We recently connected with Abrea Da Lay and have shared our conversation below.

Abrea, appreciate you joining us today. Do you think folks should manage their own social media or hire a professional? What do you do?

I’ve always managed my own social media. We started so small that it just made sense and I knew I would need social media to help build the business. Now that I’m in the routine it’s not too much work to continue managing. I knew that consistency was important and that videos would get more traction than images. I set a schedule for myself so that I was posting videos 3-4 days a week with images filling in the blank days so that I had an online presence every day. Using scheduling features was a lifesaver so that I can sit down at the beginning of each week and schedule out my week all at once. It’s also a fine balance in choosing how many posts target new customers versus posts meant to engage existing customers. I’ve found that targeting existing customers is usually more beneficial. It keeps them engaged and prospective customers can see the experience they will get with us.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Like many others during the pandemic, I turned to YouTube and other online sources for exercise. I discovered Shine Dance Fitness and fell in love with the format and the people instructing the classes. In 2022, they offered a retreat called Shinecation where students and instructors from around the world could gather to dance together, commune, and have fun. I jumped at the opportunity to meet this community in person and dance with them. It was a magical experience and getting to dance with that community in person was life changing. At the time, there were no instructors in the St. Louis area so to dance live with others I would have to drive several hours. Upon arriving home from Shinecation I signed up for instructor training.

I was officially certified in August of 2022 and in September hosted my first class at The City Studio. We have regularly been having classes ever since. I had a second instructor, Britain, join me at the end of 2022 and we have a small group of regulars that dance with us each week.

When people ask me what Shine is I say it’s more than just a fitness class. SHiNE Dance Fitness brings original routines to life using hit music and choreography for all abilities. Rooted in jazz, ballet, and hip-hop, this workout gives you a creative outlet to escape from “adulting”. Each class includes the perfect balance of high cardio and toning to ensure you receive a full-body workout with real results. SHiNE is a mood-lifting experience that leaves you feeling capable, confident, and connected to a supportive community.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

In 2023 I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma (a blood cancer). I started induction chemo and was in the hospital 20 days receiving a stem cell transplant. Britain taught while I was out and I got a nice visit from some students while I was recovering. I got messages, cards, and gifts from the Shine community around the world. The Shine community truly is a second family and gave me so much strength. I was home from the hospital in early December of 2023 and started dancing a bit as soon as I could. I went back to teaching classes at the start of the new year; I just couldn’t stay away. My students were so supportive as I regained my strength and stamina. I was able to attend my second Shinecation in May and it was so good to connect with people in person who had been so supportive during my journey.

Multiple Myeloma is not curable so my journey is not over. I still receive maintenance chemo and am being closely monitored. I truly treasure that I have Shine to keep me active. It truly nourishes both my body and soul.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

Our customers are everything. Shine is a community and the entire reason I started Shine STL was so I could have a group around me dancing together. I truly get to know everyone that comes to class. I greet them by name as they arrive and make sure everyone in class knows each other.

We also have a fun program tied to loyalty. Each student has a tracker to keep up with how many classes they’ve attended. We want to celebrate their accomplishments. Every ten classes they attend; they get a prize. This is something small (Shine keychains, lip balm, etc) but shows them that we see them, are proud of them, and are excited for their accomplishment. We also have themed classes throughout the year that often feature attendance prizes.

To keep in touch, we send out a monthly newsletter highlighting what’s upcoming in class for the month, special classes, and offers. In addition to this, we have social media to provide weekly updates and previews of class for students. We also feature our students in photos so they can see themselves are part of Shine STL.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://shinedancefitness.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shine.stl/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/STL.SHiNE
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SHiNEDANCEFITNESS/videos