We had the good fortune of connecting with Johanna Monserratte and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Johanna, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
If you have worked in a corporation, it is very likely that you have seen those posters hanging on the wall of pictures of eagles and words like “SOAR” on the bottom. These images and words are supposed to represent the company’s values, but these values are rarely practiced at the company. They become empty promises. At Happy Kiss Pole Fitness, we hold certain values close to our hearts and we talk about them every day and we use them when trying to make choices to keep moving our business forward. Haven, Voice & Play are those values.

Haven because we want HK to be a space that is warm, welcoming and pleasant to be a part of.

Voice because we want people to feel free to be themselves without the fear of judgement

Play because as adults we are rarely afforded the opportunity to play and move our bodies as a part of our weekly experience.

Our goal is that these values find their way into the hearts of our community and that they in turn expand on them in their own lives. Reminding ourselves to create spaces that we want to be a part of, considering not to judge others the way we wish we won’t be judged and allowing ourselves to play and encourage others to move their bodies so that we can release and replenish our energy.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Happy Kiss Pole Fitness, LLC is a community that invites EVERYONE who wants to learn how to pole dance in a warm and welcoming environment. I’m most proud of knowing that my business has had the power to impact lives. When our clients reach out to tell us about their transformation and their growth, it always makes me tear up. I’ve known students who walk in with shame, fear and low self-confidence and over the period of a few months they learn to stand taller, speak up for themselves and feel empowered by their own change. I got to where I am today by working harder than ever. I’m still around because I reached out for support when I desperately needed it.

The biggest “ah ha” moment for me was realizing that I can’t do it all – and that’s ok. Hire a cleaning service, a meal delivery service, a laundry service, a personal assistant etc. Whatever is creating the most stress for you at home – hire someone to take it off your plate. You will be amazed at how much MORE creative you can be if you aren’t worried about all of your chores.
I want people to know that we create the world we live in. That Happy Kiss stands for opening your heart and being more compassionate to yourself and to others. Allowing yourself the time and freedom to move your body can be life changing.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Gainesville, FL is a really interesting place and what I love the most about this city is all of the small businesses in town that are owned locally.

Food: Karma Cream, Curia, Afternoon, The Top.

Drinks: The Dime

Unique Outing: One of my favorite things to share with new people in the city is the Bat Houses. They are found on Campus next to Lake Alice and if you visit at Sunset, you will see all the bats exiting the houses in mass. It is a spectacular and free show.

Central Florida is known for it’s cold-water springs. My favorites are:
The Devils Den. Rainbow Springs, and Lake Ichetucknee. You will be in crystral clear water that bursts out of the ground at 72 degrees Fahrenheit year round.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The best thing I ever did for my business and ask for support when I needed it. I found an incredible group of studio owners led by Leslie Lyons. Leslie has found ways to push us forward, have a mindset shift about what we want to get out of our businesses, and gave us the opportunity to support each other by bringing a group of like minded business leaders together.

Website: www.happykisspolefitness.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/happykisspolefitness

Facebook: www.facebook.com/happykisspolefitnessstudio

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutMiami is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.