Megan Forness
BarreTend Buffalo - The Gift of Feeling Good
When Megan Forness opened Barre(tend) in Allentown in 2018, she had no idea that a single fitness studio would lead to five businesses across the Buffalo area. What began as a place for movement has grown into a network of businesses centered on community, connection, and helping people feel good.
Today, Forness owns Barre(tend), The Harbor House waterfront event venue, and three women’s collectives: The Hiraeth House in Allentown, Valvaere Collective in North Buffalo, and She Gathers in North Tonawanda. Though each business serves a different purpose, they share a commitment to creating welcoming spaces and supporting women entrepreneurs.
That philosophy comes together during the holiday season through “The Gift of Feeling Good,” an initiative encouraging people to consider not just what they give, but how a gift might enrich someone’s life.
Finding Community Through Movement
During the pandemic, Forness noticed many clients came from outside Allentown, prompting her to open a second location in North Tonawanda in 2021, when masks were still commonplace.
“I got to know people through their voices, personalities, and movement before I ever saw their full faces,” she recalls. “For quite a while, I didn’t get to see their smiles.”
Eventually, Forness consolidated Barre(tend) into its North Tonawanda location overlooking the water, but the studio’s appeal always extended beyond its setting. Conversation and laughter are just as welcome as the workout itself.
At Barre(tend), students talk, joke, complain, and give instructors a hard time. It’s a lively atmosphere that may not appeal to everyone, Forness acknowledges, but she wants newcomers to experience the studio as it is rather than see a version that changes when someone unfamiliar walks through the door.
For those intimidated by traditional fitness environments, that openness can make a difference. Newcomers do not need to achieve a particular fitness level or look a certain way before joining. All bodies, experience levels, and goals are welcome, and weight and clothing sizes are not part of the conversation.
When prospective students ask about weight loss or targeting specific body parts, Forness redirects the focus to movement, community, and feeling good. The emphasis is on showing up, moving, spending time together, and leaving the studio feeling better.
When Strangers Become Friends
Over time, Forness has watched relationships formed in class grow into meaningful friendships. Students organize book clubs, celebrate birthdays and milestones together, and find ways to support one another outside the studio. Sometimes, connection comes in the question: “Where has she been? Is she okay?”
For Forness, such moments show that the studio has become more than a place to exercise. People recognize and care about each other and understand that presence matters.
The support also extends to Forness herself. She openly acknowledges that there have been days when she has wiped away tears before teaching a class. Even when personal challenges weigh heavily, she takes a breath, steps into the studio, and finds the energy to encourage the women gathered there. Nearly every time, she leaves feeling better, too.
The laughter and energy remind her why she started the business. Students come for movement and connection, but the support flows both ways: Forness draws strength from the community they create together.
As a mother, dog mom, and owner of five businesses, Forness hopes her students see that making time for themselves is possible, even when life is busy. They see her teaching, taking walks, and making room for her own workouts outside Barre(tend).
“For me, movement is a nonnegotiable appointment with myself,” she says. Forness encourages others to extend the same consideration to themselves that they give to family, friends, and work. Taking time to move, rest, or reconnect with oneself is a commitment worth making.
“What I love most about Barre(tend) is that it gives me an opportunity to show up for myself. The classes are challenging, rewarding, and a reminder of what my body is capable of. It’s such a fun environment, and I always leave feeling stronger and happier than when I arrived.” - barre [tend] student
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Supporting Women Who Help Others Feel Good
Forness sees a similar commitment among the women who operate businesses through her three collectives. Their offerings vary, but many begin with recognizing a need and finding a way to meet it. Some draw on personal experiences; others identify a gap in the marketplace or develop something that could make someone’s life easier, healthier, more comfortable, or more joyful.
Behind each product or service is substantial investment of time and effort. Forness hears about continuing education, specialized training, and the hours women devote to studying and practicing their crafts. Some travel to learn about cultures and traditions, deepening knowledge to share with customers.
One of Forness’s favorite things is seeing a business owner’s excitement when a new idea comes together. That enthusiasm reflects the thought and personal investment behind the work.
The benefits can be practical as well as personal. A service might help someone feel more confident or comfortable, while a product could support health, safety, or the ease of everyday life. During difficult times, even a familiar item or experience can offer reassurance.
Through their knowledge, creativity, and experiences, the women in Forness’s collectives help others.
Giving the gift of feeling good
During the holidays, Forness’s “The Gift of Feeling Good” initiative invites people to think about what a gift might make possible.
Fitness classes provide movement, friendship, and an hour dedicated to personal well-being. Treatments offer rest or relief. Something beautiful for the home creates comfort, while a favorite outfit helps someone feel more like themselves. A workshop or shared experience provides something to anticipate and an opportunity to connect with another person.
The most meaningful gift does not have to be elaborate. Its value may lie in the need it meets, the feeling it creates, or the experience it makes possible. Choosing products, services, or experiences from women-owned businesses also recognizes the care and expertise behind their work.
For Forness, the idea reflects what she has seen since opening Barre(tend): A person may arrive looking for a workout and discover a circle of people who know her name, check on her, and celebrate her milestones. Across her other businesses, she sees women creating opportunities for connection and helping others in ways both practical and personal.
What began with one studio has grown into a network of businesses built around a shared purpose. Sometimes, the most meaningful gift is finding a place where a person knows they belong.
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