ChiStepper caught up with Sunshine Haywood, who recently took an official position with Club D'Elegance. Those who have been around the club for the last year or so, know that Shine Entertainment has basically been the only group keeping the doors open at this joint. A virtual ghost town for the last 2 or so years, Sunshine has big place to restore D'Elegance, or as the faithfuls still refer to it, 3G's back to it's past glory. See how she plans to do it!

T. Pratt: Tell us about your new position at Club D'Elegance?

Sunshine: I am the promotion's director for the club and my job is to build a solid weekly entertainment line up that will appeal to the 25 to 50 year old market as well as, promote the club and its various activities.

TP: What changes do you plan to make to restore the club's reputation?

Sunshine: Well Terrance, my plans are to upgrade the club both internally and externally. I will deal with the major areas that are needed for restoring the club's reputation: Good Customer Service, Diversity, Update/Upgrade, Advertise and Consistency! First, I have to work as a team with the staff - both management and nonmanagment to improve the staff's morale and improve customer service toward the customers via the attitudes and the interaction of the staff with all guests from the front door when they arrive to the when they leave. Good customer service is the key to improving the reputation. All the staff including the DJ's are now required to help plug the club and receive an incentive for passing out pluggers and bringing in their own clientele. Secondly, I am in the process of upgrading the club! We already put in a new sound system and it very nice. Next we are expanding and replacing the dance floor, including a real disco ball and good lighting over the dance floor, getting new carpet and new flat screen TVs. I am also upgrading the furnishings and making it more modern, classy and chic. The color of the club is outdated to say the least, so we're changing it to a more sexy color palette and [we're creating] better seating areas. I am consulting with an interior designer on this one. New liquor stock, new drinks & drink specials which include drinks that inspired me on my recent trip to South Beach. If you ever have been to Wet Willies, then you know what I mean, if not, you will soon find out. This is for both drinkers and non-drinkers.

TP: Why would you say Club D'Elegance (formerly 3 G's) fell off?

Sunshine: I already identified the problems from a guest point of view before I took the position and there are lots of reasons why but to some its all up [to] poor management and marketing strategy and skills on the part of the former owners! The club suffered major damage after the shooting death, then their only solution to rectify the damage was to hire a "goon squad" they called security and change the name. That was in my opinion the worst idea in the world! They let Darrell and Margette go on Tuesdays, changed out DJs, then they ran the steppers out, when this was the very reason they were so successful in the beginning! The stepping community built the club to what it was. Then it got worse when the new general manager Bruce came. I am not blaming him totally as he told me that when he was hired, the old owners told him to "clean house." Well that's exactly what he did, but I don't think he or they realized when he fired all the familiar faces that made that club feel like home, that he would lose the patrons too. They got rid of all the old bartenders that had faithful patrons. That club had 2 crowds in there, the drinkers at the bar who came to sit on the bar to talk to their favorite bartender and the guests that came to dance and listen to good music. Over the last year and a half nothing has stayed constant or consistent in that club from the staff to the promoters. So with all that said, I feel that the new owner(he also owns the Celebrity and the Family Den), staff and myself all need to be in damage control mode for the next 90 days or so. It will not happen over night but my name is on the line and I will ensure that the changes that are made are needed and are geared to the customers and not the club!

TP: Do you ever worry that people will hold any personal grudges that they might have against you toward the club?

Sunshine: No I don't! All the ones that had a personal grudge with me, we have made peace and that was done way before I got the position. And to add to that, the same ones that had problems with me are the same ones that have supported and still are supporting Shine Entertainment either at my parties, contests or coming by my classes and hanging out with the class. Now whether they are phony kicking it with me or not, who cares! If it don't make dollars, it don't make sense to me. I feel all the negativity with the few women (I never had a problem with men-go-figure) in the stepping community is behind me now. Every publicized issues I had with women on Chistepper and on the set have all been diffused and we have made amends. The few I don't know about that are left with the issues with me, I ain't going to lose no sleep because they are the ones missing out. The boat will be leaving the dock and they will be standing there alone. At the end of the day, whatever personal grudges they may have against me should not outweigh their wanting to go to this club and have a good time. If someone gives me that much power to stop them from coming to party where their friends are at (trust me they all there), that's on them! I can't worry about that, I can only do what I have been doing, staying focused on positivity and doing what is right in terms of my responsibility as a promoter for this community. My record and reputation of giving good events and my classes far outweigh someone elses petty personal grudges. My motto is if you can't beat me, sooner or later you will have to join me because that shit is old and tired. You wanna come to the club and kick it and have a good time (friend or foe), then come on out 'cause I am going to make sure you do just that. Anyone who has ever been around me longer than 5 minutes, knows that I am a party girl, I know how to have a good god damn time and everyone will have the same good time. My thoughts are focused on what's good for everyone now and in the future not on the bad things happened in the past.

TP: What is the difference between your job and Bruce Martin's job. That is to say, what areas will to the two of you handle?

Sunshine: Bruce is the general manager and his title is 'club focused and driven'. He is in charge of the overall day to day operation of the club which include but are not limited to employee management, ensuring that the bar is stocked, proper inventory is maintained and ensuring the club is clean and safe. My job title is 'customer focused and driven'. My job allows me creative control over what the club has to offer. I ensure the entertainment factor is always what's hot and happening. Anything to do with the aesthetics of the club falls under me. I also have control over the DJs and ensure that the music is aligned with the program I have set forth. Like right now I am looking for different instructor and classes to be held at the club-from line dancing to of course stepping.

TP: Bruce reported on two occasions during the Club D'Elegance contest, that D'Elegance would be a steppers club from now on. Is this still the case?

Sunshine: Not in the sense that he previously wanted it to be. When I took this position, being the smart business woman I am, I had to look at the whole picture. No one is going to go to the same club 7 days a week. It will get old real quick. As I stated before, the club needs diversity as well as consistency. So staying true to the roots of this club in its hey day, I have dedicated 4 out of the 7 nights to STEPPING! Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

TP: I hear that Mellow Khris is back at the club. How did this happen?

Sunshine: Well I had to do a whole lot of begging and ass kissing! (Laughing). He and I talked for a while and because of our previous business relationship, he is assured that he can do him with no interference from management. He is great DJ, stepper's love him, I love him and it's only right that he be there on Tuesdays!

TP: What is the steppers DJ lineup?

Sunshine: Mellow Khris is back on Tuesdays. Friday and Saturday with DJ Raphael and other guest stepping DJs like DJ Pierre (who is so underrated) will be there to keep the Friday and Saturday steppers and guests on high energy mode. Sundays Raphael will DJ my class (4:30 to 7pm) as always and immediately after class, we will have a 2 hour DJ Recognition segment from 7pm to 9pm where stepping DJs from around the city will come out and play. Example, a DJ like Terrible Ted or DJ Vell or Squeaky (all west side DJs) will come in and play for 2 hours giving them exposure to an audience that may have never heard of them or heard them play are showcased. Then at 9pm, Eric "ET" Taylor will come and do his thang till close.

TP: Tell us why the management made a good decision by choosing you for this position.

Sunshine: Oh God, you are really pushing the envelope with this question. It was a good decision because for the last year or so, Shine Entertainment and my large class of women have been promoting the club and keeping the steppers to some degree in the club all along. My class is packed with not only my students but some of the community's good steppers every Sunday. I would send out emails and texts saying lets go here and party and the steppers and the following of Shine Entertainment would pack the place out! Whether at Club D'Elegance or at the 50 yard line, we would pack the joint. You have been on one of our outings when we went to the golf course this past winter. So you saw first hand what Shine Entertainment does and that place ain't been the same since! (Laughing)

TP: Is there anything going on at Club D'Elegance that we haven't covered yet?

Sunshine: Yes, Monday night is house music and I am always puzzled as to why diehard steppers don't do house music. Last night was the first night of it and Sha and Sharon (yo baby mama - laughing) came by and listened to some back in the day good ole house music. It was very light in there however we have not plugged it yet. I have employed a street team to plug this club's events starting this week. But anyhoo, Wednesdays is Spoken Word and I am working on getting 2 of the hottest females in that community. K-Love and Deana Dean. Thursdays, we have comedy with ILL WILL (he is so damn funny, its ridiculouse), Baldhead and one Thursday out the month, my homey Uncle Rail (he's doing 30 minute of comedy at my party this Saturday) will be at the club. So I need the support of everyone who is reading this because if WE can bring this club out of the red, my next and biggest goal is to change the name back to "The All New 3Gs"!

Vote Result

Score: 10.0, Votes: 1