loader from loading.io

Reclaim Your Time: Fixing the Most Chaotic Day of the Dance Season

Transform My Dance Studio – The Podcast For Dance Studio Owners

Release Date: 01/12/2026

Are You The Bottleneck For Your Own Studio? show art Are You The Bottleneck For Your Own Studio?

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...

info_outline Stop Leaving $50K On The Table show art Stop Leaving $50K On The Table

Transform My Dance Studio – The Podcast For Dance Studio Owners

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...

info_outline Recital Revenue: The Strategy That Changed Everything for this Studio Owner show art Recital Revenue: The Strategy That Changed Everything for this Studio Owner

Transform My Dance Studio – The Podcast For Dance Studio Owners

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_outline Why Studio Owners Burn Out (And How to Reclaim Your Life) show art Why Studio Owners Burn Out (And How to Reclaim Your Life)

Transform 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_outline The $1 Ticket Increase That Changes Everything show art The $1 Ticket Increase That Changes Everything

Transform 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_outline The 3 Climbs to a Stronger, Smarter Summer show art The 3 Climbs to a Stronger, Smarter Summer

Transform 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_outline How Profitable Studios Think About Summer show art How Profitable Studios Think About Summer

Transform 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_outline Posting Trendy Reels Doesn’t Enroll Students – Here's What Does! show art Posting Trendy Reels Doesn’t Enroll Students – Here's What Does!

Transform 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_outline The Cash Flow Wake-Up Call Dance Studio Owners Need show art The Cash Flow Wake-Up Call Dance Studio Owners Need

Transform 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_outline Stay Awkward: The Leadership Skill You’re Avoiding (Interview with Henna Pryor) show art Stay Awkward: The Leadership Skill You’re Avoiding (Interview with Henna Pryor)

Transform 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_outline
 
More Episodes

What would change in your studio if picture day actually gave you time back instead of taking it away?

Olivia Mode-Cater sits down with Lisa Mallis, Co-Founder and COO of PhotoDay, to unpack one of the most underestimated (and misunderstood) moments in the dance studio year: recital portrait day.

What’s often treated as a logistical headache is actually a powerful opportunity to elevate your brand, increase revenue, and reclaim your time. Lisa shares her journey from high-volume dance photography to building technology that transformed how studios and photographers handle picture day and why systems, transparency, and experience matter more than ever.

Together, Olivia and Lisa explore how outdated processes create unnecessary stress for studio owners, staff, families, and photographers and how the right workflows can turn one of the most chaotic days of the season into a smooth, confidence-building, revenue-generating experience.

This episode is a must-listen for studio owners who are tired of burnout, overwhelmed by logistics, and ready to grow their business while reclaiming their life.

You’ll hear:

  • Why recital portrait day feels so overwhelming and why it doesn’t have to

  • The hidden revenue opportunity most studios are leaving on the table

  • How systems and automation can dramatically reduce stress for owners and families

  • Why “return on time” matters more than return on investment

  • How transparency and feedback create stronger studio partnerships

  • What recital photos really represent for families — and why that matters for your brand

  • How to create an experience parents remember with love, not frustration

If you’re ready to stop dreading picture day and start using it as a strategic advantage in your studio, this episode will change how you see it forever.

Discover how studios are upgrading picture day with PhotoDay at photoday.com

Join our growing community of people just like you inside our free Facebook group. Click here to join!