Values Don't Build Culture. Your Actions Do with Lauren Ritchie

Growing your studio shouldn't mean sacrificing your time, your family, or yourself in the process.  In this episode, we're sharing a powerful presentation from Nadine Selinger, originally delivered at DSOA's 2025 Inner Circle Member Retreat in La Jolla, San Diego. Nadine shares how she went from teaching 40+ hours a week and wearing far too many hats to building a team of empowered leaders with clear roles, ownership, and opportunities for growth. She breaks down how developing her people, strengthening systems, and learning to delegate helped Dance City double enrollment from 400 to 850 students and grow annual revenue from $1M to $2M—all while creating more freedom for Nadine outside the studio. What You'll Learn How to identify and develop leaders already on your team How specialized roles create greater ownership and staff retention Why delegation requires training, trust, and clear expectations How meetings, evaluations, and check-ins strengthen accountability How to create meaningful career opportunities within your studio Why you should hire strategically—not simply to lighten your workload How stronger systems and leadership can create more freedom for you as an owner Nadine Selinger is the owner, instructor, and choreographer behind Dance City in Regina, Saskatchewan. A Royal Academy of Dance registered teacher and mentor, Nadine is also a Canadian Dance Teachers Association member in Tap, Jazz, and Ballet and is certified through ADAPT and Acrobatic Arts. With extensive experience as a dance educator, studio owner, choreographer, and competition adjudicator, Nadine is passionate about developing dancers, building strong teams, and creating a studio where both students and staff can thrive. Join our growing community of people just like you inside our free Facebook group. Click here to join!  Follow The Dance Studio Owners Association:  Instagram: @dancestudioownersassociation | TikTok: @dsoaofficial | Facebook: @dancestudioownersassociation  

What if AI could become another assistant in your dance studio—helping you strengthen your systems, communicate more effectively, spark new ideas, and get valuable time back? In this episode of the Transform My Dance Studio Podcast, we're sharing a talk from Tanya Neary, CEO of Stars of Tomorrow and a member of the DSOA Education Team, originally presented at the DSOA Inner Circle gathering in Orlando, Florida, in January 2024. Tanya challenges studio owners to rethink AI, not as something to fear, but as a tool that can support them as leaders, creators, and entrepreneurs. At the heart of Tanya's message is a powerful reframe: think of AI as "accelerating innovation." By embracing technology as an assistant rather than a replacement, studio owners can create more capacity, get valuable time back, and stay focused on the work that truly needs their creativity, intuition, and leadership. What You'll Learn How to think of AI as an assistant, not a replacement Ways AI can support your studio systems and SOPs How technology can help improve productivity and team communication A faster way to organize and share competition judges' feedback How AI can help pull useful information from studio documents and resources Ways to jump-start ideas for costumes, music, class plans, camps, and choreography How Tanya generated ideas for an entire five-day themed dance camp in seconds How AI can help identify costume-change conflicts and build a possible recital show order Why AI still requires human intuition and thoughtfulness How to start small by finding one tool that can give you—and your team—time back Some of the specific AI platforms and features discussed reflect what was available when Tanya originally gave this presentation in January 2024, but the bigger conversation remains an important one: How can studio owners use technology to work smarter without losing the creativity, relationships, and human intuition that make their studios special? Whether you're already experimenting with AI or still figuring out where it belongs in your business, this episode offers plenty of ideas to get you thinking about what's possible. Explore our partners: Don't miss the Drop! Head to LimelightTeamwear.com and start your free custom teamwear design today. Join our growing community of people just like you inside our free Facebook group. Click here to join!  Follow The Dance Studio Owners Association:  Instagram: @dancestudioownersassociation | TikTok: @dsoaofficial | Facebook: @dancestudioownersassociation  

Your studio is growing. So why does success suddenly feel so heavy? In this episode of the Transform My Dance Studio Podcast, Katie Wilber sits down with Shannon Westveer, Professional Speaker, Founder & CEO of The Switch Finance & Studio Solutions, and DSOA Inner Circle Studio Growth Coach, to walk through the evolution of a dance studio owner—from opening the doors on day one to stepping into the role of a confident CEO. Having co-owned and grown a Chicago dance studio to $1.7 million in revenue, Shannon knows firsthand what happens when every decision, task, and responsibility runs through the owner. She shares why growth requires more than working harder—and why delegation, financial clarity, intentional team building, and strong systems need to become part of your business before burnout forces them to. Together, Katie and Shannon explore the shift from operator to CEO: identifying what truly belongs on your plate, creating roles around the work you can delegate, training your team to take real ownership, and using your numbers to make confident decisions about hiring, growth, and even paying yourself more. Whether you're opening your first studio or realizing the business you've built depends far too heavily on you, this conversation offers a roadmap for building a studio that can grow with you—not just because of you. What You'll Learn: Why "the owner is the system" in so many growing dance studios How to identify what only you can do—and what should be delegated The mindset shift from studio operator to studio CEO Why delegation starts with clearly defined roles and expectations How proper training builds trust and gives team members autonomy Why taking time to train now can create a much bigger payoff later How financial clarity helps you make better hiring and growth decisions Why knowing your numbers can make it easier to confidently pay yourself more The three things Shannon believes studio owners should build into their businesses from day one Why your three-year vision, financial plan, and brand identity should guide your decisions What to remember when studio ownership feels overwhelming Shannon Westveer is a Professional Speaker, Founder & CEO of The Switch Finance & Studio Solutions, and a Studio Growth Coach inside the DSOA Inner Circle. She co-owned and grew a $1.7 million dance studio in Chicago and has taught dance to tens of thousands of children over the past 25 years. Today, she uses her experience in business, finance, leadership, and studio ownership to help dance studio owners build stronger businesses and become more confident leaders. Explore our partners: Make the switch to more confident studio finances at TheStudioSwitch.com. Claim Limelight Teamwear's exclusive offer for new studio partners by emailing [email protected] and mentioning DSOA podcast! Get custom apparel your dancers will love at PliePromotions.com. Mention DSOA when you book your strategy call and get a free custom glitter backpack. Join our growing community of people just like you inside our free Facebook group. Click here to join!  Follow The Dance Studio Owners Association:  Instagram: @dancestudioownersassociation | TikTok: @dsoaofficial | Facebook: @dancestudioownersassociation  

What would change in your studio if confidence, character, connection and leadership were intentionally built into every student's experience?  This week, we're resharing a powerful conversation filled with practical ideas for building a dance studio experience that goes far beyond teaching steps.  Jodi Shilling sits down with Loren Specht, founder of LoMastro Performing Arts Academy, Dance Mastery Institute and Virtuosity Dance Festival, to explore how intentional programming can support the whole child, strengthen faculty and improve retention. Loren shares how her WINGS character-development program, confidence coaching and behavior support systems help students feel seen, take risks and build life skills, while giving teachers practical tools to respond to classroom challenges. She also explains why positioning her studio as a curriculum-based school—not a transactional service—has changed how families perceive its value. The episode is a powerful reminder that lasting retention is built when students feel connected, teachers feel supported and parents see the studio as a meaningful partner in their child's growth.   What You'll Learn  How to intentionally weave studio values into your curriculum  What Loren's WINGS character-development program includes  How to adapt one program for different ages and dance subjects  Why visible student activities help communicate value to parents  How character-building programs can support connection and retention  Why confidence needs to be developed like a muscle  How confidence coaching can help dancers take more creative risks  Why Loren begins confidence work before students reach middle school  How journaling and reflection can reinforce confidence outside coaching sessions  A simple end-of-class exercise that helps students recognize their progress  How to find the right outside expert or community partner  Why studio owners do not need to personally lead every new initiative  How behavioral coaching can give dance teachers practical support  Why "behavior is communication"  How small classroom responsibilities can help students reset  Why solution-focused support is more effective than venting  How curriculum consistency strengthens the student experience  Why positioning your studio as a school can increase perceived value  How words such as "tuition," "classes" and "education" shape parent expectations  Jodi Shilling is the owner of Relevé Studios, an award-winning studio recognized by the Dance Studio Owners Association, the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and the American Business Awards. She is also the founder of Elevate School Arts, a DSOA Inner Circle Studio Growth Coach and an accomplished television, film and improv performer.  Loren LoMastro Specht is the founder and director of LoMastro Performing Arts Academy, Dance Mastery Institute and Virtuosity Dance Festival. An experienced instructor, choreographer and curriculum developer, she is dedicated to creating intentional, whole-child dance education and supporting teachers with the tools they need to help every student succeed.  Explore our partners: Try our Daily Decision Compass: dsoa.com/compass Claim Limelight Teamwear's exclusive offer for new studio partners by emailing [email protected] and mentioning DSOA podcast! Join our growing community of people just like you inside our free Facebook group. Click here to join!  Follow The Dance Studio Owners Association:  Instagram: @dancestudioownersassociation | TikTok: @dsoaofficial | Facebook: @dancestudioownersassociation  

Can a stronger studio culture be the difference between families who stay for one season… and families who stay for a lifetime?  Today we are resharing one of our most-loved episodes, because every studio owner can benefit from its message. In this inspiring episode, guest host Kim McSwain shares practical leadership strategies for building a dance studio where students, parents, teachers, and staff all feel connected and valued.  From strengthening communication and empowering your faculty to giving students a voice, Kim shares simple, actionable ideas to help you create more than just a dance studio—you'll build a community where families feel they truly belong.  What You'll Learn  Why studio owners must lead by creating connection, not just managing operations  How being visible and available strengthens your studio culture  Practical ways to build stronger relationships with parents and families  Why your teachers need to be present beyond the classroom  How clear communication builds trust and loyalty  Why giving students a voice creates deeper engagement  Simple activities that strengthen parent-child connections through dance  How your studio can become a safe place and true community for everyone  Kim McSwain is an internationally respected dance educator, mentor, and speaker with decades of experience training dancers, teachers, and studio owners. After performing professionally with artists including Britney Spears, NSYNC, and Michael Jackson, Kim dedicated her career to developing exceptional educators and helping dance studios build stronger cultures through her Changing Lives program.  Explore our partners: Sign up for Studio Sync - dsoa.com/syncmembership Claim Limelight Teamwear's exclusive offer for new studio partners by emailing [email protected] and mentioning DSOA podcast! Join our growing community of people just like you inside our free Facebook group. Click here to join!  Follow The Dance Studio Owners Association:  Instagram: @dancestudioownersassociation | TikTok: @dsoaofficial | Facebook: @dancestudioownersassociation    

Can a stronger studio culture be the difference between families who stay for one season… and families who stay for a lifetime?  Today we are resharing one of our most-loved episodes, because every studio owner can benefit from its message. In this inspiring episode, guest host Kim McSwain shares practical leadership strategies for building a dance studio where students, parents, teachers, and staff all feel connected and valued.  From strengthening communication and empowering your faculty to giving students a voice, Kim shares simple, actionable ideas to help you create more than just a dance studio—you'll build a community where families feel they truly belong.  What You'll Learn  Why studio owners must lead by creating connection, not just managing operations  How being visible and available strengthens your studio culture  Practical ways to build stronger relationships with parents and families  Why your teachers need to be present beyond the classroom  How clear communication builds trust and loyalty  Why giving students a voice creates deeper engagement  Simple activities that strengthen parent-child connections through dance  How your studio can become a safe place and true community for everyone  Kim McSwain is an internationally respected dance educator, mentor, and speaker with decades of experience training dancers, teachers, and studio owners. After performing professionally with artists including Britney Spears, NSYNC, and Michael Jackson, Kim dedicated her career to developing exceptional educators and helping dance studios build stronger cultures through her Changing Lives program.  Explore our partners: Sign up for Studio Sync - dsoa.com/syncmembership Claim Limelight Teamwear's exclusive offer for new studio partners by emailing [email protected] and mentioning DSOA podcast! Join our growing community of people just like you inside our free Facebook group. Click here to join!  Follow The Dance Studio Owners Association:  Instagram: @dancestudioownersassociation | TikTok: @dsoaofficial | Facebook: @dancestudioownersassociation    

Making your first hire can feel overwhelming, especially when you've built your studio with your own two hands.  We're bringing back this insightful conversation from our podcast archives because its lessons on hiring, leadership, and delegation remain timeless for studio owners.    In this episode, Mary Giattino shares the personal story of taking over her family's dance studio, hiring her very first studio manager, and learning that true delegation isn't about giving away tasks. It's about empowering others to lead. Through honest reflections on hiring, trust, systems, and leadership, Mary offers practical insights to help studio owners build stronger teams and create a business that can grow beyond themselves.  What You'll Learn  Why your first hire is one of the biggest leadership decisions you'll make  How Mary transitioned from Broadway to owning her family's dance studio  What to look for when hiring a studio manager  Why delegation is about empowerment—not just assigning tasks  How to build trust while maintaining accountability  The importance of systems and clear communication  Why culture fit matters just as much as skill set  How delegation allows studio owners to focus on vision and growth  Lessons Mary learned from growing her admin team over the past 12 years  Why leadership and delegation are continual learning processes  Mary Giattino is a Broadway choreographer, educator, and longtime dance studio owner. She owns Stage Door School of Dance in Long Island, New York, serves as a DSOA Inner Circle Studio Growth Coach, and has worked on numerous Broadway and national touring productions, including Billy Elliot, Dear Evan Hansen, Fun Home, and White Christmas. Today, Mary combines her professional performing arts experience with decades of studio leadership to help dance studio owners build stronger businesses and teams.  Explore our partners: Try Studio Pro FREE for 30 days: gostudiopro.com/transform Try our Daily Decision Compass: dsoa.com/compass Join our growing community of people just like you inside our free Facebook group. Click here to join!  Follow The Dance Studio Owners Association:  Instagram: @dancestudioownersassociation | TikTok: @dsoaofficial | Facebook: @dancestudioownersassociation      

Are you leading your team the way you want to be remembered?  We're resharing one of our favorite episodes from Kelli Leighton's Innovate to Thrive series because its leadership lessons are just as relevant today as when it first aired. If you've ever felt frustrated by staff performance, struggled with accountability, or found yourself carrying too much of the workload, this episode will challenge you to look at leadership from a new perspective.  Kelli shares the mindset shifts and practical strategies that helped her build a stronger, more innovative team. You'll also hear about the unique role she introduced in her studio—the Director of Removing Friction—and how it's helped streamline operations, improve communication, and reduce stress for both her team and her clients.  What You'll Learn  Why your team is a direct reflection of your leadership  How to perform an effective team audit  The importance of accountability without sacrificing culture  How innovation starts with leadership, not creativity alone  Why your team needs a mindset shift—not just new systems  How to separate emotional feedback from real business data  The difference between macro and micro client pain points  Why empowering staff leads to better decision-making  What a "Director of Removing Friction" does—and why every studio needs one  Practical ways to build a forward-thinking, innovative team  Whether you're growing your team or refining the one you already have, you'll walk away with actionable ideas to become a more confident leader and build a studio culture that supports long-term success.  Kelli Leighton is the owner and Artistic Director of Leighton Dance Project in California and a longtime member and coach inside the Dance Studio Owners Association Inner Circle. Passionate about helping studio owners embrace innovation, Kelli combines creativity with practical leadership strategies to build thriving businesses, strong teams, and exceptional studio cultures. Through her Innovate to Thrive series, she encourages studio owners to think differently, lead confidently, and turn big ideas into meaningful action.  Explore our partners: Try Studio Pro for FREE for 30 Days - gostudiopro.com/transform Join our growing community of people just like you inside our free Facebook group. Click here to join!  Follow The Dance Studio Owners Association:  Instagram: @dancestudioownersassociation | TikTok: @dsoaofficial | Facebook: @dancestudioownersassociation  

Can a stronger studio culture be the difference between families who stay for one season… and families who stay for a lifetime?  Today we are resharing one of our most-loved episodes, because every studio owner can benefit from its message. In this inspiring episode, guest host Kim McSwain shares practical leadership strategies for building a dance studio where students, parents, teachers, and staff all feel connected and valued.  From strengthening communication and empowering your faculty to giving students a voice, Kim shares simple, actionable ideas to help you create a community where families feel they truly belong.  What You'll Learn: Why studio owners must lead by creating connection, not just managing operations  How being visible and available strengthens your studio culture  Practical ways to build stronger relationships with parents and families  Why your teachers need to be present beyond the classroom  How clear communication builds trust and loyalty  Why giving students a voice creates deeper engagement  Simple activities that strengthen parent-child connections through dance  How your studio can become a safe place and true community for everyone  Kim McSwain is an internationally respected dance educator, mentor, and speaker with decades of experience training dancers, teachers, and studio owners. After performing professionally with artists including Britney Spears, NSYNC, and Michael Jackson, Kim dedicated her career to developing exceptional educators and helping dance studios build stronger cultures through her Changing Lives program.  Can a stronger studio culture be the difference between families who stay for one season… and families who stay for a lifetime?  Today we are resharing one of our most-loved episodes, because every studio owner can benefit from its message. In this inspiring episode, guest host Kim McSwain shares practical leadership strategies for building a dance studio where students, parents, teachers, and staff all feel connected and valued.  From strengthening communication and empowering your faculty to giving students a voice, Kim shares simple, actionable ideas to help you create more than just a dance studio—you'll build a community where families feel they truly belong.  What You'll Learn  Why studio owners must lead by creating connection, not just managing operations  How being visible and available strengthens your studio culture  Practical ways to build stronger relationships with parents and families  Why your teachers need to be present beyond the classroom  How clear communication builds trust and loyalty  Why giving students a voice creates deeper engagement  Simple activities that strengthen parent-child connections through dance  How your studio can become a safe place and true community for everyone  Kim McSwain is an internationally respected dance educator, mentor, and speaker with decades of experience training dancers, teachers, and studio owners. After performing professionally with artists including Britney Spears, NSYNC, and Michael Jackson, Kim dedicated her career to developing exceptional educators and helping dance studios build stronger cultures through her Changing Lives program.  Explore our partners: Sign up for Studio Sync - dsoa.com/syncmembership Claim Limelight Teamwear's exclusive offer for new studio partners by emailing [email protected] and mention the DSOA podcast! Join our growing community of people just like you inside our free Facebook group. Click here to join!  Follow The Dance Studio Owners Association:  Instagram: @dancestudioownersassociation | TikTok: @dsoaofficial | Facebook: @dancestudioownersassociation          

Your studio culture isn't created by your mission statement—it's built in the hundreds of small moments your dancers, teachers, and families experience every single day.  In this episode, Katie chats  with mental performance coach and leadership educator Lauren Ritchie to explore how studio owners can intentionally create environments where dancers feel supported, challenged, and inspired to grow.  Together they discuss why values alone aren't enough, how everyday interactions shape the experience inside your studio, and why emotional regulation may be one of the most important leadership skills a studio owner can develop.  What You'll Learn  Why culture is created through daily actions—not mission statements  The difference between aspirational values and lived values  How leadership energy shapes your studio environment  Why "high challenge + high support" creates better dancers  How fear-based coaching impacts long-term development  The importance of emotional regulation as a leader  Why predictable leaders build safer learning environments  Practical ways to communicate with parents and staff  How boundaries strengthen relationships  Small leadership habits that transform studio culture  Lauren Ritchie is a mental performance coach, educator, and speaker who specializes in resilience, conscious coaching, and leadership. She has developed international training programs and mental performance curricula for dancers, athletes, and coaches, helping leaders build supportive, high-performing environments where people can thrive.    Explore our partners: Get your 3-Step International Dance Day Campaign: dsoa.com/international-dance-day/ Sign up for Studio Sync - dsoa.com/syncmembership Try Dance Photo Pro - dancephotopro.com   Join our growing community of people just like you inside our free Facebook group. Click here to join!  Follow The Dance Studio Owners Association:  Instagram: @dancestudioownersassociation | TikTok: @dsoaofficial | Facebook: @dancestudioownersassociation