Welcome back to another edition of the XPERT blog! This month, I want to talk about something that sits at the very heart of our wonderful pole and aerial community, but that we
don't always give quite enough credit to: the people behind the movement. Think back to when you first discovered pole or aerial. Maybe you saw a jaw-dropping trick on social media and thought, ‘I need to learn how to do that’, or you fancied a new way to get stronger, wanted to challenge yourself, or were just curious about this wonderful world of
hanging upside down for fun. Whatever brought you through those studio doors, chances are there was something that made you want to come back.
And whilst we absolutely love a new trick, a beautiful flow or finally nailing a move you've been working towards for months, I think most of us would agree that there's a lot more to
pole and aerial than what we can do on the equipment. It's the friend who celebrates your achievement as though they've just landed it themselves.
It's the instructor who spots your potential before you can see it for yourself, and the confidence you build, the lessons you learn and the people you meet along the way. It's
those little moments in class that might seem insignificant at the time, but end up being the things you remember years later.
One of the loveliest things about the pole and aerial world is the sheer variety of people who make up our community. We all arrive with different backgrounds and experiences, and
different reasons for being there, and yet we find ourselves sharing the same space, working towards our own goals and cheering each other on along the way. For some people, walking into a pole or aerial studio for the first time takes a huge amount of courage. For others, it's the beginning of a new career, a creative outlet or a way to reconnect with themselves after a particularly busy or challenging period of life. Some of us are there for the physical challenge, some for the friendships, and plenty of us discover that it's a little bit of everything. And that's what makes this community so special – there's room for all of it.
We get to watch people grow in confidence, celebrate milestones that might mean very little to anyone outside the studio, and share in those moments when something finally clicks after weeks of trying. We see instructors go above and beyond to support their students, studio owners work incredibly hard to create welcoming spaces, and people that make friendships extending far beyond their training sessions. Of course, we all love seeing what the human body is capable of, and there's always something exciting about watching someone achieve a move that once felt completely impossible. But when you think about the moments that have really stayed with you throughout your own journey, I wonder how many of them involve the people who were there beside you.
Something I find particularly interesting about our industry is that you can never really know someone's whole story just by watching them train. The person confidently demonstrating a
tricky pole combo might have spent years battling their own self-doubt, whilst the instructor who makes teaching look effortless has probably had plenty of lessons, mistakes and
learning experiences along the way. Every instructor, coach, studio owner and student has their own journey, and I think there's so much we can learn when we're willing to share those
experiences with one another.
We can learn from the things that went brilliantly, of course, but we can also learn from the challenges, the unexpected detours and the moments when things didn't quite go to plan.
Hearing how someone else navigated a difficult situation can give us a fresh perspective on our own, and sometimes simply knowing that another person has experienced something similar can make all the difference.
It's particularly valuable in an industry where we're constantly learning and developing. There's always a new approach to try, a different way of looking at something or a little
nugget of wisdom that makes us rethink how we teach, train or run our businesses. The more we share with each other, the more opportunities we create to grow, both individually
and as a community. And let's be honest, some of the best conversations happen when we get talking to someone who has been in the industry for years and suddenly discovers they have a story
that nobody has ever heard before! This is something we've been thinking about at XPERT, which is why we're so excited about the launch of our new podcast, XPERT Unfiltered. The podcast gives us another way to connect with the people who make our industry what it is, opening up conversations with instructors, studio owners and others who have their own experiences, ideas and
perspectives to share. It's an opportunity to get to know the people behind the work, hear a little more about their journeys and explore some of the things that matter to them.
And the lovely thing about a conversation is that you never quite know where it might lead. One person's experience might spark an idea for your own teaching, introduce you to a perspective you'd never considered, or simply remind you that we're all figuring things out as we go along. Whether you're an experienced instructor, a studio owner working hard to grow
your business, or someone who's still finding their feet in the world of pole and aerial, there's so much value in hearing from others who understand the joys, challenges and occasional
frustrations that come with being part of this industry.
It's also a brilliant reminder of just how many passionate, knowledgeable and genuinely interesting people we have in our community. Sometimes we spend so much time focusing
on our own training, teaching schedules and to-do lists that we forget to pause and listen to the experiences of the people around us. The podcast is a little invitation to do just that. So, if you haven't tuned in to XPERT Unfiltered yet, why not give it a listen? You might discover a new favourite industry voice, pick up an idea to take into your next class, or
simply enjoy hearing someone else's story over a cup of tea on your next day off.
At the end of the day, pole and aerial mean something different to all of us, and I think that's part of what makes the community so wonderful. Our goals might look different, our journeys
might take us in completely different directions, and we might all have our own ideas about what success looks like, but we share a love for these disciplines and the people who bring
them to life.
So, the next time you're in the studio, take a moment to appreciate the people around you. Celebrate your training buddy's latest achievement, ask your instructor how they got started,
or strike up a conversation with someone whose journey you don't know much about yet. You never know what you might learn, and you might just make someone's day in the process.
And if you're listening to XPERT Unfiltered, remember that every conversation is another little window into the experiences that shape our industry. Because behind every trick, every
class, every studio and every training journey, there's a person with a story to tell. We're pretty lucky to be part of a community with so many of them, and we can't wait to share more of those stories with you. Happy training, everyone!