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I own Total Woman in Fargo. Bismarck is CC’s Studios. There aren’t any others in North Dakota, I’ve been contacted several times to open one in Minot and Williston.

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LolaSlaytor, it is that way here where I live in the states. Sadly a lot of people don’t know that. Anyone working in a gym or fitness center in particular needs to know their state labor/wage laws. Here to be considered an Independent Contractor, the person has to meet 21 points of definition, or the person is to be considered an employee.

I made sure when I started my studio that I was clear as an employer. Since I provide training, curriculum, insurance, a set schedule, etc. I have employees and pay not only their wages but taxes as well. Yes, it is really important to know if you are going to work for someone, and they call you an independent contractor, that you know what that is, and what your rights are.

We have gyms here that hire for example group fitness instructors, but tell them they are not an employee, yet they schedule and collect the money for the classes, pay them, and don’t pay workers comp, their employer matched taxes, nor unemployment insurance, so they can save money. That is ILLEGAL, but as I stated, there are way too many people that don’t know this, so they don’t question the practice.

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Ice is fine for the acute onset for swelling, but after the acute stage heat should be applied. The area at the shoulders where allot of the tendons meet( including the bicep tendon)need heat to allow for better blood flow for healing/recovery. When I worked for a sports medicine physician (he treated several athletes in our area), this was the most effective method, and using a light resistance band along with pendulum exercises (movements that don’t require lifting your arm high) to help strengthen and stretch out the tendons/muscles. I know it works, he treated me after going to physical therapy and still having pain for over a year. With his help I was good as new within less than 2 months. Good Luck, and heal fast!! 🙂

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That’s not an easy question to answer. First of all it depends, are you an independent contractor? Here an IC rents space and runs their own classes/schedules/curriculum, and pay their own insurances. They charge according to their expenses, the studio/studio owner can not tell them how do do things, and can not be involved with their classes including collecting fees from the IC students. They are under self employment. On the other hand, I own my business and have my own studio.

I hire employees. Now, as far as what I offer them for a wage is based on all my expenses of running the business, rent, utilities, licencing, water, sewage, garbage, office supplies, classroom supplies, cleaning supplies, cost of equipment(mats, poles,etc.), liability teaching insurance, commercial property insurance, unemployment insurance premiums, workers comp premiums, etc. After all the expenses of running the business are totaled, that helps determine what hourly wage I pay them. They either accept and work, or they decline and go elsewhere. I provide insurance for all my employees, and ongoing training.

The pay scale depends on their experience and amount of training, and which level of pole they are teaching. I’m afraid I’m not much help. Every area is different due to cost of living, demographics, etc. 🙂

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Lisandra, it breaks my heart to hear of such treatment of another human being! I own a small studio and teach. We have a wonderful mix of all shapes, sizes, ages, and backgrounds. EVERYONE is welcomed with open arms! I do not tolerate that kind of behavior from ANYONE! The ladies that have responded are right on, this is a safe, welcoming, supportive place to be! You will find help, support, encouragement, and friendship here, the women on studioveena have a track record of lifting their fellow women! Please don’t let one “bad apple” spoil the whole bunch for you! I hope you continue on your pole journey, and if your ever in my neck of the woods, come and play with us!! (((HUGS)))

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I don’t hold any of those certs, though I do have all the materials from several from personal training to group fitness. I have a degree that includes Anatomy & Physiology, Diet & Nutrition therapy, Pharmacology etc. I have also worked in sports medicine rehab, PT/OT, ortho/nuero surgical, and Cardiac to name a few. I’m a retired nurse. My problem with the certs is I don’t need all the numbers involved, ie: BMI, etc. Also the reason I got into pole was because I can’t jump, run, or do any of the Cardio type classes like Zumba etc. So for me to try to obtain a cert and the requirements in particular for group fitness of teaching a regular cardio class, with my knee, just isn’t going to happen.

I also agree Veena, that there are good instructors out there that are not certified, but are very knowledgeable, and are awesome. I own my studio and teach pole, and don’t have any certs other than an Elite Calisthenics Specialist since allot of what we do involves that, and I didn’t have to hurt my knee to do it! We also have gyms here that don’t require certs for group fitness. They test you to make sure you know what your doing and have you intern for a brief period to make sure you are safe before hiring to teach. Having said that, I’m certainly not against them, but they don’t always mean a person is safe because a paper says they passed. 🙂 Good luck with whichever way you decide! 🙂

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Hi Nicole, did you loosen the two hex screws at the bottom of the pole? It will not slide on the base if they are screwed in all the way. Once you’ve done that line up it up with the X’s and tighten it down. This has been a common problem with a simple solution. 🙂

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I have a strict policy regarding the proper progression. When I get women that have been poling from another state/city that want to for example drop in for an open pole, they are told that their skills will be assessed and they need to tell us points of contact that are needed before they can pole (We have an instructor in ALL open poles to make sure everyone is doing things correctly, and to assist them/spot). The same goes for students that join classes on a regular basis. When they start to move up, they are assessed for their ability, are they solid, are they performing the move correctly, have they learned how to safely exit.

This is my BUTT, and safety is always FIRST! When we start a new “Intro” series, they are told on the first day that they will do things according to our curriculum, not what they’ve seen on YouTube or fb, NO EXCEPTIONS! again this is my BUTT! They are also informed that the consequences of not following policy will get them booted out (depending on the severity of violation, some are restricted or have to go back to basics). I also let them know that it is not only their safety we are concerned about, but the safety of our instructors, and anyone who feels they can’t comply with our policy is free to leave. I have had only 5 people in 4 1/2 years walk out because they felt I was holding them back. Having said that, when someone is working hard, getting their practices in, attending regularly, and are excelling, I test them to see which level would be more appropriate, and if they are bumped up, I make sure they have the skills to keep up (I work with them during open pole to fill in what could be gaps if they skip a level). What it all boils down to for me is SAFETY, not MONEY! I have to look out for students and staff, and I have sustained an excellent reputation for this.

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Hi Saeth, when you invert, try pushing your legs with your hips up toward the ceiling. It gets your legs higher, then when you bend to get into your knee pit, point your toes toward the floor (of course they won’t literally go to the floor, but will give you a more secure hold to remove your hands). If your profile pic is what your your outside leg hang (or Gemini looks like), your leg is not bent enough and will cause you to trap your hand with more pressure from your thigh. As for Crucifix, when you turn, make sure you are removing your inside arm (the one closest to the pole), then use that free hands to grab the pole by your head/shoulders to remove your other hands from between your knees/lower thigh. These have worked very well with my students. 🙂

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Ok, I’ve had some students that went through this. The joints go in hard if you don’t loosen them before you try to put them in, in other words if the joint was fully expanded and had to be forced, it will pry the slots apart, and eventually the joint will twist and not stay lined up. Secondly, make sure the screws you loosen for the spin mode are out and level with the outside of the pole, it even one is not out far enough it will catch on the screw as it spins. Another problem is when the pole is not lined up on the bottom 3 screws. When you are first screwing the adjuster to the height you need and tighten it, if the screws are not perfectly lined up with the flat part of the adjuster rod (the rod is covered by the metal sleeve at the bottom of the pole)your pole will catch and not spin properly. These seem to be the most common problems, and are an easy fix. 🙂 Hope this helps a bit!

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I did not have a studio to go either, I taught myself at home at first, then did Veena’s lessons. I loved that I could learn at my own pace. Being older I was terrified of falling, or breaking bones. I was quite comfortable with Veena’s structure. Now some years later, I own the only studio where I live. I still purchase lessons for a year, every year because Veena is a wonderful source for me as a poler, studio owner, and instructor! AND! her videos are available 24/7! So you do it when you have time! 🙂

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If you are subscribed to Veena’s lessons, and you haven’t poled before, it’s best to start her 30 day program. Her lessons are in order, and they will advise you on what to do. If you find you have other questions, you can post a question for Venna and she will respond to you with an answer! Her lessons are very similar to studio classes. If you are learning at home, they are EXCELLENT! They are also very helpful to supplement your classes with if you attend a class. Hope this helps! 🙂

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quancutie23, that’s a good way to handle it, but continue to cheer your fellow students on, and continue to be a good example for them. You’d be surprised how much(positive)impact you’ll have on those around you, because you care! 🙂 Pole on!!!

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Casi, I know for myself with running my studio and teaching as well, no matter how well I try to keep up with new information to continually educate myself and my staff, I fall short on occasion and a student or instructor will bring something to me to check out. I really appreciate that! It shows me they not only care, but want our studio to continue to offer the best we can, so I think if you have good instructors, they will probably appreciate your input! Keep me posted! 😊

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Casi, try finding or putting together a warm up you’ve seen that you feel might work, then ask to speak to your instructor, or even the owner privately and share your feelings along with a suggestion…the worst they can do is say no. As a studio owner/instructor, I have had students come to me with suggestions/ideas, I LOVE that they care enough about what they are doing/learning that they give input! In order for us to continue to challenge our students, we need to change things up periodically. I consider what they’ve shared, and after considering 1) is it feasible, 2) Is it going to be safe, and 3) Does it fit with what we are teaching at that time, we may implement it! You might want to suggest a suggestion box for your studio/school, it’s a great way for everyone to share their ideas! Our students are very much a part of what we do, we are here because of them! 🙂

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quancutie23, I was addressing the fact that regardless of what you feel, if you are not on staff and you spotted someone as a student, you as well as the studio can be sued. Veena is right, wait until there is a private moment to pull the instructor aside to discuss your concerns. Whether we agree or disagree with how things are being done, it still is not our place to step in on someone else s business. I don’t disagree that the scenario that was described is a whole lot of wrong on the part of part of the instructor/studio, but it is still their business to chose right or wrong how they want things done. Yes, it is a shame that there are places like that, that don’t seem to care about the people that have entrusted their safety to them. There are many studio owners/instructors that have been working hard to change that. Sadly it takes time, and hopefully it doesn’t cost someone a serious injury, or perhaps even their life. I have been a member of SV since it’s beginning, and am unable to get on as much as I would like, having said that, I’m not here to fight or start an argument, I’m just as concerned about these situations as you. 🙂

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No, as with any other business that you do not own, you do not have the right to interfere with their business( calling out an instructor, or trying to redirect their customer/student). You do have the right to leave if you don’t like what hey are doing, or how they do it, as well as sharing your thoughts with others outside of their Establishment.

I agree, allot of these things should not be taught to newcomers, they need to be taught the basic foundation and fundamentals, as well as specific strength and conditioning exercises. Also, students should never spot other students in a class (it’s different if you are at a friend’s home poling), that’s what the instructors are for, they are insured to do this, not a student. 🙂

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Thanks Veena! We need to have you back here!!!!

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Thanks, and YES, grayeyes! Veena inspired me to have the courage to be ME!!

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Yes, it’s my 59th birthday!! It’s AWESOME sharing your anniversary day with you!!!

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I don’t usually respond to these type of threads, however, as a business owner, I have to be concerned with quality, not only for carefully selecting cost effective products, but also providing quality products to my students from companies that have integrity. I personally am not impressed when a company plays a public blame game. I would think it would behoove that company to take responsibility to try to rectify the problem of their either unhappy customers, and or improve their product if there have been enough complaints.

I have to say that I’ve dealt with X-Pole, and Lil Mynx. When ever I’ve had an issue, that company has “owned” the problem and gone above and beyond to rectify it! If a company (any company), wants to meet or surpass the competition, they need to focus on providing not only a quality product, but excellent customer service. I am not impressed with a company behaving like a high school kid, and publicly stating it’s someone else s fault. If you believe you have something good, then focus on that, if there are issues with it, own it, and fix it! That’s how I run my business….and it WORKS!! That’s my professional opinion. 🙂

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I love the idea of this book! I would like to see something for those of us that have our own studio. I was not able to gain access in any existing facility here to “Rent” some space from them. Most of our gyms/fitness facilities are owned by the major hospital, colleges, and the few in the private sector still believe it teaching women to strip for our only gentleman’s club in town! LOL

As for S.C.O.R.E, here they were not helpful at all! They set me up with a mentor (that was 5 years ago) and all he did when we talked about what I was planning, was hand me a packet and said to read it and fill out a business plan! I asked several times to have my questions answered on allot of the “How to do it”, what needed to be included, what was I missing etc! I had to research and try to speak with local business people, (which were not to helpful, they didn’t want any part of what I was doing, even in conversation!) I couldn’t get a loan because of the type of business. I started with $131 in cash, (all the money I had!) and 3 personal credit cards. I am coming up on my 4th year in a physical studio this November 8th. It has been, and still is a challenge on a daily basis. Because it is service based and not tangible product like retail, it presents it’s own unique challenges.

I would have received my 1st paycheck last year, but had so many issues in my previous space with the management and other businesses. I had to negotiate out of my lease to move. I’m in a temp space now, my new space will be completed hopefully by October1! I have a better landlord without all of the previous issues, and he is building it to suit my needs! I’m hoping for a paycheck by the end of this year! 🙂

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WOW! I don’t have a policy regarding instructors mingling/playing with the students. I do it! LOL My instructors always pole with students that are their friends. When they are off duty they can do whatever they want. My instructors have taught their friends at home just because they are friends and want to pole together. I would much rather people learn from someone who knows what they’re doing, it also says allot for me and my business! No problem here!! Pole on!!! 🙂

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I give instructors a policy manual, and an instructors book with curriculum containing all levels. along with a break down of exercises relevant to the class lessons. It is very thorough. I also do hands on continued training. This enables consistency for the students. If someone is out ill, another instructor can step in to teach and know exactly what the lesson is and what they’ve already covered. It has been very successful for us. 🙂 Note, my instructors are all employees though.

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Thanks for you input Charley! I have been in business for 3.5 years now, and it’s just been recently and just a few ladies that are wanting alcohol. I am very clear about my policy prior to them even booking. I’ve just been running in to it from women from or around the Twin city area (about 3.5 hours from here). Some go to a studio that allows it. I just politely decline to book them and suggest they book with that studio. I am busy enough with classes and long term students, and am fortunate enough that my business does not need to depend on parties to make it. 🙂