The Cheer Biz Podcast

By Next Generation Gym Owners

Calling all Cheerleading and Gymnastics Gym owners. Next Generation consulting specializes in connecting people and profits. As a group of entrepreneurs who started businesses in the Recreational an... more

· Business

5

2424 ratings

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FAQs about The Cheer Biz Podcast:

How many episodes does The Cheer Biz Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 415 episodes available.

The Cheer Biz Podcast episodes:

June 06, 2026 The Dangerous Assumption Coaches Make
In this episode of the Cheer Biz Podcast, Dan Cotton shares one of the biggest coaching mistakes he has seen over 23 years in the cheer industry: putting athletes in a box.

Too often, coaches label athletes as lazy, untalented, weak, difficult, unmotivated, or incapable of reaching the next level. The problem is that those labels create bias, influence coaching decisions, and can prevent athletes from reaching their true potential.

Dan breaks down the common boxes coaches put athletes into, why these labels are often inaccurate, and how some of the most successful athletes he has ever coached were once the athletes nobody believed in. He explains why athletes develop at different rates, why confidence and opportunity matter so much, and how coaches can avoid limiting athletes with their own expectations.

This episode is a powerful reminder for cheer coaches, gym owners, and program directors that athlete development is rarely linear. The athletes who struggle today may become the leaders, world champions, and program-changing athletes of tomorrow.

If you want to become a better coach, develop more athletes, and create a culture where potential is nurtured instead of limited, this episode is for you.
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17min
June 02, 2026 3 Things Gym Owners Must Stop Doing
In this episode of the Cheer Biz Podcast, Dan Cotton gets fired up about three things cheer gym owners need to stop doing immediately if they want to protect their business, their brand, and their long-term profitability.

Dan breaks down why gym owners need to stop relying on untrained AI to create generic graphics and business advice, why overpaying coaches can quietly destroy profit margins, and why predatory financing can put gyms into dangerous financial positions. This episode is direct, practical, and packed with tough love for owners who care deeply about their gyms but may be making decisions that hurt the business.

You’ll learn how to use AI strategically without losing your brand identity, how to evaluate coach pay against actual revenue, and what to do instead of taking high-risk loans or bad financing deals when money gets tight.

If you are a cheer gym owner, director, or entrepreneur, this episode is a must-listen before you make another marketing, payroll, or financial decision.
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29min
May 30, 2026 Stop Hiring the Wrong Coaches
In this episode of the Cheer Biz Podcast, Dan Cotton breaks down the three criteria every cheer gym owner should evaluate before hiring a new coach or staff member.
As your gym grows, you eventually reach the point where you cannot coach every team, teach every class, and manage every athlete yourself. That means hiring becomes one of the most important skills you need to master as a gym owner. But the wrong hire can create drama, hurt your culture, frustrate parents, and cost your business time, money, and trust.
Dan shares what he has learned from years of hiring both great staff members and difficult ones. He explains why skill alone is not enough, why coachability matters more than ego, why communication skills should be tested during the interview process, and why every owner needs to understand a coach’s true motivation before bringing them onto the team.
If you are a cheer gym owner, program director, or coach preparing to hire for summer, tryout season, or next season, this episode will help you build a stronger hiring process, avoid bad hires, and create a staff that actually aligns with your gym’s values.
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14min
May 26, 2026 Why Cheer Gym Owners Need a Personal Brand
In this episode of the Cheer Biz Podcast, Dan Cotton breaks down why personal branding matters for cheer gym owners and why growing your gym’s logo is no longer enough.

Dan explains how building a personal brand helps families feel connected to you, understand your values, and trust your leadership before they ever walk through your doors. He shares why social media gives gym owners a powerful way to build relationships without crossing professional boundaries, how your personal content can attract the right clients, and why showing more of who you are can help your cheer gym grow.

This episode also covers what to post, what to avoid, how often to show up, and why personal branding is becoming one of the most valuable marketing tools for cheer gym owners in 2026.

If you are a cheer gym owner, coach, or program director, this episode will help you understand how to use your voice, values, story, and social media presence to build trust, increase visibility, and strengthen your gym’s brand.
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16min
May 23, 2026 Don’t Build Your Gym Around One Person
In this episode of the Cheer Biz Podcast, Dan Cotton sits down with Danielle Johnston from The Fullout Cheer Podcast to talk about one of the biggest hidden risks in cheer gym ownership: what happens when one key coach, director, office manager, or tumbling instructor becomes too essential to the business.
Dan and Danielle break down the real issue of key person risk in cheer gyms, why families sometimes follow a coach when they leave, and how owners can protect their programs by building stronger systems, developing multiple staff members, and making sure the gym’s identity is bigger than one person.
They also dive into staff burnout, career paths, compensation, annual evaluations, time off, and why owners need to remember that even in a “family” culture, staff members still have jobs, goals, and lives outside the gym.
If you are a cheer gym owner, program director, or coach, this episode will help you build a stronger staff structure, retain great coaches, prevent burnout, and protect your gym from being dependent on one person.
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44min
May 19, 2026 The Next Shift in All Star Cheer
The 2026–2027 all star cheer season is almost here, and Dan Cotton is sharing his biggest predictions for what coaches and gym owners should expect.
In this episode of the Cheer Biz Podcast, Dan breaks down the trends he believes will shape routine construction, scoring strategy, stunt sections, tumbling, pyramids, jumps, and overall performance this season.
He talks about why teams may start building extra stunt groups, why synchronized group tumbling could become more important, how clean pacing may outscore rushed difficulty, why pyramids could become a major deciding factor, and why jump execution cannot be ignored.
If you are an all star cheer coach, choreographer, program director, or cheer gym owner planning routines for the 2026–2027 season, this episode will help you think more strategically before choreography, camps, and competition season begin.
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18min
May 16, 2026 Work Smarter While Traveling
Travel season can make it feel impossible to stay on top of your work, your team, your inbox, and your business.
In this episode of the Cheer Biz Podcast, Dan Cotton shares his best productivity hacks for cheer gym owners, all star coaches, choreographers, and business owners who are constantly on the road for competitions, camps, choreography, Worlds, Summit, and summer travel.
Dan breaks down how he stays productive while traveling, including how to schedule work blocks, protect your calendar, build in buffer time, communicate availability, use travel-friendly tech tools, and set realistic priorities so you can keep your business moving without burning yourself out.
If you are heading into a busy travel season and need a better way to manage work, emails, meetings, staff communication, and business responsibilities while away from home, this episode will help you create a practical plan that actually works.
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16min
May 12, 2026 D1 Summit: My Honest Thoughts
In this episode of the Cheer Biz Podcast, Dan Cotton shares his honest thoughts after attending D1 Summit for the first time as a coach after 10 years of competing at D2 Summit.
Coming off a 2025 D2 Summit win in Senior Medium 4, Dan breaks down what it was like to move into the D1 world, what surprised him most, and how the experience compared to D2 Summit. He talks about the difference in team depth, the huge range in competitive ability, how brand-name gyms and franchise locations performed, and why the location within a brand often mattered just as much as the name on the uniform.
Dan also shares lessons from his own teams’ performances, including missing finals because of a stunt fall, watching one team jump from wildcard to sixth place, and seeing firsthand how small execution details can separate first from fifth at D1 Summit.
This episode is packed with insight for cheer gym owners, all star coaches, and program directors who want to understand the difference between D1 and D2 Summit, prepare their teams for higher-level competition, and think differently about execution, culture, cost, and end-of-season strategy.
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20min
May 09, 2026 How Cheer Gyms Avoid Summer Slumps
In this episode of the Cheer Biz Podcast, Dan Cotton breaks down a problem that hits cheer gyms every year: the post-tryout and summer dip in class enrollment.

Right before tryouts, classes, privates, and skill work are booming. Athletes are trying to get ready, parents are motivated, and gyms feel busy. But once tryouts are over, many families pause, drop classes, or disappear for the summer — creating a revenue dip that can catch gym owners off guard.

Dan shares practical strategies to help cheer gym owners protect enrollment, retain class athletes, and build revenue through the summer months. He explains why you should keep building interest lists even when classes are full, how to use summer camps and skill clinics strategically, why athletes need post-tryout goals, and how flexible summer attendance policies can keep families enrolled longer.

If you are a cheer gym owner, program director, or coach, this episode will help you plan ahead, reduce cancellations, keep classes full, and avoid getting blindsided by the summer slowdown.
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13min
May 05, 2026 Lessons From 25 Years in Cheer
In this episode of the Cheer Biz Podcast, Dan Cotton reflects on the biggest lessons he learned during the 2025–2026 cheer season after nearly 25 years of coaching and 15 years of gym ownership.

From launching a new branch of the business that did not go as planned, to giving staff faster and more direct feedback, to navigating the growing impact of AI, Dan shares honest lessons that every cheer gym owner and coach can learn from.

He also dives into one of the biggest issues facing the cheer industry right now: the scoring crisis. With major score swings, inconsistent judging, and unclear feedback frustrating coaches and families, Dan explains why this matters and how it could impact the future of all star cheer.

This episode is a must-listen for cheer gym owners, coaches, and program directors who want to grow as leaders, learn from mistakes, improve staff systems, and stay committed to building a stronger business and stronger teams.
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20min

FAQs about The Cheer Biz Podcast:

How many episodes does The Cheer Biz Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 415 episodes available.

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