Dance Studio Owner Confessions - Part Two!

Hello, friends.

I'm Amanda Barr.

And I'm Rebecca Lou Brennan. And welcome to Dance Principles United, the podcast.

Together, we are passionate about helping studio owners with the business of running their studio.

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This is the Dance Principles United podcast.

Have you got something that I was.

Going to say just quickly before. Yeah, Nikki, I think it's important. One thing that we notice with you rarely in our studio, but the couple of times that you were a bit vulnerable with our. With our, like, the rest of the studio. Yeah.

On me personally. Sorry. Yeah, sorry. I thought just, like, sharing some stories.

When we owned dance sensations, there was a couple of times where she was just really honest with what happened, like, and some.

And I'm not great with that because I'm not great at showing my emotions.

And look, don't get me wrong, I think there's. There's a fine line between. You don't want to come across as the whinge of the poor me, poor me, poor me. Because they are clients that pay us a lot of money.

Yeah.

But I think very rarely it's okay to be a little bit honest, a little bit vulnerable and share. Hey, like, I fucked this up. I'm really sorry. Like, I've had a lot going on myself, personally. It doesn't excuse it. Please accept my apology and let's move on. And I think the very. I think maybe twice Amanda did that. The amount of, like, love that she got back and understanding and compassion in return was, like, really lovely and really amazing. Whereas I think if she'd kept, like, trying to, like, take it all on herself, then it might have been a bigger issue.

Backfired.

Yeah. Like I said, I don't think we definitely don't want to be the. The whinges that do it every week, but I think every now and again, like, it's okay.

Yeah.

Real with our beeps.

Because you're human, right?

Absolutely.

People forget that you're human.

Yeah.

Because you are doing it all. Like you said, they forget that you're actual intelligence, not artificial, but just a different version.

Yes, yes, absolutely.

Absolutely. Have you got to say you want to share? Is there something that springs to mind or. Not really.

No.

Mine would be more of a financial.

Yeah. Mistakes.

Yeah, yeah.

Which we've all had.

Right. Yeah, yeah. Just trying to. Trying to change premises during the whole Covid time, which, you know, put me way under. So.

Yeah.

Yeah. Just knowing and not knowing my numbers at the time, so, you know, which you know, studio growth Cop has absolutely helped with.

That's so good.

Out of the sand and accountable, you know.

And that kind of brings me to my next question, which was like, have you had like a turning point in your business where you've been like, hey, this is. I've got to fix it. I've got to change my mindset. I've got to do something like that was yours, like that financial 100.

Because it was the most stressful situation I've ever put myself in.

Yeah.

You know, it went to, it went to court. Like I had barristers. It was. Yeah, it was an expensive, massive learning curve that I never want to go through again.

Yeah.

Because so stressed. I think I knew.

And you probably had moments where you're like, fuck this, I'm just closing.

Yep.

But I'm.

Yeah.

Yes. But no, like seeds of thought. I'm not. I'm a fighter.

Yeah.

I'm. I've always been a fighter. That's who I am as a person.

You definitely are Ms. Nikki.

I don't, I don't.

I'm not okay with failure.

Yeah.

I'm not okay. Like I couldn't live with myself if I just gave up.

Yeah.

You know, I. Regardless of what sort of outcome it is I have. And that's the journey. Right. That's where the growth is as a person, as a human, as a business owner. You have to go through those crazy hurdles and those life changing experience to be a better version, a 2.0 version of yourself. And so it's really, really important, I.

Think also for you or for me. I know when you talk about that, it comes back to the impact that you have on the kids that you're teaching. If you just close the doors and walk away and you're like, I'm not doing this anymore. You're just affecting so many kids lives who then don't have that outlet of dance. Do you know?

Yeah.

I love that. And I think sometimes we need that rock bottom, bottom moment to be able to then go back up. Right. And get up on the next mountain.

Yeah.

I think that's so important. Chelsea, you've only been in for five years. Do you have like a moment where you like. Or maybe it was when you took over and you were like, I'm changing it. It's going to be mine.

Was there a moment that happened this year?

Okay.

Yeah, that happened this year. I changed my syllabus and I changed the complete structure of my classes.

Yep. And was that because you still were kind of half doing it your Way. Half doing it the old school way and following your mum's lead.

Absolutely. Just was doing it because that's all I knew and that's what I was supposed to do and change is scary and you know, and so you just like follow along. But it like wasn't really aligned with me, you know. So, yeah, I, I did that. This, this year.

What have the results been, do you think?

Great. The results have been great, yes. And it was like I was, it was. It happened right at the end of last year and there was lots of stuff I said, lots of stuff going on and there, you know. But I just, in my heart I knew, I was like, we have to change, we have to pivot and this is the time and I'm not stuck sticking around for it to all blow up in my face sort of thing. So yeah, at the start of the year I was like. When I did the announcement, which was like just before we came back, like late January. So I didn't really give people time to process it, just that I changed the syllabus. But that was big. Like, that was like our whole identity.

Yeah.

Kind of thing and something that I.

Because you were big into exams and all of that kind of stu.

I had grown up doing it and it was all I ever knew. So I didn't even really know like what to do and what else to.

Do and how to structure a class.

Structure it, you know. So yeah, did the switch and honestly people were like. I was surprised that people were like, great. I really thought there would be pushback, but there wasn't. Which then made me know it was time.

Yes, it was time.

And probably say you'd been sitting on for a little while and been like nervous to do it.

Yes.

You know, and so it was the right time to do it. And I feel like everybody throughout the year has been really happy. Parents have commented on it as well. Like just saying how much they love the new. Like we're with tap mode now and do you know what I mean? Like how they love it. The kids seem to really enjoy it. I didn't do any exams this year, so I feel like we've just had a bit of a stress free fun. But I think that they've really like developed as well. Like they've come into their own a little bit. Because I feel like we've all found like a bit of a new. I did because even for me it was like I didn't. I didn't even know what to teach. Like I did. I'd never seen it Before. So, yeah, like learning it myself, you know. So I think that was really good.

And I think it's about trusting yourself a little bit.

And so I feel like we're finally, I now feel, oh yeah, we're extreme. We're in the right brand and I'm doing the right things and it feels like me and not like a shadow.

Yeah, right.

I think there's a big lesson there for so much of what we do in our studios, in our businesses about you positioning yourself as the leader and the expert in your business because you said like you were surprised with how little pushback that is. But I think a big reason for that is that you present yourself as such a strong leader and the expert in the industry in what you're teaching to your parents and to your community. So when you as the leader say, hey guys, even though we've done this, I now know that the best way forward for all our amazing students is this path. They're like, oh, Ms. Chelsea knows what she's talking about. Whereas if you're just sort of always a little bit timid and not sitting back and not positioning yourself as that leader, then that's where you get people questioning.

Yeah, I love that so much. Have you had a big turning point, Marie?

Yep, yep, Definitely tell us. And I'm not just saying this because I'm sitting on the couch with you guys. Honestly, when I found you during COVID No, I, you know what my story is like, I was down and out. I was at a point where I was like, I'm done not doing this.

Anymore, not making any money.

It's exhausting my energy, like the whole thing. And then I was at home with three kids under six during COVID A.

Hindi she's just fucked honey in my shit.

My daughter didn't want to do any schoolwork in kindy.

And I was like, how am I.

Going to do this?

It was all too much. And then you popped up on Facebook with a three day enroll more students course.

Oh, there you go. I don't even remember.

$49. It was $49.

And I was like, oh, what have.

I got to lose?

Yeah, let's give this a go.

And then from there I was just like, you just gave me a bit of faith in what I'm doing and what I am good at. And yeah, now my studio, we're in our own premises. And it just took that turning point to hit rock bottom to realize actually what I'm doing is what I love.

Yes.

And I'm good at it.

And you can make money from it.

You can make money from it. It's taken me a long time to be okay with that.

Yeah.

But, yeah, I just think meeting you guys and it's like I said, I'm not just saying. Sitting on the couch with you actually was a turning point in my career.

So beautiful.

Yeah.

That's so, so good. And I think we all sometimes need that moment.

Oh, no, it's lovely.

It is.

And it's true, you know, And I'm like. I'm like a bit of a young.

This industry's hard. It is bloody hard.

I just, like, I'm not on that journey yet. I'm not on that journey yet, you know, But I feel like. I don't know, we've all. We all came into studio Grace Club, like, with a different journey. Everyone has a different background. Everyone has a different journey, but somehow, like, different wheels.

Everyone's got different.

Yes, absolutely. Which is great.

And this is a space for us to be able to try and achieve those.

Yeah.

And it's just nice to have people that get it right.

Yes.

That's my big thing. I love that. Okay.

What?

That's lovely.

Thanks.

Beautiful. My next question is our biggest win of the year or our biggest lesson of the year that we can kind of share with people? Like, has there been something, like, fix my performer fee? Like, what is our biggest, like, lesson that we can kind of tell people? You know, believe in yourself. What is it? That's a big lesson. Does anyone want to jump in?

Sure, I can.

I love it. She's going, Nikki, she's ready. She's got it ready.

I think for me, you know, I'm not young. I'm in my 50s now, and I.

Don'T look a day over 21.

And, you know, I took on a studio late, but I think as a performer myself, being professional and us going into the business side of things, for me, I actually never wanted to own a dance studio. I always said, I'm never gonna own a dance studio. I'll teach for other people. So it was like I wanted to be a rock, a pop singer. Let's just go down that. That didn't happen, unfortunately, but I think it's time.

It's not too late.

Watch out.

This is the Voice.

So I think for me, as a professional performer, it was really hard taking on a studio and having those values at that time in my life when I took over the studio and then letting go of that.

Yeah.

Not sweating the small stuff, not caring if that child hasn't got the correct color stockings on. Not caring if that. If that child is. Her hair is messy or she hasn't got makeup. When I purchased a studio, it was like, you must do it this way. Every child has to wear makeup and blah, blah. And then it's like, actually, really, it actually doesn't matter.

Yeah.

So I think for me, that's been the biggest learning curve of my life. Of being okay with less.

Yes.

With not the expectations I expect now are that the three Fs, feet, fun, and faces.

Oh, I love it. Oh, she's not sure what F you.

Gonna say that, girl.

Is that true, Mugs? People might have been thinking something else.

With the twin, actually. I was like, what are you gonna say, girl?

I Love this. So Ms. Vicki's lesson is. Fff.

Yeah.

Triple F. Yeah, I love it.

Yeah.

I think it just looks. Letting go of that. Wait, what are the three feet?

Feet. You have to have good feet.

Yes.

Feet are important as you dance.

All right. Flippy Fun. Yeah.

You have to have fun and face. Like, expression and enjoyment is really, really important.

Absolutely.

So I'm going with that and just letting all that. Not sweating the small stuff anymore.

And not everyone's going to be a professional performer and have those expectations, but.

They'Re going to by having that journey with me at the edge. Dancer.

Of course.

You should have looked down at the camera.

We just cut it straight. They're going to have an amazing appreciation for the arts and take that with them so that when they get to sit in the audience, they understand the whole thing. Like, if they don't want to be a performer, that's fine, but they get to be a viewer, a patron of the next show, and they get to then experience and understand that journey and how it. How it. And just appreciate. Do you know what I mean?

I love that. That's a great lesson.

Yeah. Thanks for sharing, Ms. Nikki. You're welcome.

Chels, do you have a lesson? Do I.

No, I do.

It's.

It's kind of the same as Nikki, I suppose. Like, as I said, like, I'm just at the start of this journey. And I think, like, you guys say it all the time, it is not brain surgery. It's just dance, you know? And I think it is like, letting go of the ego and wanting it to.

To.

To be something. Do you know what I mean? Like, and I do. I feel like I do. I put a lot of pressure on myself that it has to be like, the most extreme. And I'm always like, I have to go bigger and it has to be.

Better and brighter and pinker.

Brighter and pinker. Always dazzled and all the things, you know. But I feel like. I think what I'm starting to learn about myself is that that actually just comes from me.

Yeah.

And I don't have to. Doesn't have to always be bigger and bolder because I will just. It will just naturally happen. I will just make that kind of happen.

I love that sounds.

That sounds a bit, like, cocky. But I don't mean that way.

I just go, I think it's playing to your strength.

Yeah. I just think I'm starting to realize that it's.

It's not about the decorations. It's about the energy that you bring.

It is. You know, I think I've really kind of. In all, like, the transitions that have kind of happened this year, I feel like that's what's important. And things have also happened. Like, I think one of my lessons is, like, people have actually come back to me, and I think that's something that I really want to, like, take with me, is, like, always the door is never shut, you know, and it might not always be a no, because it might just not be right at the time. And people might just have something going on, or they're like, yeah, you don't go up and do gymnastics. And at the time, I would have got really butthurt about that and been like, how dare you leave.

Take it to heart.

And so heartbroken and like, oh, I'm never gonna move on. Like, you know, and it's just, like. It's just not that deep, you know? And people have actually come. Come back to me that have been gone for two or three years and then have gone, hey, I actually wanna give dancing and go. And they've come back to me because I've actually given them a really nice experience, and I've created something that they want to come back to. And so I feel like that's really important as well. Like, for me to take on. Yeah. Like, and just, you know, when they. You know, if they leave, you're just like, no worries. Like, doors open and, like. And mean that. And I do mean that, because that's been really nice this year. People, even if they just took, like, two terms off or something, then they've come back, they're left with a piece of you.

And that's why.

And it's still that connection.

Yeah.

Energy is still there, that connection.

But I think that's what you're saying as well. Like, it is like, don't. Don't get upset about the wrong socks or they forgot their stockings, like, who cares?

Yeah. In the big picture.

Yeah.

And in the big story of their life.

Correct.

I always think that in the big story of a child's life, like, what is their stocking color?

Exactly.

You know what I mean? Like, that's a huge thing. I love that lesson. Thanks, Marie.

Yeah. Mine's a little bit different. And I think this has come from growing as a business owner. The lesson that I've learned is that I need to be really clear on my values and what the studio is about. Because then, like, I'm at a point now where I'm. I'm really lucky, but I'm at a point now where I'm not just trying to get everybody in the door because I need the money or I'm trying to run this business and we're trying to pay the rent. And I can now target my studio to certain people and what values fit with us. So when I became really clear on our studio values, we have four of them. And then I. This year, we really sat in on it in staff training. And we deep dived into deep dive. That's not even a word. Deep. Do deep dive. Deep.

I think it's deep dive.

Deep dive.

Deep dive deep.

We'll go with that into our studio.

Values in staff training. And I said to my teachers, everything we do and everything we say and everything we present, every decision, every decision has to be around these four values. And what we found with that is that we're now attracting different clients and different customers and people that fit with our values. So if you're not clear on your values.

That's right. What are your four values?

So we have wellbeing, and it's not just well being of the kids, it's the wellbeing of my staff as well. So I want to make sure they're happy and coming to the studio at their best. Wellbeing of our parents. You know, we've had a mum that went in and had a baby on Monday. So we sent her a message and said, we're thinking of you, you know? Yeah, it's exciting. Quality, quality in our dance education, in our uniforms, in everything that we do. Inclusivity. We try and include everybody into our classes. We had a little girl in a wheelchair that thought she'd never be able to do ballet and we made that.

A reality for her.

Oh, that's a beautiful story.

She's been around for four years. She couldn't dance this year because her wheelchair is now 500 kilos and we couldn't get her up the stairs so she wasn't able to participate this year. And then the last one is connection.

Beautiful.

So trying to make connections with everybody, not just the kids, but the other teachers, our colleagues, our parents and we have picnic days and all of those sorts of things. So everything we do is based around those four values. And I think you we're then attracting the right people.

Yes.

What I love about the studio is the simplicity of the four values too. Because I do see lots of not just dance studios but businesses values that end up being these. You know, they're an eight page document. It's like that's really hard.

It's really hard to remember. Yeah, yeah.

And then you can just like bring any decision back to it. Like, oh well this, you know, this parent's done this. That really doesn't align the wellbeing value. We're going to put a line in the sand and they can make a decision from there. But it's just when they're simple it just makes it really easy for us to put every decision through those contexts.

We put it back on the kids too. So if something happens in class and they're not really kind, kind to one another, we point to the well being value on the wall and we're like, well is, are you following that value here? Let's rethink this. How can we say that better or be kinder to one another?

Read this 10 page document.

I love that. So good. Okay, last question. What are you excited about in your studio in 2026 and or beyond? What are you excited to bring in? What are you excited to change? What, what is your big dreams for your studios? Ray's like, I don't know. We'll start at the other end of the couch.

Well, finally bringing on the performability classes which I've been wanting to do for such time. You have? Yeah. So we're starting them next year. I'm so very excited. We've had lots of inquiries about it and just I think as I've gotten older and having children myself, my own children with learning difficulties and issues with their health, dance has saved them. Drama, singing, like the whole the performing arts industry has given them a purpose and given them something to work towards. So for me, my values now changing, I don't, not that I don't want to produce amazing ballerinas, you know, but at the same time I want to make that dance and performing arts is for everybody and it does change your life.

Absolutely.

And that's what we're doing next year, so that's my direction for next year, is the performability, more inclusivity in our classes. I love that. Yeah.

Fabulous.

Chels, what are you excited for? What's the future of Extreme Extreme Pinker, Bright Eye. Are you excited just to continue the journey in it?

Yeah, I'm actually really excited. I have Dance life coming to do the workshops in January.

That'll be amazing.

Really excited. Well, Emily is actually one of my.

Teachers, and that'll be so exciting with the movie, all the things.

And I'm just like, I'm excited that I've already, like, put it out to people, and I feel like that helped them get hyped too. And I just think starting the year, like, when I heard January, I was like, oh, January. But when I then got the date, I was like, oh, no, I can work with that.

Yeah.

I'm in work mode then.

Yeah.

So I'm just. I'm excited for that. And I think just like, kick starting the year with something great and fun. I just. I don't know. It's just. It put a little pep in my step. I thought, okay, this is going to be great.

Yes.

You know, like, just something cool for us and cool for my kids to do it, like, at our studio. Yes. You know, like, we're. We're in the Hawkesbury. We're in the sticks, you know, like, they don't. They don't, like, get these opportunities. Genuinely. They don't get these opportunities. We're not in the hustle bustle of the city.

You can have Uber Eats, though, because that's Beck's definition. That sticks first. Not the sticks.

Do I have one Uber Eats.

See, we don't get Uber Eats, so she really thinks we have sticks.

No, we do get Uber.

See, we've only just moved. We can only just get Domino's. Like, we've, like, sniffed up at when we moved out a year ago.

I think.

There's no Uber Eats there. There's no Ubers. It's not that big.

There's a couple. There's a couple Ubers.

If you get.

Well, apparently we do.

We diverse.

Sorry.

Yes.

I'm like, gotta know, like turf arms and.

Yeah, but they get Uber Eats, so they're happy.

They do get Uber Eats, so.

Yeah.

Do you know what I mean?

I just feel like this is gonna be, like, a nice day to start the year. I've got some. I've already locked in some things.

You're excited for Fiji?

I'm excited for pg. Oh, my God. Like, this girl I like. You have been traveling overseas. Like, I literally left at 19, and then I feel like I got home, took over the studio Covid hit, and like, I just now haven't had a chance.

Yeah.

And always the whole, I'm too busy. The studio will fall apart without me. You know what I mean? So this is my. I am gonna do this and I am gonna go on a holiday. Even though it's a working holiday. I don't care. I will take it. It's gonna be so much fun.

Goes before or after?

There'll be any days.

I'm very excited.

No, I'm very excited. I've already told myself I'm out. I'm doing this because they always book in their holidays.

Yeah.

I'm getting booked.

Mine first. Yeah, I love that. Yeah. Looking forward. Exciting. What about your 2026 dancing with Marie?

Oh, I don't know. I am at a bit of a crossroads at the moment. I've got some big decisions to make in the next couple of weeks.

Yes.

Can't share those right now, but sorry, guys. Juicy stuff for me yet, but, yeah, look, I am always looking for. I love change. I don't know. I love change in my life. I think it keeps me on my toes. It keeps me excited.

So, yeah.

Just watch this face.

Watch this face. I like that podcast.

That was juicy.

Yeah.

This might be a couple of weeks release down the cliff, so maybe we'll, like, do an interlude or something.

I love that so much. Oh, my God. I've had so much fun chatting with you guys. Thank you so much.

Thanks for having us.

It's been so much fun, like, just to chat to people and if you're out there listening and like, oh, my gosh, it's just so nice. Like, tell us if you enjoy this kind of an episode. That's a bit more fun. Yeah, we were going for the View style. I don't know. Did we hit the View style?

I think we'll get the same amount of viewers.

Oh, obviously you have three.

We're definitely gonna have a consistent.

It has been an absolute ball. Thank you, my beautiful friends, for joining us. We have so much fun and I hope you guys have enjoyed it at home.

We hope you enjoyed this episode of the Dance Principles United podcast. If you'd love to learn more from us, we have a special offer just for our podcast listeners. Go to the link in the show notes right now. To get two weeks free in Dance Principles United Tribe. We would love to see you there.