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Not Just Any Business
Lisa Ermak
The flowing black material hanging in the windows parts just enough to expose the hot pink walls as the brass and sterling silver poles catch the sunlight, landing on the fresh-faced girls dancing inside.
This is not just any business owned by some average Joe.
It’s Pin-Up Pole Dancing at 303 M.A.C. Ave., owned and run by 22-year old Megan Dolby. Although Dolby is the owner and sole employee at Pin Up she still offers three levels of classes six days a week.
Pole dancing, a growing trend among young women as a means of working out, combines dancing and gymnastics and involves muscular endurance, flexibility and usually sensuality.
A human resources senior at Michigan State University, Dolby had prior business experience before opening Pin-Up, as she worked for a business consulting firm.
She was responsible for finding clients and doing sales and marketing. She soon moved up to District Manager where she consulted for people all across the state. Now she considers herself a “genuine entrepreneur.”
“I really do enjoy business. I do like to work for myself and I like the freedom of setting my own hours and having the freedom to do what I feel I want to with my work,” Dolby said.
Dolby described the whole process of learning about business management as an evolution, and after gaining such valuable experience in her previous job, the idea for her pole dancing studio was born.
But the studio wasn’t based on just demographics alone. She wanted her business to incorporate something she liked and could do well. And pole dancing happened to fit.
Dolby started pole dancing several years ago when she was shopping and saw a class taught by a dancer who had worked in clubs for years; Dolby quickly picked up on it and started taking private lessons.
Once she dreamt up the business she figured Pin-Up would be a great addition to the East Lansing community. And after doing market research Dolby set her prices at the lowest in the market because she knew she would be dealing with the budgets of college students like herself. By the hour, the cost for a class is $17.50; making a six-week class total $210.
Dolby especially thought the business would be a hit because she’s always noticed a lot of male-oriented activities on campus, such as playing beer pong, going to the bar and tailgating.
“I just wanted to have a release at the end of the day for a couple hours. I can be sexy, playful, move and have something to do,” she said.
The classes are popular among college-aged women who are looking for a fun workout to lose that “Freshman 15,” especially in East Lansing where bars and restaurants serve up calories on every street.
MSU alumna Candice Marie Tucker said she thinks Pin-Up will be a success on campus.
“In this economy if anyone can open their own business, whatever it may be, and succeed, then it is worth it. I think this is a great idea and wish they had this when I was there. I told all my girls about it and we want to come back and try it.”
While one might think Dolby’s youth makes her inexperienced and unqualified for business ownership, Dolby said she thinks Pin-Up is a successful, legitimate business.
“I am a professional; I am fairly well spoken and very informed about my business, as I ought to be,” Dolby said. “Given those qualities, people take me seriously, respect me and, above all, trust me and feel that I am competent.”
Dolby made it clear, however, that Pin-Up is a light-hearted business and jokingly said, “I’m not running a law firm here.”
She said it gets hard trying to manage a business while being a student but if she feels overwhelmed she’ll cut back on the number of classes she teaches each week.
“Luckily, this business is so fun, and I would be pole dancing during the week anyway, that it isn't too crazy,” Dolby said.
Questions? Comments? Contact Lisa Ermak at ermaklis@msu.edu
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