Meet Catalina Nemmi | Unique Starz Studio Owner

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

Hi Catalina, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
Unique Starz Studio helps the community by providing an open environment where everyone is welcome. We are a very friends and family oriented business whose goal is to create a space where people are free to express themselves through dance. We have successfully taken many amazing dancers off the streets and gave them an open space to safely practice their dance styles. Unique Starz is also a business that offers classes, rentals, events and more for low prices to make sure that no one be excluded due to financial reasons. We are focused on more of the community needs and to ensure that dancers from all over the world have the opportunity to show their talents and feel safe while dong so. Unique Starz also gives many of the dancers opportunity to become choreographers without requiring previous experience so that they have the opportunity to live out their choreographer dreams with no obstacles in the way. We offer multiple opportunities to all of our dancers and keep them in mind for gigs, events, and other experiences that can help their dancing careers thrive.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
What sets me apart from other business owners are the personal connections I make with everyone who walk into the studio. When making these personal connections, I get to know all the dancers as well as help promote and support the small business they might have. Owning the studio has helped me and others expand our networking circle by meeting new upcoming artists, getting gigs and helping people get their name out into the artistic world. I’m most proud of having a studio that feels like home to most dancers where they can get professional and beginner training without feeling judged. We have created a loving community where dancers can come be who they are in their core and become part of a welcoming community who share the love of dance. I got here today because of my tribe. Throughout the years, I have met people who held me grow as a business owner and as a person. They have helped me see things differently, supported me and taught me new skills that would help me and my business become successful. If it weren’t for my tribe and my support system I’m not sure where the studio would be today especially after COVID. During the epidemic we saw a lot of dance studios close down which became a worry, but I knew not to give up because it would get easier eventually I just had to work harder towards getting there and not give up no matter how difficult it got. Owning a studio has never been an easy task but what helped me overcome the challenges was making sure I stayed positive and never look for the easy way out. Constantly reminding myself that everyday was helping me get closer to my ultimate goal for my business and myself. We were able to keep the studio open through these hard times and came out of it stronger and more united. A lesson that I’ve learned along the way is that i am able to be a business owner, a college student, and enjoy the simple pleasures of life like traveling, eating really good foods, spending time with my family, and allowing time for self care and self love. I want the world to know that anything is possible as long as you have passion, a plan and consistency. I was a 17 year old high school student in charged of my education, a daughter of a single migrant mother, and yet all the obstacles I’ve faced as shaped me into the woman I am today.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
First, I would take them to the Hollywood dog beach with my puppy to enjoy a beautiful day at the beach and endless amounts of the cutest dogs ever. Then, I would take them to dinner at my favorite Japanese buffet spot, Ginza or Mizumi. The day after I would take them thrift shopping to the coolest thrift shops in the city like odd balls, red white and blue, and goodwill. After we would go to lunch at my favorite Haitian restaurant, Chez le Bebe. On the third day, I would take them to fruit and spice park to walk around and have a picnic set up to try the different fruits, spices, and herds and show them the benefits of growing your own foods and sourcing locally. We would after go to Robert is here for a freshly made smoothie and spend time with the farm animals. Coincidentally the fourth day lands on a Monday so I would take them to enjoy classes at Unique Starz throughout the week. By Friday, I would take them out to the city for a night out dancing at my favorite spots in Wynwood and Las Olas.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The people who deserves this shoutout would have to be my mother and all my high school mentors. The reason my mother deserves this shoutout is because ever since I was a kid she taught me that being my own boss would benefit me more than working for someone else. So when she saw the opportunity to put me in a position to become a first time business owner, the only question was what kind of business I wanted to own. She helped in the financial aspect in starting a business, in setting it up, and creating a plan on paying back the loans. When I first opened the studio, I was a senior in high school and my mother got really sick which led me to rely on the adults around me who guided me through the process. My high school mentors including my assistant principal, my four year mentor and my advisor/counselor who taught me the things I haven’t learned yet. Some of those things included how to file business taxes, how to set up a payment system including invoices and taking payments. They also taught me lessons about the market and helped me realize how I can fulfill my purpose through my business and education which led me to study non-profit work in college. With their help I learned to juggle owning a business and being a high school senior which set me up with the right tools going into college.

Website: Www.uniquestarzstudio.com

Instagram: @uniquestarz and @uniquestarzcrew and @cata.strophes

Facebook: Uniquestarzstudio

Youtube: Uniquestarzstudio

Other: Phone number: (305) 896-1257 Email: uniquestarzstudio@gmail.com

Image Credits
Catalina Nemmi, All Things Media, Raff Nation