Arts Entrepreneurship Podcast: Making Art Work
Arts Entrepreneurship Podcast: Making Art Work
#316: Red Hot Annie (Burlesque Performer) (pt. 2 of 2)
This week on the podcast is part two of our interview with Red Hot Annie. For nearly twenty years she’s been a Chicago-based burlesque performer and creative entrepreneur who's been an advocate for helping artists build sustainable careers. As a performer, she offers dynamic live shows and empowering workshops designed to inspire confidence, connection, and bold self-expression.
We hope you join us for this entertaining interview, and hear how Annie bootstrapped her business from an idea into the brand she is today. https://redhotannie.com/ and https://www.youtube.com/@redhotannie
Welcome to the Arts Entrepreneurship Podcast. Making art work. We highlight how entrepreneurs align their artistry, passion and vision to create and pursue opportunities to capture value in the arts. The views expressed by guests on the Arts Entrepreneurship Podcast are solely their own and do not necessarily represent the views of the podcast or its hosts. The appearance of a guest on the podcast, the venture they represent or reference to any product or service does not imply an endorsement or recommendation by the podcast or its hosts. The content provided is for entertainment and informational purposes only and does not constitute business advice. Here are your hosts Andy Heise and Nick Petrella.
Andy Heise:Hi Arts Entrepreneurship Podcast listeners. I'm Andy Heise.
Nick Petrella:And I'm Nick Petrella. We have Anne Weinert on the podcast today. Her stage name is Red Hot Annie and for nearly 20 years she's been a Chicago-based burlesque performer and creative entrepreneur. Annie is also an advocate for helping artists build sustainable careers. As a performer, she offers dynamic live shows and empowering workshops designed to inspire confidence, connection and bold self-expression. We'll have her website and YouTube channel in the show notes so you can learn more about Annie and her activities. Thanks for coming on the podcast, annie.
Red Hot Annie:Thank you so much for having me.
Andy Heise:And so we've talked about you. You have performances, you do productions, you have workshops and classes. I also saw you have a number of publications that you sell on your website sort of the how to's and things like that but I'm also thinking about the range of folks that probably come to you for your workshops and classes. How do you, how do you, how do you, you know, handle the different experience levels of the people that come to you for classes?
Red Hot Annie:Oh yeah, there's people who come into classes who sometimes I'm like gosh, do you even really want to be here? Because they're so nervous that first week and they're like, oh, it's like my biggest fear to be in front of people, it's my biggest fear to take my clothes off in public, and I'm just like, are you sure you want to do that? But but by a couple of weeks in, you will be amazed at what people are capable of finding within themselves and bringing to um, bringing to classes. And even I've been surprised on more than one occasion by somebody who came in the first week and they seemed so shy, but then by the last week they're up on stage performing in front of an audience and at the end they'll be like this was like one of the most life-changing experiences, because obviously, you know, we all have nightmares when we're young about showing up someplace in our underwear, and so it's like facing your worst fear.
Red Hot Annie:And one of my favorite things to do, or one of my favorite things about this experience, is that people are always looking for ways to get out of their comfort zone. So as soon as they, as soon as they're comfortable taking their clothes off in public, then we're, we're looking for the next thing, which is often speaking, which is often speaking, which is often speaking or telling their story, or sharing something more intimate about themselves. So, oddly enough, sometimes our physical self is really not the most intimate thing that we can share.
Andy Heise:Yeah Well, and it strikes me that people who actively seek to get out of their comfort zone, that's different right? That's not most people. I'm curious what?
Red Hot Annie:is that thing you think that makes people want to do that? Spiritual evolution, they're ready to move to a bigger version of themselves and they're ready to make space, and they know that the only thing that's stopping them is themselves.
Andy Heise:Yeah, and, and so it strikes me that most, a lot of, probably, what you spend time working on is talking about that, versus, like you know, do a kick here and you know whatever Right.
Red Hot Annie:My classes are so unique in that I really don't focus on dance, even though I can dance now. I really focus on really basic things that help people to stay present and really, really important, especially for women be in their bodies so that they're not racing.
Nick Petrella:Would you mind unpacking that now? I mean in the descriptions in the classes. You state that you know they are empowering and you're helping students grow in confidence and self-expression. How do you do that?
Red Hot Annie:Women, energy things. So, for example, we know when a person feels confident about something because they look at us, they feel relaxed, they're breathing, they're really tiny, simple energy things and so often just getting people to keep their eyes up to notice if they're tensing in their jaw or any other part of their body Because bracing for impact is a very real part of the feminine experience is, oh gosh, what if I am really flirtatious here and then something goes wrong and am I going to be able to get out of it? Am I going to be able to back out of it? And so learning to trust yourself as you move into intimacy with somebody and that you can actually sense in your body what feels right and what feels good. A lot, of, a lot of the times, we are desensitized to what's going on inside of our bodies, so we can't trust ourselves.
Red Hot Annie:We can't trust that we're going to know whether or not we look silly in a good way or silly in a bad way Right, silly in a good way or silly in a bad way, and so so my hope is that, by my hope and my intention, what I've seen is that, just by focusing on these very tiny energetic aspects and relaxing our bodies, taking our time um, and vast improvements happen in a very, very short time with just those teeny energetic tweaks.
Nick Petrella:It's interesting listening to you say that, because in percussion I'm a percussionist and it's a very physical art and if there's tension in the face there's almost always tension somewhere else. So it's kind of funny. We look for similar things and then, before Andy gets to his next question question do you offer Groupon classes and stuff? If I wanted to get Andy some lessons for his birthday did you say Groupon or group classes, groupon?
Red Hot Annie:no, no Groupon anymore. I did do Groupon right at the beginning and it was very, very successful with my studio at the time. But no, no Groupon anymore we'll talk after.
Nick Petrella:Recording sounds good, successful with my studio at the time but no, no Groupon anymore.
Red Hot Annie:We'll talk after recording.
Nick Petrella:Sounds good, I got you Andy. Great, I don't see that boa in the back. But it's right by his whiteboard.
Red Hot Annie:Oh yeah.
Andy Heise:The pink feathery one? Yeah, I see it. And so your class is, uh, moving on, moving on, uh, so your classes are. You now have your own studio space.
Red Hot Annie:What were you doing before you had your own studio space. Um, you know, I I actually had my own studio space. I had two different spaces from 2011 to 2020 and it closed during the pandemic. Um, and I just I've just gotten to the point of reopening because in 2020, not only was there a pandemic, but I also had a baby, so my whole life kind of went on pause and it was extremely good timing for me in that regard, because my baby and me were able to spend two years completely uninterrupted by the outer world, and I'm so deeply grateful for that. But, yeah, work became a distant second priority for quite a while there.
Andy Heise:Gotcha. Yeah, so we've talked a little bit about this. But with all of your experience in the industry, I imagine you've seen the art form change quite a bit over the years. How has that community grown or shifted during that time, and what role do you see yourself playing in that community in the future?
Red Hot Annie:I love this question. This is, like I think this might be my favorite question, because I have seen the, I have watched the cultural evolution as it pertains to gay and trans people in particular, over the last 15 years, because I remember it was 2010, not that long ago when we put maybe probably our first trans performer on stage and everybody walked away. People got up in the audience and walked away. People got up in the audience and walked away. So I have seen a very significant change in the culture over the last 15 years and I think I have a very unique perspective in that regards, because I was able to listen to and be a witness to a lot of people exploring gender identity and expression and a lot of political conversations around. Those things were happening in my day-to-day life while people were still oblivious to them, let's say so.
Red Hot Annie:I've gotten to see that and that's been really exciting to see people coming to terms with uh, you know, a person is a person regardless of how they express themselves and let's like, hold love for all of humanity. But I also feel like there's some new places that I'm I'm pretty excited to explore in the upcoming, upcoming years because, again, I think the pandemic gave us a really unique opportunity to regroup, and there is definitely some new art that I think is ready to be birthed at this point that, um, I'm I'm going to be very excited to be a part of, because we have new technology, obviously, we have new ways to connect with each other, and we've spent the last five years basically fine-tuning how to even use any of these things. So, you know, it's kind of fun to think about how we might be integrating those things moving forward.
Nick Petrella:Yeah. So what does your business look like, say, in 10 years? Are you going to be doing more of the same? Are you going to be focusing on other initiatives or collaborations?
Red Hot Annie:10 years. I mean, it's hard to be honest.
Andy Heise:I'm not sure if two years ago, if I could have guessed where we would be now.
Red Hot Annie:Yeah, so 10 years is a really really far distant from here, especially with technology and the different things that we've been learning how to do over the last five years. I would love to. In my heart of hearts, I'm actually definitely somebody who would prefer to be in nature, in a tiny house in the woods, making my own food and, you know, milking cows and stuff like that. That's what I'd really like to be doing 10 years from now.
Nick Petrella:And I would love so to walk away from this then, or sell it, or whatever. I don't think you can ever really walk away from it, though, so to walk away from this then, or sell it, or whatever.
Red Hot Annie:I don't think you can ever really walk away from it, though. So I think it would still have that sort of sense of like, let's say, a work-life balance or whatever you would say, because I love creating. I really love creating and I really love having an audience. I love being able to speak to people and see the gears turn and see the changes that happen. I'm speak to people and see the gears turn and see the changes that happen. I'm I'm very selfish that in that regard, I really like that, so it's hard for me to imagine completely stepping away from that. But if the environment made it so that I could spend more time with my family and more time cooking, more time with my feet on the ground, I would do that in a heartbeat.
Nick Petrella:Great more time with my feet on the ground.
Andy Heise:I would do that in a heartbeat. Great there's. There's a little. I've been kind of thinking about it and I don't know that there's a question here. It's more of an observation and maybe I'm sure you've thought about it, but there's a little bit of a juxtaposition here of your minimalist lifestyle and sort of the maximalist feminine production show, Right, Because I mean that I think and and correct me if I'm wrong that's kind of what burlesque is all about is maximizing the feminine right you got it?
Red Hot Annie:I don't know, yes, it just kind of.
Andy Heise:It just kind of seems like a I don't know it doesn't seem like two sides of the same coin yes, it seems like two different, two different kinds of uh approaches here what an observation.
Red Hot Annie:I love that, andy. I think you're right on the money. Yeah, because I mean I think. Well, I think if you'd asked me 20 years ago if I was minimalist, I don't think I could have said yes okay there's something about exploring the well. Well, one thing it's the cultural.
Red Hot Annie:There's been a cultural shift let's let's notice that first, but also beyond that, I think, putting on eyelashes every day and red glitter lipstick and fishnets and all these constrictive, restrictive corsets and gloves, I think it actually helps. Over the course of time, it helps you to appreciate the simplicity of life actually, gotcha it?
Andy Heise:helps you to appreciate the simplicity of of life actually Gotcha.
Nick Petrella:So you're like the traveling salesperson who, in their spare time, you just want to sit at home.
Red Hot Annie:Totally Definitely.
Andy Heise:Well, it also makes me like you've the the, the desire for more. You've channeled that into a particular aspect of your life or in your work, in your artistry.
Red Hot Annie:Yeah, yeah. These days, when I ask myself what would I even do next or what would be the more for me, I just realized it has everything to do with other people and intimacy and connection and it has like very little to do with ambition or making something happen out there in the world.
Andy Heise:Yeah, well, and that's kind of what my next question was about, and I'm realizing the question that I had was very similar to Nick's about future collaborations or things like that. But as someone who has built a multifaceted career, are there any specific collaborations or projects or challenges that you're hoping to tackle into the future?
Red Hot Annie:My favorite gigs in the last couple of years have been gigs where I've gotten to go into museums, like I had a gig in in at Halloween time where I was at this museum here in Chicago that's called the Museum of Surgical Science and it's and it's the second Halloween in a row that I've been booked to do something there and it's a somewhat creepy surgical science, been booked to do something there and it's a somewhat creepy surgical science museum that has like the history of surgical sciences with all of its uh, warts and um and and all, and it's in an old it's one of the oldest like mansions in Chicago, uh, you know, just beautiful marble floors and columns and just an exquisite space.
Red Hot Annie:And I really love architecture and I love old architecture, I love old history. So if there was any collaboration that I would like to make happen next, I think it would have to be something to do with like architecture or old buildings, architecture or old buildings and somehow getting into, you know, creating something within those spaces that honors the, the roots of that space, because I think again, a lot of old buildings. I mean I'm I'm really lucky again because the eclipse room, my new space, is in a church and it's one of those old churches that you couldn't knock down, even if you tried, because they're just built. They're built, you know, like they were built a long time ago when people really put the effort into the foundations. But a lot of the times you'll hear stories about these old spaces being placed on top of other spaces, on top of other old sacred sites, other old sacred grounds, basically, and so I would love to do something that brings things back to the roots of those buildings in some sort of way, some sort of clever, interesting, fun thing.
Andy Heise:Yeah, that's interesting, I think, you know. I mean there's the in my mind again, in my very limited experience here it's. You know, I think of burlesque and like hot rods or something like that, right, so, but but to your the, the, the bringing together of a burlesque and architecture, I think, why not? You know yeah.
Nick Petrella:Yeah, so as you were talking, it's popped into my mind. One of the things I'll talk with students about depends on the type of performing they're doing. Do you budget for that? And if you, because people are taking the clothes off have you ever had any issues or any of your colleagues ever had any issues that they've had to address?
Red Hot Annie:Oh gosh, yeah, you know, I mean, obviously it's a pretty vulnerable art form and there have been any number of issues that that I've helped people work through over the course of time. Over the course of time, um uh Hmm, security is an interesting question because when you're doing a vulnerability like a vulnerable art form like this, you are really at risk in regards to like people can shout things from off stage.
Red Hot Annie:Um, sometimes you're going through the audience in a state of undress you know some degree of undress, so there is a lot of things around that that you have to take into consideration and prepare for. And again, I yeah, I definitely have seen a lot of, I've seen a lot of crazy stuff, for sure.
Red Hot Annie:Yeah yeah, I've seen a lot of crazy stuff and you know I. It just reminds me of the fact that, at the at the heart of it, we are responsible for ourselves and we can only really do whatever we can do for ourselves, because stuff happens and so you, you have the only person, the only thing you can rely on over the course of your entire life is definitely yourself, and that you will be there at the beginning and the end. And um. So I think being able to form a protective bubble and, uh, be vulnerable, while at the same time, establishing boundaries and being aware of what your yes and your no is, um can be really helpful, but uh, you know, it is a vulnerable art form.
Red Hot Annie:So the question of security is always it's nothing you can, it's nothing you can always be. You can't be 100% sure about the security. Sure, I'll just put it that way. You constantly kind of have to have it.
Nick Petrella:Yeah, at the event. I mean years ago I had a buddy of mine plays in the Blue man Group in Vegas. Actually, he's been on the podcast and he does a bunch of other things. The Blue man Group in. Vegas. Actually, he's been on the podcast and he does a bunch of other things and after one of the performances there was a meet and greet and we were going to meet him for dinner and they had security in the back, there you know just all over the place, but so before we, get to where, go ahead.
Nick Petrella:You're going to say something.
Red Hot Annie:No well, I mean, that's. That's the beauty. You know, burlesque is such a DIY art form. Most of the time, it's people producing the events with a very small team of people. And God, wouldn't it be nice to have security at every show, because that would probably be one of the biggest game changers in that regard.
Nick Petrella:Yeah. So before we get to our final three questions, I just have to ask this what was it like the first time you performed on stage? I mean, I've performed on plenty of stages and I know what it's like to have people watch me, but I've always done it with my clothes on and I don't know what was it like. Uh, never too late, nick. Oh no, people don't want to see that it's a public service Andy, Sorry.
Andy Heise:I'm sorry that I interrupted you.
Red Hot Annie:I'm sorry. What was the question again?
Nick Petrella:What was it like when you interrupted me? She's just imagining I got lost in the imagination.
Red Hot Annie:I was like you'd be surprised, You'd be surprised.
Nick Petrella:So what was it like when you first went out there, your very first professional gig, right?
Red Hot Annie:Oh man.
Red Hot Annie:Well, I can tell you this. I can tell you that I'd been performing on stage for 12 years, up to that point, saying lines, saying other people's lines, and I was pretty sure that I had gotten past stage fright or anything like that. But I remember very distinctly standing backstage it was a duet the first time that I did it and I just remember I was, my hands were shaking, I was like what am I doing? This is a horrible idea, it's not going to go over how I expected to go over. Like I just felt all of the not enoughness that a person feels when they're, when they're getting ready to do something that they've never done before, and I was scared. I was scared, I was very afraid and um, and I also knew from, fortunately, from previous performance opportunities that that fear was like a portal and a gateway and that by stepping through that fear and going on stage anyways, I would come out on the other side knowing something that I didn't know before. And, sure enough, that's exactly what happened.
Nick Petrella:That's great, and then you probably became comfortable the more you do it.
Red Hot Annie:Yeah, exactly.
Nick Petrella:That's great.
Andy Heise:Annie, we've reached the point of the interview where we ask all of our interviewees the same three questions, and the first question is what advice would you give to someone wanting to become an entrepreneur in the burlesque art form?
Red Hot Annie:well, consistency is key. If you want to become an entrepreneur at all, consistency is key. So, knowing yourself and knowing where your shortcomings are and where you want to shortcut things, uh, and then setting into place, uh things that can help you, uh, save yourself from yourself, as needed, um, organization and consistency are really key for being an entrepreneur.
Nick Petrella:Great, great. What can we do to ensure the arts are more accessible and reaching the widest possible audience?
Red Hot Annie:Oh gosh, I'm so glad that you're asking that question. I think inclusivity and diversity are so important, especially for um, well, especially for burlesque, but all art forms, because we really need to see different bodies on stage and different people showing us the spectrum of the human experience. So what can we do? Just keep opening our hearts and keep making space, keep opening and breaking things apart and making them into two so that you can feed somebody else with that same piece of bread.
Nick Petrella:Find ways.
Andy Heise:Lastly, what's the best artistic or entrepreneurial advice anyone's given you?
Red Hot Annie:Back in 2005 or 2006, I worked with this director, Stephen Ivich, on this project called 200 Funny Things, and the entire process was about stopping thinking. Stop thinking was the main piece of advice, and we would go through these processes where we would engage these energies within ourselves and just create something spontaneously. But the entire thing was about not letting your sensor the part of you that wants to censor something even get a say Stop thinking, because it's always a thinking thing that wants to censor. It's very rarely a feeling thing. Feelings will let you be free and let you move through it and it can look any sort of different way. So stop thinking was the best advice I ever got. That's great.
Nick Petrella:Yeah Well, thanks so much for being here, annie. I learned a lot and this was a lot of fun, and I just really enjoyed your sense of purpose and using the burlesque medium to help empower others.
Red Hot Annie:Thank you for that. Thank you, guys, so much for having me.
Andy Heise:Thanks, Annie.
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