Bryony Basse (Deery), Dior Global Wellness Expert & Founder of Pilates By Bryony, On Going From Broke and Heartbroken To Building A Million-Dollar Pilates Empire

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1:03In case you missed it, you're allowed to be hot, smart, and rich. So let's get into it.

1:14Bryony? Hello. I was actually going to say your full first and last name, and then I was like, wait, I don't know if she changed her last name. So currently, what is your last name? Bryony Bass. Speaking of for people that don't listen or don't know you, you just had your wedding, which we came to, which was honestly amazing. And it's so funny because I met you and your now husband had actually met my boyfriend. Sasha, you met him at the same time. I met Courtney before I met you. Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But did you and Casper meet Courtney at the same time? Yeah. At the same dinner with Lauren and Michael.

1:50And then tell everyone the story of your intuition. because Lauren I had never met you no never met you and I followed you on TikTok and I like I or I don't even know if I actually followed you yet which is interesting but you were coming up okay and I just I feel like you're you are really good at like your identity yeah and your brand identity and everything was so strong that I had you like in my brain you know what I mean weirdly without even knowing you're following you or knowing that we even had mutual friends I had no clue so then Lauren said to me oh do you have any friends for for Courtney and I was like it's so weird I swear to you I said no like I have single friends yeah I didn't suggest anyone I was like what about that girl Maggie Sellers that finance like investor girl and then Lauren was like oh yeah like and then then you actually were dating yeah we had like just started seeing each other I remember that was like the first time he went away to St.

2:53Bart's where you guys met and then he brought me back like a postcard and a little gift and he was like I just like picture you being here with my family the next time and it was so funny because when you had told me that story I was like laughing so hard and like underneath being like should I tell them that I'm already like seeing him. But you but didn't you say that Lauren also knew kind of? Or like, how did that? I don't know what I don't know whether she was like bluffing or whether she was like, hmm, like they already like knew that, but it wasn't out there yet. I don't know. I don't know.

3:26But I all I know is that I was I had no reason to suggest you, but I suggested you I called it. I'm psychic. I was gonna say, do you always feel like you have really good intuition? I think I'm a good judge of character. Okay. For sure. Okay. I think I know straight away. So we just came back from your wedding, which was honestly amazing. And I feel like a lot of the time when you're building a business, like you don't focus on the things that are like your personal life. And you've done such a good job of like keeping so much into perspective. And I think that's the best thing about having this podcast is getting to ask the questions that like, sometimes I'd be weird as like a friend to friend asking, but I genuinely feel like so many people can benefit trying to understand how you've balanced everything so well.

4:09While you were going through this wedding, it was like, tell us when you got engaged and then tell us when you got married and how you kept things into perspective as you were planning a true partnership ceremony and amazing wedding while you're building a business. So we got engaged on Halloween. Okay. And then we got married second of March. Well, actually, We got married. So, okay. There were a lot of things going on at the same time, which kind of like feeds into what you're saying. I was juggling a lot. So we moved to Copenhagen the day after we got engaged. Yeah. And so we were in Copenhagen.

4:46We moved into, we already owned the place, but we like officially moved in and everything, like set up our life there and had to do like this whole business visa thing. Like I have a team in Copenhagen. I have a branch of my business in Copenhagen now. did the whole thing and then out of nowhere I get deported like did someone come to your house and was like thank god imagine they're like does brian he live handcuffs like get out of here no thank god that didn't happen but they basically they normally give you a week but I had to travel the next day for work I had to go to Paris with Dior to teach um Pilates so the Friday they told me this Saturday I had to leave the country anyway so like that was my exit so how did they tell you they they are lawyer like we had been dealing with this lawyer and they basically were like yeah it's just a matter of time like of course it will go through it's fine and they the reason we didn't do the family visa is because we weren't married yet we didn't want to rush that and also they told us the business visa would be much quicker yeah so anyway they just they called us and was like you have a week to leave Copenhagen and I said well I have to leave the country tomorrow and they were like okay then you have till tomorrow so I had basically to pack for my wedding my bachelorette my honeymoon Dubai for work Paris for work London like I had to pack my whole life for the next two months in like one evening and say goodbye to my dog and stuff It was just so, it was so stressful.

6:24I know. So then luckily Casper took like half of my suitcases. I took half and yeah, I had to go via Paris. It was just, it was a lot. But actually, you know what? Sometimes these things happen for a reason and it would just, just me being in London like before the wedding was probably a good thing because I was around, like able to do things. And yeah, I mean. Do you think it's like just in your DNA that you can just let things slide off your back? because I picture myself and one of the things I want to talk about later on is just like this idea of balancing it all because it's so hard. You want to be like the best partner, the best business entrepreneur, like the best creator, the best podcast host, the best friend.

7:02And I think it's interesting to hear really successful people say that like you can't be the best at everything at all times in your life. And I think for someone like you listening to that already sparked anxiety in me of like, how would I even do that? Like I can't even pack for a trip for a week and not get anxious. So do you think that's ingrained in you, this sense of just like, I will figure it out? Or are there those ups and downs where you've had to learn how to just keep going amidst chaos? So before I met Casper, I was such an anxious girl. Like I would freak out over packing for a trip or like traveling or go to going to the airport or like catching a train somewhere.

7:39Or I, you know, like I would have these thoughts, wouldn't sleep the night before, was very shy, like all of these things and before Pilates actually I was super shy so I was shy plus anxious and all these things yeah so I've definitely figured it out along the way I have not always been this way but I mean don't get me wrong I obviously did have a bit of a meltdown but I was then like at the end of the day when you can't control things you have to just like surrender and be like well what is the point of me having a panic attack and crying right now versus me just like getting on with it I've just got stuff to do so just carry on and be calm like it's unproductive to feel and act like that I think so I'm quite I'm quite um tough in that respect okay and also Casper brings it out in me I think because he is quite like direct black and white he's not like soft and he is in some ways but in that kind of sense he's like okay well let's figure this out and then I moved to London and then we actually did our I don't know if I actually told you this but we went to Vegas a week before I knew that from your close friend yeah I'm like I literally go to Courtney I'm lying in bed and I see your wedding video from Vegas and I go Courtney I think we're flying to London tomorrow but Bryony's currently in Vegas so I don't know what's going on the calculation no because we got deported I had to cancel my legal wedding in Denmark so then I was like Casper let's just go to Vegas how fun we'll fly in literally go from the airport we went to the win got married at the win like at the lilac salon it was the funnest time ever we were both like so drunk and it was just like the funnest thing we went via the casino on the way back from the wedding put our wedding date on like each number so 21 to 25 21 hit we were like like it was literally something out of a movie it was so good and then woke up Casper got a tattoo saying what happens in Vegas lasts forever and then we flew home and you got a tattoo of him on your neck that was a while ago I got Vegas tattooed on my hand with a the shape of my ring above it oh my god this is always what happens when I have friends in my podcast I just want to go like a million different ways but okay going back to this idea of like Casper letting you I think what you're saying is really putting you into your feminine Yeah.

9:59Have you always been like that when you're in a relationship or it was different as soon as you met Casper and you noticed that change within yourself? So that's such a good question. And I feel like we can really like relate to that. But I think I've always wanted to be this like this exact mix and balance of someone super feminine at home and in her relationship, but then in business being like so on it, so ambitious, so driven. and that naturally is kind of like my more masculine side. And I think typically the two aren't combined, but I've somehow figured out a way to do both. And I think having someone so like alpha, if you want to say that, helps.

10:48He's very, very direct, very... Like leadership, yeah. Because he is, I think, one of the most incredible leaders. I've never met anyone like him and what he's done with his business and everything. I think that kind of comes into our relationship. So that's really nice. Yeah. I feel like it's something that I'm still balancing and working on. Because to your point, just kind of organically that happened to me when I started dating Courtney. But I think that there are still moments of struggle where I feel like I'm at a dichotomy. or there's two paths to choose, which is like being a better partner or like family and more feminine in that way.

11:29And then it's like prioritizing the business. Yeah. You have now how large of a team with your business? So now I have six. Six full-time people that work for you. Five full-time. And so do you think that that makes it easier that you have a team to like delegate and rely on and actually be able to pass work off and you can more be like the create, like actually backing up, like where would you actually say with Pilates by Bryony, like you sit in the business today? So that's an interesting question because I think last year the business was really scaling and I felt like so excited, so driven, but I was too in my kind of CEO era.

12:15Yeah. And I just want to be on the mat teaching people, making people feel as good as I feel every single day. And I don't want to mix the two too much because if I become too business focused, I'm out of the Pilates. Like I just want to be a Pilates teacher at the end of the day. So I've just hired a COO. Oh my gosh, this is huge. When was this? So he was actually at our wedding. I don't know if you met him, but he's incredible. He's Danish. He's called Per. He founded and launched Danish Masterclass. Okay. Wow. So he's amazing. So now he is our full, full-time COO he actually Casper introduced me and Casper was like you have to meet this guy he's the most incredible talent and and especially when it comes to content-led businesses and then originally when I met him he was like oh um you know I can help you out for like a day or something a day a week and then um then he saw the business and saw like kind of where it was going and the current state and he was like, okay, I'm all in.

13:17So he took full time. Wow. So what is your role now today? Like what does a typical day look like for you with the business? So my role is very content community heavy. And that is kind of where I want to stay. Like, yeah, I love the creative side coming up with the challenges, like the all of the creative comes from me, but I then want to be able to have a team of experts that can drive that and execute on that so I would say I'm content in terms of it's very much um about me sharing things and tips and stuff so I and my podcast and things you know how intense that is um our community is a huge huge part of the brand to the point where you know we have a whatsapp group with like 1600 people talking every day all over the world like in so many different cities so that to me is something I want to nurture and spend time on.

14:11So those are the kind of like two pillars in my day. And then I do a lot of brand partnerships. So like travel with, I'm so lucky to be able to travel with Dior. Okay, wait, can we stop? How did you become, how did you become the Dior Global Wellness Ambassador? You know what? It's so crazy to me still. Because I say that, I like literally tell my team, I'm like, not for me Dior, but I'm like, there has to be something like at my dream would be like Shopify, like female founder ambassador, where it's like, I can bring all a hundred percent do that. I'm putting that out into the universe. So I'm like, I actually need to know how this all came to be.

14:49So I have an agency. So I have an agent that kind of, um, manages any like brand partnerships. And she had a conversation with Dior and they, they were so interested in Pilates. I think, I think the thing with Dior and what they're doing in the wellness space is incredible and they're very they're a very reputable brand so they don't want anything that is not um how can I say like very rooted so they don't want like a trend they don't want um anything like too fluffy they want something very kind of foundational like rooted science back so the fact that I teach classical pilates and and contemporary combined and all the like Joseph Pilates work.

15:36They were very interested in that. I think it aligned really well with the house of Dior. With being the global wellness ambassador for Dior, what does that role entail? So I will do like a year long partnership with them. And that is now rolling into our, I think second or third year now. And I will, they will plan a year ahead, different trips, different activations for either their influencers, celebrity, VIP clients, customers, hotel partners, whatever it is. So like I've done the most incredible once in a lifetime experiences with them through this. It's unbelievable. Like I've taught in the jungle in Malaysia.

16:19I've been on the Orient Express with them in Malaysia. What are the other things we've done? I feel like just so many things. I've been to Dubai with them, like taught in the most insane places. We're doing another Orient Express trip in Scotland this year. There's just, it's just, I feel like I'm going, we've done Edom Rock. I feel like there's a lot of people that don't understand the value of prioritizing being a creator as you're being an entrepreneur. Because all the things that I'm hearing is like you get to work with the most, one of the most like luxury respected fashion houses in the world.

16:53that's been around for years, decades even, and take all of their learnings of like what makes an exceptional brand partnership, what makes an exceptional influencer trip, what makes an exceptional PR play and bring that all back to Pilates by Bryony. How do you feel like all of your worlds of being a podcast host, a Dior wellness ambassador, like a creator really feed into like how Pilates by Bryony has scaled and grown? That's a really good question. I feel like for example when I go on to those those Dior trips they are so expensive because not only am I able to teach every morning or throughout the day and it's like the schedules are grueling like I'm teaching a lot I think I went to Dubai last time last time we did six classes in two days or something and then the content but when you are around a team like that so I'm like on the mat teaching but then in a business capacity I'm like soaking it all in thinking wow like this is so incredible like the things that they do in their team and everything it's just unbelievable but it's so yeah the word is expansive like you see how they put together like on the outside you just see this incredible trip yeah but when you're there that like for example you're not there as an influencer either you're there as part of the experience so you're like I think the problem that a lot of these influencers have because they're not thinking about the details and the bigger pictures they go as a guest and that's their frame of mind whereas when you go as part of the experience you're watching at like what time is set up at like how long is there in between certain things and those little details like make a difference in the impact that it has on the guest you're soaking it all in you're seeing like how many photographers they have there how many videographers they have there how they're then working with the PR team and the marketing team how they're having dinner meetings and then afterwards we're having fittings at 11 p.m at night then we're waking up having a hair and makeup at 6 a.m like it's just this work ethic really inspires me and that's what I love like I really love the mix of the well-being and the benefits and the life-changing aspect of Pilates mixed with this like incredible work ethic of creating something incredible that changes people's lives.

19:15I feel like you've done such a good job putting that out there into the world as your personal brand. Like everything you're saying, I just picture it like story after story, repost after repost. And I think you're one of the few people where it's like, you've been able to build this world of Bryony now bass while you've built yourself as like Pilates by Bryony. So I guess like talk to me for people that are listening and want to build a personal brand as strong as yours, was it as intentional as it comes across or was it just like things you organically wanted to share? So I think that this is probably a really annoying thing to hear, but when I started teaching Pilates, I had like no followers.

19:55I had maybe 4 ,000 followers and I just started teaching on Zoom. Literally, this whole thing has snowballed. It was, I mean, there were very intentional things along the way, like small small details like I would have 10 people on that zoom class but I would make sure I took a selfie afterwards or took a picture of my map tagged those 10 people then they reposted you know like that's such a small thing at the beginning but it's something I remember because then they reposted and then their friends were like oh what's this and then maybe the next time I got 12 people on my class and then that you know like so those small things are intentional but it comes from a place of pure love and wanting to spread what I'm doing and knowing like how much of an impact it's made on me, knowing I can give that to someone else.

20:46So I think if you're not coming from a place, from that sort of place, especially in the wellness industry, I think people can so tell and see if you're not genuine. Right. I think it's different if you're like, you know, I don't know, the founder of, I'm trying to think like Uber or something right okay you're not spreading the love in that way or wanting people but I think actually to that point now no matter what business you're in building a personal brand is so incredibly important and I think one of the things that people always ask me is like my mission to your point is like I had a why it was like I wanted you to feel like you were at dinner with me and we could talk about everything that we would talk about at dinner like boys, business, boob jobs, like everything, investing.

21:33And that's how my world kind of came to be. And I think there's so many people that are probably listening to this that are an entrepreneur, no matter what field they're in. And they're like, but I have other interests and I have things that I want to talk about. Like yours seems to have been weaved together so intentionally. I think it's like, when was that moment that you were like, okay, yes, I'm reposting zoom classes and talking about Pilates, but now I'm going to talk about things that are actually maybe not wellness oriented, like my marriage or my dating or whatever it is that's built your personal brand into just people caring about you as a person.

22:07I, it's interesting because I've recently been like reflecting on all of this because I am also like quite a private person still. Um, but if you look at my profile, you might not think so, but I just think that actually I want people when they're coming to my page or Pilates by Briony, I want them to feel they're stepping into Pilates by Briony world. Yeah. So that is all encompassing. And I think ultimately I want to build confidence, whether that's confidence in a relationship, in your career, in a meeting. So you're like walking into that room with a better posture, confident, you know, all of these things have a knock on effect.

22:50And I think that it's not just about Pilates. It is the 360 that this makes an impact on. So I really appreciate that. It's like, okay, what am I doing in the morning? Or what am I eating? Or, you know, now I'm in this super healthy, happy relationship. So I want to share that. And I want to just tell, especially women, young women, that all of this is possible. Right. Like I've changed my life drastically in a matter of years. I mean, we just had like the app's third birthday the other day. And it's just crazy to think not that long ago, I was on Zoom with 10 people. So I want, I really, really ultimately want the message to be like, you can do this as well.

23:32You can achieve what's inside. Yeah. I think that's why we've connected so deeply because we've lived somewhat parallel lives and like obviously differences. But I think for me too, like I was even with somebody the other day and they've been with me for like the five years or I've been here for seven years in LA, but for the last five years and they were just like, how crazy is it to you? how different your life is. Like even recording in this house. And sometimes it's funny because I feel like when I was at my lowest point of like depression and business wasn't going well and I had failed and like I had just gotten out of a relationship and I had nowhere to live that was stable and my stuff.

24:06I feel like people were so supportive of that because people don't envy like the down, right? They're like, oh my God, like I love that she's being so vulnerable. And then And it's interesting as you do put your life back together and you have everything that you've dreamt of where it's like, that's where for the first time I sometimes am so afraid to share how happy I am because I'm like, I actually have built my life into this beautiful world that like I love to be in every day. And it's almost like I don't want to share it as much as I did when I was at my lowest because I was like, that's the time where people rally around you.

24:41Do you ever feel that it's like lonelier at the top or how you are so good about balancing and having the right people around you, I guess. Like how have you been able to protect your peace having it all now that you've built it that way? Well, firstly, I think you are such a pure person. I love you. Seriously, I think you should share more and more and more, more than ever, how happy you are because you come from a place of really supporting everyone around you. So I think, you know, if I see you posting about how happy you are and like walking into this house today and seeing Courtney and everything, I'm just like, oh, yes.

25:18Yeah. I'm like just so happy for you. And I think there's way more people than you think that feel like that. So definitely just share all the good things. And also your long-term followers are going to be like, oh, my God, that's so inspiring because I know how bad she, like in such a bad place she was. And now look at her. Like I can do this. I can get out of this. So I think if anything, it shows that major life change. Progression, yeah. Yeah, like I've been in the same situation really not that long ago. Can you talk a little bit about like, maybe let's take it back five years. Because one of the questions I actually had for you was, you kind of went from being a sports wag, like following around your sports boyfriend, to building an empire with someone that had built an empire and is building another empire.

26:05Can you just talk a little bit about where you're comfortable starting with, of how much your life has evolved? Yeah, so I have, just to like paint the picture, I feel like I've done every single job under the sun. Like I've worked in a pub. I've worked in a Chinese restaurant. I've worked on a makeup counter. I've done the New York Times, Cosmopolitan magazine. Then I met this amazing sweet guy called Loris, my ex-boyfriend. And we moved to Switzerland very soon after we met. So I gave up my job. And instantly I felt this like piece of me was taken away. Not through him. It was all my decision.

26:41so then when I got to Switzerland I was like right okay I need to set up my own business and that's when I launched a swimwear business which I I finally enough posted this I saw yeah um so yeah I launched my swimwear business and you know very quickly I was in Harvey Nichols and doing doing like reasonably well for a swimwear startup in like such a saturated place and in Switzerland in Switzerland like it's quite niche but um yeah and I think from that point I really I I wasn't I was kind of living under his uh world shadow yeah and his world and like I I genuinely loved football so I'd drive like six hours on my own to like the depths of beyond of Switzerland stand outside in the winter like it wasn't glamorous wag lifestyle I just want to set the scene it was not like Manchester United in a box like I was I have arthritis so I was like standing outside my couldn't feel my fingers like minus whatever temperature in Switzerland so just to set the scene there anyway we were together and I was obviously very young at the time you know how it is you think you're just going to be together forever and then we broke up like quite suddenly we broke up and I remember him being so sweet and saying like please please use my card you like you know I've been supporting you until now like you you didn't plan all of this whatever like please let me help you financially and I was like no I so much of me wanted to say yes and then I just said no like there's no way so I found myself back in my parents house 18 boxes like my whole life just like you know what the hell I was living a really nice life and then all of a sudden I had nothing and no income and that for me was like such a powerful rock bottom and I want to express that like these rock bottom moments I promise you you're on the cusp of something good if you use it yeah because it can be so incredibly transformative and you look back and you're like wow like I've had a couple of moments where I've been in that situation and coming out the other end is just incredible.

28:55The feeling of empowerment and independence that you get from it, you will never find yourself back in that position. Let me ask you this as you talk about financial independence, because I think having been with someone where you were kind of like having their credit card and being able to use their resources to going to rock bottom, being totally financially independent, but having nothing. Now, where do you feel like you are in terms of like financial independence, being with someone successful, have being married, like where is your train of thought in terms of what feels right and what feels like you've evolved and what still is like with you from that moment forward?

29:37So from that moment, I learned and my mom, my mom's always been super successful and driven. So is my dad. They've both, both worked really hard to have what they have. They've never like, Like, you know, we grew up, I grew up in kind of a fairly like middle class background, but they came from nothing, like kind of counselors. So I guess like growing back, like with money when you were in your childhood, what was your relationship like with money? Well, we lived like a comfortable life, but you know, it was like one kind of holiday year type of thing rather than like this lavish lifestyle that so many people seem to live now.

30:16Yeah. It was so not the case then. Right. And we went to private school. Me and my brother had scholarships. And yeah, it was just quite a kind of. But were you like afraid of money back then? Not when I was younger. But the one thing I would say, being in the situation that I was in when I had to move back, is that I, my mom always said to me, the thing about having your own money is it gives you freedom. yeah and that is like ingrained in me and one day if I have a daughter I will tell her like this is doesn't matter how lucky you are how amazing your situation is with your partner or you know I'm so lucky with Casper but ultimately I always have my freedom I always have my independence and that's my relationship with money I would say I'm super driven to have to build a life with him but also to have you know my own independence yeah sense and I think it just gives you this like calm calmness I agree I think like for me growing up in the situation I grew up in like I knew from a very young age that I wanted my own money for freedom like I didn't want anyone to be able to make decisions for me and I think the power imbalance comes in especially when you're dating someone successful, you're married to someone successful where it's like, if it's only their money, then it's only their decision.

31:42And I think for me and for you, one of the, we bonded over is like, obviously there's so many benefits. And one of the things I want to like, I'm doing now is saying I'm so lucky to be in a situation, but I'm also so deserving of it because it's like, I actually fixed a lot of the problems I think I had had with even my relationship with money before I got into my current relationship. But I think financial independence is something that I found before I started dating Courtney. And it's something I prioritize after I'm dating Courtney. And it is tricky figuring out like, where is that balance wanting to be feminine, wanting to have my own life, but also merge together.

32:21Do you feel like you and Casper have had to have really hard conversations to get to a really good place or it all just kind of happened really organically for you?

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