By Emma Neilson

Emma Neilson is a pre-professional dancer from Seattle, WA. She started dancing at the “late” age of 13, and decided to pursue a possible professional career at age 19. She is currently a Professional Division student at International Ballet Academy in Bellevue, WA. She is a registered Barre fitness and Flexistretcher instructor, as well as a current ambassador for To The Pointe Nutrition.

Earlier this month, I had the amazing opportunity to sit down and chat with Lisa Fairman, founder of Girl Power Sport. They are a local gymnastics, dance, and activewear brand based in Vancouver, Washington with most of their materials sourced from Portland, Oregon. When asked about how her brand started, it was clear Lisa has been surrounded by the arts and sports community for a very long time. From participating in ballet, soccer, and theatre herself, to having two daughters in dance and gymnastics, Lisa has first hand experience with what one would want out of this type of apparel. In addition to this, Lisa previously worked for Nordstrom and Zulily, and while there, recognized the demand for and lack of vendors and products on the market. After parting ways with the corporate world, Girl Power Sport was born!

When asked about her transition from buying to manufacturing, Lisa was candid about how difficult it was at first. Though she had years of experience in the fashion industry, she said it was a shock and an eye-opener to see how different things were on the other side. She mentioned how humbling it has been to go through rejection from buyers and retailers and gave some guidance to those who are looking to start their own business:

“So I would say first of all, just whenever you jump into something new, especially with manufacturing and retail, I would say just be open, you know, be open to learning from other people.”

— Lisa Fairman

Her biggest piece of advice is being able to pivot and change your business and plans, especially now with COVID-19 making an impact on everyone.

I personally think part of navigating entrepreneurialism includes making sure you have aspects of your brand that will set you apart from the rest, and there are several ways Girl Power Sport achieves this to bring gymnastics wear to the next level. Currently, most of their prints are custom, and Lisa is hoping as time goes on that all of their prints will be custom. The prints are lighthearted, fun, and fresh. They take into account what customers like and try to incorporate humor and encouragement into that, to create something that you will not only feel good in, but might make you smile along the way. They also have coordinating activewear sets to pair along with some of the dance and gymnastics wear.

It doesn’t stop there- Girl Power Sport is very involved with the local community and is committed to donating $1 to charity with each purchase. Lisa was born with a heart condition which resulted in years of health problems and several surgeries. She is an “unusual” case, as she is now healthy, active, and a seasoned runner. Because of this, Girl Power Sport routinely donates to the cardiology fund at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Lisa is truly an inspiration having successfully integrated her personal life experiences and passions into something that is ultimately impacting others as well.

We are so proud to be working with Girl Power Sport, and are greatly aligned in our morals and missions. We want to empower girls and women, serve the local community, and above else believe that movement is for everyone! Lisa said “We strive to be an all around fit… I just felt like dance and gymnastics should be accessible to everybody… No matter what your size. [We] want people to feel like anybody can do dance… you can be any age and be a dancer.” And as some of you readers may know, one of our mantras here at Dancewear Center is “Every body is a dancing body.” Sadly, this sentiment is not shared by the dance and gymnastics world at large, and together we are working to change that and spread this message.

When asked about what other changes she would like to see, Lisa replied saying “I would love for dance and gymnastics to be more accessible [to] ... inner cities and… people who can't pay and lower income families.” She went on to talk about the importance of afterschool programs and recognizing that dance and gymnastics is “...such a healing thing for communities…” She also briefly talked about how much she loves “...the mentorship that goes on with dance and gymnastics with the coaches and the kids… because you spend so much time together. They're just these crazy bonds and I just love that sense of community...” We couldn’t agree more, and along with Girl Power Sport, are here to support these athletes and artists, their parents, teachers, and everyone else in between.

Because it is Mental Health Awareness Month, it was only fitting that Lisa and I chatted about her struggle with anxiety as well. I asked her about her experience and how she manages it, and she had many helpful things to say. She said that a large part of her journey has been “learning how to be living in the present and not… fixate on the past and not stress too much on the future.” She also said she has been learning to be still with herself and how to “reset”. Some coping skills that have helped her include journaling, meditation, and reframing your anxious thoughts. She says she is working on being able to show up in terms of work and business management and at the same time staying centered. This is the art of balance and we both agreed that it is so important to remember that it’s a journey and there is no such thing as perfection!

You may be asking, what is coming next for Girl Power Sport? Lisa said they are currently working on putting together a second production team based in Seattle, WA. Lisa also emphasized how much she values staying local, at least for right now. She prioritizes good working conditions, fair wages, high quality, made in the US, handmade products- all of which is achieved by her hands-on management style. Because of their locality, custom orders are easily produced as well! Lisa and the whole Girl Power Sport team take pride in what they produce, and they love being able to “...share our love with you.” And now, we are able to share it with you too!