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

Hi Rene, what do you attribute your success to?
People are the most important factor in Challenge Aerial’s success. Challenge Aerial’s instructors are the best of the best. They are experts on their apparatus (silks, sling, trapeze, and lyra), they are dedicated to safely guiding students on their aerial journey, and they celebrate the accomplishments of every student, every time. Challenge Aerial’s students (who range in age from 9 to 72-years-old) are some of the most supportive, creative, and dynamic people I have ever met. They love to challenge themselves, they are unbelievably supportive of one another, and they remind us every day how important art and self-expression are to our mental and physical well-being.

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?
Challenge Aerial helps people find magic and joy in the aerial arts. Some students come to aerial to find their artistic voice, some come to develop strength and balance, some come to find community, Now more than ever, I think people need to have some magic and joy in their lives. When people come to Challenge Aerial, they will find a community that will cheer them so matter where they are on their aerial journey. We make aerial accessible to everyone. I am most proud of my team who comes to work every day to help others find a moment of joy in these crazy COVID times. Challenge Aerial will come through this pandemic intact, and our aerial community will be stronger for the experience. Nothing about owning a business is easy, particularly in a pandemic. There are always obstacles. But as a business owner, you have to decide whether you work your way around the obstacle, push right through the obstacle, or ask it to kindly get out of your way. Somedays I rely on all three approaches. I learn every day, but there are some lessons that I try to keep above the fold- use data to inform decisions; listen to silent clients as closely as you listen to loud ones; make sure that people are at the center of every decision; trust yourself and give yourself grace.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Assuming my friend only had a day, I would take her to Challenge Aerial for a private lesson so she could experience the thrill of aerial. She would be hooked on aerial from that point onwards of course! Then we would walk to Grant Park Coffeehouse to treat ourselves to the most divine scones. After scones and coffee, we would walk through Grant Park, stopping to see the zoo’s elephants and giraffes and the park’s newly restored fountains. Then we would walk the Beltine, take pictures of the Cabbagetown murals and the Krog Street tunnel, check out the skatepark and park art, and rent bikes to head back to Grant Park for burgers at Dakota Blue. Then to work off lunch, we would bike to the MLK National Historic Site and Museum and then explore the aquarium. Then we would bike back to Grant Park to Ziba’s Bistro for some of the best mussels in the city. If there was something going on at the Starlight Drive-In, we would take in a movie, and we would wrap up the evening with a drink on the rooftop at Six Feet Under. It seems like a lot for one day, but I think we could do it all.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Gosh, there are so many people that deserve credit for Challenge Aerial’s success. I already talked about how important the instructional team and students are to Challenge Aerial’s success. The atmosphere created by the instructors and students so supportive, so electric that you just don’t want to leave. The studio hums with excitement all the time. But I also had a lot of sideline-aerialists that continue to be essential to the studio’s success. My husband Eric was my rock throughout this journey. He was beside me every step of the way, and never stopped believing in me. I have a handful of close friends, all of whom are extremely accomplished professionals in their own fields, that guided me through the process of starting and running a business. The Lady Mob, a group of local businesswomen who are all their own bosses, is an enormous source of inspiration, ideas, and strength. I learn from each of them every time we meet. My landlord is a small business owner and provides me with sound counsel every time I ask. There is an online community of aerial studio owners that have been a huge source of support. These are just some of the many people who are instrumental in our success.

Website: www.ChallengeAerialAtlanta.com

Instagram: @challenge.aerial

Facebook: facebook.com/ChallengeAerial

Other: Group classes and private lessons are available. All levels of students are welcome. Classes are offered 7-days/week. Summer camps begin in June.

Image Credits
Chris Goller, Pavel Rusakov

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