VIP Pole Mom Beginning...still waiting!

Hello! My name is Lynn, the VIP Pole Mom!(Well, not really I am still waiting; due yesterday March 15! ) I am co-owner of VIP Women's Dance and currently awaiting the arrival of my baby Jade Ashley. I wanted to start a blog to stay connected to my real first child-the studio (born September 2009) and the women who attend or would like to attend our magical place.

Over the past year and half my beautiful partner (Leigh Ann Zagray) and I have worked our booties off to take our American female dream of owning a small fun business and make it a successful reality. I started the studio as an experienced personal trainer and head pole fitness instructor from Orlando. I wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle to be in love and at the beach. All my friends thought I was nuts for moving to Jacksonville...there's nothing there! Well, my future husband was, the beach was and I was determined to start a new life and create it the way I wanted. It was the best decision I ever made in my life!

I moved to Jacksonville Beach in late 2008. I was finishing my degree at UCF in Exercise Science and working at Ten Salon in Ponte Vedra Beach. I lived in a quaint apartment 2 blocks from the ocean but something was missing. I missed my passion. I missed teaching sexy fitness...bad. I longed to be in my sexy outfits, listening to my favorite music loudly and creating routines, flipping upside down and challenging myself to new heights. I missed pole.

I began researching for local studios in the area. None. Except an ad from Inshape Ladies Fitness in Mandarin, they wanted to incorporate pole fitness but did not have poles...ok? Luckily, I also was qualified to teach chair classes, so I accepted with the goal to build up the interest for pole. At the same time I stumbled upon the lovely Jennifer Devore of Peek on Google. She was a local pinup boudoir photographer and began thinking about starting my own business promoting women only pole parties with my portable platinum stages pole. We took some shots together and became great friends soon I made it legal and VIP Women's Dance Parties was born in early 2009!

It wasn't long before I scouted places closer to home to potentially teach a class. I found an opportunity next door to the Jax Beach Bailey's Gym who hired me to begin classes. Since I was new to the Jacksonville area I wasn't sure what the market would be like so I began teaching sexy belly dance. I would not say I am anywhere near the best belly dancer in the world(or even close) but I did know how to teach a fitness belly dance class that was fun, a workout and sexy!
I packed out classes at both locations! I was back! Lynn was back and better than ever! I even decided to do a local fitness competition to get completely focused and super in-shape for my new business.

I met Leigh Ann Zagray at Panera. She approached me out of the blue to ask if I taught belly dance? She had noticed me Googling belly dance costumes for class and I must have peaked her curiosity...she was super sweet and I gave her my number for my class. She became my best student, even performing with me at a opening of a new restaurant with not even 2 months of classes!
She was a doll, incredibly eager to learn and be apart of something different and fun. We immediately clicked. We worked well together and I loved her input. I watched Leigh Ann transform from an average woman to the sexy diva you see teaching today. Her transformation was amazing...30 pounds later, a new hairdo, lashes, booty shorts, 6 inch heels and rocking some pole, belly and chair dance skills! In less than one year! She is also a Pole Mom to a 10 year old boy! Go girl!

About the same time I met Leigh Ann, I met Becca. The new neighborhood invited us out for a house dinner party (Tuesday night dinner group) where an extroverted happy go lucky girl introduced herself as Becca. She was energetic and ultra funny. A hottie with an athletic build. She cracked me up. Becca noticed my fishnets under my clothes and asked what I did. I had just finished teaching my chair class and explained to her that I was a dance fitness instructor-pole certified. She was ignited with curiosity...really? We immediately made plans to connect and bring my pole to her house to show her some stuff. I was extremely excited to have met someone completely eager to learn! That night of the pole demo, she bought the exact same pole and the Dry Hands grip(for slipperly hands). I found my first pole addict!

In the months that followed, I continued to teach and practice pole at Becca's house. Remembering the beginning days is heartfelt as I was new to the area and already met such awesome ladies. It was then that the studio was being born. The three of us Leigh Ann, Becca and I would open VIP Women's Dance with only 1 pole and a dream to succeed no matter what...and the rest is history! Join me as I continue to relive the past, present and future of pole dancing...from a multitude of perspectives, next chapter...being a pole mom.xo