Heard @ The Barre

Courtney Hern and Kristy Le Blanc

Pull up a mat and join Courtney and Kristy as they bring the real, unfiltered conversations from their Pilates studio straight to your ears. From product reviews and BookTok favourites to hilarious tangents and heartfelt stories & of course, hockey talk (they are Canadian). Heard @ The Barre is where midlife meets movement, laughter, and a little bit of everything in between. Expect honest chats, a few hot takes, & plenty of moments that’ll make you feel like you’re right there in the studio.

  1. JAN 28

    🎙️ Season 2, Episode 14 — Algorithms, Mammograms & Awkward Appointments

    This episode kicks off with Kristy being completely thrown off when Podcastle suddenly switches to Async (because why wouldn’t the tech change again?). The chaos settles with a big shoutout to the Western girls who show up for a private class with Courtney three times a week — commitment we love to see. Courtney admits she finally told her kids she talked about them on the last episode… and unsurprisingly, neither of them cared. Kristy isn’t even sure if her girls listen at all. From there, the conversation turns to visibility — YouTube views are up, and seeing herself on screen officially freaks Kristy out. Courtney shares how TikTok’s algorithm now fully understands her life, feeding her teen-related content and important Ontario updates — including new mammogram guidelines for women 40+. That opens a real talk about dense breasts, the importance of getting checked, and the unspoken requirement of needing Pilates-level strength just to hold the pose during a mammogram. Things take a turn into awkward territory with a discussion about “dildo cam,” whether yearly doctor visits are even still a thing, and Courtney recalling her son’s physical at 13 — an experience so uncomfortable it left everyone slightly traumatized. It’s equal parts informative, uncomfortable, hilarious, and exactly the kind of candid conversation you’ve come to expect from Heard @ The Barre.

    27 min
  2. JAN 21

    🎙️ Season 2, Episode 13 — The Weather, Education & Growing Up Canadian

    What could be more Canadian than starting a conversation with the weather? Courtney and Kristy do just that — and naturally, it leads to a deeper discussion about post-secondary education and the pressure placed on teens to figure out their futures far too early. Courtney shares insight from her years working at Western, breaking down today’s university and college options and how different the application process feels compared to the 1990s. They talk about the anxiety of applying, waiting for offers of admission, and how the paths to success have evolved over time. The conversation turns to high school streaming and the expectation for students to choose between university and college as early as Grade 9. Courtney and Kristy question why education can’t stay more general for longer, allowing young people time to discover their strengths before specializing. They also explore the tension between not wanting kids to fail — yet often failing to equip them with real-life survival skills. They wrap up with the value of working “bad” jobs and how those experiences help you appreciate the good ones when they finally come along. Courtney also brings up the recent CHL rule change allowing players to move on to the NCAA, opening up new possibilities for young athletes navigating education and sport. Thoughtful, relatable, and unmistakably Canadian — another honest conversation from Heard @ The Barre.

    31 min
  3. JAN 7

    🎙️ Season 2, Episode 11 — Faces, Femininity & Feeling Good

    In this episode, Courtney and Kristy start off with a surreal moment — their faces were recommended for someone to watch. Naturally, Kristy briefly felt famous. ✨ From there, the conversation turns to aging, appearance, and the complicated relationship we have with our faces and bodies over time. They dive into plastic surgery and aesthetic treatments — would they do it? Courtney is a firm no (she’s never even had a facial, a massage outside of dance recovery, or been to a spa), while Kristy shares her experience with facial needles to soften fine lines and how that journey evolved once her youngest daughter started aesthetician school. They talk honestly about what they’ve noticed changing as they age, run through the different generational labels, and explore how identity and femininity shift over time. Courtney shares how cutting her hair short led her to nails and lash extensions as a way to feel feminine, while Kristy explains how a bad haircut can completely affect your confidence. Their takeaway: if something makes you feel good — do it. There’s plenty of nostalgia too, with banana clips, claw clips, and all things 90s hair making an appearance. The episode wraps with a candid conversation about fueling a 51-year-old body versus a 17-year-old one, Courtney’s feelings about looking more skeletal post-hysterectomy, what eating well actually means at this stage of life, and a thoughtful chat about hormone replacement, sleepy-time tea, and the elusive art of staying asleep. Honest, reflective, and reassuring — this episode is all about redefining what feeling good looks like now.

    29 min

About

Pull up a mat and join Courtney and Kristy as they bring the real, unfiltered conversations from their Pilates studio straight to your ears. From product reviews and BookTok favourites to hilarious tangents and heartfelt stories & of course, hockey talk (they are Canadian). Heard @ The Barre is where midlife meets movement, laughter, and a little bit of everything in between. Expect honest chats, a few hot takes, & plenty of moments that’ll make you feel like you’re right there in the studio.