Transcript: Why Human Experiences Will Thrive in an AI World

Episode: The Covert Code Podcast

Host: Anna Covert

Guest: Charlene Rose

Anna Covert [00:00:04]: Aloha. My name is Anna Covert, and I'm coming to you from my battleship here on the beautiful island of Oahu. This week on The Covert Code Podcast, the topic is why human experiences will thrive in an AI world.

Anna Covert [00:00:21]: My very special guest is Charlene Rose, an entrepreneur, actor, hand model, and choreographer who has built a life and businesses rooted in passion and creativity.

Anna Covert [00:00:32]: She is the founder of Living Room to Ballroom, a professional dance company that helps people step into new challenges and create new opportunities for development. She is also the visionary behind Old Hollywood Lodge, a unique Airbnb location with a very interesting story that we're going to dive into.

Anna Covert [00:00:49]: Thanks so much for being here today.

Charlene Rose [00:00:55]: Thank you for having me. You're beautiful. What did you call it?

Anna Covert [00:00:58]: Battleship. This is my battleship.

Charlene Rose [00:01:00]: I love it. Thank you for having me.

Anna Covert [00:01:03]: To get us started, I like to ask all of our guests for the CliffsNotes version. You're very unique and different than some other guests, which is exciting. How did you get from where you were to where you are now as this interesting entrepreneur?

Charlene Rose [00:01:16]: I started as a dancer. I went to college for dance and musical theater. How I became an entrepreneur and businessperson kind of just happened, not in a traditional way. I didn't follow a specific roadmap. It was more about following my intuition and my passion, what ignites me.

Charlene Rose [00:01:44]: Step by step along the way, the roadmap presented itself. I came to LA, was competing, and then I started my dance company because it was something I was passionate about. People latched onto it and said, “I want to do that too.” I saw a need and developed a business out of it.

Charlene Rose [00:02:14]: The Airbnb was a separate thing that came randomly because I wanted to buy a property, but it wasn't right for me to live in at the time. So I decided to make it an investment and use my creativity to make it something special and different.

Anna Covert [00:02:43]: Tell us more about your dance company. It's not traditional ballroom dance. What exactly is it, and what kind of audience are you attracting?

Charlene Rose [00:02:51]: It has gone through different phases, but it was mainly rooted in Latin dance. I'm a salsa dancer. First, I did partnering, but nowadays I'm just teaching women.

Charlene Rose [00:03:10]: During the pandemic, it was really difficult to do partner dancing because people had to stay six feet apart. I had a bachata partnering series that started right as everything shut down, and we continued it, but instead of live performances, we created videos.

Charlene Rose [00:03:45]: Now I teach women choreography, set up shows for them, pick costumes, and because of the pandemic, we also do professional videos. Within one series, they get to perform live and do a video shoot.

Charlene Rose [00:04:10]: At the same time, they're building camaraderie. Some of my team members become best friends for years. They're gaining confidence and learning skills. The two styles I do right now are salsa and burlesque.

Anna Covert [00:04:41]: So it's not just for people to learn to dance. It's more like they get a professional experience.

Charlene Rose [00:04:48]: It's not professional in the sense that my students are trying to become professionals. Most of my students are ages 40 to 70. These are women with careers who maybe danced when they were younger, maybe never danced, or always wanted to dance.

Charlene Rose [00:05:15]: I'm giving them the experience of having a professional opportunity to dance and be on stage. Some of my students have even gone on to get paid jobs from the experience.

Anna Covert [00:05:36]: How are you marketing your business?

Charlene Rose [00:05:38]: I market on social media, and a lot of my business is word of mouth. This is my 17th year, and many of my students have been with me for a very long time. Some have been with me at least ten years. They keep spreading the word, and from social media I get people coming in. It's a special thing that I offer.

Anna Covert [00:06:19]: For people listening who are trying to figure out how to use their passion to create business opportunities, what recommendations do you have on identifying a business opportunity linked to your passion?

Charlene Rose [00:06:32]: From my experience, it presented itself. I had a passion, and because I was doing my passion, people latched onto it. If you're putting yourself out there around what you're passionate about, people will see it and you'll find your people.

Charlene Rose [00:07:05]: Look at what people are saying. For me, people said, “I want to look like that. I want to dance like that. I want to feel like that.” That's what worked for me with dance instruction.

Charlene Rose [00:07:30]: With my Airbnb, I looked to see what was out there and what was standing out. That helped me choose something different with an aesthetic people wanted.

Anna Covert [00:08:01]: What makes it different?

Charlene Rose [00:08:03]: Mine has an Old Hollywood theme. I use vintage decor, and throughout the house there are images of old Hollywood stars. You feel like you're going back in time.

Charlene Rose [00:08:24]: People want an experience. There are so many Airbnbs that look the same. The ones doing well and standing out had something different. It made it more of an experience. It's exciting to go to this place. You're not just going to an Airbnb.

Anna Covert [00:09:42]: How have the fires in Hollywood affected your business?

Charlene Rose [00:09:44]: It didn't really affect my business. My clients weren't in that area. I'm in West LA, and the places most affected were the Palisades and Altadena. LA is very big and spread out.

Charlene Rose [00:10:40]: It was crazy during that time. I was at my friend's place trying to get things out of her apartment because the fire kept moving. It was very smoky, to the point where I almost left town. But as far as actual damage, it was in specific areas.

Anna Covert [00:11:28]: Your Airbnb wasn't impacted?

Charlene Rose [00:11:34]: No. If anything, I got people from the fires who wanted to get away.

Anna Covert [00:11:38]: How do you think AI is going to impact the industries you're in?

Charlene Rose [00:11:44]: I feel lucky because I don't think it will really impact me negatively. In fact, I feel like my businesses will thrive because of AI. People are going to want more in-person experiences. They're going to get tired of seeing AI images and AI videos and not knowing what's real.

Charlene Rose [00:12:15]: Dance fills that need for in-person connection. I'm here right with you. Even the touch aspect of dancing creates connection.

Anna Covert [00:12:37]: Not in your dance right now?

Charlene Rose [00:12:38]: Not in my specific dance right now, but I'm still involved in that world and could get back into partnering. Even with live performances, which I also provide, and immersive events with performances and live music, every part of it is in person.

Anna Covert [00:13:18]: People are starved for authenticity and realism, and it's only getting more important.

Charlene Rose [00:14:28]: People are going to get tired of the boxed AI sound. They're going to want live experiences. In that aspect, I feel like I'm in a good place as far as AI goes. The Airbnb is also a place you go to.

Anna Covert [00:14:52]: Are algorithms being affected? Online search is being impacted directly by AI. Are you advertising through Airbnb?

Charlene Rose [00:15:17]: Not that I know of. I'm consistently booked, so whatever is happening with the algorithm or AI is still working for me.

Charlene Rose [00:15:31]: I'm on Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo. I'm probably 80 to 90 percent booked. I want to start using ads because I have something unique and feel like I could price it at a higher level.

Anna Covert [00:16:21]: I probably wouldn't do Facebook ads because of all the fraud.

Charlene Rose [00:16:24]: I didn't know that.

Anna Covert [00:16:37]: You're unique because people are actively going somewhere. They have dates, they want to book something. They're very low in the purchase funnel. Facebook is not usually where they're looking for a place to stay.

Anna Covert [00:17:10]: You could get boosting through the platforms you're already on, get featured, increase the price, and test that. That is typically the better way to go.

Charlene Rose [00:17:22]: I think that's what I'll do.

Anna Covert [00:17:22]: There are AI changes coming to these algorithms. Airlines already recognize behavior and charge differently based on user patterns, location, and time of day. The same types of things can apply in travel and lodging.

Anna Covert [00:18:43]: You're in a really good spot. Anything with a keyboard is in the first wave of AI impact. Eventually, robots may do more physical tasks, but dance instruction is probably safe for a while.

Charlene Rose [00:19:18]: I think that's pretty safe.

Anna Covert [00:19:21]: People should think about following their passion while protecting themselves. Your current customers for your dance school have been around a long time, but if you target younger people, there may be interesting opportunities.

Charlene Rose [00:20:03]: With the younger generation, I would have to change things around. From what I've seen, they don't want to commit to anything, and with dance you have to commit.

Charlene Rose [00:20:31]: People may see an amazing dancer and think they want to do that, but they don't realize the hours of repetition, training, blood, sweat, and tears that go into it.

Anna Covert [00:20:59]: Or they take a picture of themselves and have AI do it for them.

Charlene Rose [00:21:01]: Exactly. There are AI videos where you can put your face on somebody else's body doing tricks. People are going to get tired of it. For the younger generation, I might do something more free-flowing, like dancing without the same level of commitment.

Anna Covert [00:21:37]: My dad was known as the cha-cha king. My parents did dance lessons together, and I loved dancing with my dad because he was a legit lead.

Anna Covert [00:22:10]: I think that's why line dancing has become popular again. You can dance by yourself, but there's coordination, difficulty, and everyone is together.

Charlene Rose [00:22:34]: That's a great thing because it doesn't require a lot of skill, but it's still fun. There's a market. You just have to figure it out and find the need.

Charlene Rose [00:23:48]: I have a very specific niche. I know exactly the type of people who are going to be into what I provide, and I know they'll be loyal once they join. I just have to get them into the class.

Anna Covert [00:24:18]: When we think about what is less affected by AI, it's things with your hands and feet, human things, crafts, performance, touch, love, and service.

Anna Covert [00:25:52]: People are going to be drawn toward real human engagement. That's dancing, collaborating, singing, performing, creativity, and what it means to be human.

Charlene Rose [00:26:14]: My brother does coding and is a little nervous, but from his experience AI still messes up, and he has to be hands-on with it.

Anna Covert [00:26:44]: That's called AI hallucination, where it gets off on a tangent. The more input you give it, the better it gets. What's missing right now is the human interface and communication. People need to know how to tell AI what they want.

Charlene Rose [00:27:16]: I use AI a lot with writing for my website and captions. It's crazy how smart it is. It hasn't been around in the general public for that long, and it's advancing quickly. It's kind of scary.

Charlene Rose [00:27:52]: If someone's business is potentially affected by AI, they should adjust so there is some kind of hands-on, person-to-person element.

Anna Covert [00:28:07]: It goes back to passion. If you're listening and worried about AI, think about what makes you happy. Maybe you love helping people, cooking, caregiving, crafts, or something else. You can make a business out of that.

Charlene Rose [00:29:21]: I believe in that 100 percent. Mindset is a big part of it. Making your own business is not a sure thing, but when you're aligned and go for it, things start to fall into place in wild ways.

Charlene Rose [00:30:01]: Some people are afraid, so they dip their foot in, but it doesn't work that way. You have to be 100 percent in it. With my Airbnb, I didn't know what I was doing. It was my first house purchase, but I did research and wasn't going into it blindly.

Charlene Rose [00:31:10]: I was renovating the house and doing heavy labor. At the same time, I booked a Beachbody program as a workout person in the video, which gave me extra money and helped me get strong. It came at the perfect time. That's an example of synchronicity.

Anna Covert [00:32:15]: Of all times, this is one of the easiest times to start your own business. Before, you needed an agency to create logos, websites, marketing plans, business plans, and more. Now you can use tools to create a lot of those things yourself and start testing ideas.

Charlene Rose [00:33:04]: Absolutely.

Anna Covert [00:33:04]: What's next for you? Are you going to expand your business or get another house?

Charlene Rose [00:33:15]: In the next five years, I think I would like to get another Airbnb. I enjoy hosting. I love getting reviews saying guests had a fabulous stay, loved the decor, and found it serene.

Charlene Rose [00:33:45]: Sometimes when you're on a path, other things come up. I didn't know I was an interior designer, but I had to be to make my place stand out. Now friends have asked me to do interior design for their places, so that could be something I pursue.

Charlene Rose [00:34:20]: Right now I have my Airbnb, my dance company, and my dad's construction business. I stay open to what feels like it ignites me.

Anna Covert [00:34:35]: Bashar has a formula that says if your higher self is guiding you, you act on your passion first. When that passion shifts, you follow the next passion, and synchronicities line up.

Charlene Rose [00:35:15]: Just follow what ignites you. Follow what feeds your soul and makes you excited. Whatever you're doing will take effort, but it becomes easier if you listen to that guidance.

Anna Covert [00:36:05]: How can people get ahold of you?

Charlene Rose [00:36:08]: I'm on Instagram and Facebook as Charlene Rose. My Airbnb is Old Hollywood Lodge, also on Instagram and Facebook. My dance instruction company is Living Room to Ballroom.

Anna Covert [00:36:23]: Great. We'll keep all those links in the feed and channel. Thank you so much for joining me today. Please tune in next week as I interview another industry expert on topics to help you succeed on and offline. If you have not yet subscribed, please subscribe to the channel. We're approaching 170,000 subscribers, and that is because of you and your aloha. I can't wait to see you next week in the pixels. Aloha.