If you had told me years ago that I’d own a global fitness company, I would’ve thought you were crazy! Number one, fitness was never my thang, and number two, while I loved to dance, I was never a trained dancer. The one thing I did have was passion. After spending most of my life loathing working out, I created a fitness program that lit me up from the inside out—and the rest is history! Growing up, I took jazz, ballet, and hip-hop, but nothing too serious. In fact, the way I remember it, I was the awkward girl going the wrong direction at the annual recital. After high school, I stopped taking dance classes, and life got busy with college, work, marriage, kids, and all the things that come with adulting. The only time I’d dance was on a girls’ night out, feeling free on the dance floor, always wishing I could make that feeling part of my workout routine. Then, in 2008, my mom took me and my sister on a wellness retreat (aka a fitness boot camp disguised as a vacation). I wasn’t exactly thrilled at the thought of working out on vacation, but I kept an open mind and gravitated toward all the offerings that incorporated dance. With each class, I felt energized, happy, and connected to a part of me I hadn’t realized was missing. Dance wasn’t just a workout—it was a way to express myself. When I got home, I knew I had to keep that feeling alive. But there was a problem: there wasn’t a fitness class that combined current hit music with traditional dance moves in a way that felt empowering and supportive. So, I did what any determined person would do—I created it. On November 4, 2009, I taught my very first class: D.I.V.A. (Dance Inspired Via Attitude). I had no fitness background and no clue what I was doing, but I knew I just had to start. I had no grand plans beyond getting five people to attend class so I could cover the rental fee. Slowly but surely, the class began to grow. I shaped the format based on student feedback, listening closely to what made them feel confident and energized. In 2013, I started sharing routines on YouTube, and people from all over the world began dancing along. They wanted to take classes—and even wanted to know how to teach them. By 2015, it was clear that it was time to turn a passion project into a real business. With that came a new name: SHiNE Dance Fitness—a name that better reflected our mission to empower people through movement (and, let’s be honest, we aren’t “divas”). That same year, we launched online classes, and one year later, the SHiNE Instructor Program. Today, SHiNE has thousands of people around the globe enjoying our three formats: SHiNE Dance Fitness (high cardio), SHiNE Light (low impact), and UPLIFT Strength Fitness. The best part is hearing from students who have found confidence they never knew they had, and instructors who are building their own tribes by making an impact and changing lives. I am eternally grateful to this community for allowing me to live out my purpose each and every day. My hope is that SHiNE feels like a gift—one that brings joy, connection, and makes fitness something you actually enjoy. If it helps even one person who once dreaded working out fall in love with movement, then my heart is full.