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

Hi Holly, do you have any habits that you feel contribute to your effectiveness?
I have a belief that if I don’t do it, nobody will do it, I have a lot of ambition and I’m very goal oriented. I come up with some crazy idea, believe me, they’re all crazy, and then figure out how to make it work. Rejection is never something that stops me from getting what I want, so when I’m told no, I just move on to the next, until I reach my goal.

What should our readers know about your business?
I started a pole studio in 2016 inside a private gym. My friend and I needed a new place to do pole, after reaching out to many gyms, studios, etc about renting space to teach classes, someone finally said yes. I set up two stage poles in a small room and taught 9 classes per week inside Dudas Fitness.

My pole studio is called Dahlia Pole, named after the beautiful perennial flower. Dahlias are strong, hearty and they come back year after year, much like the students in our studio. Dahlia Pole is a little grunge, a little death metal and full of love. I’ve learned so much from starting this little pole studio but one of my biggest lessons was to always stand up for my values and my beliefs and always do what I want, even if it’s not popular.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would take them to all the best places to eat! The first stop is always Chuck-A-Burger in St. Ann. It’s 10 minutes from the airport and so good! Next, we would hit up a frozen custard shop, Silky’s is where it’s at. Now, being a St. Louis native, some would suggest a different and very famous frozen custard shop on Chippewa and while Ted Drewes is fantastic, Silky’s is undeniably the best. For dinner, we would need to head over to North County for some Thai food at Simply Thai, red curry please! Last, we would walk off some of the delicious treats at one of the many, beautiful parks in the St. Louis or St. Charles area.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Shoutout to the first people that believed in me: Erin and Kirstie

Shoutout to the first people that gave me a shot: Nick and Nicole Dudas.

Website: www.dahliapole.com

Instagram: @stlpole

Facebook: @stlpole

Image Credits
Don Q. Chris Bauer Dottie Burg

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