The Hiring Mistake That Impacts Retention Later
Transform My Dance Studio – The Podcast For Dance Studio Owners
Release Date: 06/01/2026
Building Your Own Picture of Studio Success
Transform My Dance Studio – The Podcast For Dance Studio Owners
Is there a missing piece in your dance studio business that's holding everything else back? Maybe it's the right team member, clearer financial information, better systems, or simply the courage to make a difficult decision. In this special episode of the Transform My Dance Studio Podcast, we're revisiting one of our favourite talks from Craig Burns, Inner Circle Mastery Executive Coach, who brings over a decade of coaching experience, including five years working specifically with dance studio owners and hundreds of hours of one-on-one coaching conversations. Through a powerful personal story...
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How to Scale Your Studio Without Losing Your Community
Transform My Dance Studio – The Podcast For Dance Studio Owners
Your recreational dancers may only spend 45 minutes a week inside your studio, but are you creating an experience that makes them feel like they truly belong there? In this episode of the Transform My Dance Studio Podcast, we’re re-sharing a jam-packed talk from DSOA CEO of the Year and Studio Growth Coach Sharon Uyar. Sharon breaks down how she’s built a thriving recreational program by focusing on five key areas: studio culture, customer service, marketing, engagement, and convenience. From making families feel seen to rethinking schedules, communication, community events, and even the...
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The 13 Steps to Financial Freedom
Transform My Dance Studio – The Podcast For Dance Studio Owners
Could your curriculum be one of the most valuable assets in your dance studio? In this episode of the Transform My Dance Studio Podcast, we’re re-sharing a powerful talk from the Dance Teacher Web Conference & Expo in Las Vegas in August 2024, where Studio Growth Coach Alisa Finney shares her “13 Steps to Financial Freedom” and reveals why curriculum is so much more than a teaching tool. Alisa explores how a clear, progressive curriculum can create consistency across your team, strengthen student progression, protect your studio from teacher turnover, unlock additional revenue...
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From $100K+ in Debt to 22% Profit: How To Find Your CEO Power
Transform My Dance Studio – The Podcast For Dance Studio Owners
You can run a successful dance studio for years and still feel completely insecure when it comes to your numbers. In this episode of the Transform My Dance Studio Podcast, we’re resharing a powerful talk from two years ago with Robyn Tedesco, CEO of Move With Grace Dance Studio, co-owner of Inspire Dance Challenge and Amplify Dance Lab, and a certified Board Director with the Performing Arts Educators of Canada. Robyn shares how changing her mindset, learning her KPIs, creating consistent financial routines, and holding herself accountable helped her step into her CEO power—paying off more...
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How To Create Full-Time Careers AND Gain Personal Freedom
Transform My Dance Studio – The Podcast For Dance Studio Owners
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...
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How Studio Owners Can Use AI It to Save Time and Create More
Transform My Dance Studio – The Podcast For Dance Studio Owners
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...
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Beyond Dance: Programs That Transform Students
Transform My Dance Studio – The Podcast For Dance Studio Owners
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...
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The Secret to a Truly United Dance Studio
Transform My Dance Studio – The Podcast For Dance Studio Owners
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...
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Delegation is About Empowering Someone Else!
Transform My Dance Studio – The Podcast For Dance Studio Owners
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...
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The #1 Hire You Need To Staff Up & Stress Down!
Transform My Dance Studio – The Podcast For Dance Studio Owners
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...
info_outlineHiring teachers is one thing. Keeping great teachers long-term is something else entirely.
In this throwback episode, Annie Leese and Lauren Kelly break down the leadership, systems, and culture shifts that help dance studio owners build teams that stay invested, supported, and committed for the long haul.
Lauren shares how she transformed her mindset as a studio owner, what she learned inside the Inner Circle, and why personalized leadership matters more than ever.
What you’ll learn:
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How to hire based on studio mission and values
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Why feedback surveys can improve hiring decisions
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Creative ways to retain great staff
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The importance of compensation and financial stability
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How personalized leadership improves retention
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Why team culture starts with the owner
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What it means to lead like a CEO in the dance industry
Lauren Kelly is the owner and artistic director of Music and Motion Dance Studio. Since taking over the studio from her mother, Lauren has focused on building a culture-driven team rooted in education, leadership, and long-term sustainability.
Explore our partners:
Sign up for Studio Sync - dsoa.com/syncmembership
Try our Daily Decision Compass - dsoa.com/compass
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