Today we’d like to introduce you to Ariel Taylor.
Hi Ariel, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve been a lover of dance all my life, but it wasn’t until my late 20s that I found myself instructing twerk dance classes in the small town I grew up in…
In January 2019, I started offering Twerkout classes/workshops. Honestly, it took some time for these classes to grow due to the area, the lack of understanding of where twerk dance comes from & not to mention the stigma around the word ‘Twerk.’ I went from having 2 students in these classes to 15 in just a few short months. These classes were a fun way for everyone to break a sweat & check cardio off for the day while learning Twerking techniques & feeling sexy!
I will always be thankful for the 1st studio I started at because they saw a teacher in me first. Sometime after I started teaching twerk classes one of my mentors observed me instructing & came up to me afterward & said to me, “You’d be a great Aerial Yoga instructor!” Now mind you, I had only taken 2 aerial classes prior to this so I was taken back by this compliment but certainly flattered. Long story short, by June 2019, I took a teacher training for Aerial Yoga & got certified. That’s when I fell in love with the hammocks & that practice.
So, I began teaching Aerial Yoga/Fitness classes in July 2019 along with my dance classes. At this point, I started to see the natural teacher in me. The way I managed a room, projecting my voice accordingly, having a good vocabulary selection & making everyone feel included & valued. It was then that I felt like I had found my purpose/muse.
By December 2019, I took another teacher training for aerial hammocks for kids. This was the most challenging because kids are so much different than adults, but it was the best experience. Not only did I get to travel for this training, but I also learned the most about myself too! I obtained that certification, my child clearances & started offering kids classes by the end of January 2020. Oh wow, did these classes do well! Parents were so happy to see there was something unique around for their children to do & of course, the kids loved it too.
Sadly, in March 2020, the pandemic hit & everything had to shut down. When this happened, I did not know this would be an end of a chapter in my teaching career. The studio that I began building myself in closed its doors to the public.
Fast forward to September 2020, things started to look up again (or so we thought) so I started teaching again briefly at the first studio I started at & I found a new studio outside of the small town I grew up in & started offering my classes there as well. This was short-lived because, by November 2020, things were shutting down AGAIN. It wasn’t until January 2021 that I started teaching again. That was an extremely difficult time for me & any instructor I’m sure because our whole mission or goal is to help people be the best & healthiest version of themself so expecting them to show up knowing the risks was so silly & did not feel right.
That was my year though (2021)! I really started to build my brand & create some consistency around how I promote myself & separate my style of teaching from other instructors. This was the year ‘Your Personal Hype Woman’ was born! I started hiring videographers and photographers to help me create content for social media & hired someone to make my logo(s).
I knew my focus was women’s empowerment & providing a safe space for women to come to embrace their bodies & themselves. Before I started offering these classes, I always wished there was something like this around me, so I created it!
After not only being an independent contractor for 2 studios but also working as an employee for both of them as well, I soon felt the desire to own a studio of my own. I experienced the highs & the lows. I had a good understanding of how a studio should run & could think outside the box & do things differently but more efficiently. To say the least, I learned so much from both of them.
In early 2022 understanding that I needed to put myself out there more, I sought out venues & other studios that offered space rental & started renting space on my own. Getting my name out there was the most important thing. I started networking with local businesses & collaborating with other dancers.
By March 2022, I was on my own renting space from Sara Ellen Event Venue every month! I will be forever grateful to Lauren & Terrence Days for believing in me & my brand & giving me the opportunity to grow my name independently in such a beautiful, clean space.
This was when my dance events/classes really started taking off! I was hitting attendance milestones of 27 to 34 students in the room! Everything was in alignment. I was able to make investments in the business & prepare for the next level.
In 9 months of hard work & consistency, I was renting space from 2 venues & was coming to the realization I needed MY OWN space. Then came December of 2022 when I was given the opportunity to take over the lease at one of the spaces I was renting from. This was a no-brainer for me. So, I took the opportunity, filed for my LLC & checked everything off my to-do list I needed to be an official business & studio owner.
HYPE! Studio, LLC opened its doors on January 1st of 2023. My dreams came true & all of my dedication & perseverance paid off. It wasn’t always easy, but since opening, I’ve tripled my revenue each month & I am reaching many more women than before. Making this journey so worth it! I’m really looking forward to what the future holds for me & my business.
Over the last 4 years, I’ve met many different women from different walks of life & every single one of them has a story.
I am truly honored to serve them all & feel blessed to have their trust. I will continue to provide a judgment-free space for all women to be the powerful, beautiful & divine beings we are!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
For me, the “struggles” with being an instructor still occur. There were struggles that I overcame & won’t ever have to deal with again, but there are areas I’ll always have to work through in this industry. To mention a few; Imposter syndrome, managing my time, staying committed to my own practice, comparing myself to others, and finding the strength to HYPE myself up in moments of doubt. I thought about including the financial fluctuation from season to season in this field, but you know, it’s never been about the money for me. It’s always been about doing what I LOVE! Money comes & goes no matter what career you choose & I just feel blessed that I get to do what sets my soul on fire while making a living for myself.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
What sets me apart from other instructors, first & foremost, is what I teach. Twerking is a form of dance & because of the stigma around the word ‘Twerk,” I had & still have a lot of work to do to make twerk dance more respected. It is so much bigger than booty shaking! It’s culture; it’s empowering, it’s body control & awareness. You have to learn the techniques & then add finesse.
To briefly touch on the culture, many people lack the knowledge of where it comes from & how long it has been around.
Most people think twerking came from Juvenile’s ‘Back that thang up’ music video, but it was around way before that. However, that is the first time that twerk dance went mainstream & was seen on national television. West African culture is where twerking originated, known as Mapouka, going back as far as the early 1900s. Mapouka symbolizes an expression of celebration or joy, sometimes even worship.
Sharing the history of twerking is probably my favorite part about teaching Twerk dance!
Secondly, teaching aerial hammock classes definitely separates me from others because it’s something different.
For most people, it’s new & exciting but also kind of nerving. Trusting an apparatus to hold you & your body weight doesn’t come naturally, but once someone pushes past all of the fear, they usually find it thrilling & find themselves giving more trust to the hammock.
I teach different styles of aerial hammock classes like Aerial Yoga, Aerial Fitness & Aerial Fundamentals so there is something for everyone. The benefits of the hammock include decompressing/lengthening the spine, recirculating blood flow, gaining strength/flexibility & it is a great cognitive exercise.
I am very proud to offer such unique services to those in my community!
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Well, let’s just say this. I’ve learned more than one lesson & they are all equally important. I will say that if I didn’t find ways to be better in my personal life & in my career, I would just stay the same, so I have to keep growing as a person so I can show up in the ways I need to for others. At the same time, though, I need to believe in myself & my brand to ensure my success.
So, in short, keep growing & believe in yourself always is a huge lesson I’ve learned.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.yourpersonalhypewoman.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hypestudio717/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hypestudio717/
