Shake It ’Til You Make It: Zumba® Creator Beto Perez’s Rise to Success

Zumba® creator Beto Perez, a native of Colombia, brought his passion for music and dance into the fitness world and took it by storm. His story epitomizes the American dream for entrepreneurs: starting with nothing but a vision and hard work, then watching it succeed beyond imagination. Zumba dance workouts and classes are beloved by millions, and now reach more than 185 countries, while the brand includes instructor certification, sub-brands, and apparel. Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with this inspirational story from one of Latin America’s most renowned entrepreneurs.  

Topics include:

1:32 - Childhood love of dance 3:07 - First dance job at age 15 6:45 - Lambada dance competition win leads to more success 11:01 - Arrival in America and a key audition 13:47 - Choosing a future business partner 15:32 - The sales pitch that started it all 18:20 - Shifting the business model 19:49 - Scale, global success of Zumba fitness 21:46 - Adding new products to the brand 24:41 - New gym: City Zero 27:30 - What’s next? Sub-brand and … movie?

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