Meet Ikumi Makino

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ikumi Makino. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ikumi below.

Ikumi, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

At first, I had absolutely no confidence, but I did everything I could and gave my all. I trained my body, pushed myself physically, and kept a daily journal – reflecting on what went well, what I could improve, my strengths, and my weaknesses. Through writing and training, I explored myself deeply and kept growing.

I constantly asked myself, “What can only I do?” and “How can I differentiate myself from others?” and kept analyzing myself. After I started teaching, whenever I took a dance class, I didn’t just focus on the dancing itself. I also observed how the teacher taught and how they interacted with their students. Right after class, I would take notes and incorporate what I learned into my own teaching.

I also set small, specific goals with clear deadlines and worked to achieve them one by one. Each achievement, no matter how small, built up and strengthened my confidence. Of course, there were times when things didn’t go well, but I tried not to dwell on them. I reminded myself by watching successful people on YouTube and reading their books that my struggles were still small compared to theirs, and that there are always people far ahead of me. That mindset kept me motivated to keep moving forward.

Over time, these continuous efforts built a strong foundation of self-belief, and I learned to truly trust in my own abilities.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

What I can do is, of course, share the joy of dance with as many people as possible. At my studio, Dance Space AI Vibration, I teach students ranging from children to adults, and I’ve seen firsthand how dance allows them to discover new sides of themselves, build confidence, and connect with others.

What I value and keep closest to my heart is helping people open up new possibilities and discover a new side of themselves through dance.

Today, with the advancement of AI, social media, and games, it’s possible to live without moving our bodies or interacting with others. But as long as we are alive, I want people to enjoy moving their bodies, sweating, working together, and creating something with others.

In the process, you might clash with others, feel angry, struggle, feel sad, or feel happy and I believe that is what it truly means to be “alive” and to “grow.”

No matter the age, whether children or adults. I strongly believe these experiences are essential. As AI continues to advance, life may become easier in many ways, but I feel it would be a great loss if we lost sight of what it means to live as human beings.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

1. (Quality)
• My Experience: My one non-negotiable belief was that I would make a living through dance after studying abroad. This core commitment was my compass.
• Advice: Be uncompromising on your ultimate goal, but remain extremely flexible and adaptive with the methods you use to achieve it.

2. (Skill)
• Skill
During my student years, I worked at McDonald’s, where I learned how to think about efficiency, how to move faster and work more effectively and what “work” truly means. I also gained experience in various other fields, such as apparel and a university hospital, and all of these experiences have become part of the skills I have today.

Advice
Just try everything! Nothing you do is ever meaningless. There is always something to learn from every experience, and one day you’ll look back and realize it was all worth it. I believe that taking action, simply doing it is the most important thing.

3. (Knowledge)
• My Experience: Lacking business knowledge, I compensated by intensely studying books and YouTube. I maintained my drive by accepting I couldn’t be a Steve Jobs, but he couldn’t be me and I simply kept going relentlessly, regardless of the size or location of my class.
• Advice:Knowledge isn’t something that comes to you — it’s something you must actively seek out.
Creating something from 0 to 1 is the hardest and most valuable challenge.
Anyone can go from 1 to 2, but turning nothing into something requires true patience and perseverance.
That’s why having the mindset to see things through no matter what and continuing to put in the effort is essential.
Consistency and persistence are what ultimately lead to results and open new opportunities.

In the beginning, I worked multiple part-time jobs (cleaning, babysitting, etc.) because few survive on dance alone. While exploring different roles (choreographer, dancer), it took a long detour to realize that teaching truly suited me. That “detour” was essential for discovering my true self.

What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?

It was having the courage to take the leap into a new stage of business and face the accompanying anxiety and challenges head on.

In mid-August of this year, I was finally able to open a dedicated studio space for AI Vibration. Leading up to the opening, despite feelings of excitement and anticipation, I was constantly weighed down by worry and anxiety. I kept asking myself over and over, “Can I really sustain this business?”

Even so, I viewed this as an essential step and challenge for both my own growth and that of AI Vibration, and I made the decision to move forward.

At the same time as the studio opened, I also experienced betrayal from others, which added yet another new experience to my journey.

Currently, my biggest challenge and primary focus is shifting my mindset toward the strategic goal of further elevating the AI Vibration brand.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ai-vibration.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ai_vibration/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6N-sRppnIpu2KHZE2LMO5A