CEO Summer Camp is back, and this week's lesson might just be the one that changes your business forever.
Quick question...
If you disappeared for two weeks tomorrow, what would break first?
If your answer is "everything," you're definitely not alone.
In this episode, Patti and Meghan dive into one of the biggest mindset shifts every studio owner has to make. Moving from being the person who does everything to becoming the CEO who builds systems that allow the business to run without them.
Because here's the truth. Freedom doesn't come from working harder. It comes from creating systems that remove you as the bottleneck.
They share the lessons they've learned through years of trial and error, from growing studios, hiring teams, making mistakes, fixing broken processes, and finally building businesses that don't depend on them being available 24/7.
You'll also hear some hilarious "Hot Mess Express" moments, practical ideas you can implement immediately, and one simple leadership question that completely transformed Patti's team.
If you've ever packed your laptop "just in case" for a holiday, answered staff texts at midnight, or felt guilty stepping away from your business, this episode is for you.
In this episode we chat about:
- Why becoming the bottleneck is keeping your studio from growing.
- The difference between giving your team permission versus giving them information.
- Simple systems every dance studio should already have, including onboarding, staff training, registration, finances and parent communication.
- How to stop answering the same questions over and over again.
- Why your business should still run if you get "hit by a bus."
- Patti's story of growing from 47 students to more than 300, and the systems that made it possible.
- The hidden cost of decision fatigue and why leaders need to stop trying to be everything to everyone.
This week's CEO Summer Camp homework
Choose one task that steals your time every single week.
Document it.
Record yourself doing it.
Turn it into a Standard Operating Procedure.
Train someone else to own it.
One system today creates more freedom tomorrow.
Because your goal isn't to become better at doing everything.
It's to build a business that doesn't need you for everything.
We'll see you next week for another CEO Summer Camp lesson!