We were lucky to catch up with Shelby Ward recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Shelby, thanks for joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.
Train Like A Dancer is the BEST risk I’ve ever taken. It started as a simple Instagram handle for my personal page a few years ago. It wasn’t until I found myself unexpectedly out of a job in December 2024 that I decided to just go for it.
I knew that with my experience in the professional dance industry AND my expertise as a personal trainer, I could really make a difference in dancer’s quality of training and performance that you don’t necessarily get in a class setting at your local studio! I’ve seen first-hand how training in the gym like an ATHLETE can massively improve your dance abilities. I’m an even stronger, more confident, and more consistent performer at age 28 that I ever was at age 18.
I had doubts on whether I could really turn this idea into a business. But I’ve always said that whatever I do with my career and in life, I simply want to HELP people. In the previous jobs that I held, I succeeded because I worked hard and always want to put my best foot forward. I knew I had leadership qualities. In October 2024, I accepted a position as a manager for a new local fitness facility. I was offered this position by my own personal trainers who I say “raised” me in the fitness industry when I started my journey back in 2020. Looking forward to job security and working with the two men who I looked up to as big brothers and bosses, I thought I had landed a dream job! Two months later, I was jobless without warning, not paid on-time, and ghosted by the people who promised to take care of me.
From that moment, I knew what I wanted to do. I started putting the puzzle pieces together, spending late nights and long hours researching, reading, writing, and brainstorming. Throughout my process, I simply kept repeating to myself, “it doesn’t have to be PERFECT, just KEEP GOING.” I started posting more online, creating videos that would HELP dancers, and eventually figured out an app and website where dancers can have what I call “Their Dance Coach in their Pocket!”. To this day, I am so happy that the manager role didn’t workout, because now I’m ACTUALLY living my dream. In charge of my own schedule, practicing ethical and honest business, and helping dancers become artistic athletes. This has been the best, most rewarding, fun, and positive risk I’ve taken. All glory to God for bringing me to this moment.
I learned about the type of person I never want to work for again, and it led me exactly where I am supposed to be.
Here are the valuable lessons I gained from that experience:
1. Trust your gut. You know when something feels off.
2. Self-Doubt is my biggest enemy & I actually AM capable of figuring it all out.
3. Being my own boss is the BEST decision I’ve ever made!
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I got into personal training for dancers because of COVID! (Remember that crazy time??) I was performing professionally on cruise ships as a cast dancer during 2020 when the world shut down! I was forced to move back home, and when dancing wasn’t an option, I found fitness. I started working out to maintain my facility for dance (if performing was ever an option again, LOL) and I started learning how to train for strength, power, and consistency. I saw how positively training in the gym affected my performance, and it was a game-changer. Working out and training in a variety of styles has been the best impact on my professional dance career.
Now I provide services for dancers both online and in-person! I have a variety of options for dancers of all ages to choose from including an app for dancers to follow dancer-specific workouts, summer training programs, and in-studio private training sessions starting in May 2025!
Personal Training for dancers is something I wish I started sooner. Of all the benefits, I believe the best one is injury prevention. The strength gained from my sessions helps you perform at your best and SAFELY, which provides for a long-lasting career!!!
The main thing I want potential clients and followers to know about me is that I am here to help and challenge you to become the best version of yourself. As your personal trainer, I’ll ask you to try new things and make a commitment to not only me but yourself, and the reward will be SO worth it!!!
How did you build your audience on social media?
My presence on social media is continuing to grow and I kind of can’t believe it! I’ve never been the kind of creator that likes to post every single day, bc TBH that’s just a lot and kind of annoying right? I made a personal commitment to post as often as I wanted, and prioritize quality over quantity. Educational videos, Entertaining videos, and some just for fun, It doesn’t always have to be work work work. I promised myself that everything I posted would be authentic, and something that I personally liked. And also, don’t try so hard LOL. It took me back to the phrase I repeated to myself when I started, “Don’t seek perfection, just KEEP GOING”. So that’s the approach I took with my content. I’ve seen my following grow significantly which has helped my business and client acquisition. The power of social media is REAL y’all. Just have fun with it and trust the process.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
The best source of new clients for me is online! The fastest and easiest way to start training with me is by downloading my app and testing the abundance of sessions I have for dancers. For any local dancers seeking summer training or in-studio privates, DM on instagram or message me in the app to schedule! IG: @train.like.a.dancer
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.trainlikeadancer.com
- Instagram: @train.like.a.dancer
- Other: Email: [email protected]
Image Credits
Devin De Leon Photography
Anna Angenend Photography