Off The Pole was born out of Sarah Scott’s desire to share her experience with as many people as possible. As a professional level pole dancer and instructor her travels around the globe had seen her come across the same questions and issues within the industry and so the concept of creating a shared space to help bridge these was born.
As the concept of Off The Pole gathered momentum so did the feeling of responsibility within the team to create a company that not only reflected the beliefs and passions of those involved but also to be a place that the team are proud to work. Coming from varied backgrounds we’d all worked in places that talked the talk but were more interested in the bottom line when it came down to it.
We’ve tried to remain true to our core values as we have grown. Some of these are represented through our:
• Facebook Community – A safe space for pole enthusiasts to share their inspiration and challenges and be supported by one another. The group currently services over 16,000 members and this is increasing every day.
• Inclusive clothing – We wanted high quality clothing at an affordable price that lasts. Our sizing aims to cater to all body shapes and sizes and the models we use to promote them also reflect this. We also regularly use customers’ images in our social media posts which we then feed into our website. The fabrics and designs are hand chosen by Sarah and are made to be hardwearing and functional without compromising on comfort and aesthetics.
• Listening! – It seems so obvious but we’ve made so many changes to our processes, website and clothing based on customer feedback and appreciate we wouldn’t be where we are today without it. Our customers know we listen and feel comfortable letting us know how we can improve our products and services. If ever there is a problem we try to resolve it quickly and make our service as friendly and easy as possible.
• Principles – we know we have a voice and that carries a responsibility with it. We stand up for what we believe in and try to create a positive impact and experience with our followers. These include supporting and donating to environmental initiatives, Mental health, disabilities and educational tutorials. We also endeavour to grow our own understanding of the issues we support and our customers often help us with that by tagging us in articles. It’s a two way street! When we decided to start our clothing line we felt it was important to fly and visit our manufacturer to ensure the production met our standards for working conditions.
• We can always do more! We are currently working on more free content for our customers with training videos, tips and tricks and member guest blogs to add to the masses of free content already available through our website. We are also working on reducing our environmental footprint.
How we show up for our customers and followers represents how we feel a business should be run. It’s a lovely position to be in; to be creating something that seems to matter to so many people. The feedback we get from our customers about how pole has changed their lives, the way they feel about themselves and the confidence it has given them keeps driving us forward. Hearing how our clothing and social presence has contributed to this makes our work so much more rewarding.
We are still a small team and would never have dreamed we would be in the position we are today in a few short years. There is still so much left to do but it’s exciting to see how far we have come and what we might be able to achieve tomorrow. To be a part of a community that genuinely wants you to succeed. That feels like you make a difference to them. It matters.
As a company grows it can be harder to stay true to your principles but it’s not impossible. It just requires a little more work. But it’s worth it.
www.offthepole.co.uk
@off_thepole
https://www.facebook.com/offthepolepage
