Today we’d like to introduce you to Tera Freeman.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’ve always been a dancer and someone that liked to move. While living in Michigan, I started taking pole dance classes in 2010 after a friend recommended that I try a class. I took one class and got addicted! I was about 30 lbs overweight when I started and lost weight after I consistently attended classes. Pole dance classes also helped me increase my confidence and self-esteem. When I moved back home to the Atlanta area, I immediately found a studio so I could continue taking pole dance classes. I have previous experience teaching dance to youth and adults so after taking classes for five years, I decided to become a pole dance instructor at a studio in Metro Atlanta. I taught at that studio for two years before I decided to strike out on my own. I loved teaching pole dance and started to get the entrepreneur itch. I started by teaching online private lessons and developing an online lap dance course. Around the same time, I quit my full-time job as a Project Manager in order to determine where I wanted my business to go. I now teach weekly pole dance classes in West Midtown and am also a High School Special Education teacher.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Being an entrepreneur has not been a smooth road for me at all. I was the first in my immediate circle to start a business and there aren’t many entrepreneurs in my family. I thought I was crazy and I am sure people around me thought I was crazy too. Not only did I want to have a business, but I teach something that many people consider to be taboo. I have struggled with not thinking I was good enough to teach, not having enough money to fund my business, and getting some members in my family to understand my choices. Additionally, I literally knew nothing about running a business or how to get people to sign up for classes, I just knew that I wanted to teach and I could figure it out. I’ve made a lot of mistakes along the way and although I’ve had my business for three years, I still struggle sometimes, I’m just better at bouncing back, lol.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Work It Girl Fitness story. Tell us more about the business.
The mission of Work It Girl Fitness is to empower women to feel sexy, confident, and healthy through pole dance classes. I teach weekly pole dance classes that help women get in shape and get their sexy on! Our ladies love our twerk circuit and the fact that while they are getting a workout, the classes don’t feel like a workout. There are soooo many places to take pole dance classes in Atlanta but my focus is beginner students, students who are brand new to pole dance. I keep my class sizes small to ensure an intimate learning environment and so that students feel comfortable learning and getting out of their shell.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I definitely have had good luck in my business. I currently rent the studio space and it was just by luck (and the universe) that I found the space. I never, I mean, never check my Instagram DMs because that’s where the creeps love to play lol. One day in 2017, I had just found out I didn’t qualify for this financial program to keep my house out of foreclosure. It wasn’t a good day at all. I was having a pity party and checked my DMs and saw a message from the owner of the space. I went to visit the space and saw a familiar face and knew it was meant to be. I’ve been renting the space for two years and consider it a second home lol. I guess I don’t believe in bad luck. When bad things happen to me in life or in business, I see those as learning opportunities or a chance to grow.
Pricing:
- One Drop In Class – $25
- New Client Intro Offer – 4 Classes for $59
Contact Info:
- Address: 1745 Defoor Pl NW, Unit F
Atlanta, Georgia 30318 - Website: workitgirlfitness.com
- Phone: 678-631-8336
- Email: tera@workitgirlfitness.com
- Instagram: IG: workitgirlfitness
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/workitgirlfit
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