The savviest of entrepreneurs are able to reinvent the wheel by creatively improving an existing  product. Kershel Anthony is a fitness trainer who’s been able to do just that. He’s the creator of the hip-hop inspired workout class, Kerboomka. At first glance, Anthony’s creation might seem similar to the popular, upbeat, Zumba classes, but he says his choreography-driven course is much different because it focuses on a total-body workout.
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In addition to hosting fitness classes four times a week, Anthony has planned a six-month tour across the U.S to certify Kerboomka instructors in Miami, New Jersey, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles. Anthony is also a single father and motivational speaker, in addition to entrepreneur and fitness instructor. His speeches are geared towards inspiring women, young people, and adults to get fit and reach their highest potential.
BlackEnterprise.com caught up with Kershel Anthony to discuss the benefits of his high-intensity workout class, why he became a choreographer, and what a Kerboomka class entails.
BlackEnterprise: Kershel Anthony, tell me a little about yourself and what exactly is Kerboomka?
Anthony: I’m a crazy, high-energized, not the “norm,” motivational speaker, dance-fitness, health coach. I’m a single father with a passion to inspire and help others. I’ve been a dance choreographer since before I could spell ‘choreographer’. I have been teaching kids and adults how to dance since I was a kid. I knew this was always something I wanted to pursue.
Kerboomka is a high-energy, hip-hop inspired dance-fitness program for people of all ages and skill levels. The moves are easy for anyone to learn, and we target all muscles; especially the core. You learn the routine and dance to the hottest music of today, and some ‘old-school’ music as well. You leave the class feeling accomplished and inspired, with a refreshing routine that you can rock out to in any club or intimate social-gathering.
How long have you been doing Kerboomka? How did you get started?
I’ve been doing Kerboomka since before ‘Kerboomka’ was even created. Being an entrepreneur and dance teacher, I was looking for new ways to help everyday people with their hectic lifestyle. As I got older I became more health-conscious. I started working out and getting into the gym, where I gravitated towards fitness classes. So I offered my services to one of the gyms I worked at, and from there these classes grew. One of the gym owners told me what I was doing was original and that I should try to make a program out of it. Then, this light bulb went off and I said, ‘yeah, let me try this’.
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How much capital did it take to begin the business, and how did you acquire it?
I acquired it through passion, dedication, and hard work. I didn’t get capital. I used my own money to start this business.
How many classes are you currently teaching, and how many clients do you serve?
We average about 20 classes a week. We are in the Reebok stores in New York, Lucille Roberts on Long Island, N.Y. Health and Racquet in New York, and Ripley Grier Studios in New York. We are Long Island-based, but have expanded to New Jersey, Connecticut, and soon, Miami and Los Angeles. We average around 30 to 40 people in the class. My average is around 70-80 people per class.
Can you please walk me through what a typical Kerboomka class is like?
A typical Kerboomka class is not typical. Our instructor’s walk into class wild, crazy, and motivated to inspire. Kerboomka isn’t just a dance class, it’s a lifestyle. We provide that lifestyle- changing experience in every class. We introduce ourselves and start with a short, inspiring quote to get people ready to have a good time. We don’t want them to feel like they’re working out. We want them to have fun, laugh, and enjoy themselves. That’s what Kerboomka’s goal is.
Class begins with a warmup to a high-energy song, to get the body warmed up. After the warmup, we explain what Kerboomka is and the muscles that we are targeting. For my newbies, I tell them to take their time and have fun with the class. No stress, one step at a time, and ‘let’s get ready to rock’. I take a couple of counts and then jam to the music, then some more counts and jam to more music. After they learn a full choreography we rock out for 25 minutes to high-energy music. Through this section, they are being pumped and motivated to focus on muscles that engage the core. We inspire them to never give up, and to keep moving. After that, we cool down, end with another inspiring quote, and send my Kerboomkats off.