From Fitness Classes to a National Franchise: How Rose Gibson Built BabyBeats Around the Woman Behind the Baby
There are some business ideas that begin with a spreadsheet, a strategy session or a carefully researched gap in the market.
BabyBeats began with Rose Gibson turning up to a baby yoga class in her leggings, expecting to do some yoga herself.
She had already built a career in dance, performance, Pilates, yoga and fitness. She understood movement, she knew how to teach and she loved the connection that came from standing at the front of a room.
But when she became a mum, she noticed something.
There were plenty of classes for babies. Very few felt as though they were for the woman too.
“There’s so many things for baby, but what about me?”
That question became the foundation of BabyBeats, a franchise supporting women through pregnancy, postnatal recovery, movement and motherhood, while also creating meaningful experiences for their babies.
From Performer to Fitness Professional
Rose originally trained at a high level in dance and performed in shows, circus work and even stilt walking.
She loved performing, but the culture around the industry gradually took the joy out of it. The constant competition and pressure did not fit with the way she wanted to work.
“I want to support everybody.”
Fitness gave her another way to use those performance skills.
She trained in Pilates, yoga and sports therapy, then began teaching everything from spinning and body pump to legs, bums and tums.
At one stage, she was delivering as many as 30 classes a week.
The work was rewarding, but physically demanding, and the gym pay model made it difficult to see how it could become a sustainable long-term career.
That was when Rose began testing her own community classes.
Some had only three people in the room, but she kept going. Over time, those classes developed into BodyBeats, a business that has now been running for almost 20 years.
Rose realised that people were not coming back only because they wanted Pilates or yoga.
“They were coming back because it was me.”
That confidence helped her move from freelance instructor to business owner.
Creating Something for Mum and Baby
After becoming a mother, Rose attended a baby yoga class and expected that the session would include something meaningful for her body too.
Instead, most of the attention was on the baby.
There was nothing wrong with the class itself, but it helped Rose see a wider need.
She began training in:
- Baby yoga
- Baby massage
- Breastfeeding peer support
- Pregnancy and postnatal fitness
The first versions of the programme were not perfect.
Rose tested different formats, worked with volunteers and paid close attention to what felt useful rather than overstimulating.
She wanted women to leave feeling that the session had supported their baby, but also helped them understand their own body.
That could mean reconnecting with their core, learning more about their pelvis or understanding why their back felt different after pregnancy.
The programme grew from trial, feedback and lived experience.
A Market That Has Finally Started to Change
Rose believes the pregnancy and postnatal fitness market has transformed over the past five to ten years.
Historically, women who became pregnant were often encouraged to pause their gym membership rather than being supported through the transition.
That left a significant gap.
Specialist providers stepped in to offer something more informed, personal and appropriate.
Rose argues that supporting pregnant and postnatal women should not be seen as a tiny specialist corner of the fitness industry.
“We are half the population.”
She would like this knowledge to become a more standard part of fitness qualifications, giving more instructors the confidence to support women safely rather than treating pregnancy as a reason to step away from exercise altogether.
The wider impact can also extend beyond one generation.
Research discussed in the interview suggests that when women remain active through pregnancy and while raising young children, their daughters may be more likely to continue exercising into adulthood.
That makes the work about far more than one class.
Building Flexibility Into the Franchise
BabyBeats now offers pregnancy and postnatal programmes alongside children’s yoga through Mindful Movers and adult-focused work through Functional Foundations.
The model is becoming increasingly flexible.
Franchisees can explore delivery in:
- Gyms and fitness venues
- Community centres
- Care homes
- Local villages
- Children’s settings
- Specialist support environments
Rose wants franchisees to have room to be creative while still working within a clear brand and operating structure.
Some may feel particularly drawn to supporting older adults, while others may want to work with people living with dementia or Parkinson’s.
The aim is not to force every franchisee into one rigid delivery model.
It is to make the programmes accessible in as many communities as possible.
The Impact Beyond the Class
Some of the stories that affect Rose most deeply come from women who felt isolated, lost or overwhelmed after becoming mothers.
BabyBeats Meets offers free events and walks so women can still access community and specialist support even when paid classes are not affordable.
At one recent event, a woman experiencing domestic abuse was able to find help through the professionals present.
For Rose, moments like that sit at the heart of the business.
“If you are making one little difference in somebody’s life,” she explains, that matters.
Her own experience of motherhood shaped this strongly.
Rose describes the transition from being confident, independent and visible to feeling as though she had become only her daughter’s mum.
“I felt like I lost who I was.”
It took time for her to reclaim that sense of self and recognise that motherhood did not erase the woman underneath.
“The woman beneath is still really important as well.”
That message also became central to her book, I’m Fine, which explores the thoughts many new mothers experience but may be afraid to say aloud.
Becoming More Visible
Over the past year, Rose has also focused on building her personal brand alongside BabyBeats.
Her advice for anyone struggling to become visible is refreshingly direct:
- Do not wait for the video to feel perfect
- Build a circle of people who will support and challenge you constructively
- Get clear on what you believe and be willing to say it
Her first tip is perhaps the simplest.
“Just get it started.”
Rose knows that early posts can feel uncomfortable and that looking back may make you cringe.
But that discomfort is evidence of progress.
She also believes businesses should not be afraid of putting some people off.
Clear opinions help the right customers recognise themselves in the brand.
“You’re going to draw them into you because you’re resonating.”
Watch the Full Interview
Rose Gibson is a finalist in The Class Business Awards 2026.
Her story is a powerful reminder that some of the strongest businesses begin with a founder noticing what is missing from their own experience.
BabyBeats was built around a simple but important belief: supporting a baby should not mean forgetting the woman holding them.
👉 Watch Rose Gibson’s full interview here.
Join us on Saturday 10 October 2026 at the National Conference Centre in Solihull for The Class Business Live, followed by The Class Business Awards & Afterparty.
