We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Emilie Wilbur a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Emilie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Any thoughts about whether to ask friends and family to support your business. What’s okay in your view?

I recently shared a reel objectifying something that really hit home: close friends can’t even like your post, but strangers go out of their way to support your small business.

When you own a small business, there is nothing more important than having your closest friends and family backing you up along the way. So many people express their doubt, jealousy, or just nothing at all. It’s honestly surprising the amount of friends who can’t show up for you. There are so many ways to show support, from as little as giving your business Instagram page a follow, to as big as promoting your business or utilizing your services. I launched EM Studios Dance Center in January 2021 and have been in business for almost 1 year now. I’ve lost people that I thought would always be there for me along the way, but gained so many more incredible friendships thanks to this studio.

Thank you to my husband Kyle for doing literally everything & anything in order for me to live out my dream and make this studio a success. And to all of the strangers who have become my besties and biggest supporters!

Emilie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hey there, it’s Em! I’m a first time business owner, creative director, and choreographer. I’ve trained in all styles of dance since I was 4 years old and have taught for the past decade. After hundreds of requests to teach more adult classes but with no space to do it, I decided it was time to please the public (and live out my dream) by creating my own brand.

EM STUDIOS is a hip-hop based, drop-in style dance studio for teens and adults (14 and older) located in my hometown of Hershey, PA. I saw a need for those who want to start or continue their dance education as adults in Central Pennsylvania, so I took the opportunity and ran with it. The concept of this refined, high-end dance studio is inspired by some of my favorite studios across New York, LA, and Tennessee. Except now, you don’t have to travel as far if you live in the area.

Our mission at EM STUDIOS is to bring a unique variety of drop-in style classes to the Central PA region, while fostering a high-energy, supportive community. We are a non-competitive dance center, encouraging new + current dancers and instructors to come play with different styles of choreography. And we encourage those who are brand new but ready to get started to come explore with us!

Classes we offer include Hip Hop, Heels, Street Jazz, Street Tap, Contemporary, Hip Hop Fitness, and a lot more. Our classes come in all different levels so there is something for everybody. Come visit the sweetest place on earth and take a trip to our studio for a fun, fit experience!

I am most proud and pleased with all of the positive feedback we’ve received throughout year one. We are a safe space and our students really feel that energy no matter the class or instructor. If you’re looking for ways to incorporate fitness into your new year resolution, then there is no better community than the EM STUDIOS crew!

www.emstudios.us

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

Yes! Dance was always my part-time gig. I actually spent many years in project & program management roles. Although I wasn’t feeling fulfilled with the 9-5 lifestyle, I was comfortable enough to stay and pay the bills. I’ve dreamt about being my own boss, but it was just a matter of how and when.

Then the world shut down in 2020 and like a lot of us, I was laid off from my corporate position. In the moment I was devastated and scared, but looking back that was the best thing to ever happen to me. Not having a main source of income forced me to have a serious conversation with myself about what would make me happy and what I should do next. I immediately spoke with a good friend of mine who builds new brands and rebrands for businesses and we started to plan mine almost immediately. The rest is history.

I started with no knowledge on how to run a business and no money, but I took a leap of faith and took a chance on myself. Now as I approach the 1 year since opening mark, I cannot help but smile at how much the studio has grown already. This is just the beginning.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

BE A GOOD COMMUNICATOR! BE KIND, NOT A BULLY!
BE EMPATHETIC!
BE RESPECTABLE!
BE A CHEERLEADER FOR YOUR TEAM!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.emstudios.us
• Instagram: @emstudios.us
• Facebook: @emstudios.us
• Youtube: @emstudios.us
• Other: TikTok: @emstudios.us

Image Credits
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