimes there are battles with long nights and hard days. Sometimes there are famines and even when there is plenty, you’re always thinking about the village you have to feed and protect. But if you can learn to persevere through all of that, to constantly pivot, to take time to celebrate even your small wins, and always stay in your own lane without worrying about what anyone else says or does – being an entrepreneur is the most rewarding, fulfilling thing for this independent Pisces woman who often likes swimming against the current.
What is the best piece of advice you would give someone starting their career or business in the North?
The best piece of advise I would give someone starting their career or business in the North would be to simply “BReal”! I named my business BRealStudios because I was tired of the bullshit on my feeds. Authenticity is rare in today’s day and age and honestly people crave it. As long as you are being the most authentic version of yourself, people will gravitate to you and to be more specific, the right people for you will gravitate to you.
Who do you most look up to, and why?
There are a TON of people in my life I look up to for many different reasons. There are many qualities I wish I possessed, and personality traits I wish I had. When it comes down to it, business wise, as gag-worthy as it sounds I look up to myself. When creating a product or a meal plan or a yoga sequence I always ask myself at the heart of it – does Brianna find value, love, and sass in this? If not, then I’m not creating from the highest version of myself. This is the most important thing in business – to be proud of your creations and seek validation from within every single time.
What’s next for you?
I’m a creator at heart so I’m sure there are many more creations waiting for me to manifest them but for now, I’ll continue to persevere through this pandemic. My good friend and fellow warrior boss goddess and I started creating and designing an online platform as a response to COVID. We just recently were approved for some funding to actually launch this platform filled with tons of yoga videos, meditation videos, downloadable workbooks, recipes, meal plans and more called BYouMovement. It is set to launch end of February and we could not be more excited to birth this child after a full year of creating! It’s subscription based but you’ll be able to check out our whole site with all its content at BYouMovement.com !
Rapid Fire Questions:
1. Favourite northern city/town
My favourite northern town would have to be good old Bonfield for showing me the beauty of the North.
2. Favourite winter pastime?
Snow Shoeing.
3. Is it a camp or cottage?
Cottage.
4. Favourite Northern Ontario restaurant, retail store, spot for a night out or outdoor area?
Trustle Brewery in Parry Sound – amazing brews, amazing outdoor patio, amazing live music, fantastic views.
5. Tell us where you get your best cup of coffee and poutine in the North.
By far it would be GoodGlaze right here in North Bay. The service is amazing, the espresso is delicious, and if you haven’t tried a GoodGlaze donut/treat, you need to rethink your life choices.
Follow BRealStudios and BYouMovement:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/b.you.movement
Do you know of an amazing Northerner who is pursuing their dreams, creating a meaningful life and truly shining in the North? Let us know!
