Zumba instructor Syreeta Stracey knows only too well the struggles of finding cover when she’s unwell or a holiday means she cannot take her regular classes. Being introduced to the CoverMe app has changed all that.
“The ease of finding cover when I need it has been such a blessing. I don’t have to worry about finding the replacement myself, as I did before, I just post the classes that need covering on the app and go and enjoy my time off. CoverMe does the rest. It’s so much less stressful.”
Syreeta first discovered Zumba in 2010. She says:
“At the time, I was already teaching dance and exercise to music, weaving in the Latin and Caribbean rhythms that were already a part of me. Zumba felt like the perfect fit – joyful, energetic and full of life. I fell in love with it immediately.”
What she didn’t know back then was how much it would shape the next 15 years of her life.
“The real power of Zumba is in what it gives people. Every class is a space to let go. There’s joy, there’s connection and sometimes there’s healing. For that one hour, people find freedom. That’s why I do it,” she explains. “My Zumba classes are packed out, often with waitlists and back-to-back sessions, and I’ve had the privilege of teaching at events across the world.”
Now, with CoverMe, Syreeta says she has found a platform that supports the work she does behind the scenes – organising, planning, staying connected with clubs and teams, and making her day-to-day smoother.
“It’s built for instructors like me who are doing this full-time and want to keep growing without burning out. Zumba gave me the rhythm. CoverMe helps me keep the pace.”
Maximising income, minimising stress
In addition to allowing Syreeta to enjoy well-earned downtime without the stress of sourcing replacement cover herself, CoverMe helps freelance group exercise professionals like Syreeta to maximise their income. Free to download, the app allows instructors to find work when and where they want by raising their profile with gyms, studios and clubs in locations that suit them. CoverMe sends relevant, personalised class cover notifications direct to instructors’ mobiles – all they have to do is hit a button to accept and earn more by teaching more of the classes they love.
“Being part of the CoverMe community has increased my earning potential. It’s comforting to know that if extra work comes up I can choose to apply or not. And, if I do more training courses or become qualified to teach other classes, I can add these to the app and get even more offers of work – so my potential income is uncapped,” she says.
Syreeta’s advice for other instructors looking to raise their profile is don’t hold back. The more information you can provide, the better:
“Employers will always look at your profile when you apply for a job at their fitness facility via CoverMe, so the more detail you have on your biography, including pictures and videos of you teaching the class they’re looking to cover, the more likely you are to get the work.”
Click here to book a discovery call with the CoverMe team and learn how you can save time in your business.