Rising Stars: Meet Keisha Bridgeman

Today we’d like to introduce you to Keisha Bridgeman.

Hi Keisha, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today. 
In 2009, I was a part of a health challenge in my community. We were broken up into groups of about 6 people. This was a way to promote healthy living and options for the members of our place of worship. In my quest to lose inches, which is what we were being judged on, I began to go back to my roots of the Caribbean as my parents are from Grenada, WI, and began to dance around the house to the Soca music genre each day for about an hour. I’ve always loved to dance and had been doing so since I was 5, so this was an easy option for me. As I was dancing, I realized it was really working out my body. I said to myself, “I am sweating A LOT” this is a great workout. I decided to present it to my group for all of us to try on a small scale. I came up with some routines, and we danced the inches away. We came in 2nd place as many of my group members, including myself, lost a significant amount of weight and inches with the help of dancing to Soca with me. During the challenge, one of the members of my group said to me this is a REAL workout; you should do this as a class. I prayed about it and went for it. SocaFit USA was born. At the time, I was the only Soca fitness class in North Carolina, and the genre of music wasn’t something that was popular amongst people in my area. I got my business license initially under ” Socacise”-mobile; I worked hard, created all my own routines, obtained CPR/FA and a group fitness certification, and started the journey. I faced many challenges trying to get people to try it out. At times, I had a class with 10 people; other times, I had just 1 person show up. Although it was hard at first, I had a motto that I will always conduct my class with enthusiasm and energy whether there’s 1 or 100 people in attendance. Of course, I was discouraged many times as to whether I should continue pursuing this class, and each time I decided to quit literally the next day someone would contact me and ask me to present at an event or ask if I was having class that week. I took it as a sign from God to just keep going. As time progressed, I had some friends who would attend class and spread the word about it. Having that support and encouragement really made a difference for me. I wasn’t into social media at the time; however, I would always take the opportunity to let people know what I was doing and what it consisted of. It was important to me that people “Experienced it” before saying they didn’t think they could do it or that they weren’t interested. In time everyone who was interested in working out in a new and fun way jumped on the opportunity to experience it. I had created an environment for freedom of movement, self-love, and confidence. Motivation was key and I was sure to do that in each and every class. At one point, I was teaching a class 6 days a week, mainly at my children’s daycare center. They were big supporters and through this, I received my first opportunity to teach a group of 150 girls for the Girl Scouts through the Power of Girls program. I did this once a year for 5 years. Many opportunities presented themselves for me to showcase this class I created. I was working full-time at the hospital and was asked to teach my class for the LiveWell Carolina program; I did that for 8 years. Wells Fargo, & Allstate would host diversity events and asked me to perform/teach for them. The public library and local YMCA events did the same. I had a good friend who worked for the radio station, and he was able to get me to perform at the beginning of the Universoul Circus 25th anniversary show, which was a huge deal for me. Each time I did any performance I presented it to students to join me so that they could get the experience of it as well. Many or all of them had never performed in front of audiences or danced for strangers to see, but it was important for me to open the door for them to do more than they ever thought they could. I had been blessed with so many opportunities in and out of the Charlotte area, and the word of mouth really was what catapulted my following to the next level. One of my biggest blessings was being able to teach one of the couples SocaFit USA on the lifetime show Married at First site. I never dreamed I would be on television in any way and here it was in my path, and it was truly amazing. By 2016-17 my classes were packed out, and people loved it. Dancing was always a passion of mine; I do it very well; now I had a brand to put with my passion, and it brought me great joy. The best part of it all is seeing my students enjoy the culture of the Caribbean through my class and direction. As much as this was a reality, I was starting to receive testimonies from students who were getting so much more out of class than I ever knew. Some said it was a form of therapy for them while dealing with life, going through divorces, losing loved ones, health challenges. I had several even tell me it helped them to escape the idea of not living anymore. I would have never thought when I started this journey that I would be such an important part of others’ lives. It changed my perspective, and I kept going with more purpose, love, and motivation. In 2019, I was blessed to secure a studio where I could conduct classes a few days a week. I was so excited about the idea, and then the pandemic destroyed the momentum of where I was heading. Even though I couldn’t have anyone in the studio, I continued to offer virtual classes for all those interested. I kept the studio open for almost 2 years after that. It was a very difficult time, as I was working hard to maintain the studio with little or no capital and was denied several times for PPP loans that were available for small businesses. Eventually, I had to let the studio go in order to avoid gaining anymore debt. Around the corner was another opportunity for me to conduct classes elsewhere, so all was not lost. The new Visual Arts and Performing arts center in uptown Charlotte was available and the owner of the art gallery there helped me to make a smooth transition into doing classes in that space. In the beginning of this year, I decided that it was time to slow down conducting classes and take SocaFit USA, LLC in a new direction. Up until that point, I have always offered a weekly class option in addition to being the sole instructor for 13 years. I taught every class and led every performance. This decision was based on timing, and I concluded that it was time for me to share my talent and abilities with others on a larger scale by training those who were interested to become instructors. To date, I am training 6 people to become instructors under me, and it has been a wonderful experience. And they will be an amazing asset to the SocaFit USA family. I continue to host pop-up classes each month, selective classes, as well as my main event, “Soca Stamina” so even though classes aren’t weekly, people can still get what I like to call their Soca Fix of SocaFit. My journey has been amazing. I have truly been blessed with people in my circle and people who have experienced my class and my work with opportunities to do what I love. I’m grateful for the journey and the people who were and are on it with me. SocaFit USA is my calling, and I am happy to share it with the world. 

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has not been a smooth road all the way to this point. In the beginning, the challenges came with the fact that I was trying to present a fresh new way of exercising to people who had no idea what Soca was. It discouraged some from attending the class, and I relied on being able to showcase the class first, and then people could see that it was doable and lots of fun. It was not easy at all. I honestly was not well versed in how to market myself, I struggled with this until I was able to seek assistance from people who knew more about the ins and outs. As my class started to grow, I came across people who wanted to see me fail, I’ve had people with ill intent pose as friends and then stab me in the back. It was nothing I couldn’t handle; however, it was disheartening because I am a good person to people, and I was not deserving of that type of treatment. In addition, one huge challenge for my business was when I had the studio during the pandemic and how difficult it was to maintain it. I wanted my own space so badly, and I couldn’t believe it was slipping from under me. I did all that I could to keep it up, but it was just too much and caused me more stress than joy. When I realized that the stress of it was taking away my joy of teaching the class, I had to let it go. One thing about these struggles is that it made me stronger and more aware of my many blessings. 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I am the founder and instructor of SocaFit USA, LLC. A Caribbean carnival fitness class experience. I am known for dancing and teaching a high-energy class as well as performing for the community, displaying with pride the culture of the Caribbean. My class is one of a kind and gives an amazing vibe and feel each time you attend. I am the one with the display of beautiful feathers and costumes representing the culture of the West Indies in various areas of Charlotte. I am most proud of where I came from and where I am. I have created a platform for exercise and fitness to be presented in the most fun-filled way. I am the only all-Soca class in Charlotte and have danced and performed in some of the most outstanding places that I would never have dreamed I would be. I believe I have paved the way for some other fitness instructors of cardio classes to feel comfortable using the genre of Soca for their students, and that makes me proud. I am proud of my roots stemming from Grenada and what that represents for me each time I am in front of a group. What sets me apart is who I am when I am dancing/teaching. My energy is unmatched, my dances and routines are creative and created by me. And to date, I have over 200 of them that I have put together. My class is one that is an unforgettable experience and continues to bring joy and fitness to those who join. 

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up.
My favorite childhood memory takes me to the times at my grandmother’s house where we would have backyard get togethers. My family being from Grenada, always had a DJ playing some of the greatest Soca/calypso songs you could hear. I had an aunt (who passed this year from cancer) who taught me as a young girl everything I knew about dancing to Soca. With that, I was always the center of attention and the entertainment for the family and friends. I have 6 uncles and 1 aunt on my dad’s side, and along with my dad, they all had a favorite dance that they would do at every get-together. So, I would imitate them and learn their dances. Well, when it was time for entertainment, they would call to me and say Keisha come show us how your uncle so and so dances; and at the tender age of 5, I would be able to mimic the dance of each of my uncles, my father and my grandmother for all to see. I was the life of the party, along with Auntie, who was an amazing dancer. When she pulled me aside to show me these moves, I never forgot them. Before she passed, I made sure to remind her of the impact she had on me being able to teach SocaFit USA. That the memory of her showing me how we dance within our culture changed my life and continues to affect the lives of my students. 

Pricing:

• $10 regular 60 min classes
• $12 SocaFit USA Pop up 90 min classes
• $15 SocaFit USA Soca Stamina event 90-120 min class

Contact Info:

• Website: www.socafitusa.com
• Instagram: @socafitusa
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/socafitusa