Who do I think I am?

I often get asked why I do what I do.  First off, you may be asking yourself, what is it that she does?  Well, let's start with the pole dancing.  Teaching.  Then the blogging.  The "pole ambassador" stuff.  Pole councils and boards.  Showcases and an upcoming competition. 

What are my intentions?  Do I want to be famous?  Do I want to make money?  Do I think I'm such a badass poler and writer that absolutely everyone must meet me?

To be honest?  I don't know.  It started so small, with one simple pole class on December 2, 2009.  Then it turned into a blog in January 2010 -- mostly to chronicle my own journey for myself.  When setting up my blog, there was never a thought that I might actually get a ton of readers.  I thought maybe some of my fellow Twirly Girls might read it and cheer along with me.  There was a realization that girls my size weren't "supposed" to be able to pole and I wanted to prove people wrong.  Then the adventure turned into offers to write for other websites and magazines.  I got to interview pole dancers, both in written and video formats.  I worked with The Pole Dancing Shop and wrote somewhat regularly for them for a year or more.  That opened the door to go to Pole Show LA and do video interviews of some of the performers.  I have been to pole events, then have been able to write about them for Vertical Magazine.  I got invitations to meet with other polers to talk about the industry.  I would get recognized at events as the girl who wrote that blog.  It has all been very fun and exciting.  It has not been profitable whatsoever.  So for now, I'm doing this for the adventure.  I fully recognize I am not the best pole dancer out there -- not by any stretch of the imagination.  I have also been humbled in the last year as I have dealt with a foot injury and subsequent surgery, and have realized how much strength and stamina I lost.  For the most part, what I'm really, really good at is meeting people and putting them together with other people.  I have a full life outside of pole and sometimes it is hard to DO more but I can sure tell you WHO can do what you need done.  

If you read my blog, you know I'm not just about pole dancing.  I also write about my struggles with my weight and food addiction.  I talk openly about family issues, depression and anxiety.  I also talk about fun stuff like Chunky Girl Comics.  I realize that pole is very important to me and to other people, but I also realize that no one is *just* a pole dancer.  So I share those sides of me as well.  I realize that there are a lot of people who go through things thinking they are alone.  And I want you to know that you are not alone.  Even if I over-share a little too much or get overly heated about certain topics, know that my intentions are good and I really do hope that I can inspire people in some way -- whether that is to try pole or some other activity outside of their comfort zone, or to seek help for an eating disorder. 

So, there you go.  Why do I do what I do?  For the fun of it.  There's no big ulterior motive.  I enjoy helping and connecting people and, at the end of the day, I enjoy adventures. 

I would love to know where you heard about me and how we met, if we have met in person.  Please feel free to leave comments below!