Billy Blanks Jr Biography – Net Worth & Shark Tank

Quick Facts

Billy Blanks Jr is a fitness expert, artistic director, and choreography who is famous for using music and dance as a form of fitness training. He is the brain behind the Dance With Me program, formulated and perfected with the help of his partner Sharon Blanks. His fitness regimen entails moves beyond just sweating out through rigorous exercises as it is a new kind of workout that is fun, invigorating, and relaxing. Thanks to the widespread success of his training methods, he now runs his own health and fitness brand with certified instructors who teach thousands of interested participants from all over the world how to take fitness to a new level with his Dance It Out program.

Although he has achieved and earned success on his own, Billy Blanks Jr is also well-known for being the son of the martial arts instructor and fitness guru Billy Wayne Blanks. Despite his father’s wealth and status, the younger Blanks sought to make it by himself, away from his father’s shadow and he stayed true to his vision, regardless of the trials and hardship he faced along the way.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

The Dance It Out mastermind was born to Billy Blanks and his ex-wife Gayle H. Godfrey. Gayle had a daughter named Shellie, whom the older Billy adopted after they got married. His father is the famous creator of the acclaimed Tae Bo exercise regimen which combined taekwondo and boxing. He is also an actor, martial artist, and fitness guru.

Billy Blanks Jr was exposed to fitness exercises from an early age and he often assisted his father by leading some of his fitness classes. It was during this process that he realized that his father’s fitness program was too difficult for a lot of people to commit to, thus, he began thinking of ways to solve that problem. His passion for dancing came to the rescue at this point – after his father’s classes ended, he would break out some moves just for fun. The excitement he got from doing this sowed the seed of the idea that later became his Dance It Out program.

The youngster began working on his routine but it took him a long time to get his big break. Him, his wife, and son had to live on low budget hotels because they couldn’t afford to pay rent or other bills. He worked tirelessly with his wife and partner to create and perfect the Dance It Out workout program and exploited every opportunity to make sure it went mainstream. Their hard work paid off as the routine became very popular because they were simple enough for anyone to do and still get a great result.

Today, Billy Blanks Jr has built an empire. His fitness program is being taught by more than 1,000 instructors in the U.S. alone, by 1,200 in Japan, as well as several thousands more across the world and it is still gaining awareness and popularity. He has trained a number of major celebrities like , , and .

Shark Tank Appearance

Billy Blanks Jr wouldn’t be where he is today without the help of the popular business-pitch television show, Shark Tank. He began auditioning for the show and after several months, he got the opportunity to appear on it and pitch his business idea. He did very well and managed to score a deal with one of the investors.

But then, he almost didn’t take it because he felt the terms were unsatisfactory. He was on his way to inform his wife that he had rejected the offer when Daymond stopped him and convinced him to take the deal. Billy accepted reluctantly, but the deal later became a life-changer and the big break he needed. He used the money to fund his dreams, popularise and scale his fitness program.

His Net Worth

From a fitness trainer who barely made enough money to keep a roof over his head, Billy Blanks Jr has worked his way into becoming a veritable success story with a fitness empire to boot. He has made a lot of money from selling his workout DVDs like Dance Party Boot Camp, Cardioke, and Fat Burning Hip Hop Mix.

However, the bulk of his income has come from the lucrative fitness instructor assignments that have come his way, as well as his workout classes and videos. He is estimated to have a net value of $500,000 and no one can dispute that he has earned every last penny.

Other Interesting Facts About Billy Blanks Jr

1. He learned one of the most important lessons of his life from his son, who came up to him one Christmas when they were unable to pay the power bill so their family had to boil pots for heat and said that what he cared about was not presents but simply being with his father. Billy Blanks Jr cried and it hit him that at the end of the day, life comes down to love.

2. Blanks Jr is currently serving as the artistic director of Wall Street Theatre in Connecticut and he is fully committed to bringing back the splendour of Wall Street, using entertainment as the medium.

3. He lives in Greenwich, Connecticut, with his son. Blanks and his wife Sharon are separated at the moment.

4. The fitness guru is close friends with the legendary performer Paula Abdul. He considers her his best friend, confidant, adviser, and older sister.

Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.