The Business of Hoopdance- A Day in the Life of Hoopnotica's Head of Operations

August 7, 2008

8:00am- Rise & Shine… well- the shine part comes later- after a large cup (ie: carafe) of coffee. As much as I don’t relish waking up before 10am- I do enjoy having time to ease into my morning. So I make sure that I never wake up with only 15 minutes before I have to leave the house- I leisurely take a shower and get ready- take my dog on a walk around the block- do a Sudoku and drink my coffee (such a simple pleasure- and truly helps to get my mind focused and alive)- feed and pet the cats, and then head out the door to meet up with our lovely CEO Gabriella (aka HoopMamma).

9:00am- As I check my emails on my iPhone at various red lights on the way from Santa Monica to Venice, I get an email from our publicist about a certain picture for a press opportunity that they need asap- so I re-plan my day to head back to my house after my meeting with the CEO, grab my camera (Louisa) and head to Rayna’s for a quick photo shoot.

10:30am- Back at my house- I check and handle the seemingly endless emails in my inbox (I’m a stickler for never having more than 5 pending emails in my inbox ever- it’s what makes me good at my job).

12:00pm- Head to Rayna’s for a photo shoot & meeting with our new Office Assistant Raileen! Raileen has been a part of Hoopnotica HoopFests, expos & events for the past year, but is lending us her expertise in more ways and helping keeping our operations running in tip top shape.

2:00pm- After a successful photo shoot and press submission- I sit down with our founder and my friend Rayna for a quick chat about our itinerary for World Hoop Day tomorrow 8/8/08- we want to create a fun and free event where people of all ages can come together and hoop. We decide which Limited Edition Hoop we will give away (the hot Mai Tai Glow) and Rayna heads off to pack up the stuff we’ll need to put in the Hoopnotica van.

2:30pm- I realize that our Hoop Tape inventory has been getting a little chaotic, and decide to take on the project of organizing & labeling it, plus gathering all the numbers for placing a new tape order for us and our production warehouse. This project takes me a lot longer than expected, causing me to miss Yoga and I’m about ready to slay people on the road home from Rayna’s.

7:00pm- A glass of wine as I get ready for the evening calms the tensions of before and I decide what hoopable outfit I can wear for my fiancé’s company launch party tonight, where- of course- I’ll be bringing my hoop to play with. I decide on jeans, comfy boots, a cute sleeveless blouse (can never have sleeves for hooping comfortably on the upper body) and a hat- cause I’m in the mood to be a little mysterious.

8:00pm- I arrive at the party to find our good friends DJ Shylock and DJ Sammy Bliss (Rayna’s boyfriend!) lighting up the decks and enjoy and mingle with my fiancé’s co-workers and friends. Rayna shows up to support (with her hoop in tow of course) and soon someone demands that they see what this crazy hula hoop that we brought is for- so we each spend some time relishing in our hoops to the awesome music. It’s really nice as a more advanced Hooper to have an audience- no matter if it’s one person or a crowd of thousands- it changes everything. We let everyone take a turn giving our hoops a spin- some a little too drunk to listen to instruction, but most everyone loving the fact that they can do it, when they were sure they couldn’t. We leave the evening exhausted and happy.

1:00am- I fall in bed, tuck myself in my covers (my dog snuggling up by my belly, my cats by my feet, my man holding my hand) and take a moment to express gratitude for this life I get to live. Even though the day had its unexpected schedule shifts and ups and downs- all in all- the days that I get to tuck all the business side away and spend time hoopin’ and hollerin’, make it all worth it.

Have you played in your hoop today?

Keaton

My Photo Shoot with Rayna

Whenever Hoopnotica decides to add a new product to our site- whether it be a new accessory we found…

(Pamela modeling our Starburst Hoop & Poofy Hair Clips!)

or our Limited Edition collections…

(Rayna modeling our Sold Out Mermaid’s Tale)

We do a photo shoot to add our own personal flair to the mix. We never hire a professional photographer, and usually it's between the folks with the BFA degrees- Gabriella (HoopMamma) or myself- to get the job done. Luckily we have such a beautiful subject (with rock solid abs…)

(Rayna for our Tokyo press pics)

I have a love of photography- I get this from my Mother- but I have no real training and always just relied on my creative instinct to make the picture happen. This all shifted however upon a gift from my Mom of a brand spankin’ new Canon Digital Rebel and its fancy telephoto lens.

(Me and my new baby- I named her Louisa after my Mom)

It’s amazing. It’s like when you watch a documentary and you see the real set compared to what we see on film and how different that is… This camera rocks. It can take the ordinary and make it look outstanding. Needless to say- I’ve signed up for photography classes… but in the meantime- I’m having fun playing with Rayna in her front yard ~ here are some pics from our Melodia & Luna Bag photo shoot on Monday (these pants & bags are the shiz, by the way, I own one in every color)

I look forward to sharing my photographs with you as I continue my journey with my camera~ and would love feedback! This new passion for me has been boosted by the recent NY Post article on Hoopnotica- featuring a picture of Rayna in a Lucky Charm taken by none other than… myself.

Peace,

Keaton

Hoopnotica launches distribution in Japan

Hoopnotica In Japan, sponsored by Nike and partnered with Gold's Gym!


Well, we finally made it! Hoopnotic Hoopdance is now readily available in Japan! This week finds the Ladies hoopin it out for many major media sources in Tokyo including Japanese Elle and MTV! 

We brought an awesome team of ladies including KJ (the Mutaytor, Cirque Bizirk, Suicide Girls), and Jamie (Hoopnotica) to hoop alongside Rayna and Keaton.

The result is a fabulous foursome of positive energy, and some damn good hoopin! 

Japan is loving Hoopnotica- we have interviewed on two of Tokyo's hottest radio stations and appeared on MTV twice in the past week. There are also mentions in several magazines including Japanese Elle!

Hooping is still very unknown here, and the hip Japanese population is really enjoying the new Travel Hoops. The girls are tearing up the city filming new promotional videos, shopping, and enjoying being in this beautiful culture.

One downer is performing in the clubs here, as cigarette smoking is still allowed inside. So we have been doing the best that we can with that one, and taking breaks to go outside and breathe. Other than that, smoking is not really allowed anywhere, and the city is super green and clean.

 Our DVD will be coming soon fully translated into Japanese. We have learned a tremendous amount about cultures and how they differ, but the big surprise was how similar we actually are. We look forward to coming home and creating new partnerships in new countries. Today Japan, tomorrow.... the world!

Make sure and check out our CEO's blog, as she re-connects with her hoop practice with the intention of losing weight this summer. Follow her progress and show her the love with comments!

Arigato!

Hoopnotica on The Today Show!!

Watch Rayna of Hoopnotica hoopin' it up with Kathy Lee on The Today Show!

Guggenhoopin!

Hoopnotica renegades the Guggenheim Museum in NYC!!

We brought our TravelHoops into the museum to play with Piotr Uklanski's interactive piece, "Untitled (Dance Floor)". This piece is part of the Guggenheim's "Shapes of Space" exhibit. Watch Rayna, Keaton, Gabriella and Jheri as they interact with their hoops and the floor, and get the crowd of observers invovled in the fun!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dErCfb33M_4

Shecky's Girls Night Out!!

May 16 & 17

Shecky's Girls Night Out

5:00-10:00pm

The American Legion Hollywood

Los Angeles' most indulgent shopping event! Filled with fashion, cocktails, freebies & fun! Hoopnotica will have our own stage, so come hoop with us and get great deals on our products!

Hoopnotica Featured in Life & Style and In Touch!!

Hoopnotica featured as one of Beyonce's favorite forms of fun excercise! Check us out in these issues on stands NOW!!

Hoopnotica Featured in Squeeze OC!

Check out the story on Hoopnotica in Squeeze OC!









PHOTO BY SUZANNE MAPES

You can read the article, read interviews with some of our students, look at pics and even watch a video excerpt from our instructional DVD Hoopnotic Hoopdance Beginning Level 1 here: http://www.squeezeoc.com/squeezeoc/livingitup/wellbeing/article_1640289.php

ANNOUNCING: The Hoopnotic™ Hoopdance Beginning Level 2 DVD and the Hoopnotic TravelHoop™!

April 9th, 2007

Official Release of our Hoopnotic TravelHoop™ - Today!

Check out our amazing 6 segment hoop at www.hoopnotica.com/shop/hoops. Perfect for adult Hoopers AND can be adjusted for kids!

Now you can enjoy Hoopnotic™ Hoopdance anywhere you go! Transport this hoop easily in your car, on your bike, in your suitcase when traveling, on the plane as a carry-on, on the metro! Available in our pink and gold Signature style (shown above) or our teal and silver Spiral style - choose the one you love!

Our TravelHoop™ is a quality engineered, constructed, and patented hoop with your convenience and comfort in mind - specialty decorative tape is slightly padded for comfort and extra grip against your body! Can be used either full size, with 6 segments, or adjusted using just 5 segments! 5 segment hoop is perfect for kids!

There's no other hoop in the world like the Hoopnotic TravelHoop™! Order yours NOW!

Hoopnotic Hoopdance Beginning Level 1 DVD is available for Pre-Sale NOW!

The long awaited sequel to our acclaimed Beginning Level 1 is now available to pre-order at www.hoopnotica.com/shop/media. It’s jam packed with super strengthening moves like Chest Hooping, Shoulder Hooping, Thigh Hooping & Angles! It also includes valuable Troubleshooting tips at the end of each chapter. Take your Hoopnotic™ Hoopdance to the next level while increasing cardio & core strength training!

Pre-Ordered DVD's will ship on April 20th, 2007.

New Hoopnotic Hoopdance Classes Scheduled!

We have scheduled our new Hoopnotic Hoopdance™ classes in Marina Del Rey and Hollywood! We’ve also updated the format to make it even easier to take classes! Our new classes are all an hour in length, and are separated into Beginning Level and Intermediate Level. Our Instructors will lead you through the curriculum at your own pace – all you have to do is decide which dates work for you!

You MUST pre-register for all classes – drop ins are not permitted.

We’re offering a special class for beginners called Intro to Hoopdance. It’s a great class to start with if you’ve never hooped before and would like to get the basics. The next Intro to Hoopdance classes are in Marina Del Rey on 2/13, 7:00p-8:00p, and in Hollywood on 2/25, 5:00p-6:00p. Space is limited, so if you’d like register, contact us ASAP, as registration is first come first serve and these classes will fill up fast. You can view the complete schedules for February and March online at http://www.hoopnotica.com/hooping-class-schedules-and-locations.

You can purchase your class or class pass online in our Hooptique at www.hoopnotica.com/shop/classes. Purchasing classes does not guarantee you a spot in a class or classes – you must check availability with us to complete your registration for your desired class dates.

Contact us to register for your desired dates by responding to this email, or calling 310-306-0300. We look forward to having you in class soon!

Hoopnotic Hoop Dance Classes

NEW HOOPNOTIC HOOP DANCE CLASSES!!

We are very excited to announce our new classes! The new Intermediate session begins on May 15th, the Beginning session begins on May 16th. The Long Beach Beginning and Intermediate sessions begin on May 21st. Hoops will be available for purchase at all classes.

These intensive classes allow students to gain a solid foundation and fluidity in their hoop dancing, while learning amazing skills and getting an incredible work out! Come and benefit from our years of performance and teaching experience!

***SPECIAL OFFERS***
FOR NEW STUDENTS ONLY!!
Your first class is FREE! Not sure if hoop dance is for you? Come find out, on us!
Join with a friend and save 20% ~ you and a friend will each save 20% on any class pass purchase of 10 classes or more when you join together. (may not be combined with other offers)

LOCATIONS
We are now offering Hoopnotic™ Hoop Dance classes at 2 locations, with future locations to come!
You may attend classes at any of the studios – your class pass will work at all locations.
Please check our classes page on our website for more information on class dates, times, locations, and fees. Our locations are:

Hollywood ~ Hollywood Dance Center
Long Beach ~ Long Beach Dance Center
Westside ~ Coming Soon!
Orange County ~ Coming Soon!

Please explore our updated website at http://www.hoopnotichoopdance.com/ for more information on classes, special offers, custom hoops and performance. You’ll find complete class descriptions for each class we offer. You are also welcome to visit our new website that’s under construction at http://www.hoopnotica.com/ – you can view our new Hoop Dance demos there!

Come find yourself in the Hoop~~
xo,
Rayna, Keaton & the Ladies of Hoopnotica