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

Hi Lisa, why did you pursue a creative career?
When I was little and we did the activity in school of drawing “who you want to be when you grow up,” I drew two things: a bathing beauty and a tightrope walker! I loved the idea of performance and decorating myself. I was always choreographing shows with my cousins in my parent’s basement. However, I also did well on a standardized test which put me on an academic track. I danced my whole life but was told to focus on school. I did and went through academic achievement and was always slightly miserable and always working to do just enough to get by. After finishing an MBA, I was getting ready to go to law school. I was 26, pretty unhappy, and had a marriage of one year that was already ending. That allowed me to realize that I should follow my heart. So I dropped out and rented a large loft. I lived in the back and started to teach dance in the front. It certainly wasn’t an easy path, but the adventure has been worth it.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I own two businesses, Zahiya Online and Lisa Zahiya Coaching. Zahiya Online is a virtual dance and fitness platform that provides live and on-demand dance and fitness classes for adults. The classes focus on joy and empowerment. The mission of the business is – dance is for everyone and for every body. Everyone can come and everyone can move. Lisa Zahiya Coaching provides 1:1 and group coaching to mission-driven entrepreneurs who are ready to scale their business by learning online growth strategies. Both businesses have the same mission – empower women to step into their power. Whether it is moving their bodies or creating a large, powerful business, I want all women to realize their full potential and make their mark on the world.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My favorite thing to do is to walk, have an interesting, hard or challenging conversation while being inspired by the views and people around us. My favorite walks are around the Eagle Rock neighborhood, the classic Runyon Canyon or at the beach.

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?
My shoutout is to Mom and Dad. I was raised by two school teachers who prioritized creating diverse life experiences for their two daughters. I was raised to truly believe I could do anything and that I was supported in doing whatever I truly desired with my life. I was raised with exposure to the arts – classical music, musicals, and the ability to go to any arts summer camp I wished for. No matter what I did, I was told that I was capable. There was a parent at every sports game, every band concert, and musical. I was raised with empathy and to care about other people’s experiences.

Website: www.lisazahiya.com

Instagram: instagram.com/lisazahiya

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisazahiya

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisa.zahiya

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/lisazahiya

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.