The Power of One Aerialist

Published on 16 November 2025 at 19:11

You Are Not Just A Number

This week, I want to share something that's been on my heart as we have been settling into our beautiful new space these past few months and welcoming in so many new faces through our doors.

Last week, I once again had multiple classes with just one student signed up. In the business world, conventional wisdom says to cancel. It's not "efficient." It doesn't make financial sense. But here's what I know to be true: that one person is not a number on my roster—they are a human being with a story, a journey, and hopes they're carrying when they walk through our door.

The First Impression That Changes Everything

Since moving into our new studio, we've had an incredible influx of adults and kids walking in for the first time. Some come for a trial class, nervous and uncertain. Others call to schedule a level test, moving from another studio and wondering if this will be their new home and if they can find the support they have needed on their aerial journey, they could not receive elsewhere. Some simply want information, testing the waters to see if aerial is what they have been looking for to keep them motivated and on track in reaching their personal fitness goals.

Each of these interactions—from the moment we greet them at the door, through their class, and sometimes long after when they linger to chat—is a sacred opportunity. When we take the time to truly see them, hear their story, understand what they're searching for, and care deeply about their wants and needs, something profound happens. They feel valued. They feel seen. They feel like they matter.

Because they do.

The Loneliness Epidemic We Can't Ignore

The data is sobering: our society is experiencing what the U.S. Surgeon General has called a "loneliness epidemic." Studies show that more people than ever before report feeling disconnected, unseen, unheard, and unloved. Social isolation has reached crisis levels, with research indicating that chronic loneliness has health impacts equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

In this landscape of disconnection, our studio can be—and should be—an oasis.

More Than Just An Instructor

Here's something they don't tell you in instructor training: being an aerial instructor means you're also a personal coach, a counselor, and often a friend. It's a privilege I don't take lightly. When someone is upside down, fighting gravity and their own self-doubt, and you're there to encourage them, to believe in them when they can't believe in themselves—that's powerful.

Over time, these interactions change lives. I've watched it happen again and again. The student who came in barely able to look me in the eye turns into an individual who is asking when they may get an opportunity to perform. The person who signed up "just to try something new" has found their community, their confidence, their joy.

How One Becomes Many

Here's the beautiful ripple effect: that one person who had the courage to sign up for a class? They don't keep it to themselves. When someone feels truly valued, when they experience genuine connection and encouragement, they can't help but share it. One student becomes five. Five becomes ten. Not because of fancy marketing, but because people want others to experience what they've found—a place where they're not a number, where they're celebrated, where they belong.

This is how you build a real, strong, vibrant community. Not quickly, but carefully. Not by chasing numbers, but by honoring the one.

Practical Ways We Make This Real

As instructors and staff, we commit to:

Never canceling a class with even one signup—that person matters
Learning names and remembering details about our students' lives
Asking genuine questions and listening to the answers
Celebrating every win, no matter how small
Creating space for conversation before and after class
Being fully present, not distracted by our phones or the next thing
Recognizing that a quieter class is an opportunity for deeper connection

As students in smaller classes, remember:

You're receiving something precious—individualized attention and coaching
Your presence keeps this culture alive
Semi-private or private sessions often lead to the biggest breakthroughs
You're not a burden; you're the whole reason we're here

Don't Get Discouraged

To my fellow instructors: I know it can feel disheartening when only one person shows up. You prepared for more. You imagined a fuller room. But I challenge you to reframe it: you get to change one person's life today. You get to give them your complete attention. You get to demonstrate that they matter enough for you to show up fully.

To students who sometimes find themselves in smaller classes: please don't feel awkward or guilty. You being there is enough. Your willingness to show up, to try, to grow—that's what matters. The intimate setting is a gift, not a disappointment.

The Culture We're Building

This is the culture we're building at our studio, one person at a time. Where efficiency takes a backseat to humanity. Where numbers matter less than names. Where every single person who walks through our door is treated not as a means to an end, but as an end in themselves—valuable, worthy, and welcomed.

When that first-time student walks in and wonders if our studio could be part of their journey, if we could be a place that supports them through whatever they're facing, I want the answer to be a resounding yes. And when they return, we get the privilege of walking alongside them—hopefully for many years—as they integrate their life into the livelihood of our studio and we into theirs.

Because at the end of the day, this isn't just about aerial arts. It's about connection. It's about community. It's about looking at another human being and saying, "I see you. You matter. Welcome home."

This week, I encourage you: Take an extra moment with someone. Learn their story. Remember their name. Be fully present. You never know how much that small act of genuine care might mean to someone who desperately needs to feel seen.