Episode 32: Dancing Queen Founder Charlene DiPaola

After being diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome — a hormonal condition rendering her prediabetic and making it difficult to conceive — Charlene DiPaola hit a wall. Dissatisfied with her career in digital marketing, DiPaola knew she needed to pivot, both in her career and lifestyle.

The answer for DiPaola laid in the joy of dance, so she created Hip Shake Fitness, an online, on-demand dance studio with workouts tailored to your taste and fitness level.

Whether your thang is Tone N Twerk, KPop Dance Party, or Burlesque Burn, you will find hundreds of dance routines. Find out how she morphed from marketer to dancer extraordinaire, inspiring women to take charge of their health through customized dance fitness. 

Sign up now for a 60-day free trial using code sheventures. 

Key Moments

3:14 — What is digital marketing, and what drew Charlene DiPaola to it before it became mainstream?

8:13 — Find out what made her switch to dance and building an online subscription-based platform.

15:20 — What is Hip Shake Fitness, and what steps (or lunges) did DiPaola take to get her business to where it is today?

19:58 — With a fee of $18 a month, Hip Shake Fitness is much cheaper than most gym memberships. Plus, you can do it from the comfort of your own home. But is it the right thing for you?

23:04 — DiPaola provides a cheat sheet of how she markets her business to a growing list of almost 100,000 YouTube subscribers.

27:51 — After four rounds and five years of fertility treatments, DiPaola reveals she is finally pregnant! She discusses what it was like to go through IVF treatment from a cost and psychological perspective.

30:40 — What is the most unexpected challenge DiPaola faced running her own business?