Do you have the "S" Factor?

I’m sure by now many of you have heard of Sheila Kelley's S Factor or some offshoot of it – maybe you’ve seen Sheila on Oprah, or heard that Teri Hatcher swears by the wokout to keep her body hot, or that our poor little Lindsay Lohan used it to learn some new moves for her latest movie. It’s polework, yes, but very sensual and empowering, body image-wise…you’re not stripping for men or watching yourself in a mirror (there are no mirrors, in fact, just soft, dim lighting). Rather, you learn how to appreciate the curves of your body – that’s where the “S” in S Factor comes from…think of the letter S tracing along your breasts, waists and tush – and build up your strength to the point where you can do these incredibly acrobatic moves like holding yourself upside-down and, yes, swinging around a pole.

As someone who works out, both cardio and weights, I was a bit daunted when I entered my first class. Looking at the gleaming poles, I remember thinking, “Will I be able to do that?!” But my fabulous instructors worked us up to the challenge, starting us out with easy moves like neck rolls, then hip swings, then some floor work. We were constantly encouraged to emphasize that fabulous “S” in our bodies that snakes from our breasts to our butt, to take ownership of our bodies, TO FEEL GOOD IN OUR SKIN! This is such a phenomenal message from a body image perspective. By the time we got to pole work, we were all clapping and shouting words of encouragement for each other, which only fueled the confidence-building. To have other women shoring up your ego in a sensual but non-competitive environment is a beautiful thing for one’s body image.

Can you tell I loved it?

So I’m obviously very excited that an S Factor just opened in Chicago. Studios are dotted all over New York and California (my friend’s friend is in a class with Gisele!) but this is the first full-force effort here. And this is where I need the help of my Chicago Weighting Game readers. Or maybe I’m helping you…

S Factor has alerted me that they are looking for new women to come on board with S Factor and teach! They’re looking for women of all shapes and sizes (I can vouch for this – when I took my class, I had two instructors with very different but both beautiful body types - one more muscular, one a bit softer). More important than being stick thin or having big boobs, they want women who are in tune with their bodies and want to empower women through movement and fitness. They understand that perfect bodies and faces are often intimidating, so more likely, teachers are dressed down, no make-up, wild hair, and of course approachable, warm, inspiring and fun. But you’ll also have to work! Trainers need the kind of physical stamina to teach up to 12 hours per day if necessary, good flexibility and the strength to pull up and hold your body weight repeatedly (echoes of the Presidential Physical Fitness Test are ringing in my ears…)

Here is some more of what they’re looking for in Chicago teachers:

* Ability to dedicate eight weeks to train as a junior teacher plus an additional four months to receive advanced training.
* A commitment of at least five classes/week, or about 10 hours. so they could continue at another job if necessary, but ideally, we’d like to see people who would want to eventually “move up the chain”.

In my opinion, this seems like an awesome opportunity to join up with a strong, female-branded and woman-founded company, earn money, keep in fantastic shape and make a difference in other women’s lives. I will never forget those women who taught me in NY and the effect they had on my body image…how good they made me feel about myself. I went out with some girlfriends that night and ate mac n cheese and a huge chopped salad at some chi chi NYC comfort food place and the whole time I was like, “I SO deserve this…I am a sexy, hot mama who can do whatever she damn well pleases!”

If you live in the Windy City and are interested, contact Ali Baker at (323) 330- 1861 or ABaker@SFactor.com

Have a wonderful, sexy weekend everyone!
XOX
leslie

PS anyone here taken an S Factor class?? How did you like it? Did you leave feeling better about yourself like I did?
PPS I forgot to mention this isn't just for potential teachers...you can of course enroll if there's a studio in your city or simply try-out an introductory class - it makes for a really fun bonding night with a friend :-)

Comments

Oh! I wish I lived in Chicago (or Cali or NYC)! I would love to try one of these classes and maybe the job. I also love the idea of the S factor and often use that line of thinking in swimming. Especially when I am doing butterfly as that really requires some hip work :)

Hope you have a great weekend too Leslie!

When I first heard that S Factor was coming to Chicago, I was so excited. I had read that besides being fun, it was also a great workout, especially for your core!
I took an intro class this past week with some girlfriends, with no expectations, and truly enjoyed the entire experience...enough that I signed up for their 8 week intro class!
Warm, candlelit rooms perfect for stretching & moving your body in ways you didn't think you could. And better yet, no mirrors to judge yourself. Women of all sizes getting in touch with their natural curves...and loving it!
Yes, there are poles but this class is definitely not Stripper 101! It truly is a sensual, sweat generating, confidence building workout.

S Factor, please come to Seattle! I want to work for you!!!

I have a friend who teaches at S Factor in Los Angeles. She is kind, funny, smart, and beautiful from the inside-out. We live in San Francisco, so I'm not able to take her class, but she seems representative of the kind of people they hire.