Slightly Scandalous, Completely Badass

Michelle Stanek has been dancing since she was four years old. She drew a ballerina in a second-grade coloring assignment when they asked what she wanted to be when she grew up. Decades later, she is a professional pole artist, world-touring performer, national champion, and now — inventor.The path there was anything but straight. A toxic dance director who made her cry in the car at 16. A grad degree in art history. A job she loved and lost in the 2009 economy. A random Tuesday afternoon pole class a coworker dragged her to. And then — millions of views, workshops in Japan, Russia, Australia, Iceland, and a competition performance in 2012 that people still show their moms and aunts when they want to explain what pole dancing actually is.In this conversation we get into what it really takes to make art your career (hint: the "find something you love and it never feels like work" line is, in her words, bullshit). We talk about teaching philosophy, neuroplasticity, going deeper instead of harder, and the difference between being a sellout and just trying to pay your rent. We also talk about the Stanek Spinner — the pole accessory she's been prototyping and bringing to market — and what it means to make a physical art form accessible to more bodies.Michelle is one of those people who makes you think and laugh at the same time. This one runs long because I couldn't bring myself to cut it.About Michelle Stanek:Michelle Stanek is a NYC-based pole dancer, boy mom, part-time art fair producer, and newly-self-appointed entrepreneur whose motto is "I'll figure it out."Connect with Michelle:Instagram: @michellestanek2012 USPDF performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih2yztRNTFgMichelle on the Stanek Spinner at Pole Theatre Canada June 2025: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPwq1-pdA38Connect with me:[email protected]: @quitmyjobpodSubstack: https://maricellaherrera.substack.com/Show Notes:00:00 - Work You Love Myth 00:23 - Show Mission Intro 00:54 - Life Updates and Substack 03:02 - Editing vs AI Debate 05:46 - Meet Michelle Stanek 09:34 - Childhood Dance Dreams 10:35 - Quitting Ballet at 16 14:05 - College and Real Job Track 16:11 - First Pole Class Spark 18:29 - Layoff to Pole Career 21:55 - Gig Economy and Income Streams 25:47 - Pole Grit and Empowerment 28:18 - Competing and Going Viral 32:02 - Why That Performance Hit 34:24 - Imposter Syndrome After Winning 37:43 - Cancer Fueled Mantra 38:56 - Winning Then World Tours 40:36 - Art Business Not Sport 41:41 - Aging And Sustainable Income 43:08 - Money Passion And Pressure 49:13 - Beyond Basic Teaching 52:07 - Building Self Directed Students 57:24 - Inventing The Spinner Platform 01:03:57 - Prototypes Patents And Process 01:05:46 - Daily Progress Mindset 01:10:01 - Advice To Younger Self 01:11:47 - Closing