In this episode of Dance Studio 411 , host Jill Tirone sits down with Dotty Hancock, owner of Dance Arts Academy in Idaho. Dottie shares her 24-year journey of building a thriving studio while balancing family, health challenges, and a major studio relocation. From starting at age 21 to navigating cancer and COVID simultaneously, Dottie opens up about what it truly takes to lead with resilience. This episode is a must-listen for studio owners facing burnout or seeking renewed inspiration and lea...
May 16, 2025•21 min•Season 6Ep. 80
Episode Description In this episode, Jill sits down with veteran studio owner and mentor Samantha Bower to talk about navigating the pressures of leadership with humor, heart, and flexibility. From tackling unexpected challenges and staff burnout to building joyful culture and sustaining creativity, Sam shares stories and strategies that are equal parts inspiring and practical. Key Takeaways Create Space for Rest and Recovery: Rest isn't just helpful, it's critical . The studio is intentionally ...
Apr 29, 2025•42 min•Season 6Ep. 79
Episode Description In this episode, Jill Tirone is joined by Amelia Fazio to discuss how dance studio owners can empower their teachers to become true stakeholders in their business. They explore why teacher engagement is essential, how to create a positive studio culture, and practical ways to help teachers feel invested in the studio’s success. Key Takeaways Why Teachers Matter as Stakeholders - Teachers are frontline brand ambassadors who shape the student experience. Building Teacher Engage...
Mar 11, 2025•39 min•Season 6Ep. 78
Episode Summary: In this episode of Dance Studio 411 , we dive into the world of tap with Julie Kay Stallcup, Melanie McGonigal, and Mandy Yip, the passionate team behind the innovative Tap Roots curriculum. This power house trio discuss the historically significant art form and their new curriculum, Tap Roots , which provides a structured and comprehensive approach to teaching tap in dance studios. Key Takeaways: Preserving Tap’s Legacy: Tap dance is culturally rich and historically significant...
Mar 07, 2025•31 min•Season 6Ep. 77
Episode Description: In this episode of Dance Studio 411, we sit down with Josh Olson, the founder of DRT Performance Tix, the leading ticketing provider in the dance industry. Josh shares how DRT Tix helps dance studios simplify the ticketing process, increase revenue, and protect against common challenges like chargebacks. With a customer-first approach and a newly launched Customer Success Management (CSM) program, DRT is revolutionizing how dance studios manage ticket sales. DRT Performance ...
Feb 21, 2025•59 min•Season 6Ep. 76
Are you ready to transform your summer from a financial struggle into a season of growth and success? In this episode, we sit down with Ginger Haithcox, a seasoned dance studio owner and business coach, to discuss actionable strategies for making summer a profitable and engaging time for your studio. From setting measurable goals to offering irresistible summer programs, Ginger shares her expert insights on how to maximize revenue, retain students, and avoid burnout. Tune in to learn how to make...
Feb 12, 2025•42 min•Season 6Ep. 75
In this episode of the Dance Studio 411 podcast, we’re speaking with Leo Moore from DRT Performance Tix , where we discuss top tips for stress-free performances. Leo shares her extensive experience in the industry, offering valuable insights on on how to streamline your shows and create memorable experiences for both your students and audience. From understanding different types of seating arrangements to managing multiple shows and gathering feedback from families, this episode is packed with p...
Feb 04, 2025•27 min•Season 6Ep. 74
Episode Summary: Join hosts Suzanne Blake Gerety and Jill Tirone as they discuss practical and heartfelt strategies for overcoming burnout in the dance studio business. They tackle challenges faced by studio owners, share actionable tips, and provide a fresh perspective on rediscovering your passion for dance and leadership. Key Takeaways The Dance Studio Paradox Recognizing Burnout Outgrowing Roles Delegation is Key Leverage Your Superpower Embrace Change Timestamps [00:28] Jill introduces Suza...
Dec 20, 2024•19 min•Season 5Ep. 73
Episode Summary: In this episode of Dance Studio 411 , host Jill Tirone welcomes Shanna Kirkpatrick, a veteran dance studio owner with over 19 years of experience, to discuss the value of feedback in running a successful studio. Shanna shares personal insights and strategies on how soliciting and responding to feedback from families, staff, and students has transformed her leadership approach and studio operations. The episode dives into the challenges of receiving feedback, especially for creat...
Nov 20, 2024•12 min•Season 5Ep. 72
In this episode of Dance Studio 411 , host Jill Tirone sits down with the talented Taylor Hiller, Revolution's Channel Brand Manager and seasoned choreographer. Taylor reveals her tried-and-true formula for creating flawless recital choreography. Whether you're a seasoned dance instructor or just starting, Taylor’s insights on curriculum structure, lesson planning, and choreography processes are sure to inspire. Plus, you'll learn her tips for balancing creativity with structure, emphasizing the...
Oct 29, 2024•13 min•Season 5Ep. 71
Episode Description In the podcast episode "Back to Basics: Making Money In Your Dance Studio with Tiffany Henderson," Tiffany provides clear and focused strategies for increasing revenue in dance studios. The episode highlights two primary revenue streams: optimizing class curriculum and organizing successful holiday shows and recitals. Tiffany discusses how to structure classes to enhance their value and attract more students, while also creating memorable recitals that boost ticket sales. She...
Oct 15, 2024•36 min•Season 5Ep. 70
In this episode of Dance Studio 411 , Jill is joined by Joe Naftal from Naftal Creative. Joe shares his expertise on how dance studio owners can take their holiday shows to the next level. Whether you’ve been running holiday performances for years or considering starting one, Joe offers practical advice on organizing, managing, and profiting from holiday shows while ensuring they are stress-free for both staff and families. He also introduces Check In Pointe, a performance management platform de...
Oct 03, 2024•15 min•Season 5Ep. 69
In this episode of DanceStudio411, we're joined by Stephen Reinstein from Market Muscles to explore the essential elements of a dance studio website and how to optimize it to attract and retain more students. Stephen will walk us through common pitfalls studio owners often face, like putting too much emphasis on current students, overwhelming their site with information, or displaying schedules and pricing too soon. Discover how these missteps can hinder your lead generation and learn actionable...
Sep 27, 2024•37 min•Season 5Ep. 68
In this episode of Dance Studio 411, hosts Jill Tirone and Patty Rielley dive into the popular topic of themed dance shows. Should your recital have a theme, or should you keep it simple? Patty, a seasoned dance studio owner and Revolution's Rewards Manager, shares her insights, experiences, and expert advice on managing recital themes that excite students, engage families, and boost retention. Key Highlights: To Theme or Not to Theme? [2:50] Patty explains the benefits of having a themed recita...
Sep 13, 2024•22 min•Season 5Ep. 67
In this episode of Dance Studio 411 podcast, Jill Tirone welcomes Cathy Graziano, Executive Director of the National Dance Foundation, to discuss the exciting changes to National Dance Week and how dance studios can get involved. Cathy shares the history of the foundation, the mission behind its initiatives, and why the shift of National Dance Week to October is a game-changer for the dance community. From promoting kindness, inclusion, and community to engaging students in various activities, C...
Sep 10, 2024•21 min•Season 5Ep. 66
In our latest episode, our special guest, Ginger Haithcox discusses a topic that comes directly from our member group and it is one of the biggest challenges dance studio owners face: finding, hiring, and retaining high-quality staff. Listen in as Ginger talks about what dance studio owners can do to attract applicants for Job openings, how using KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) is a game changer, and how to avoid headaches when delegating to your staff. We’re grateful to Ginger for providing h...
Apr 24, 2024•31 min•Season 5Ep. 65
In this episode of the Dance Studio 411 podcast, we sit down to have a very frank, open conversation with Amelia Fazio to discuss dance and body image and how you can develop a positive and supportive dance studio environment. The goal of this episode is to keep it real and we hope this outlines how important body positivity and positive language practices are to your studio. We can't wait for you to listen to this episode with Amelia because her passion shines through in all she does. We hope t...
Mar 19, 2024•41 min•Season 5Ep. 64
Join Suzanne Blake Gerety as she shares one of the keys to studio business growth - change! In this podcast episode you’ll learn the simple yet impactful way to approach making meaningful decisions - from pricing to policies and beyond. You’ll hear how you have an advantage as a dance educator and studio owner to “dance with change”. This episode is designed to boost your confidence and courage when it comes to approaching parents, students, faculty or staff with any new or improved policy. ~~~~...
Feb 07, 2024•26 min•Season 5Ep. 63
In our latest episode, our special guest, Ginger Haithcox shares 3 benefits of implementing a student assistant program at your dance studio. Student assistants help with student retention and progression, they help create a future pipeline for dance studio staff, and they enhance the customer experience. Listen as Ginger provides insight into her successful program and how you can get this complete system for your dance studio. The Studio Ambassador System: Train your studio assistants with con...
Oct 10, 2023•23 min•Season 5Ep. 62
Facebook Advertising can be a huge source of stress for dance studio owners. Let's be honest, there aren't many of us who have the time or energy to manage our dance studio’s social media accounts. In this episode, Jill Tirone sits down with Kristian Altuve of Dance Motion Marketing and they discuss three simple ways to help you with your social media and get the most out of your online advertising. Join Kristian Altuve and Bryce Conlan of Dance Motion Marketing in their Facebook Group: https://...
Apr 27, 2023•19 min•Season 4Ep. 61
In this episode, Brad Bingham of Enrollio shares his top tips to fill your summer camps! These proven methods and ideas are easy to implement and, best of all, can be used all year round. Enrollio is the #1 Growth & Reputation Accelerator for Dance Studios, Swim Schools & After School Programs. Enrollio helps studio owners worldwide capture more website enrollments, reduce task load, & elevate brand reputation almost entirely on auto-pilot. Enrollio was created by Brad Bingham, tech/...
Apr 13, 2023•21 min•Season 4Ep. 60
In our latest episode, Jill Tirone sits down with Sean Dever, CPA to answer financial questions directly from our member group. Sean explains the intricacies of pricing discounts and profitability, why a non-profit may not be right for your studio, and how dance studio owners can benefit from selling additional items like costumes and dancewear. Listen in as he shares his expertise and financial advice to help you avoid pitfalls and increase your profits in your dance studio business. ~~~~~~~~~~...
Oct 07, 2022•20 min•Season 4Ep. 59
In our latest episode, Suzanne Blake Gerety sits down with Misty Lown of More Than Just Great Dancing to discuss what’s on the hearts and minds of dance studio owners. Misty explains that key developmental experiences in dance help students become healthy, high-functioning adults and how to communicate the value of dance to families. Listen in as she shares her definition of success, her love of golden retrievers, and how she helps the members of More Than Just Great Dancing succeed. ~~~~~~~~~~~...
Aug 12, 2022•18 min•Season 4Ep. 58
Are you ready to have your best season yet? In this podcast, Suzanne Blake Gerety and Jill Tirone reflect on the past season and get focused for the new. Learn to identify the obstacles standing in your way and how to use them as a starting point to help you achieve your goals. They're also covering ways to battle burnout and sharing tips to increase your tuition and fees with confidence. Join us so you can be strategic with your planning for the new dance season! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Running a dan...
Jun 28, 2022•24 min•Season 4Ep. 57
It can be difficult to raise your prices and fees, and many dance studio owners worry about how it will affect their business. In this podcast, Suzanne Blake Gerety and Jill Tirone are sharing ways to navigate rising costs and inflation. You'll learn how to earn extra income through dancewear and costumes while adding extra value to your studio. Through their support and encouragement, you'll get the information and boost you need to head into the dance season feeling confident around raising yo...
Jun 22, 2022•24 min•Season 4Ep. 56
As a busy dance studio owner, you probably feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done. Luckily, with some helpful tips and productivity hacks, you can take back some of those lost hours and create an environment that promotes efficiency and increased organization at your dance studio. All it takes is a little bit of planning, and by implementing these strategies into your daily routine, you’ll find yourself with more time than ever to focus on growing your busines...
Jan 13, 2022•26 min•Season 4Ep. 55
Enrolling preschool-aged students can be one of the most difficult parts of running your own dance studio. Our research shows that studios are the most flexible on enrollment deadlines with this age group; therefore making the full-season commitment less predictable. Thankfully, there are several different ways you can find more preschool-aged dance students without spending your entire marketing budget. In this podcast, Jill Tirone and Suzanne Blake Gerety share four ways to find more preschool...
Dec 14, 2021•25 min•Season 3Ep. 54
In this episode, Tiffany Henderson is sharing expert tips for producing a crowd-pleasing holiday performance on a short timeline that brings out the best in your youngest dancers! Holiday shows matter more than ever and we're here to help you make participation easy. Learn what to include in your holiday performance package, how to budget for your show venue, and how to leverage done-for-you choreography and costume ideas to re-inspire teaching staff and boost dancer confidence. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~...
Sep 15, 2021•32 min•Season 3Ep. 53
In this episode of Dance Studio 411, Patty Rielley shares her top projects and tips that busy studio owners can share with their office managers. She believes a little planning goes a long way and organization is the key to delegation. As a former studio owner for 17 years and currently a dance studio office manager, Patty draws from her extensive experience and gives specific, real-life examples of how you can organize and delegate effectively. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Running a dance studio is hard w...
Aug 10, 2021•30 min•Season 3Ep. 52
In this episode, you’ll hear expert tips on establishing and maintaining a dress code program that parents and dancers love. Tiffany Henderson is an industry leader and dance business expert who owns and operates seven Tiffany's Dance Academy locations in Northern California. Her video-based teacher training system and curriculum, Twinkle Star Dance, is currently implemented in 300+ dance studios worldwide. She shares actionable ideas on how you can easily bring in additional revenue to your bus...
Jul 19, 2021•38 min•Season 3Ep. 51
