anngiern
Forum Replies Created
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http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=tess&state=4810:8t56xa.1.1
link was not working properly from above
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I had a lawyer do it. I did do my own research as well on the federal site initially….
http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/process/search/ (make sure when you search to change the "field" option to "all". that way it searches for by owner name, business name, serial number..etc….)
But I was advised to get a business lawyer to do a complete search b/c sometimes there are loopholes…like there might be a space in the name or certain punctuation that you don't know about and it will show up as no one having the name. For example if you type in "sfactor" it will show that nobody has that name.
But if you type "s factor" with the space, it will show up as having a trademark. So little stuff like that can be missed which is why a lawyer is needed. I actually had a student who was a business lawyer and I bartered for her services. So I gave her free classes for about 2 months and I paid a smaller fee to get it done.
Hmmm…I know you are in bind but if at all possible come up with another name. Once you do put "TM" after it which means you are in the process of filing a trademark. Once you get the final paperwork you can then put the "r" after it (the r with the circle around it) which means it is officially trademarked with usptov. If people see the "TM" that will at least make them think twice before using the same name. But please consult with a lawyer as I am not one but have had my studio for 8 years. Yes you might have used the name in commerce first but you still have to go to court or some type of litigation to prove all these things…which means EXPENSIVE ( it costs about $2000 for an attorney retainer just for them to initially send out the cease and desist letter..then you have to do the back and forth which can eat away at your retainer).
A lesson you will need to learn now is to be ORIGINAL. To keep your business fresh and stay ahead of your competitors you will always need to be original in everything that you do…it will be part of your journey as a business owner. It is so frustrating how many people in the pole industry just copy other people's hard work instead of just putting a little thought behind things and coming up with their own 🙁 it is super frustrating but its just part of being in business and you have to deal with it.
So get your Donald Trump D*ck out and get ready to play…LOL (we always joke around about this at the studio)
Good Luck!
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oh and yes…there were 2 studios using my studio name in other states, my lawyers did send them a cease and desist. b/c i had the federal trademark it was a shut and close case. their lawyers advised them to change their name immediately b/c they did not have a leg to stand on and i can sue them for money b/c of unauthorized use of a trademark name.
i always advise new business owners to do a name search not only on the local level but also on the federal level BEFORE choosing your final name. you don't want one of the big dogs coming after you. and they won't care b/c "you didn't know". when someone has a federal trademark on something they are entitled to a share of the profits if you are using it without permission.
just some food for thought 🙂
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I did do a federal trademark on my pole studio name. Honestly it is for future protection. If you have ANY possible plans on expansion you should trademark your name. Now when I first opened my studio I just did an LLC. But about a year later I decided to trademark. I just didn't want anyone else using my company name in other states to prevent confusion. So really it is for future protection. You never know where your business might go so you do not want to have to "back peddle" so to speak if you want to take your business to another level. Its kind of like auto insurance..you may never file a claim but when something does happen you are so glad you have it…LOL
But if you plan to just teach in a small town and you know for sure that you will never want anything bigger than its probably not worth the money. In the end you should talk to a business lawyer and they can give you all the pros and cons.
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I saw these at the pole convention. They are cute and all but not for $115. And I dont mind paying money for things but this is a little too much money even for my taste. But I love those cris cross brazilian shorts 🙂
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hmm…i am getting my hair done in an updo in the morning for the competition and her studio is right next to my salon…..LOL i will see what's up.
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yes I will be around on monday!
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hey kazree!!
i didnt know you were going to be in the ATL! i closed my facebook account last year to focus on some personal issues but i am going to have to reopen it for pole dance reasons so i can keep up with the pole world..he! he! definitely stop by so i can at least meet you 🙂 or go to lunch or something. you are an amazing dancer with great combos. wish i would of known so i could have put you on our schedule.
hope i get a chance to meet all of you ladies 🙂
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awesome!!! just hit me up at angela@polelateaz.com or you can call the studio at 404-399-3358 and they will get a hold of me. hope you can to the competition! its just in house students competing, coed and its a lot of fun.(if competitions is your cup of tea…if not i completely understand and no offense taken…lol) and we serve fun signature drinks…LOL..
let me know if you have any questions and we will be happy to accomodate.
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sky gym is awesome! very beautiful space and knowledgeable instructor.
when will you be in town? we have our Miss PoleLaTeaz competition this weekend but unsure of when you will be in town. I love having other instructors visit the studio! Please let us know if you decide to take a class with us. We love giving other instructors our royal "teaz" treatment :O)!!!
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I agree with organic angel….just spend some time only doing certain things. I challenge my students to do a whole song with floorwork only. Or a pole dance with spins only or strictly aerial for 2+minutes. I have found that when you "limit" yourself then that is when you become creative!! You are forced to think outside the box because of the "limitations". That is the way I come up with new moves all the time 🙂
Also taking other dance classes like modern, lyrical, etc…will definitely help. Those types of classes are all about flow.
And Rihanna Nicoles sexy flow lessons do rock. I subscribe to that as well. She truly does have some unique tranisitions and if you can take class with her in person you wont be disappointed. Every time I go to L.A. I take classes at her studio.
And the best tip….you have to practice a few days a week. Even if its just sensual dance, wall moves and floorwork and no pole (in case you are physically tired). I highly encourage my students to dance in dark room with candles and red lights, turn your music WAY UP so you can hear and feel every beat. And don't go in with an agenda. Just marinade in the moment and enjoy yourself. It is very freeing and liberating.
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@lady satine
Here is a link to Heidi Coker. She does teach at our studio but she handles all of her own private lessons.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbRULhhmhUA
This was our duets showcase 🙂 I think her and Eva (another instructor of mine) did such an excellent job of blending the artistry and the advanced tricks. I was personally very moved by this performance.
Heidi is excellent at unique artistry but also incorporates the advanced tricks. She has competed all over the world. I feel you will not be disappointed. She teaches our Level 7 and advanced workshops. She also does continuing education for our instructors as well. But she can get you to the next level that you need for competing since she has first hand experience.
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@lady satine
I would highly suggest taking privates with someone if you are trying to compete. It will get you where you want to be faster IMO. besides be spun also look at choregraphy house to see if they do competition training as well. kelly yvonne is excellent at themes, choreography ideas, etc… I love her Girl Next Door shows. She really embraces the theatrical side of pole which I love.
Also Body and Pole offers pole bootcamps as well in NYC (I think they are like 4 days or something like that). Plus these ladies have excellent traditional dance backgrounds which they are excellent at blending together.
Another place that is awesome in Atlanta is Sky Gym. I know the owner there as well. She rocks 🙂 It is great cross training for pole and will build your strength quickly. I believe she has conditioning classes as well. Her new space is beautiful. She started small as well and now has a strong following.
@Mocha000 Thanks for your support! You always rock at our showcases! (I really liked the "Set It Off" piece) Hope to see you in a future showcase 🙂
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i wont get into account issues b/c my account manager handles that but if you came to one class we start at $25 per class and deduct from there. we try to be extremely fair when it comes refunds and studio credits.
but honestly there is no way we could have been in business for 7 years ripping people off. i have literally have taught over 5000+ women since i have been open. i started with a small 10 students in a tiny rented yoga studio room in 2006 and proudly have grown to over 150 clients that come to us weekly,40 to 50 parties a month and 25 instructors. and that is mostly all word of mouth and referrals from current clients.
we offer free teazers and intro workshops on a weekly basis so potential clients can see what we are about and to see if we are a good fit for them. sorry if you did not get a chance to do that first before signing up. we obviously teach more than rubbing ourselves…LOL but there is also nothing wrong with getting in touch with your sensuality.
but at the end of the day you are entitled to your opinion. we do the best that we can for women that come to us. i love my students so much! they inspire me every day and the reason why i work so hard. but i have just come to learn that you cant please everyone.
i just think that it sucks that people on this forum talk trash about studios and slander people. (one of the reasons i hardly come on here anymore and why many others do not either)have i personally had less than savory experiences with with other studios i have visited or even lesson/workshops with national/international pole stars? absolutely. but i have enough respect to not come onto a public forum and slander them based on my one or few experiences. their teaching style or studio just did not fit my needs. that same teacher/studio might be awesome for someone else. so i dont want to ruin that for them.
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ugghhh..hit enter button prematurely…but our target audience is the everyday woman. do we have students and teachers that compete…absolutely but that is not our focus. we like to give women a fun class and a workout that is attainable. we offer everything from jiggling to jade splits 🙂 but we definitely have a more dance focus…that is what our clientele desires and demands. we have many students who have no desire to learn pole and some that is all they want to do. many of our instructors come from a traditional dance background so we incorporate that a lot into our classes and we are known best for our flow.
but i know all of the studio owners in Atlanta area and one thing I can say about all of us…none of us are a joke. we all work hard ( in our own way) to serve our clients the best way that we can. and all of us LOVE empowering women and supporting them in their fitness goals. and that i can proudly say 🙂 but at the end of the day you have to shop around for the studio that fits your budget, location, style and teaching methodologies.
if you are looking to seriously compete i know bespun has a week long bootcamp type of thing that helps pole dancers to train for competition. they have one at the end of january after the la pole show and i think she usually offers it a few times a year. i personally dont know anyone who has done it but i thought i mention it.
happy poling 🙂
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I don't think PoleLaTeaz is a joke…LOL since I am the owner but different studios offer different things. We have been in business for 7 years and have a huge (loyal) clientele base. We have a super strong program from Level 1-7 and we train with many people including Heidi Coker. I have no clue what class you came to but we offer A LOT.
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@bat1984 I have a video to The Weeknd ‘s ” wicked games”. Such a hot song.. Will have to upload! ( just FYI… This is not wicked games by Chris isaak.. It’s more if an r&b song and totally different)
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Not fair veena…LOL Maybe you are moving?
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i hear yah! i LOVE floorwork…so that is why i am unhappy on stage poles 🙁 but if you get that low one its not too bad
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@vercablue…hmmm..I dont think they make removeable poles over a certain height due to safety. I think it might be no higher than 12 feet for removable poles. After that height the pole becomes unstable. when poles get high they "give" a little so it needs to be permanent. (kind of like very tall buildings…they sway a little as they get taller)..Call platinum stages to be sure. I know they go as high as 20 feet but that is for permanent poles only.
xpole has the stage pole light that is only 1" off the ground so its not too bad 🙁 but i hear yah…not a huge fan of stage poles myself.
i remember veena posting a videon on here from one of her pole jams and they had poles with no tops on them. let me see if i can find the video
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WOW… I am so glad my comments are helping people. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cool.gif I am planning to start offering teacher training next year because it is something I am passionate about and want to share the knowledge with others.
Many of your students will be beginner. Dont get me wrong..furthuring your pole skills will always be a bonus b/c once your students pass that level you can keep going with them. But I see nothing wrong with instructors teaching beginner/intermediate students very well and then passing them along (so to speak) to the advanced instructors when they have mastered the beginner/intermediate level moves.
Yes when you are planning to be a teacher and instruct a class you have to take into consideration: warm up, cool down, class structure, music, if you are going to do light choreography (just sequence of moves) or are you going to do a routine to actual counts to one particular song, what is the focus of your class going to be (just tricks), class name(does the description actually match what your teaching) ,etc… So much goes into teaching a class. But once you get the hang of it..it becomes much more simple. Students look at all of these things when deciding whether or not they are going to come back to your class.
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sensualscimitar
cool 🙂 i am glad my comment helped you. again i think it goes back to that particular business target audience and who they market to. i have ladies who just take sensual dance classes and have no interest in pole and vica versa. my target market is the everyday woman with little or no dance background. they are looking for a fun class that gives them a good workout but also is challenging at the same time. most people dont want to be USPDF competitors. they want to have fun and maybe show something to their significant other 😉 that is who we market to.
but there are studios who do market to the people who want to take their pole skills to a very advanced level (like be spun in l.a.) or some studios are all about the empowerment (like s factor). students just have to find what works for their goals.
but as a teacher i think its very important for you to teach what you are passionate about (good job fit). it is never a bad thing to keep learning additional tricks/ harder tricks b/c it increases your skill set. but if you heart is not in it your clients will pick up on that. but also dont be afraid to try 🙂 it could be a technique thing and with the right teacher you might be totally capable of doing those tricks.
in the end there is an art to teaching beginner students as well an art to teaching advanced students.
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i think its also important to read a company's mission statement and who their target audience is. some studios are into pole dance more vs. pole tricks and vica versa. so it seems you need to find a studio that suits what you are looking for. but ladies who go to studios go for socialization, support, music, goot teaching, and atmosphere. some people also commit to exercise better when they are in a group setting. but if you are not going for those reasons then online lessons might be the way to go.
i can definitely see why teachers go slow..like the old saying goes "slow and steady wins the race". i know quite a few people who have ongoing injuries from learning things too fast. BUT there are ways to challenge your more advanced students in classes.
this is one of the downsides to mixed level classes. it truly is hard to please everyone. when you have people in a class brand new to the pole and then someone else who wants to learn to do an extended butterfly…we are talking a vast difference in skill level. one of the reasons why i love levels b/c then you dont have to worry about that as much b/c everyone is at similiar levels. maybe you need to keep an eye out for advanced workshops in your area.
i cant speak for other teacher who knows less…but i know i have teachers who only teach levels 1-3 and they rock! their passion is with beginner students and they just dont have the desire to learn or teach iron x's. i also have teachers who teach more of the higher levels b/c that is where their passion is. and i have personally been to workshops with top competitors who can do all of these things and their classes were not good at all. (no structure, no variety in music,no modifications, not personable..etc…). i think there is a big misconception in the pole world that you have to be able to do every trick in the book to be a teacher and that is not true. there is so much more to teaching than being able to do all the "hard" tricks.
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@briannabohannah…we do levels as well 🙂 i love it. you do develop closeness and its great to see the ladies progress together and celebrate each other's accomplishments. on the last day of each 8 week series…we do graduation and everyone dresses up and dances individually to their song of choice. i have seen so many of my students make so many friends in the levels inside and outside of the studio. its great to witness as an instructor.
levels are not for everyone…but it works for some people. i think people who enjoy levels enjoy the journey vs. the destination 😉
