Today we’d like to introduce you to Jax Spencer.
Hi Jax, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Hi, my name is Jax and I am the owner of The Pole Academy in Greenville, SC. We just celebrated our 12th year anniversary!
The Pole Academy started as a dream, then a plan and now, here we are so many years later. I started a sex worker in 2007 dancing in clubs and getting used to heels, dancing for strangers and climbing a 16′ pole. As a dancer you usually swaps clubs and bounce from one facility to another or at least that is what happened in my case. There were a few scenarios that I went back and forth between a handful of clubs for various reasons. The only reason why anyone could remember me was the tattooed girl who did some ‘cool pole tricks’. Every time I bounced to another club questions arose of ‘Where did you learn that?’, ‘ You look so good!’, “You’ve lost weight – what’s your diet?”, “Dude, your pole tricks are awesome! You’ve gotten better!”. Well – I’m a stripper. My diet is alcohol, Waffle House & Taco Bell at 3am and leftovers. I watch YouTube videos online and practice on my pole at home. Pretty basic, huh? Until the question arose – “OMG – you’re amazing! Show me! Teach me! How much do you charge?!”. Well now – I haven’t thought of that.
Light bulb! Well, I have this pole at home. I started with super basic moves like how to spin and use my body weight. It was hard but I learned how to control it. Now there is a curriculum in place. I invited – rather made appointments – with my dancer friends who watched my progress and wanted to learn. I started with basic holds and spins that I had learned under the preface that I had no proper training nor experience teaching but I was willing to share with the girls what I had learned. It was a VERY slow process. Like – 1 person a week for a 1 hour time slot. It was something I could schedule before work, and easy to accommodate. One person a week went to 5 people a week to 10. Some cancelled. Some rescheduled. Some just didn’t show up. I had to create boundaries, a professional layout and started to build the business.
A few years in, I received a noticed to cease business practices in the apartment. Most people would back down, stop altogether or put a pin in their drive. My drive however, revved and lit such a fire – there was no going back. I quit all my other ‘day jobs’ and focused solely on building a business. I found my business partner through a student, we went through all the legal systems and checked off all the boxes to turn a little dream into a big reality.
April 2014 we acquired the keys to our current and sole location and by June, we opened offering our first classes. I was the only instructor for a long while, we were open 7 days a week (still are!) and offered a variety of classes on and off the pole. Since then we’ve added more classes, workshops, aerials, more staff and we have built a one of a kind community with what started as a dream.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
If opening a business was so easy or didn’t have challenges along the way – everyone would have one. Of if they did – it’s less likely to remain successful. The transition from teaching out of my home to opening a commercial studio was the roughest part. Taking time to find a business partner, get a loan, find a space and then create it took longer than expected. Most of the regular clientele dissipated so when we opened our doors, it was starting from scratch. Building a brand-new clientele while keeping money in the bank for rent and other expenses was a roller coaster. Finding when the business would be busy and when it would be in a slump was challenging but we finally found our groove and what our demographic wanted / needed.
Years later, we endured Covid19. I had a feeling that we would have to shut down for a bit and had (luckily!) been looking at online solutions for private lessons so the transition and questions I had were already in the works. We transitioned pretty smoothly and offered classes online for the few months we were closed while honoring our memberships and class credits. We were so happy to re-open but we had to limit the class sizes and offer a few less than before so we could clean and sanitize between each. Once we were back to normal sizes and our previous class structures we grew again and the students were thrilled to be back.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
The Pole Academy specializes in pole dance and aerial fitness. Pole combines dance, fitness and the use of a vertical pole, of course. The pole is not just used for looks but for support. Like any other sport that involves an object, the pole is completely utilized during training and performances. Pole fitness is a cardio workout that demands the endurance to work with your own body weight. With every class, you will feel muscles worked you didn’t even know you had! Poling involves dance (which we all know can work up a sweat!), climbing, and even inversions. Before daring to attempt the bolder moves, The Pole Academy has you condition your body to prepare for the advanced moves to come!
Pole might not be the gateway though so we offer a variety of classes on and off the pole for folks looking to try something new. We offer stretching classes, conditioning classes, dance classes such as Twerk, Modern, Chair & Hip Hop. We introduced aerials including Lyra, Sling, Fab Pole, Lollipop and Fly Pole within the last few years to round out training and to offer new things to our students.
We offer group classes, private lessons and even parties. We are open 7 days a week offering classes in the morning, evenings and throughout the weekend. We also offer many packages and unlimited memberships unless a la carte is easiest. With so many options – we have something for everyone.
We also are a part of PSO (Pole Sport Organization) as I (Jax) am one of their Ambassadors “Unicorns” in the community. The Pole Academy students compete in many competitions including PSO. I also judge many of the events and am part of Travel Team for PSO.
The Pole Academy also prioritizes community and giving back. In studio events include Student Showcases where they can perform for friends and family, Movie Nights where we wear PJ’s and make popcorn, Clothing Swaps, Community Nights where we can enjoy the company outside of the studio over activities or dinners, Parties/Open Houses and Workshops with our Team or out of town guests. . We also run Charity events so we can donate to the Greenville Homeless Chapter (Shepard’s Gate), we partner with I Support The Girls to give feminine products to the homeless community and toys for the Children’s Hospital during the Holidays.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Connect with your community. The pole community is small and niche but there are resources I use regularly whether it’s friends, studio owners, business savvy folks, Facebook Groups, the IPIA or just connecting with my students. I also involve myself with the Greenville community and attend meet ups, donate to other small local businesses, I am active in online forums and The Pole Academy vendors at many local events. Find a support system. Ask questions. Know that you are not alone. Be transparent and honest. Learn from your experiences. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Trust your intuition.
Pricing:
- Group Classes: $20 – $35
- Private Lessons: $75
- New Member Special: $120
- Unlimited Membership: $199
- Packages Starting at: $100
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thepoleacadmey.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepoleacademy
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepoleacademy
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JaxSpencer
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-pole-academy-greenville-2
- Other: https://groovio.com.au/share/16991
