I'm a greedy sellout?
Hey Booties!
I wanted to take a moment and set the record straight.
I’m sure you have seen our new paid membership app called the Booty Army. I’ve seen comments calling us sell-outs, complaining that we have a membership option and people suggesting that the Booty Army is taking free content away and putting it behind a paywall.
These comments are simply untrue. It hurts because I’ve dedicated my life to The Fitness Marshall and would never do anything to take advantage of people I’m lucky enough to have follow me.
Let me start by saying that I will NEVER stop posting free dance videos on YouTube. I started growing my following with free YouTube videos and have no intention to stop. The Booty Army is EXTRA content never intended for YouTube. In the Booty Army we offer weekly 60 minute livestreams for people who want a fresh and full workout each week. We provide tutorials where we break down each new dance without the music for those who need extra instruction at a slower pace. We put the new dances up early so members can see them before they hit YouTube. We offer discounts on all of our merch so the dedicated fans who are already spending money on a membership can still enjoy our merch without breaking the bank. For the first time since the inception of The Fitness Marshall we finally have our own platform that we own and are able to offer our followers MORE than just YouTube dances and I think that’s pretty amazing.
As you know (or may not know) we make no money on our YouTube videos. It really pains me when I see comments criticising me for selling products/memberships as if we are being greedy. I started this business 4 years ago. It’s my full time job. It’s also Haley and Cameron’s full time job. Every day I wake up and am either choreographing, editing, working on new offerings, products, touring, etc. I have to be able to pay my rent. As much as I wish I could spend the rest of my life making all of my work free to you, that’s just not realistic. Haley, Cameron, Allison and myself have to be able to support ourselves or we will have to quit The Fitness Marshall. We worked for free for years. We did that because we loved it. We believed in it. We believed that if we kept working hard one day we would find a way to support ourselves while doing what we loved.
I will never exploit my fans or squeeze them for money. I will never take away things from you that used to be free and charge for them. If I’m offering something to you at a cost it’s because I believe in it. I believe in the Booty Army. This membership program gives fans a chance to experience a full 60 minute livestream workout with us without having to sort through YouTube videos or sit through ads.
We could have easily charged more. Even if you don’t count the tutorials, ad-free videos, early access to dances and merch discounts...You still get 4 livestream classes a month for only $14.99. That’s $3.75 a class. We set the price so low because we want as many people as possible to join in with us and have the opportunity to dance, feel joy and live a healthier life. I realize that $14.99 is still a lot for some people and buying a membership may not be an option. I totally understand and respect that. Three years ago I couldn’t afford a haircut. I’ve been there. That’s why I am so passionate about keeping our YouTube videos free. Just because you don’t have money doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to be happy and healthy.
I hope this clears things up a bit. I care about you all so much and you have changed my life in ways I can never explain. I am so grateful for each and every one of you. To those who have signed up for a membership, bought merch or come to a show...your hard earned dollars that you have spent on us is appreciated more than you can imagine. Thank you for supporting us. Thank you for allowing us to spread joy for a living.
Love,
Caleb