My journey in the pole dance industry has been driven by passion, dedication, and a deep appreciation for the community we've built together.

Today, I'm Jessie - Founder and Director, X-POLE Australia, KOYA, Pole Physics. 

I didn't just start a business in 2005.
I backed an industry that most people did not understand yet.

When I founded X-POLE Australia, it was because I believed women polers deserved better. Better equipment. Better safety. Better support.
A legitimate, safe pathway to creative expression anywhere, anytime.

Owning a pole is not just about a piece of metal. It represents creative freedom.

It is the ability to train in your lounge room at 10pm after the kids are in bed. It is a stage in a regional town that has never seen pole before. It is a competition routine that changes someone’s confidence forever. Pole IS creative expression without limitation.

For nearly two decades, I have had the privilege of helping put safe, high quality apparatus into the hands of thousands of Australians, from first timers to world champions. Watching what this community grow has been one of the greatest rewards of my career. The talent, the athleticism, the artistry, the resilience. That is why we do what we do at X-POLE.

3 years after starting X-POLE in Australia, I had my first child. As a single mum, I had the responsibility of not only a new baby but also a relatively new business. The industry was beginning to blossom and I couldn't step away. 

Between 2009 to 2012, I had the privilege of co-founding the Australian Pole Dance Championships and the Asia Pacific Pole Dance Championships, competitions that were truly inclusive: men, doubles, with or without shoes: the concept and rules behind the comp were the work of Natalie TeKanawa. Natalie's work formed the basis of the future Australian pole comps around the country.  Those early years were gritty and ambitious. We were building something new. Alongside the event, and managing the logistics, rigging and poles -  I established the world's first "Pole Expo", bringing studios, clothing brands and accessory businesses from across the country together under one roof. No trestle tables. This was run like an actual tradeshow, with booths and exhibitors being represented in a professional legitimate forum. We included health and supplement companies, mainstream dance suppliers. It was presenting opportunities for collaboration, networking and products that were not exclusive to our industry. It was the first time many in our industry saw the true scale and potential of what we were creating.

In 2010, after 5 years of working to grow the Pole industry in Australia, Pole Physics was formulated. I'd become a mum, hyper aware of skin-sensitivities and the damage chemicals can do to the body... I was tired of seeing polers rely on harsh chemical grip products that were damaging their skin.
Focus on the objective - grip... but skin health first,  enhance natural grip rather than masking the problem. Our lotion was the first of its kind and more than a decade later it continues to sell worldwide. 

In 2011, I hired the iconic Sydney Theatre and hosted Australia’s first international showcase, Pole Reflections. I brought the best dancers in the world to Sydney and then flew them to every state, to local studios, at our cost. At that time, international artists rarely toured Australia. 
I wanted our studios to have access to the ideas and training and masterclasses of the BEST artists in the world. So we made it happen.

It forged international relationships with artists across the world and helped establish Australia as a progressive, collaborative industry that was willing to invest in growth, education and connection. It showed that we were not just participants in the global pole community, we were contributors.