The first time I realized that I had something to learn from pole dancers was when I was teaching contortion at a pole dancing studio in exchange for private lessons on the Lyra (aerial hoop– it went fine). Some students I knew were nursing sore wrists, but the pole fitness enthusiasts who were also exotic dancers professionally seemed to be able to do twice the amount of stuff with half the prep. I guess if your money depends on you being able to hold on to a pole, you’re gonna take good care of your wrists. That wasn’t the only thing I learned about money from strippers, though. This article was inspired by a podcast I listened to called “The Economics of Everyday Things”– its…

They closed down the @lululemon in my neighborhood because the theft was just too high. Bummer. I was a brand ambassador for lulu for a few years. My image got used nationally. It was super cool. Lululemon helped me leverage my skillfulness as a teacher into something more meaningful. By offering opportunities to teach via their community development projects (for which i was paid and dressed) i was able to reach across the city to find intereated practitioners. So weird to have been an influencer before there were “influencers,” or to have been ‘sponsored’ by a brand. But its true! And it was great! People in hugh paying positions liked seeing me in new, expensive clothes. It opened doors. They invested a lot in my…