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 innovative team. You'll also hear about the unique role she introduced in her studio—the Director of Removing Friction—and how it's helped streamline operations, improve communication, and reduce stress for both her team and her clients.

What You'll Learn

• Why your team is a direct reflection of your leadership

• How to perform an effective team audit

• The importance of accountability without sacrificing culture

• How innovation starts with leadership, not creativity alone

• Why your team needs a mindset shift—not just new systems

• How to separate emotional feedback from real business data

• The difference between macro and micro client pain points

• Why empowering staff leads to better decision-making

• What a "Director of Removing Friction" does—and why every studio needs one

• Practical ways to build a forward-thinking, innovative team

Whether you're growing your team or refining the one you already have, you'll walk away with actionable ideas to become a more confident leader and build a studio culture that supports long-term success.

Kelli Leighton is the owner and Artistic Director of Leighton Dance Project in California and a longtime member and coach inside the Dance Studio Owners Association Inner Circle. Passionate about helping studio owners embrace innovation, Kelli combines creativity with practical leadership strategies to build thriving businesses, strong teams, and exceptional studio cultures. Through her Innovate to Thrive series, she encourages studio owners to think differently, lead confidently, and turn big ideas into meaningful action.

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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 help you create a community where families feel they truly belong.

What You'll Learn:

• Why studio owners must lead by creating connection, not just managing operations

• How being visible and available strengthens your studio culture

• Practical ways to build stronger relationships with parents and families

• Why your teachers need to be present beyond the classroom

• How clear communication builds trust and loyalty

• Why giving students a voice creates deeper engagement

• Simple activities that strengthen parent-child connections through dance

• How your studio can become a safe place and true community for everyone

Kim McSwain is an internationally respected dance educator, mentor, and speaker with decades of experience training dancers, teachers, and studio owners. After performing professionally with artists including Britney Spears, NSYNC, and Michael Jackson, Kim dedicated her career to developing exceptional educators and helping dance studios build stronger cultures through her Changing Lives program.

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 help you create more than just a dance studio—you'll build a community where families feel they truly belong.

What You'll Learn

• Why studio owners must lead by creating connection, not just managing operations

• How being visible and available strengthens your studio culture

• Practical ways to build stronger relationships with parents and families

• Why your teachers need to be present beyond the classroom

• How clear communication builds trust and loyalty

• Why giving students a voice creates deeper engagement

• Simple activities that strengthen parent-child connections through dance

• How your studio can become a safe place and true community for everyone

Kim McSwain is an internationally respected dance educator, mentor, and speaker with decades of experience training dancers, teachers, and studio owners. After performing professionally with artists including Britney Spears, NSYNC, and Michael Jackson, Kim dedicated her career to developing exceptional educators and helping dance studios build stronger cultures through her Changing Lives program.

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Your studio culture isn't created by your mission statement—it's built in the hundreds of small moments your dancers, teachers, and families experience every single day.

In this episode, Katie chats with mental performance coach and leadership educator Lauren Ritchie to explore how studio owners can intentionally create environments where dancers feel supported, challenged, and inspired to grow.

Together they discuss why values alone aren't enough, how everyday interactions shape the experience inside your studio, and why emotional regulation may be one of the most important leadership skills a studio owner can develop.

What You'll Learn

• Why culture is created through daily actions—not mission statements

• The difference between aspirational values and lived values

• How leadership energy shapes your studio environment

• Why "high challenge + high support" creates better dancers

• How fear-based coaching impacts long-term development

• The importance of emotional regulation as a leader

• Why predictable leaders build safer learning environments

• Practical ways to communicate with parents and staff

• How boundaries strengthen relationships

• Small leadership habits that transform studio culture

Lauren Ritchie is a mental performance coach, educator, and speaker who specializes in resilience, conscious coaching, and leadership. She has developed international training programs and mental performance curricula for dancers, athletes, and coaches, helping leaders build supportive, high-performing environments where people can thrive.

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Growth doesn't usually stall because you run out of opportunities—it stalls because you stop questioning what's possible.

In this episode, Lisa sits down with innovation expert Diana Kander to explore why successful business owners often stop growing, how curiosity fuels innovation, and why experimentation—not perfection—is the key to long-term success.

If you've ever felt like you've hit a ceiling or wondered what's next for your studio, this conversation will challenge the way you think about growth.

What You Will Learn:

• Why success often creates complacency

• The difference between customer focus and efficiency

• How curiosity fuels innovation and business growth

• Why experimentation beats repeating old strategies

• How to escape the "expert trap"

• Why your calendar reflects your business priorities

• The three questions every CEO should ask weekly

• How to identify your ideal customer

• Why personal growth drives business growth

• How to create momentum instead of simply staying busy

Diana Kander is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and growth mindset coach who helps leaders create cultures of innovation through curiosity, experimentation, and strategic thinking. She is the author of Get Curious & Grow, The Curiosity Muscle, Go Big or Go Home, and All In Startup.

Explore our partners:

Sign up for Studio Sync - dsoa.com/syncmembership

Check out Creative Branding Studio and the Dance Content Club at creativebrandingstudio.com

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

Follow The Dance Studio Owners Association:

Instagram: @dancestudioownersassociation | TikTok: @dsoaofficial | Facebook: @dancestudioownersassociation

In this thought-provoking episode of the Transform My Dance Studio Podcast, Katie Wilber sits down with former Harlem Globetrotter, performance coach, and DG Mindset founder Derick Grant for a conversation that reaches far beyond studio ownership. Together, they explore what it truly means to grow—not just as an entrepreneur, but as a person.

From identity shifts and self-trust to pressure, purpose, and the stories we tell ourselves, Derick shares why the version of you that built your business may not be the version that will lead it into the future. This isn't a conversation about better marketing or stronger systems. It's about becoming the leader your next season requires.

If you've ever felt caught between who you've been and who you're becoming, this episode offers a powerful reminder that lasting transformation begins from the inside out. It may just change the way you think about growth—both in your studio and in yourself.

• Why your identity determines your business results

• How self-worth impacts long-term success

• The difference between confidence and self-trust

• How to recognize when you've outgrown an old version of yourself

• Why growth requires letting go, not just learning more

• How to overcome pressure and stop seeking outside validation

• Practical questions to help uncover limiting beliefs

• Why entrepreneurship is ultimately a journey of self-development

• How to lead your studio from alignment instead of fear

• A simple mindset practice for creating your next level of success

Derick Grant is a former Harlem Globetrotter, entrepreneur, author, performance coach, and founder of DG Mindset. Through speaking, coaching, retreats, and educational content, he helps leaders break through limiting beliefs, strengthen self-trust, and create lasting personal and professional transformation.

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

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Have you built a successful dance studio... but somehow you're still doing everything?

If you're constantly answering every question, making every decision, and wondering why your studio can't function without you, this episode is the wake-up call you've been waiting for.

In this episode of the Transform My Dance Studio Podcast, led by Katie Wilber (DSOA Operations Specialist) Inner Circle mentor Sharon Uyar talks about one of the biggest leadership transformations a studio owner can make: letting go of control so your business can truly grow.

After building her New Jersey studio to more than 1,200 students and a team of 45 staff members, Sharon shares the hard-earned lessons that helped her move from exhausted studio owner to confident CEO. She opens up about burnout, micromanagement, hiring mistakes, learning to trust her team, and why the future of your business depends on developing leaders, not creating more dependence on yourself.

Whether you're leading a team of three or thirty, this conversation will challenge the way you think about leadership, delegation, hiring, and building a studio that gives you both freedom and sustainable growth.

You'll Learn: You'll Learn:

• Why studio growth eventually requires a complete leadership shift

• The hidden cost of trying to make every decision yourself

• How micromanagement hurts both your team and your business

• The mindset changes required to become the CEO instead of the manager

• Why empowering leaders creates stronger staff retention

• Sharon's biggest hiring lessons after years of trial and error

• How to build accountability without controlling every detail

• Why trust is the foundation of a thriving leadership team

• Practical ways to delegate with confidence

• How building the right team gives you back your time, energy, and passion for studio ownership

Do you find yourself only focusing on marketing when enrollment drops?

If so, you're not alone.

In this episode of the Transform My Dance Studio Podcast, Lisa DeMaio sits down with marketing expert and former studio owner Maureen Craig of Creative Branding Studio. After owning a dance studio for 10 years, Maureen now helps studio owners simplify their marketing, build stronger visibility, and create systems that support enrollment all year long.

Together, they unpack one of the biggest challenges facing studio owners today: staying consistent with marketing when you're already wearing a hundred different hats. From social media and email marketing to content calendars and planning systems, Maureen shares practical strategies to help studio owners stop reacting to enrollment dips and start building sustainable visibility in their communities.

If you've ever felt overwhelmed by marketing, struggled to post consistently, or wondered how successful studios seem to stay top-of-mind year-round, this episode will give you a practical roadmap for creating marketing habits that support predictable enrollment and long-term growth.

What You'll Learn:

• Why marketing should be treated like a marathon, not a sprint

• The "vitamins for your business" mindset every studio owner needs

• How consistency impacts visibility and enrollment

• The Rule of Seven and why repetition matters in marketing

• Ways to become the studio everyone recommends in your community

• Why email marketing is still one of the most valuable tools available

• How to create and use a content calendar effectively

• Strategies for building a content bank during slower seasons

• How to market your studio without feeling salesy

• Why viewing your marketing through a parent's eyes changes everything

• The connection between visibility, stability, and predictable enrollment

Check out Creative Branding Studio and the Dance Content Club at creativebrandingstudio.com

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

Explore our partners:

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Instagram: @dancestudioownersassociation | TikTok: @dsoaofficial | Facebook: @dancestudioownersassociation

One of the most important skills a studio owner can develop is knowing when to say no.

In this episode, Inner Circle Studio Growth Coach Elisa Finney shares how defining a clear brand mission and set of values transformed the way she runs her studio, builds partnerships, and makes business decisions.

From costumes and choreography to sponsorships and strategic partnerships, Elisa explains how a strong brand becomes a decision-making filter that helps you protect your reputation, attract the right families, and create consistency across every aspect of your business.

If you've ever struggled with setting boundaries, evaluating opportunities, or staying true to your vision, this episode will give you practical exercises and real-world examples to help you strengthen your brand and make decisions with confidence.

What You'll Learn

• Why strong brands require strong boundaries

• How to use your brand as a decision-making filter

• What studio owners should say no to

• How Elisa evaluates business partnerships

• The role brand values play in programming decisions

• Why consistency builds trust and credibility

• How to identify brands that align with your mission

• Ways strategic partnerships can elevate your studio

• The exercise Elisa used to define her brand

• How greater brand clarity leads to better business decisions

Alisa Finney is an Inner Circle Studio Growth Coach and the Director of the Melbourne Ballet Company in Australia. She leads both a professional touring ballet company and a thriving dance studio serving students from age two through eighty-nine. Elisa is known for her expertise in branding, strategic partnerships, leadership, and building mission-driven dance organizations that stand out in their communities.

Explore our partners

Get ahead of next season with Limelight Teamwear. Visit limelightteamwear.com to learn more

Try our Daily Decision Compass - dsoa.com/compass

Sign up for Studio Sync - dsoa.com/syncmembership

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

Follow The Dance Studio Owners Association:

Instagram: @dancestudioownersassociation | TikTok: @dsoaofficial | Facebook: @dancestudioownersassociation

In Part 2 of our conversation with financial strategist, entrepreneur, and bestselling author Mel Abraham, we move beyond financial strategy and into the emotional realities of entrepreneurship.

Together, Lisa and Mel explore the hidden relationship many business owners have with success, achievement, identity, self-worth, and burnout. They discuss why so many entrepreneurs tie their value to business performance, why reaching the next milestone rarely creates lasting peace, and how defining your version of "enough" may be one of the most important business decisions you'll ever make.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that building a successful studio is only part of the journey. The ultimate goal is building a life you actually enjoy living.

What You'll Learn

• Why success doesn't automatically create fulfillment

• How entrepreneurs become addicted to achievement

• The dangers of tying your identity to your business

• Why burnout should never be a badge of honor

• How to align your business with your personal values

• What adversity can teach you about resilience

• Why defining "enough" matters for long-term happiness

• How to stop living in comparison and start living intentionally

• Why time is the ultimate currency

• How to build a business that serves your life instead of consuming it

Mel Abraham is a CPA, entrepreneur, business advisor, and bestselling author of Building Your Money Machine. He helps entrepreneurs build businesses that generate wealth, freedom, and fulfillment while creating a life aligned with their values and purpose. Through decades of experience helping business owners grow and scale, Mel has become a trusted voice on wealth creation, financial independence, and living a fully expressed life.

Explore our partners:

Get ahead of next season with Limelight Teamwear. Visit limelightteamwear.com to learn more

Try our Daily Decision Compass - dsoa.com/compass

Sign up for Studio Sync - dsoa.com/syncmembershi

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

Follow The Dance Studio Owners Association:

Instagram: @dancestudioownersassociation | TikTok: @dsoaofficial | Facebook: @dancestudioownersassociation

https://gostudiopro.com/transformAre your financial decisions driven by strategy, or by a money story you've been carrying for years?

Many dance studio owners start with a passion for changing lives, but struggle to balance purpose with profitability. In this conversation led by Katie Wilber (DSOA Operations Specialist), financial strategist Mel Abraham shares how our beliefs, habits, and behaviors around money shape the way we run our businesses and why building wealth has far more to do with mindset than math. You'll learn how to break free from limiting financial beliefs, create a healthier relationship with money, and build a studio business that supports both your mission and your life.

What You'll Learn

• How childhood money stories influence business decisions

• Why wealth-building is primarily about behavior and habits

• The truth behind the "starving artist" mindset

• How to connect profit with purpose without guilt

• Why owning your value is essential for growth

• The difference between making money and building wealth

• How wealthy people prioritize investing differently

• Strategies to avoid emotional spending and instant gratification

• How money can create (or reveal) tension in relationships

• Why defining your version of "enough" is critical for long-term success

• How to align your financial decisions with your values and life goals

Mel Abraham is a CPA, entrepreneur, financial strategist, keynote speaker, and author of Building Your Money Machine. He helps entrepreneurs and leaders remove financial constraints, build lasting wealth, and create systems that separate income from effort. Mel has worked with organizations including AbbVie, the IRS, NACVA, and the Financial Planning Association, and is one of the few speakers worldwide to earn the Certified Speaking Professional designation.

Explore our partners:

Get ahead of next season with Limelight Teamwear. Visit limelightteamwear.com to learn more.

Sign-up for a FREE 30-day Trial of Studio Pro at gostudiopro.com/transform

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

Follow The Dance Studio Owners Association:

Instagram: @dancestudioownersassociation | TikTok: @dsoaofficial | Facebook: @dancestudioownersassociation