Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Pillow.
Hi Lisa, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I attended Hampton University and majored in Business Management. During my undergraduate studies, I become a member of the Terpsichorean Dance Troupe. We toured and performed throughout the East Coast, and I also had the privilege to train under the famed Judith Jamison. While in college, I became a member of the Hampton University Marching Force Band Dance Line known as “Ebony Fire” where I served as captain for two years. After college, I went on to become an Atlanta Falcons Cheerleader for two seasons and I remain active with the National Football League through their Cheerleader Alumni Association. Throughout that time, I gained additional experience by serving as director for several Youth Cheer Programs, implementing after-school dance and cheer programs and choreographed performance and competition pieces for middle and high school dance and cheer teams.
I started my professional career in cosmetology in 1994 and ran a successful hair salon for over 10 years. During that time, I taught dance and cheer classes part-time. In 2007, I took a leap of faith and decided to close the hair salon and opened a one room dance studio, Lisa’s Dance Spot! After being open for only two years, major flooding in the area resulted in the entire studio being completely underwater. It was DEVASTATING! Instead of closing, I moved Lisa’s Dance Spot to a local daycare center owned by my landlord and continued offering dance classes while rebuilding. Once the building re-opened after the flood, I grew our space to two studio rooms. Since then, I have continued to expand to presently having over 5,000 square feet which includes four studio rooms. Over the past 15 years, we have trained over 3,500 students offering recreational, performance, and competitive dance programs. Our students are Award Winning, National Championship dancers!!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Running a business is never smooth; however, it is rewarding. Every challenge came with a lesson and growth. I am grateful for every obstacle and adversity that was thrown my way. Some challenges I faced were finding the best ways to organize and manage my business, assembling the best team for my company, and ensuring great parent/student management. There were many ups and downs; however, overcoming each obstacle and struggle made me stronger and resilient! The biggest challenge to date has been struggling with how to run a business during a pandemic. Dealing with Covid-19 was like rebuilding the business from scratch. Through resilience and faith, we were able to open our doors back up safely. After a great deal of research (and a lot of prayer), safety measures were put into place such as temperature checks, class size management, professional studio sanitizing, daily cleaning after each class, and most importantly wearing masks was required by ALL students, staff, and visitors while in the studio. To date, we still follow our safety measures. I am extremely proud of our students, staff, and parents for adapting to the new way of doing things. It has been a struggle, but we have all persevered!
All right, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Regardless of age or ability, Lisa’s Dance Spot believes that each student has the capacity to experience all that dance has to offer: a unique connection to one’s body, an opportunity to joyfully move as a musical instrument, and a life-long membership in a worldwide artistic community. We love seeing our students engage in life with confidence and joy, willing to take risks, and rhythmically approach any routine given to them. It is important to us that all students receive the individual attention necessary for growth and we encourage different experience levels to work together. We make certain students do not get lost in the shuffle while enhancing their abilities and confidence. We are filled with gratitude when we think about how Lisa’s Dance Spot has grown over the years. We will continue to work hard, determined to grow our vision of developing and blossoming dance leaders and choreographers of the future. Lisa’s Dance Spot strives for best-in-class rankings, yet we are humbled and grateful to be able to share our love of dance with the community and the world.
We offer ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, lyrical, acro/gymnastics. We also offer performance teams, adult dance teams and classes, and competitive dance for beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. Ages three to adult.
We have been recognized as Best of Georgia 2021 and Best of Austell 2021. We have 12 National Championship titles, nominated for “Best Hip Hop Performance” with the Industry Dance Awards and Studio of Excellence Award, and many other regional championship awards.
My staff is my DREAM TEAM…they are professional dancers, college students, high school seniors (assistant instructors), working professionals and are all TOTALLY AMAZING!!! I would not want to do any of this without them!
Lisa’s Dance Spot is an Experience…We Build Character, Confidence, and Self Esteem through the Art of Dance!!
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I am married to the best husband and supporter in the world, Chris Pillow. We were college sweethearts and have been married for 26 years. We are blessed with two intelligent, talented, and beautiful daughters, Kyndall (24) and Korie (22). Lisa’s Dance Spot is a family business….we all run it together! I am thankful for my life and grateful for ALL the blessings and favor God has graced upon me.
Contact Info:
- Email: lisasdancespot@yahoo.
com - Website: www.lisasdancespot.
com - Instagram: Lisasdancespot
- Facebook: Lisas Dance Spot
- Youtube: Lisas Dance Spot
Image Credits:
Shineza Photography and Gianne the Photographer
