Meet Olivia Large | Shuffle Dancer & Influencer

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

Hi Olivia, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I originally decided to start posting videos of my dance journey to help inspire others to push for something new. Before starting to learn how to shuffle, I was in a place in life where I just really didn’t feel connected to myself. I was adjusting to being a mom of 2 at a young age, and had found myself so focused on just being a mom that I lacked something to push for to stay connected to my individuality as well. I discovered shuffle dance videos on Instagram, and instantly loved the dance style! I had been a part of the EDM community for a while, loving the music, and seeing a way that I could dance to it was so exciting! At first I was very hard on myself, seeing as I was not like the people I consistently saw videos of, they were all young with no kids and went to festivals/shows consistently which was something we hadn’t been able to do much after having our kids. After a while though, I was able to understand the idea that no matter who you are, you should always push for something that ignites your soul. Dance has always been a passion of mine from a young age, from freestyle dancing, to taking jazz/ballet, joining a flag dancing team for a short while, cheerleading all through high school and becoming a Zumba instructor immediately after high school, dance has always been a part of my life. I wasn’t good at shuffling from the get-go, but that’s exactly why I wanted to share my journey as I learned. To show others that you don’t have to be perfect at something to start, and that anyone can push for something they really want to learn! I feel as though pushing for this idea is what really helped me get more into the social media scene, and has helped me grow in so many more ways than I imagined. Since making that leap, I’ve been able to connect with so many amazing souls and watch their shuffle journeys as well! I’m so grateful to have the platforms I share on to connect with like-minded individuals and help others along their dance journeys!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have a passion both for dance as well as creating. I feel as though these two passions go hand in hand for pushing for content creation as a career, as it gives me the opportunity to share my passion through a medium that makes sense to me! With dance in particular, I’m able to teach others which is also something I’ve always loved. Starting off my accounts were very much just posting to post, and hoping that each time maybe I can inspire at least one person. Staying consistent with this intention, over time I began to reach more people and had some individuals start sharing with me about things I’ve helped them learn, which fueled me even more to keep pushing! With wanting to pursue social media as a career, you can easily get lost in the “what you should do” vs why you began creating. I feel as though if you focus too hard on “success” financially, you can easily lose your drive and forget why you share. I feel the most important thing is to remember why you started, and to keep your intentions where you want them to be. I truly hope that I can always be a positive source of inspiration, entertainment or learning for people watching my videos. Leading with love is the key to everything in life!

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?
I’d definitely say that Meow Wolf in Denver is one of my favorite local experiences, it’s like nothing else and definitely a must see! Some other places that I love are: Red Rocks Open Space in Colorado Springs (Fun Fact: My Husband and I delivered our daughter in the car at the pull off here, at 1am in -2 degree weather, a crazy experience!), as well as Mueller State Park in Divide, CO. There are so many gorgeous trails in our state so I always recommend to take in the beauty out here as much as possible! If you are a shuffler, checking out our meetups at Cheesman Park Pavillion in Denver are always an amazing experience! You can find some from both The Mile High Shufflers and The Shuffle Curious Podcast!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many amazing souls that have helped me throughout the years that it’s hard to name everyone, but I want to give huge shoutouts to at least:

My husband Chris, my kids Llewyn and Greysen, and my family in general! For supporting me through my random excitement to push for new things/opportunities! For surrounding me with love and a place to call home, I am so grateful.

My close friends: For pushing me and encouraging me in times I feel down on myself, you guys have helped me out more than you know! I am so lucky to have such wonderful friends in my life.

The Mile High Shufflers: This was the first group of people I’ve met in person that loved dance as much as I do, and every time I get to attend meetups it’s always so inspiring and refreshing for my soul. I can’t thank this wonderful collective of people enough for coming together and sharing this passion we have for dance!

Dancers I’ve met through Social Media: There are so many amazing individuals I’ve met through social media that inspire me everyday with their videos, and I’m so incredibily grateful for the support they give. We really have such an amazing community across our platforms!

Website: https://beacons.ai/livinlargeco/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinlargeco/

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@olivialarge/

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@livinlargeco/

Image Credits
Brooke Huffington – Shedding Shots Photography

Bronte Images

YBechanPhoto