IAM548- Studio Owner Uses Fitness to Empower Women

Dawn Thomas uses Unique Arts of Fitness to EMPOWER Women's Empowerment, Self-love, Health and wellness. All because Dawn went to a pole class for fun and to mix up her gym routine… all because Dawn told her husband how much fun she had… 2D Pole & Fit surfaced. In addition to being a studio owner, Dawn is a certified personal trainer and fitness nutritionist, certified yoga instructor, aerialist, fitness instructor, and life coach for women. She is also a Norfolk State University Alumni. Behold the Green and gold!

• CEO Hack: Morning meditation
• CEO Nugget: (1) Do not forget where you started (2) Stay true to your vision
• CEO Defined: Sharing my passion with others and making a contribution to society

Website: http://www.2dpolefit.com/

Google Plus- https://plus.google.com/111659303957546934490
YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4Rq0zkTE07G6S9TbfimvCA
Pinterest- http://www.pinterest.com/2dpolefit
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/2dpolefit
Twitter- http://www.twitter.com/2dpolefit
Instagram- http://www.instagram.com/2dpolefit

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Transcription:

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Intro 0:02

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

Gresham Harkless 0:29

Hello, this is Gresh from the I AM CEO podcast and I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Dawn Thomas of 2D Pole & Fit. Dawn, it's awesome to have you on the show.

Dawn Thomas 0:39

Yes. It's such a pleasure to be on the show. I am so excited, thank you so much for inviting me.

Gresham Harkless 0:46

Yeah, no problem. Definitely excited to have you on. Super pumped to hear a little bit more about you know all the awesome things that you're doing. Before I got started, I wanted to introduce Dawn so you can learn a little bit more about her. Dawn uses Unique Arts of Fitness to EMPOWER Women's Empowerment, Self-love, Health and wellness. All because Dawn went to a pole class for fun and to mix up her gym routine… all because Dawn told her husband how much fun she had… 2D Pole & Fit surfaced. In addition to being a studio owner, Dawn is a certified personal trainer and fitness nutritionist, certified yoga instructor, aerialist, fitness instructor, and life coach for women. She is also a Norfolk State University Alumni. Behold the Green and Gold. Dawn, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

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Dawn Thomas 1:30

Yes, I am.

Gresham Harkless 1:31

Awesome. As a Howard grad, as an HBCU grad, I also want to give a shout-out to Howard University. But to kick everything off, I want to hear a little bit more about what I call your CEO story. What led to everything? What led you to start your business?

Dawn Thomas 1:44

Oh my gosh, I've always had an entrepreneurial spirit. But yeah, just like my bio, I went to a poll class. To mix up my gym routine, because I am a gym rat, I met my husband at the gym. But sometimes you get bored with the same things, somewhat to uphold class and mix up my routine. I tell you, I barely did one dance move. I had so much fun. Bonding with the ladies laughing sharing stories, and having fun, it was just an amazing experience. I went home and I told my husband how much fun I had and he said, Well, you know what, you should do something like that and I was like, oh, man, you're joking.

I'm not gonna do anything like that. Fast forward a few weeks later, he was like bae, I found a spot. As soon as it just started from there. Before when I say that, I've always had an entrepreneurial spirit, I also write resumes and I do a lot of freelance recruiting. I've always done something on the side just because that's just in my DNA. But just from that pole class birth to the pole and fitted so my husband was dug, that's where the two D comes from. That's really how everything got started there.

Gresham Harkless 3:13

Nice. I definitely appreciate that it's a crazy house. A lot of times when, I always say when you're going on the right path, a lot of times opportunities start to open up so to hear that you have that experience. Then all of a sudden a couple of weeks later your husband finds the place. It's like everything starts to build that momentum towards what you're doing now.

Dawn Thomas 3:32

Oh my gosh, absolutely. Initially, I started the business because I just wanted to share that or foster that woman empowerment environment, initially, that's where it came from. It is 2D Pole & Fit because the pole class initiated the studio, but oh my gosh, I mean I'm pretty sure we might get into more we will get into more later. But because I went to that pole class, I was inspired to become a yoga instructor, fitness instructor, and life coach for women. I just saw a need there. I just started the business to bring the ladies together in all shapes, and sizes to inspire self-confidence. It's just all of that combined in the crock pot.

Gresham Harkless 4:29

Yeah, absolutely. Can we all know that whatever comes out of it goes into the crock pot as good as when it comes out it's even better. I can appreciate that and tested that as well. I wanted to hear a little bit more about this crap iKey takes us through exactly like all the different things that you're doing to help, provide that incredible experience for the people that come to your studio.

Dawn Thomas 4:51

Absolutely. Well, women's empowerment is the number one thing. Self-confidence, self-love basically my husband calls it a playground, a clubhouse for the ladies, because I tell the ladies, when you come in just let everything go, feel free to be yourself. Definitely a no-judgment zone. When I first started, I offered pole class, and yoga really, to be honest with you was not in my plans at all. But as a small business owner, it's natural to go through business stressors, if you will. A lot of things came up that I did not consider before I was all about women's empowerment and wanted to have fun. But you know, behind the scenes, I learned that there are a lot of things involved in the business aspect.

I went to yoga teacher training for myself, I had no plans to teach yoga. I needed something to manage my stress, they helped me to organize my life so that I could be my best self for these ladies, for my husband, my home, and my everyday life. A lot of folks think that yoga is all about postures, and poses or stretching, but no, I knew that there was something more to yoga, and I wanted to find that, and boy, did I ever find out because yoga has totally changed my life. I would never change the name of the studio to 2D Yoga & Fit or anything of that nature. Because Pole will always be near and dear to my heart because of what I've mentioned before if it wasn't for that pole class.

Basically just fosters that environment, and shares a place where women can just relate, network, and share their good times, and also share their intimate times. Many ladies have formed friendships and partnerships, just from that little studio here in Fort Washington and it's such a blessing. Oh, my gosh, I am so blessed to be able to provide that opportunity to the ladies. So, 2D Polar Fit is more than a fitness studio. It's more than a pole class. It's more than the bar classes, the aerial classes, the belly dance class. It's so much more than that and at the studio that's one of the reasons why I do not believe in class levels.

I get a lot of ladies saying, Well, I don't know if I can do that. Do you have a beginner's class? No girlfriend, all classes are based on your level, because my number one goal is for you to leave, feeling better than Beyonce. Okay, better than just that method. Okay? I don't care if you're plus size or small does not matter. Okay? The number one goal is for you to feel good about yourself. When you're approached the next day, or when you leave the door, know that you can conquer the world and do anything that you want to do. So, I know I gave her an earful. But I'm just so passionate about it. I just feel so good that I can talk about this all day long. I'm with Chico next.

Gresham Harkless 5:26

But that was great. Now, definitely a good earful. I think you talked so much about women's empowerment, having self-love being appreciated, love yourself. A lot of times we need that community in that place in order to do that. So I appreciate you for creating that and then staying true, I think the overall start of the business, which I liked it the 2D Pole and the reason that's why it was created. So that's a foundational piece and that's a part of your story. I think there are so many times that we can think about our business or organization or just ourselves, things that have happened in our lives that have pushed us in a certain direction in order for us to do that.

I appreciate that and you might have already touched on this, but I want to ask you for what I call your secret sauce. It could be for you personally or for your organization but what do you feel kind of sets you apart and makes you unique?

Dawn Thomas 9:15

Yes, my secret sauce is okay I'm gonna give you a secret is really hot, right? I relate to every lady that walks through that door. I make sure that they understand that I am more than the yoga instructor. I am more than a fitness instructor. I am your friend. I get personal with my customers. I have customers that stopped by the studio and they just want to have a talk or a conversation. I have customers that just want to call me just because Okay, so basically just staying true to who I am and keeping it 100 with the ladies. No falsification or phoniness within the studio and I will also say that this is important. Money is not the driving factor.

Every morning, I meditate, and when I meditate, and again, and I believe I said this before, it's not easy being a small business owner. I learned that when I started well, not when I started the business, but every day I learned something new. In my morning meditation, this is my secret sauce. I don't pray for more money, I don't pray to be a millionaire. My prayers are, okay, who life cannot impact today, who cannot inspire today, even if there's one word, even if it's one phrase, even if there's one person, new or old, existing client, new client, I pray that you give me the talent and the words and the right thing to say when the time is right. That is my secret sauce. Money is never the motivating factor.

Always remember why you started because if you lose focus on why you started, oh, stuff might blow up. Always stay true to your mission. Always remember why you started. So if something, let's say, God forbid something unfortunate happened that day? Well, if you remember why you started, if you remember whose life you made a difference in yesterday, or that morning or that night, when you received that phone call, that thing that comes up, to be honest with you will not matter and your blessings will come two-fold, you don't have to ask for it because he sees what you're doing. You're in it for the good. Oh, 2D Pole & Fit is more than a fitness studio. I really do feel deep down in my heart that I am in this position for a reason.

Gresham Harkless 12:10

I definitely appreciate that. I wanted to switch gears a little bit and you might have already given us this, but I want to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an app or book or a habit that you have. But what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

Dawn Thomas 12:24

Yes. Well, I'm going to piggyback on morning meditation. That's key for me, my sunrise meditation is key for me.

Gresham Harkless 12:32

Appreciate those acts. Now I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO nugget. That could be a word of wisdom or a piece of advice. Or if you can happen to a time machine what would you tell your younger business self?

Dawn Thomas 12:44

Um, I'm going to revisit what I mentioned before because I'm so passionate about it and that is do not forget why you started. Because as soon as you forget, things could really turn you know, the opposite way. Okay. Always stay true to your mission.

Gresham Harkless 13:08

Yeah, I appreciate that so much. I appreciate you saying that, again because I think so many times throughout our lives, do you think that you just have to write down your why once you have to write down your mission once and then you can leave it. But you have to do that on a regular basis because we can get distracted very easily. There are a lot of things that are pulling from our attention. Probably every single day, maybe multiple times within a day, you have to have reminders or a vision to help you remember why you're doing, what you're doing, and where you're going or you can easily lose track of that.

Dawn Thomas 13:38

Yes, absolutely.

Gresham Harkless 13:40

Awesome. Now I wanted to ask you my absolute favourite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO and we're hoping to have different quote-unquote CEOs on this show. So Dawn, what does being a CEO mean to you?

Dawn Thomas 13:53

For me personally, being a CEO is sharing my passion with others, and being a contribution to society as a whole. If you have the ability to give something back, but with your style in your way and improving the lives of others, I just had to do it through the unique arts of fitness.

Gresham Harkless 14:23

Absolutely, yes. I think that if we stay true to what our gifts are what we do well, and what God, a lot of times put us into our lives or whoever we believe in, puts into our lives. I think that that helps us to not only stay true to our mission, and make the world a better place, but we do it with our own flavor, our own style, our own way that we have been given gifts in order to do so. I appreciate that definition and that perspective, and I appreciate your time even more. What I wanted to do was pass you the mic so to speak, just to see if there's anything additionally you can let our readers and listeners know and of course how best they can get ahold of you, find your studio, and find out about all the awesome things you working on.

Dawn Thomas 15:01

Yes, my fellow CEO, as I mentioned before, 1000 times I'm gonna say it 1001 times okay 1001 times please do not forget why you started. Don't give up. Keep pushing because you can make a difference in this society in this world in spite of what your talents are, whatever your niches or what have you, but ever it is okay. Trust and believe that it will improve someone else's life one way or the other. Oh my goodness, 2D Pole & Fit is my social media channel. I would love to connect with you on Instagram, Linked In, and Facebook. My website is 2dpolefit.com. If you are ever in the DMV or if you are in the DMV, please join this movement, you will love the ladies. I'm right here in Fort Washington, Maryland it will be such a pleasure to have you at the studio.

Gresham Harkless 16:07

Awesome. It was definitely a pleasure to have you on the show. You gave us loads of words of wisdom and reminders to be our best selves. So I appreciate that, appreciate you reminding us of our why. We will have the links and information in the show notes as well too and I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

Outro 16:22

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.

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