Why ‘It’s Not Personal, It’s Business’ Might Save Your Studio
Transform My Dance Studio – The Podcast For Dance Studio Owners
Release Date: 10/21/2025
Transform My Dance Studio – The Podcast For Dance Studio Owners
What if the thing holding your studio back… is actually how you’re showing up as the leader? In this powerful and honest conversation, Olivia Mode-Cater is joined by Inner Circle Studio Growth Coach Shannon Westveer to unpack the identity shifts required to grow a sustainable, scalable dance studio. This episode goes beyond strategy—and into the real internal work that studio owners must face as they evolve from doing everything… to leading something bigger than themselves. Shannon shares her journey from overwhelmed studio...
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What if picture day wasn’t a stressful, time-consuming obligation, but one of the most profitable and impactful parts of your studio? In this episode of Transform My Dance Studio, Olivia Mode-Cater sits down with studio owner, entrepreneur, and founder of Dance Photo Pro, Hilary Parnell, to completely reframe how studio owners think about dance photography. With over 25 years of experience, $3M+ in studio revenue, and hundreds of studio owners coached, Hilary shares how she turned a frustrating, low-value experience into a scalable revenue stream and how you can do the same. From losing...
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Are you running your recital strategically… or just hoping it works out? For many dance studios, recital is the single biggest cash infusion of the year, yet most studio owners never actually plan it that way. In this episode of the Transform My Dance Studio Podcast, Olivia Mode-Cater sits down with DSOA Inner Circle finance coach Paige Sayegh, a studio owner of 32 years who runs a thriving 700-student studio in New Jersey. Through her work coaching studio owners around the world, Paige has reviewed hundreds of P&Ls and helped studios uncover hidden revenue...
info_outlineTransform My Dance Studio – The Podcast For Dance Studio Owners
Are you running your studio… or is your studio running you? For many dance studio owners, the business becomes more than a job. It becomes identity, purpose, and sometimes pressure that’s impossible to escape. When every challenge feels personal and every decision feels heavy, it can be difficult to lead with clarity and confidence. In this powerful conversation, Olivia Mode-Cater sits down with entrepreneur, author, and mindset coach Cara Moeller Poppitt to explore the internal shifts studio owners must make in order to grow...
info_outlineTransform My Dance Studio – The Podcast For Dance Studio Owners
If recital season has ever meant long lines, confused parents, ticket stress, or that sinking feeling that your biggest event of the year could have run smoother, this episode is for you. Because let’s be clear: your recital isn’t “just a show.” It’s your biggest brand statement, a major revenue driver, a powerful retention tool, and a defining leadership moment all wrapped into one. In this episode of the Transform My Dance Studio Podcast, Olivia sits down with Leo Moore from DRT Performance Tix to unpack how studio owners can...
info_outlineTransform My Dance Studio – The Podcast For Dance Studio Owners
You’re working harder than ever… so why doesn’t your studio feel more profitable? If you’ve ever looked at your numbers and thought, “Where is the money?” this episode will shift the way you think about profit forever. In this powerful solo conversation, Olivia Mode-Cater challenges one of the most uncomfortable truths in entrepreneurship: profit is not natural. Your business will always find ways to spend money, especially in the name of care, growth, new ideas, team, and upgrades. That doesn’t make you bad at business. It makes you human. But if you want long-term...
info_outlineTransform My Dance Studio – The Podcast For Dance Studio Owners
Does summer feel like the season where you hold your breath, cross your fingers, and hope fall enrollment fixes everything? For so many studio owners, summer looks busy. Camps are running, kids are in the building, but behind the scenes, cash flow feels unpredictable, margins feel thin, and there’s a quiet anxiety that summer might actually be hurting the business instead of helping it. In this episode of the Transform My Dance Studio Podcast, Olivia Mode-Cater is joined by Inner Circle coach and longtime studio owner Annie Leese...
info_outlineTransform My Dance Studio – The Podcast For Dance Studio Owners
In this clarity-packed episode of the Transform My Dance Studio Podcast, host Olivia Mode-Cater sits down with DSOA’s Social Media Coach and Manager Sophie Mckie to unpack what’s actually broken about social media for dance studios and why working harder isn’t the answer. From Canva templates and “pretty feeds” to random posting and constant second-guessing, Olivia and Sophie reveal why most studio owners feel burned out by social media — even when they’re doing “everything right.” This episode...
info_outlineTransform My Dance Studio – The Podcast For Dance Studio Owners
In this candid solo episode, Olivia Mode-Cater tackles one of the most stressful realities of studio ownership: summer cash flow. If you’ve ever felt that pit in your stomach when June rolls around, this episode is your wake-up call. Olivia explains why summer doesn’t create cash flow problems, it reveals the ones that already exist. Through real numbers, real talk, and zero sugarcoating, she walks studio owners through the simple math that determines whether your studio survives summer… or finally thrives through it. This isn’t about fear or hustle. It’s about clarity,...
info_outlineTransform My Dance Studio – The Podcast For Dance Studio Owners
Do you ever label yourself as “awkward” and then use that as a reason not to take a risk? In the first episode of Season 6 of the Transform My Dance Studio Podcast, Olivia Mode-Cater is joined by workplace performance expert Henna Pryor to unpack one of the biggest hidden barriers to studio growth: the fear of awkwardness. Together, they challenge the idea that confident leaders “have it all together” and reveal that confidence isn’t about avoiding discomfort, it’s about recovering faster. From perfectionism and approval-seeking...
info_outlineIn this empowering and refreshingly honest episode of the Transform My Dance Studio Podcast, Olivia Mode-Cater sits down with Inner Circle mentor Nadine Selinger to talk about a topic many studio owners would rather avoid: their numbers.
Nadine shares her journey from “QuickBooks was like poking me in the eyeballs” to celebrating her Financial Fridays, proving that mastering your finances isn’t about being a math person. It’s actually about about confidence, systems, and clarity.
Together, Olivia and Nadine unpack how studio owners can move from financial avoidance to financial control, and why profitability doesn’t make you less passionate, it makes your purpose sustainable.
Whether you’re terrified to open QuickBooks or already tracking every dollar, this conversation will help you face your numbers, strengthen your team, and build a studio that serves you, not the other way around.
You will learn:
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Why most studio owners avoid their finances — and how to break the cycle
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The four financial habits that shift you from chaos to control
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How to make budgeting as creative as choreography
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The mindset shift that turns “bad news” into better decisions
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How to calculate your profit margins — and what 20% really looks like
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Why “it’s not personal, it’s business” is a form of leadership, not coldness
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Practical ideas for getting your team invested in revenue goals
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How to gamify finances to motivate staff and celebrate wins
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The ultimate reason to get your money right: freedom for your family and your future
Whether you’re terrified to open QuickBooks or already tracking every dollar, this conversation will help you face your numbers, strengthen your team, and build a studio that serves you, not the other way around.
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