Are You Usually Barefoot? Us Too!

“I can’t live without big sunglasses, chai lattes, greige nail polish, and my family. I love shoes, but I don’t own any true sneakers. I love winter, but I hate socks. As you can imagine, I’m usually Barefoot.”

~ Ali Keating

Yoga = Barefoot, right? 

We rarely wear shoes and we LOVE spending our time with people who believe that life is more fun with your soul and SOLE shining (and really fun yoga pants too). 

With that in mind, we want to introduce you to Ali Keating, the founder and owner of Barefoot, two of the most fantastic athleisure boutiques on the East Coast. Ali opened her first shop in Spring Lake, NJ in March of 2015; she was determined to bring fashion-forward athleisure to women who, like her, were tired of wearing the same popular activewear as everyone else.

Ali knew there had to be other options out there…

And she was right. Today she owns, operates, and ROCKS life at two Barefoot locations in Monmouth County: Spring Lake and Sea Girt.

And we are so proud to announce Barefoot will be at VibeWell on October 27, 2019 in Asbury Park, NJ!

When Ali isn’t making women feel their most ath-luxe and building her biz by way of social media and all the backend work it takes to build like a boss babe, she is spending time with her husband and dogs. They live active lives, which makes total sense – “free time” is dedicated to walking, yoga flowing, traveling, paddleboarding, snowboarding, brainstorming creative ideas, and finding local spots for delicious dinners. 

 

Tell us about your company. What do you do? What’s your mission? 

​Barefoot is an athleisure boutique that provides fashion forward active and lifestyle apparel.  I want to provide a curated selection of athleisure apparel from smaller companies but with the same quality and performance of the brands we know and love.  My mission is to get women feeling comfortable and confident when they workout and when they run errands.

Who (or what) inspires you, and why? 

 ​I’m inspired by so many women running small businesses. This is HARD! I’m inspired by my Mom, who has not only raised (and continues to raise) 3 children, but dedicates her time to serving and helping others. I’m inspired by all the women who live busy, crazy lives, who find time for self-care.

“ Women are so busy these days, no one has time to take a class, run home to shower and change, then go about their day. Activewear is the new daily uniform, it crosses over into so many other aspects of day to day life.”

~ Ali Keating

Do you have any mentors? Who? How have they influenced you? 

​I am mentored and influenced by the women-run activewear companies that I work with on a daily basis.  We are all here to do the same thing – get women moving and living healthy lifestyles!

What does “yoga” mean to you?  

Yoga, to me, extends far beyond my mat.  Yoga is truly about being kind, treating people how you want to be treated, showing empathy and humility, and never making assumptions.

What’s your creative process like?  

​A hot mess! I have a brain full of pinterest boards, a binder full of upcoming collections, and photo albums full of screenshots. I love talking with my manager and my employees and picking their brains too. When my creative juices get stale, I know I can always turn to them for inspiration. My husband is a huge help in the creative department as well.

What have been some of your biggest challenges, biggest rewards, and biggest lessons as a female founder? ​

Challenges: being heard and accepted as credible, education customers on why they should invest in their activewear.  

Rewards: expansion, honorable mentions, and referrals.

Lessons: trust your gut.

 If you could go back and tell yourself one thing before beginning your business, what would it be? ​

Don’t be afraid or ashamed to ask questions and listen to yourself. You know your business and customers better than anybody.

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Barefoot – Let’s Shop!