October is a special month at Positive Spin. We held our fist class ever in October 2016, and one year ago today, we unlocked the door at 124 N 103rd st for the first time. Basically, October is our double birthday!

My name is Alyssa and I am the owner and founder of Positive Spin. If you’ve contacted or visited us, you’ve probably talked to me! This post is a reflection on the trials and triumphs that lead to the Positive Spin you know and love today.

Positive Spin Fast Facts

• October 21st 2016 was our first day of Positive Spin Classes
• Positive Spin has taught over 800 individual students
• I have personally taught over 2,000 Positive Spin classes in the last 3 years!
• We are home to the only teen pole program in the Seattle area
• The Positive Spin teaching staff has grown to 6 fabulous instructors.
• Our staff is 83% queer!
• We have 35 unlimited members, and many drop in students that we love dearly!
• We hold over 25 classes per week, spanning a variety of styles and levels
• Additionally, we offer private lessons and Parties

The Early Days

Now, Positive Spin has actually been around, in different forms, for three years. It started when I was laid off from my day job working in nonprofits. A friend asked what I planned to do next, and I replied that I wished I could teach pole dancing in my bedroom. He told me that I could, and so 2 weeks later I had a business license and an open date. Of course, this venture required me to get rid of my bed and sleep on the floor for the next 2 years, but that would turn out to be a small sacrifice.

So there I was, 22 years old, in an unkept house of evolving roommates with only an 8ft pole, a musical theatre degree, and LLC to my name.

I didn’t know the first thing about owning a business, and to be honest, I didn’t plan for it to go anywhere. I knew I loved teaching pole- I had taught my residents as a college RA to fulfill my floor program requirements, and invited my Seattle friends over for free pole lessons every Sunday during my first year in Seattle. But realistically, I thought it would be a fun way to make extra cash while I looked for something stable to do.

We spent our first three months in that dilapidated bedroom. Most people came and went, but a few found what I think gets us all hooked on pole- community and challenge. (Shoutout here to Megan and Lian, who came to opening weekend workshops and are still active students today!)

The Middle Years

The students we attracted were largely queer, non monogamous, progressive individuals. They showed up with passion and enthusiasm for cultivating a supportive community. Positive Spin became a space for people to learn and grow as dancers, and as people. I wish I could take full credit for it, but it was the students who helped shape the vision.

Watching the birth of this tiny community, I finally saw the potential of what we were creating. But I knew we couldn’t thrive in a modest size bedroom. So I moved into the basement of a community house. Early on, there were very few students. (Shoutout to Will who attended class faithfully every Monday for years, often the only one there!)

Throughout the 2 years I spent there, a few turned into 40, and I had to hire help. (Shoutout to my 221 roommates who supported this unexpected growth!) In order to support this growth, I worked as many as 7 part time jobs at a time- something I definitely don’t miss!

In October 2017, we launched our membership program and expanded our class offerings. (Shoutout to Kat for being our first unlimited member, purchasing a membership within minutes of the launch) We also began the search for a more permanent studio home.

The Search

Real estate is expensive in Seattle. Everybody knows that. But I didn’t know how much stigma we’d face during the search. Pole Dance carries a heavy stigma for its association with sex work, so many landlord scoffed at our proposal to use their property for such “scandalous activities”. On the rare occasion that a landlord would be willing to talk with us, it didn’t help that I was a 24 year old single woman. I didn’t come with the same funds or wealthy co signers they were used to working with.

We received constant rejections through that year. The lease was running out on my house, and I wasn’t sure if we’d survive. By this point, Positive Spin was so much more than just myself. Positive Spin had become a home to countless students and instructors. I’ll be honest- I was an emotional wreck during that year. (Shoutout to Tai, our real estate agent who put up with my frantic 2am emails all year!)

Each time we thought we had a place locked down, something went wrong. The landlord would ghosted on us, the building didn’t pass city inspection, etc.

Then finally, 2 months before our lease was up, we got our yes at 124 N 103rd st. I unlocked the door on October 1st or 2016.

1,2,4 Action!

More excited than I can explain, I created a temp setup for us to hold classes in the new space that night! It was mostly empty, but it was ours.

Three days later, Positive Spin won both Best Woman Owned Business and Best New Business in the PNW at Impact Pitch, a regional shark tank style competition. The awards granted us the $12k we needed to build out our new home.

Owning a small business is never easy. Since we moved to 124 we:

• A contractor ran away with the money we fronted him
• A pipe burst in our building that left me drenched as I was about to start teaching
• Someone acquired our bank info and stole a substantial sum of money
• Survived a snow storm that unexpectedly ceased all business for nearly 2 weeks

But despite all of this we:

• Successfully finished building out our studio (Thanks, Gene!)
• Held our first 2 studio showcases
• Hosted workshops with national championship pole stars
• Partnered with many local organizations to do important work in our community. Our partners include: SWOP, NW Network, Gay City, and Project HEAL
• Celebrated Pride with a month full of workshops, performances, and free food!
• Expanded our teaching staff to include the 6 most dedicated pole instructors anyone could imagine.

Most importantly, we created a space together that goes beyond accepting people by celebrating what makes each person unique.

So now here I am, 26 years old, standing in a gorgeous studio, filled with the most enthusiastic and supportive group of people I could ever dream of working with. (And yes, this means I don’t have to sleep on the floor anymore!) I can’t imagine doing anything else with anyone else.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to Positive Spin. It wouldn’t be the magical space it is without you. I can’t wait to see what the next year brings!