Heather Habura

When you are browsing through the TV channels, you most likely will see Heather on a Television Commercial, Infomercial, Talk Show, Movie or even Hosting a Red-Carpet event. You name it, Heather does it all.  From TV hosting to Acting-dancing to choreography-being in front of the camera or helping behind the scenes-Heather is passionate about her work as a TV host and actress.

Heather’s pride and joy is her studio that she opened in Akron, Ohio called The Crown Studios. She specializes in private training for Modeling, Pageant Preparation, Dance Performance/Choreography, Public Speaking, Interviewing, Acting, Etiquette, and overall Image and Personal Development. Her goal is to help all her students get the correct training they need and connect them with the right people to fulfill their dreams.

Born and raised in Akron Ohio, Heather got her start competing in the Miss America Scholarship Program. She landed a modeling contract at age 21 and booked her first commercial that same year. From there she has gone on to be in hundreds of TV commercials, website commercials, Talk Shows, Infomercials; along with hosting red carpet events, emceeing corporate and special events, and Acting in movies.She just finished filming a movie starring Dean Cain produced by JCFilms. “It’s a Christian-based film called, “A Patriot’s Day” that has to do with veterans dealing with PTSD. My father was a Captain in the Vietnam War. The second I read the script I knew it was a movie I wanted to do. All the projects I do I want to be inspirational and better people’s lives. Whether I’m doing a coaching session with a student who wants to gain better self-esteem or starring in a movie that uplifts the audience, I want my message in my life to mirror that of someone who is a role model to everyone and someone who lives to inspire and empower people to be the best they can be in life.”

Heather inspires everyone to pursue their dreams and never give up.” No matter what people say, you have the gifts and talents within you to achieve anything you want.”

For additional information, please visit her website www.HeatherHabura.com

Why the transition from PA to Ohio?

With everything that’s happened this past year it really made me put life in perspective. I wanted to be close to my parents, sister and nieces. Family is everything to me. I grew up in Akron, Ohio so it’s nice to be back where I grew up. 

What is your favorite quote?

My favorite quote is, “it’s never too late to be what you might have been!” -George Eliot

I love this quote because no matter what age you are or where you are in your life you can always start following your dreams and pursuing your passions. I have so many people say that they’re too old to start learning the piano or dancing or they’re just too busy to study something they’re really passionate about. 

I have students who have started acting at 50 who never acted before. I have students who come to me for dance lessons who just started training when they were 30 years old. I have students who didn’t start competing in pageants until they were 65 years old. 

You can do and be anything you want to at any age and at any time.

This quote resonates with me because it’s my goal in life to help people find the gifts within themselves, live their truth and pursue their passions. Sometimes people just need a little nudge.

Do you have a motto or mantra, if so, what is it?
Absolutely, it’s

 “Carpe Diem….

Seize the day, trust no tomorrow.”

You never know what tomorrow may bring. I was a hospice volunteer for many years, and I learned a lot from the patients I helped take care of. The biggest lesson I learned was that we’re not promised tomorrow so don’t put off the things you want to do today. Also tell the people you love how much they mean to you. You may never get a second chance.

How have you been coping during this pandemic?

I am very very careful. I have not gotten Covid, but I know people who have gotten it. Some have become very very sick and are still in the hospital. I know people who got it and they were better within a few days. It amazes me how this virus affects people differently. It’s a huge reality check for everybody.

My studio is private one-on-one training so that really helps not having groups of people coming in. It also helps parents and students feel safe. I am and have always been a cleaner.  I clean and disinfect everything. I have done everything possible to maintain a safe/clean environment for everybody.

Why did you start this school?

I always knew I was going to own my own studio someday. When I was in elementary school I was bullied. With the help of my parents enrolling me in dance classes and cheerleading I overcame the sadness and destruction that bullies can do to a young person. 

I vowed when I was younger that I was going to open up my own studio where when students and parents left my studio, they would always feel a sense of joy and fulfillment. Something I had not gotten from any school I went to. There would be no bullying because I would run the studio and I would not tolerate bullying.

I told myself that I would teach everyone of all ages to stand up for themselves and others. So that’s the first part of the story on how I became a studio owner. So back then I really thought it was just going to be an etiquette and self-esteem building school. But it turned into so much more. My life took a huge turn for the better when I started competing in pageants and modeling.

I competed in the Miss America scholarship program where I won many titles including Miss Greater Cleveland and Miss Akron. When I was finished competing, a lot of the girls I competed with wanted me to coach them because I did do well in all areas of competition. 

I would win talent, interview, swimsuit, community service, congeniality, interview, public speaking… Because I trained every single day in all areas of competition. So, people took notice, and they knew I knew what I was doing and that’s how I became a Pageant Coach. 

Growing up taking dance classes, my main dance teacher always had her favorites, and I was not one of them. So, I vowed that when I opened my studio everyone would be my favorite. I eventually met some amazing dance teachers. One in particular was Jeanette Thagard of Patty’s Dance Center located in Newark, Ohio. 

In college I would drive two hours at a time just to get training from her. She was the first dance teacher that truly believed in me and helped me believe in myself as professional dancer. She’s definitely someone that helped me become the dance teacher I am today.

This story really all blends together because after I competed in the Miss America program I got signed with a modeling agency and from there I did print modeling, runway modeling, acting, TV commercials, TV Hosting…..you name it, I did it. And I studied and I trained hard. 

I did receive my Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Akron with a major in communications and minor in dance performance. I must say, the best training I ever got was when I was on set actually doing the jobs and throwing myself into a project blindly. It was absolutely nerve-racking it was very intimidating, but I got over that real fast. I knew if I wanted to be successful in TV and acting, I needed to overcome my fears and just do it. 

So here I am 20 years later, and I am a successful television host, actress, model, and studio owner. All the knowledge and experience I have gained I pass on to my students. I don’t hold anything back and I expose them to as many opportunities as possible.

How would you sum up your personality?

I’m happy, positive, driven, understanding and a lover of life and people. I love to see people succeed. I am very upbeat and positive, I get this from my mom and dad – growing up they were such a positive influence on me, so they have passed this personality trait down to me. 

I get excited about life and the little things. I welcome people into my life with open arms. I know who I am, and I always stay true to myself. I’m always laughing and finding the positive in situations…laughing is the best cure for just about anything.

What is your best advice you give to young women?

The best piece of advice I could give anyone is to not listen to the judgment and opinion of others. If someone tells you you’re not good enough or you can’t do something, my advice is to prove them wrong. Don’t let anyone hold you back. Anyone who truly loves you and believes in you and is your friend would be encouraging no matter what. So, let all those negative people and comments go; be you and do the things you love to do. You can accomplish anything if you put your mind to it.

How can people contact you to schedule a session?

I would love for everyone reading this to contact me and come in for a session. I promise you won’t be disappointed, and you will leave my studio happier and more confident. Please visit my website at www.TheCrownStudios.com. I schedule classes based on my students and clients’ schedule. So basically, you can schedule with me session to session or you can have a scheduled session every week. It all depends on your life, what you’re involved with, and how much time you have. I’m a huge encourager of being involved with a lot of activities, so I work with everyone’s schedules and I’m very understanding with commitments and other activities they are involved with. 🤗