Today we’d like to introduce you to Alison Rootberg.
Alison, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Dance was the foundation of my story. I started taking classes when I was 3 years old. My grandmother was a dancer too but her parents never let her pursue it as a career. By the time I was in junior high, I wrote in our time capsule that I would have my own dance company and tour all over the world. It was my dream. I started choreographing in high school and began looking into colleges where I could study dance. I chose the University of Wisconsin-Madison because my Dad went there, they were the first university to offer a degree program in dance, and I could double major in technology. Four years later, I had a BFA in Dance and a BS in InterArts and Technology. I was accepted into the MFA program in Dance and Integrated Media at the California Institute of the Arts. Graduate school was challenging because as a dancer they thought I was in my head too much and in my integrated media classes, I felt judgment for being a dancer. I learned to find my balance, stand up for what I believed, and build a network to support my vision. I founded Kinesthetech Sense, a dance company that specialized in technology using sensors and video tracking to control lights, sound, and video projections. We presented throughout the United States, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. It was amazing but I felt like I was supposed to do something else next.
I moved back to Chicago after spending six years in Los Angeles, and dove into arts education and arts advocacy. The job I had anticipated having didn’t work out, so I accepted ten part-time jobs. I was teaching dance in Chicago Public Schools and quickly realized that I had a unique skillset to assess and develop programming. As I started teaching in more schools, schools started to have more budget cuts, I continued to find creative ways to expand our programs and reach more students. This was what I was meant to do. My part-time jobs turned into a full time position with two assistants and a comfortable salary. I stopped teaching in the schools and started focusing on training teaching artists, understanding the intricacies of the business, and getting more involved in the arts community. I went through many trainings with Ingenuity and Communities in Schools, two incredible organizations in Chicago. I also completed my two hundred hour yoga certification and became certified to teach RealRyder®, restorative yoga, and standup paddleboard yoga. The company I was working for went through strategic planning and due to their financial challenges had to dissolve the education department I had built. I decided to move the contracts to midsized arts organizations that believed in my mission to use dance as a tool to help students learn in school. This kept most of our programs up and running, but unfortunately didn’t provide the resources we needed to thrive.
In 2016, with the support of my friends and family, under the guidance of my mentor and a consultant I had been working with, I finally decided to start my own company. It was empowering to have ownership for all the decisions but also really intimidating to learn how to create a business plan, get a vendor number, understand our legal needs, purchase the best insurance package, build marketing materials, and still focus on the needs of our teaching artists and schools. I didn’t want to just be another service provider to Chicago Public Schools. We didn’t need more school connections, we needed more funding. As schools lost their art, music, dance, theater, and physical education teachers due to budget cuts, our programming evolved from arts education to physical education, to social emotional learning. We started incorporating yoga and meditation. As our approach became more focused on health and wellness, I noticed that everyone in Chicago seemed to be on this same journey. Corporate wellness programs were becoming more popular and these companies had large budgets and similar needs. I had the idea that we could connect corporate wellness to school wellness. Corporate programs were targeting exercise and nutrition but didn’t have the community building component and the ability to truly inspire their employees. Our schools were the missing link. Companies were very interested in showing their support and building their community connections. They wanted to get involved and help our schools. Wellness4Every1® launched and it would be a real adventure.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Sometimes, the most incredible things come in ways you would never imagine. This road has not been smooth but I am proud of everything we’ve accomplished. The first struggle was that we wanted to do something no one understood. Companies were used to donating money to causes but we wanted to get them involved in the cause. This meant that we needed to work with multiple departments and show them how marketing, human resources, employee benefits, and public relations could all be involved. Starting something new is scary and you have to be patient. Believe in your company and be persistent.
Another struggle was self-doubt and vulnerability. I had to ask for a lot of help to figure out everything that needed to be done. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. You can’t do everything perfectly and exposing your vulnerability is key. You also can’t do everything alone. Delegate as much as possible. Let go of the control and work with people you can trust. As we continue to grow, this is an ongoing struggle for me. The best part is when you do take that leap of faith, your team will surprise you with things you never thought could happen. It won’t be the way you planned but it might be better.
We’d love to hear more about Wellness4Every1.
All of our programmings was created to develop self-awareness skills, build community, and inspire everyone involved. For our schools, most classes are during the school day for grades K-12. To date, we have provided programming to 50 schools, reaching over 5,000 students. We give students time to explore their emotions, release their energy, find a creative outlet for their experiences, learn techniques to manage stress, and enhance their education. This encourages students to stay in school and provides the resources they need to succeed. In addition to our yoga and meditation classes, we offer all styles of dance: African, Ballet, Hip-Hop, Latin, Musical Theater, Tap, and Jazz.
We also provide assemblies and curriculum specifically focused on social-emotional learning. We’ve recently partnered with Freeheart Creative, a Chicago-based organization that documents the stories of brave female trailblazers. Starting this fall, we will provide mindfulness classes to students to accompany their documentary series, Seeing Brave, to encourage students to find the power of the stories within them to make an impact on their community. Any Chicago school is welcome to participate in the program.
We are most known for our school programs but we also specialize in corporate wellness. Our corporate clients not only want to support our programming in schools but also want to decrease stress and sick days, while boosting concentration, productivity and employee engagement. We provide one-day wellness staff retreats with Chicago’s leading health and fitness experts to help employees achieve their work-life balance.
Last year we launched our monthly fundraising events to bring sponsors, studios, schools, students, teachers, and the community together. Once a month, we host a class at a Chicago studio to raise money for our programming, bring awareness to the need for these important resources, and connect the money with the people. It only costs $4 to pay for 1 student to receive a 1-hour class. Being able to meet the teaching artists who teach these classes, the students who take these classes, and hear the success stories of what is happening every month is very powerful.
We’re interested to hear your thoughts on female leadership – in particular, what do you feel are the biggest barriers or obstacles?
Stereotypes, intimidation, and jealousy are my biggest barriers. People frequently assume that if you have a successful career and aren’t married with kids that it was a choice. I didn’t pick my career, it picked me and I have every intention of also having a family. Dating has been a major priority but I haven’t found the right guy yet. My career is also intimidating to many men. I’m very independent and don’t need someone to take care of me. I love to cook, clean, do laundry, and can’t wait to have kids but I’m looking for someone who will take the time to really know me and understand why I do this work. It’s more than just helping thousands of students and I’m more than just a girl looking for a guy. Last but not least, jealousy. Fortunately, when I was younger I was oblivious, but it’s discouraging how judgemental people can be. I’ve learned that your real family and friends will be there no matter what. When people hurt you or take advantage of you, it isn’t personal. I am an overly giving and caring person who isn’t going to let someone else’s problems prevent me from being open and kind. I’m unusually optimistic and can see the good in anyone. I now set clear boundaries and know that in the end, the good always shines through. No matter what anyone thinks about me, I know my true intentions will eventually be seen.
Pricing:
- Sponsor a Student – 1 Student 10 Classes = $100.00
- Sponsor a Classroom – 25 Students 10 Classes = $2,500.00
- Sponsor a School – 10 Classrooms 10 Classes = $10,000.00
Contact Info:
- Address: 150 W Superior St
Chicago, IL 60654 - Website: www.wellness4every1.com
- Phone: 847-209-8116
- Email: alison@wellness4every1.com
- Instagram: @wellnessforevery1
- Facebook: @wellness4every1
- Twitter: @wellnes4every1
Image Credit:
Homegrwn Creative, Scott Shigley, Samir Abraham, Mark Leffingwell, Madi Ellis
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