Meet Eda Tegethoff | Pole Dance and Fitness Trainer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Eda Tegethoff and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eda, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I’m from Saint Louis, MO. I come from a family that didn’t have a lot. We grew up on food stamps and taking donations from the church. My dad owned his own business and employed myself and my siblings to help him. Naturally, we all learned what it took to run a business and persevere through what life threw at us. My dad struggled with alcoholism and unfortunately passed away on December 22, 2011. Our mom worked night shifts to eliminate the need for a baby sitter since one parent would be home during the day and at night. As I grew up, my dad said to me after I took my first promotion, I called him crying, “Eda you have a choice. You can give up or go back to work tomorrow to learn everything you can to excel in your career. You’re a Tegethoff, so you can’t give up. You set the standard in your life.” I always remind myself of that when I feel like I’m failing and it’s helped me continue on even when I didn’t think I could. As I ventured out into my own brand and business, my mom was supportive and reminded me that they raised us to be capable of reaching our dreams. I definitely would say while our childhood wasn’t ideal, it impacted me to always make the choice to succeed for the long term.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I went viral in 2015 and my business fell into my lap. All of these people were reaching out to me letting me know they found me inspiring and wanting to know my secrets to success. It began my planning to launch myself as a branch into the plus size and fitness community showing that you can overcome mindsets and build confidence regardless of your body in fitness and in life. It wasn’t easy to get here because I at first was overwhelmed by the entire idea of starting my business and wanting to take it the right direction. I overcame it by writing down what I wanted out of it and what I wanted to give people from my knowledge. To get able to define what my business was going to offer individuals was where it all started to take shape. I’ve learned a lot of lessons, but I would say the biggest one is that you need to always do what is right for you. People will try to influence your choices and make suggestions that aren’t in line with your vision. You have to recognize that you will disappoint people and some of those people might be good friends. I want the world to know that my story is the raw experience of what it is to be plus size pole dancer that enjoys weight lifting. It is very difficult to overcome stereotypes in both of those industries, but it is possible to be successful at weight loss, pole dancing, weight lifting, or whatever your goal may be – as long as – you set boundaries with people and are clear on your goals. I like to help people build the confidence to do the things they love.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When my friends are in town, normally we like to get together at a house. We relax, play games, sometimes we craft, but we mainly stay in. It’s more intimate and gives you an opportunity to connect with your guest.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would recognize my father, but he passed before I branched out when opening my business. I think of him often and I know he would be proud. My mom would be would next in line to him because she continues to encourage me and also quoted my father often to remind me where we came from. Then I would say my friends because a lot of them are like my family. They have seen me through the hardest times in my life.

Website: https://www.customizedgirl.com/s/bananasforpole

Instagram: www.Instagram.com/eda_banana01

Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/edabanana

Other: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMRxJ9t7p/

Image Credits
Alloyimages and saj_photography