We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rhasaan Sherrill a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Rhasaan, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
I believe I get my resilience from knowing that I have been blessed to do something that I truly love. For many years I found myself at jobs that were means to and end and did not tap into my natural gifting. Everyday I am thankful that I no longer in an environment that is toxic to my mind, body, and spirit. There is also something to be said about seeing the fruits of your labor pay off. There have been numerous times I have faced rejection in my line of business but seeing your effort, time, and dedication pay off with the yes’s built resilience for me.
I can also say that I get my resilience from my parents. Though not entrepreneurs, I saw them work hard at their professions. Each stayed with their companies for over 25 years and never talked about quitting. Their consistency to work and home left an imprint on me.
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?
My name is Rhasaan (Saan) Sherrill and I own a mobile dance academy and fitness company. I have the privilege of teaching hip-hop dance in schools and dance studio. I started my company, Beat Box Dance Academy, in Southern California and in 2019 expanded to Northern California. After COVID hit in early 2020, I found myself trying to figure out what the next steps were for my dance academy. I had just moved to the area and essentially had to start from scratch. As with the rest of the world, I pivoted to online instruction. While teaching online, I also started taking fitness classes online to challenge myself. It was then that I fell in love with rebounding. Rebounding is a form of fitness in which you use a small trampoline to do high intensity, low impact workouts. I also had a personal trainer at the time. Being so inspired by this form of fitness, I reached out to my trainer and pitched the idea of starting our own rebounding company. In 2022 we decided to launch Shawn Harris Fitness, providing online and in-person fitness classes. Also that year my dance academy began to flourish as well. I absolutely love what I do and love connecting with people of all ages through movement.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I believe persistence, education, and mindset are most important. Life is full of rejection and what many deem as failure, is part of the journey. It is important to know what you believe in and to pursue it with abandonment. I also believe education is imperative, and not necessarily formal education. As a business owner you have to have a curiosity about your field. Be eager to learn different ways to approach the same solution. Mindset has probably been a reigning theme in my life for the past 2 years. We adopt so many ideas, beliefs, and value systems from family, society, religion, etc. I think it is imperative to know yourself and question how you see yourself and the world. So much of what we strive for in life comes from a place of brokenness, fear, rejection, anxiety, and the list goes on and on. Once you identify unhealthy thought patterns that no longer serve you, the world will begin to open up.
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolls set me on a wonderful journey of self-discovery. The books speaks to the importance of living in the present moment to avoid unnecessary, self-inflicted sorrow. It speaks about the role of ego and how it prevents us from living our best life. Too often we are living in the future (causes worry, anxiety, and fear) or in the past (regret, shame and depression) and we miss out on the beautiful lessons available to us in the present. This practice is a daily one that takes intentionality and I am so thankful I get the opportunity to chose it.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shawnharrisfitness.com
- Instagram: shawnharrisfitness
