Brooke’s cheerleading career started because some friends at recess told her she couldn’t do a back walkover.

Dan calls himself an AI super fan — he uses it every single day, in multiple parts of his business, at the same time he's recording this episode. But he's also telling you flat out: AI is not your business coach, and treating it like one is going to cost you.

There's a real difference between a good routine and a great one — and Dan's spent years figuring out why some gyms consistently get the second and most don't. In this episode, he breaks down the six things that quietly sabotage a choreography session before the choreographer even shows up.

Dan breaks down a conversation he had with Danielle about a pattern they keep seeing in gym-owner partnerships: the cheer-focused partner overrules the business-focused partner, and it usually goes badly.

The economy, Gen Z, the president - Dan says none of these are why your gym is struggling. In this direct, no-punches-pulled episode, he breaks down the six real reasons some gyms are thriving while others are stuck, and why almost none of it comes down to bad luck.

“I’m too busy.” “My gym is different.” “No one can do it better than me.”

For 11 years, Dan was everything at DreamCamps — CEO, COO, sales, marketing, camp director, and just about every role in between. This year, he finally realized that the thing holding the company back from its next level of growth was him.

Dan is back in the studio after three months on the road, and he has some hot takes about what he's been seeing across the cheer industry.

Originally recorded in October 2023, we're re-releasing this conversation because it's still just as relevant today.

The cheer industry is huge, but the network behind it is small — and your reputation travels fast. In this episode, Dan Cotton breaks down why how you treat independent providers (choreographers, camp companies) and your own staff can make or break your gym's reputation — and what to do if you're already struggling with it.