#awinewith Jeevi Pillai
MEET Jeevi, Founder of Afro With Jeevi.
You can find them here:
Transcript
Danielle Lewis (00:07):
Jeevi, welcome to Spark tv.
Jeevi Pillai (00:10):
Hi, thank you so much. I'm
Danielle Lewis (00:12):
So excited to have you on and share your story. I've been following along the fun since you became a Spark member, so super exciting. Let's start by telling everybody who you are and what you do.
Jeevi Pillai (00:27):
Okay, so I'm Gvi and I am an African dance fitness instructor as well as the founder of A WJ, which is Afro with Gvi back in Singapore. Right now I'm actually in Kenya, so I'm here to learn about dance and yeah, I forgot to tell you that, but yeah, I'm in Kenya. That's so cool. Yeah, so yeah, basically my life revolves around two things like dance and psychology. So my other role is of a sport psychologist where I work with athletes and coaches. And so basically two things. But yeah, with Afro, with gb, it's about African dance fitness and it revolves around three pillars of dance connection and pushing boundaries. So it's not just about dance. I want people to be able to feel free and express themselves and not be limited by what society expects of them and also things that, barriers that they may place on them. So just creating that safe space for people to just dance.
Danielle Lewis (01:29):
I love it so much. I dunno why I don't dance more, but it's so funny. I used to say the only time I'm truly happy and free is when I'm dancing.
Jeevi Pillai (01:41):
Dancing. Yes, exactly.
Danielle Lewis (01:46):
There's something so good about, and I kind of feel like you don't even need to be a good dancer. Just do it. And it's just so empowering and it just moves every part of your body and you just feel so energized and alive. I love it.
Jeevi Pillai (02:04):
And this is exactly why I do what I do, because I feel like it's not about technique or getting it right. And of course, yeah, you want to follow the moves properly and things like that, but at the end of the day, it's just exactly what you described. Just feeling free and energized and for that one hour you can just be present and the rest of the world doesn't matter. It's just you, the music in the moves. So yeah.
Danielle Lewis (02:26):
That's so cool. So have you always been a dancer? Is that how you got into this or how did it all come about?
Jeevi Pillai (02:36):
Dance has always been a part of my life since I was four years old. I've always been dancing. I think my parents didn't know what to do with me and with all the energy that I had, so they just go for this dance class, go for that dance class. So I've been dancing since I was four, but I never thought it would be something, I never thought it would be a career. And when I did take up, so I started off with Zumba Fitness to teach. I started teaching 11 years ago and it was just honestly to make money while I was in uni and it was fun for me and it was a stress reliever. So I started off like that and it was never a plan to create a business and then eventually do African dance. It's quite funny how life just kind of takes you on this journey. So yeah, now I can't imagine dance and teaching not being a part of my life. So I feel like I'll always be a part of it in one way or another. So yeah,
Danielle Lewis (03:36):
I love it. So how did you go from Zumba teacher to I'm going to start a business?
Jeevi Pillai (03:45):
Okay, so with Zumba I continued teaching. So I started in continued teaching while I was at my full-time job as a sports psychologist. And then, oh, okay. Yeah, so then I had a semester that I went to Australia CS to do a mobility program. So CS is where I was kind of exposed to the African community and it kind of just exposed me to the music. And there was not much of that in Singapore at that point of time. And then finally when I came back to Singapore after my mobility program in Australia, there was an African dance license training. There was a fitness training that my friend told me about and I was like, yeah, I'm going to do that. So I took the training, but then I didn't go full on into it until the pandemic hit, to be honest. So yeah, I had another dance instructor friend who asked me, why don't you do African dance online? Everything went online. So I was very hesitant. So I am very grateful for her to nudging me. I call her one of my nudge queens.
(05:00):
So then I started doing African dance with a bit of Zumba, and then eventually I was like, okay, let's do African dance and own it. And I think I was also hesitant because it's not my culture and I wanted to make sure I was doing it out of respect and not appropriating in any way. So I guess that was also the hesitation of just taking it full on. But then I also felt like there was Zumba everywhere. There was Bollywood everywhere, there was K-pop everywhere. There needs to be, some people need to experience this and experience what I experienced when I dance or teach African dance. So that's when it became a business and I was like, okay, now that's when the begins. Yeah, when the fund begins. And that's when I started. I was still at my full-time job, but I was like, okay, I'm going to try it out.
(05:56):
I mean, I guess it was also helpful that I had that stability while I was trying it out. And then I came to a point where I was like, it's growing. It lights me up. What would happen if I actually gave it more time and energy? So then I quit my job and then I was like, okay, let's go and let's see where this brings me. And then, yeah, and it's been like two years since I left my corporate job. I still do sports psychology on the side, and I'm building that on the side, but I'm, then I decided to just give more time and energy to African dance fitness. Yeah,
Danielle Lewis (06:34):
That's so cool. I love how it kind of went from your side hustle and then you switched it. So your full-time job is now your side hustle and this is everything That's so cool. So people can, are they live classes or is it subscribe and get access to recorded classes? How does it actually work?
Jeevi Pillai (06:55):
When I was in Singapore, I've only been in Kenya for two and a half months. So before this I was in Singapore and I was teaching studio classes. I was doing corporate classes, events like collaborations and things like that. And it's been really great to do different collaborations where working with the curve cult where they had a community and they sell plus size fashion. So kind of creating a safe space for that community to just dance and be free. And so I really love the collaborations that we've been doing with African dance. So that's what I've been doing. And then in the past few months before I decided to come to Kenya for a bit, I decided to get instructors on board. And I was like, okay, it needs to come to a point. I mean, I guess it came to a point where that I can't do everything on my own and it's as much as I would like to and as much as it's comfortable and you feel like you have control, so realistically it's not sustainable.
(08:04):
So that was a big step for me, I guess. So allowed to receive help and support and just to grow the brand, so, so then instructors came on board and I was like, okay, they can continue the classes in Singapore for me while I'm here and I can do, and then I do online classes as well from here. And then the instructors came to Kenya to also get properly trained. So that was always my intention to make sure that they get properly trained. I just wanted to be the connector of that bridge. So, so they just left last week and we spent the whole week, we danced and we upgraded ourselves, and now they're back in Singapore continuing classes. And I'll probably go back in the next few months. But yeah, that's basically the business, I guess. Yeah.
Danielle Lewis (08:57):
That's so cool. How have you found it managing people now?
Jeevi Pillai (09:08):
I guess honestly, it's not been that bad. I think it's just more of, it's just changed now. You can't think of yourself and whatever decisions that you make, you just can't think of that there are other people that you're responsible for. And I think it has made me, honestly, I think it made me a better person as well, because I think now I'm just like, yeah, no, I need to think about her and I need to think about, it's just now it's just beyond me. And that's a nice feeling. It's a bit of a shift of course, but I think now it's just taking a lot more things into consideration and just learning to communicate effectively and properly. And I guess that's also where using my sport psychology skills comes in heavy and just acknowledging feelings and just taking it slow. And yeah, I guess managing people will always be, it's a journey on its own, I guess. And I think I'm here for it. I'm here to learn the lessons and take it one step at a time. But yeah, so far so good. And just, yeah,
Danielle Lewis (10:20):
I love the leveraging the sports psychology background. I think you're so right. Communication, understanding what they need, making sure we're listening to them and empowering them as well. I know that's one thing I love that you just said, I've got to think about them. I always do that now. I'm like, what do I need to do first to make sure they can just run, they can do everything they need to do today. I never want to be holding somebody up because I'm stalling on making a decision, or I haven't shared any resources or I haven't written a process. So I do love that. I think it's so important to go, okay, what's everything I need to do to make sure they can actually excel at their job?
Jeevi Pillai (11:04):
And I need to keep reminding myself. Cause it is a big shift when you've just been doing everything on your own to now having people on board. So yeah, definitely something to keep reminding myself of.
Danielle Lewis (11:17):
And I think it's interesting too, I think sometimes we go, oh, it'll take too much time to manage somebody or get someone across this. I may as well just do it myself. And we like to hold onto all of our jobs.
Jeevi Pillai (11:31):
Yes,
Danielle Lewis (11:32):
So silly. Yeah. But it's so amazing the day that I know it's people struggle with writing a process or recording a video, this is how I would do it. But the day that you see somebody else just do it, you're like, oh wow, this is so good.
Jeevi Pillai (11:50):
And it's just reminding yourself to just trust and just take a backseat and it's like you can't do it all. And even if you can, how much of it's going to be of quality when you actually give it to someone who probably is better skilled at that. And especially with social media, that's something that I've recently outsourced as well, and I was like, okay, it takes a while to tell them what to do, but then it's worth it because the end product is better than what I would've done anyway. So yeah, it's a shift. It's a shift. No,
Danielle Lewis (12:22):
It is totally. But I think that that's such an interesting lesson for business owners because I think we're just always shifting. It doesn't ever get to a point where we're like, when we are this big, we'll have no problems and everything will be fine.
Jeevi Pillai (12:41):
The
Danielle Lewis (12:41):
Problems are just bigger and different. Yeah. Oh, that's so exciting. So what's next for you? So obviously you are in Kenya at the moment, plan to go back to Singapore. How do you see the business evolving this year?
Jeevi Pillai (12:58):
So yeah, I guess that's what the past few months, I think being here as well has, I felt a bit disconnected from my business, so used to being on the ground. And I think a lot of it was also connecting with the community and building that community. So I took a while to also grieve that my business is no longer what it was, and it's okay. It's not a bad thing. So even before coming here, I think one of the things that I knew the business doing is doing retreats. So now that I know Kenya or Nairobi, which is where I'm specifically, I know the place a bit better. I know people and I just want to show people Africa and Kenya in a different light
Danielle Lewis (13:45):
Because
Jeevi Pillai (13:45):
Sometimes people have one perspective of it. And I think, so yeah, that's the main thing that I have been actually working on is creating a retreat, a dance retreat here in Kenya and bringing people over so people have been interested. So I see that that's how the business is going to evolve with doing retreats and also doing events in Singapore to bring African dancers to Singapore. So cool. I didn't do that once last year in November. And thankfully it was a hit, even though I had no idea what I was doing, but I guess it was a success enough that I know that I want to do it again, and that I know people would want it again. So that's how I see the business evolving with retreats, events in Singapore, I mean retreats in Kenya, events in Singapore, and then of course still having my studio classes. And that's about it. That's
Danielle Lewis (14:46):
How I love it. I mean, I think it's so cool. I mean obviously that's one level, teaching African dance and helping people get exposed to the culture and what it's all about, but actually immersing people in it. So bringing the dancers over or going over to Kenya. That's so cool. It's such an amazing way to actually get your community so involved and so ingrained and yeah, that's really interesting. And you mentioned in Singapore building those communities. Do you think that that's how the business has grown? How have you focused on actually growing the business over time? Has it been really community driven or you mentioned social media, have there been things that have worked for you?
Jeevi Pillai (15:36):
Yeah, I think a big part of it was the community. I can't say one over the other. I think it was always both, sorry. And yeah, I think with the community, for me it was beyond the dance class. I remember just before leaving Singapore, there was a moment where I came in and everybody was just there and they were just talking to each other. They knew each other forever. And I was just like, ah, I did something. It was not about just the dance, of course that's a big part of it, but it was just when people message you saying that when they came to Singapore, they didn't really feel like they found home or found a community. And when they say that they found a home in the A WJ community, I was like, yeah, that's what it's about. So I think that's what I miss.
(16:41):
I miss being here. I love being here and learning and living life in a different way, but I think that's what I really miss about growing the community there, which makes me think, okay, maybe I can grow a community here just in a different way and see how people just eventually told their friends about it, their family members about it eventually, like, oh, everybody kind of knows each other. So I do feel like it's very much community driven. And even doing classes online, the community asked for it. I'm not an online person in terms of dancing. I think my energy is more of being in person and connecting. So I do feel a bit deprived when I'm doing online. It's just different. But I know it was necessary to still keep that connection going with the community. And even sometimes after class, after the online class, we're like, Hey, do you have five minutes? Let's just talk. And I know it's those kind of things where that's the connection part, and it's not connection or community for the sake of it. It's meaningful, it's soulful, it's deeper than that. So yeah, I take that quite seriously, I guess.
Danielle Lewis (17:49):
Yeah, and I mean it's really interesting because I think you can, from a movement point of view, you could go to the gym boring, but I feel like when you are around other people who have embraced something like dance, there's an energy. And it's almost like when you all feel that together, it almost drops down barriers and makes actually having a conversation. And even if in the beginning it's just a, hi, how are you? That can evolve over time. And so I do love that there is something so amazing about bringing people together. And yes, it might be around dance in the beginning, but that's just the gateway to forming connections.
Jeevi Pillai (18:33):
Yeah, exactly. And that does so much for your mental health and your mental wellbeing. It's kind of therapy without having to pay a lot more
Danielle Lewis (18:43):
And talk for an hour
Jeevi Pillai (18:45):
And talk for an hour just through movement. But it's also nice to see, sorry, sorry, sorry, go.
Danielle Lewis (18:51):
No, no, no, you go. I was just going to tell a story.
Jeevi Pillai (18:55):
Okay. No, yeah, actually it was about stories. It's just how to see how the conversations evolve from, Hey, how are you to, Hey, how was your surgery? Because it has come to that point of you share your personal stories, not in an inappropriate way, but yeah, it's just sharing life with each other, which I find it was really nice to see that evolution.
Danielle Lewis (19:21):
And I mean, it's interesting. So many people work remotely, work from home now you kind of miss that connection that we once got with our workplaces. So bringing people together in person for anything, I think people really crave that human connection.
Jeevi Pillai (19:40):
Yeah, they do. Yeah, it's a different energy. It's a different, it's a different feeling.
Danielle Lewis (19:45):
I love it. I love it so much. All right. So I always love to wrap this podcast up on one last piece of advice. So reflecting on your journey in business, would there be a piece of advice that you would give to another woman in business to help her on her journey?
Jeevi Pillai (20:04):
Okay, so A WJ just turned four. So I had three lessons that I was reflecting on, but I guess I'll just share one, which is showing up even when it's hard. I think the business started during Covid and yeah, in 2020. Yeah, 2020. And there were times where you're just like, what am I doing? Why am I doing this? I usually you want to do this. And there are a lot of times as the business shifts, as the world shifts, as everything changes on a constant basis, there are times where you're just like, how do I still carry on? And I think it's just to just keep showing up even when it's hard. And if that day you only can show up for 80%, then that's your a hundred percent of the 80%. And even if it's just posting one story on Instagram or sending one follow up message, I feel like that is you showing up. And so yeah, I feel like it's just constantly reminding myself to just keep showing up in one way or another. And then the rest will just follow. I guess
Danielle Lewis (21:18):
I could not agree with you more. I have this thing where it's on the days where I don't want to do it. I'm like, okay, what's one tiny thing? Like you said, an Instagram post or following up with someone or whatever. It's like because progress is progress and even if I just do one thing that takes me five minutes, at least I have moved forward in the direction of my dreams.
Jeevi Pillai (21:41):
Yeah, I love that.
Danielle Lewis (21:44):
Will you share the other two? You said you were
Jeevi Pillai (21:46):
Reflecting on it, but
Danielle Lewis (21:48):
I'm like, I would love for you to share.
Jeevi Pillai (21:52):
The other two was, the second one was taking a pause. And I think a lot of times people I know, I dunno whether it's just the Singapore culture or I think I can say generally people are afraid to rest or take a break or take a pause because it may seem as if you're not moving ahead or taking or making progress. So I feel like there are times where I'm just like, gee, just take a pause and just restrategize and take a backseat. And I always have that metaphor of the bow and arrow. Sometimes you have to pull the bow back before you can propel forward. So I always try and remind it is hard, but I try and remind myself. I remember at certain points of the business where I'm like, I feel stuck. And I think then that's the point to take a pause and not just keep going for the sake of it.
(22:53):
And then shift. And then the third one was just embracing support and being able to receive help. Because I think a lot of times we're just like, I need to do everything on my own. And I think doing the event last year in November, bringing down the dancers, I realized that I really cannot do everything on my own and just allow that support. And it was amazing to see how people just stepped forward and was just ready to support you and be there for you. And then to see how things move in a different way, maybe faster, maybe bigger, and expand in a different way. So yeah, it may have been uncomfortable, but it was uncomfortable, not because it was bad, it was uncomfortable, it was just not something I was familiar with or used to. So it was just like, yeah, embrace support, allow people in and allow just receiving that help and that support and you never know what can come out of it. So yeah,
Danielle Lewis (23:58):
That is so beautiful. I could not agree more. So showing up, getting some rest, and accepting help. I love it. That is gorgeous. Oh, amazing. gv, thank you so much for sharing your story with us on Spark tv. It's been an absolute pleasure to have you.
Jeevi Pillai (24:19):
Thank you so much. And I love this conversation, conversations. I just, yeah.
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