Transform My Dance Studio – The Podcast For Dance Studio Owners

What if picture day wasn't a stressful, time-consuming obligation, but one of the most profitable and impactful parts of your studio?

In this episode of Transform My Dance Studio, Olivia Mode-Cater sits down with studio owner, entrepreneur, and founder of Dance Photo Pro, Hilary Parnell, to completely reframe how studio owners think about dance photography. With over 25 years of experience, $3M+ in studio revenue, and hundreds of studio owners coached, Hilary shares how she turned a frustrating, low-value experience into a scalable revenue stream and how you can do the same.

From losing money during picture week to generating $5,000–$50,000 in revenue, this episode breaks down how bringing photography in-house can transform not only your finances, but your branding, customer experience, and retention. If you've ever felt like you're doing all the work while someone else walks away with the profit, this conversation will change how you see picture day forever.

What You'll Learn:

• Why most studios lose money on picture day (and how to fix it)

• How to generate $5,000 per 100 students in photography revenue

• The biggest mistake studio owners make with picture day mindset

• Why photography is a branding and marketing tool

• How to create a better customer experience through photos

• Ways to turn picture day into a culture-building event

• How to use photos for social media, enrollment, and retention

• The system behind running photography in-house (without being a photographer)

• How to layer photography into events, camps, and premium offers

• Why owning your images gives you full control of your brand

Hilary Parnell is the owner of Academy for the Performing Arts and Preschool for the Arts in Apex, NC, where she has led and grown her studio for over 20 years. She has taught over 10,000 students, scaled her business to over $3M in revenue, and coached hundreds of studio owners. She is also the founder of Dance Photo Pro and Dancers In Balance, helping studio owners create profitable, balanced businesses through smart systems and leadership.

For more information visit dancephotopro.com

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Are you running your recital strategically… or just hoping it works out?

For many dance studios, recital is the single biggest cash infusion of the year, yet most studio owners never actually plan it that way.

In this episode of the Transform My Dance Studio Podcast, Olivia Mode-Cater sits down with DSOA Inner Circle finance coach Paige Sayegh, a studio owner of 32 years who runs a thriving 700-student studio in New Jersey. Through her work coaching studio owners around the world, Paige has reviewed hundreds of P&Ls and helped studios uncover hidden revenue opportunities they didn't even realize existed.

Together, Olivia and Paige break down how studio owners can transform recital from a stressful production into a strategic, predictable, revenue-generating part of the business. From optimizing ticket pricing and merchandise to thinking intentionally about audience spending and future enrollment opportunities, this conversation reveals how small changes can add thousands in revenue, without adding more stress.

If recital currently feels like chaos, guesswork, or simply a way to survive the summer months, this episode will challenge you to rethink how your recital can support the long-term stability and growth of your studio.

What you'll learn

• Why most studios approach recital revenue the wrong way

• How small pricing tweaks can add thousands to your recital profit

• The hidden audiences at your recital who are ready to spend

• How to calculate average revenue per student at recital

• Why ticket pricing, bundles, and upsells matter more than you think

• How to use recital to promote summer camps and future classes

• Why recital can be your biggest retention and marketing event

• The simple financial benchmarks studio owners should know

• How to reverse engineer your recital revenue goals

• Why studio owners should decide in advance what recital money is for

• How profitable studios create generosity, stability, and freedom

• The post-recital analysis every studio should do

If you're ready to stop guessing your recital numbers and start using recital as a strategic tool to strengthen your studio's finances, this episode is packed with practical ideas you can apply right away.

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Are you running your studio… or is your studio running you?

For many dance studio owners, the business becomes more than a job. It becomes identity, purpose, and sometimes pressure that's impossible to escape. When every challenge feels personal and every decision feels heavy, it can be difficult to lead with clarity and confidence.

In this powerful conversation, Olivia Mode-Cater sits down with entrepreneur, author, and mindset coach Cara Moeller Poppitt to explore the internal shifts studio owners must make in order to grow their business without losing themselves in the process.

Drawing from decades of experience as both a dancer and entrepreneur, Cara shares insights on leadership, perfectionism, people-pleasing, and the emotional patterns that often show up in business ownership. Together, they unpack how studio owners can reclaim their power as CEOs, make difficult decisions with clarity, and create the space necessary for their studios, — and their lives, to thrive.

This episode challenges studio owners to look deeper: not just at their systems or strategies, but at the beliefs and habits shaping how they lead.

If you've ever felt overwhelmed by the weight of running your studio, struggled with letting go of control, or wondered how to grow without burning out, this conversation will shift the way you think about leadership, success, and the role your business plays in your life.

What You'll Learn

• Why many studio owners attach their identity to their business

• The hidden cost of people-pleasing in leadership

• How perfectionism can hold studio owners back

• The mindset shift from studio owner to CEO

• Why successful entrepreneurs regularly pivot and realign

• How your business can reveal personal growth opportunities

• The importance of creating space for clarity and better decisions

• Why delegating and letting go is critical for growth

• How to make hard decisions while protecting your studio culture

• The leadership habit that helps entrepreneurs stay aligned and energized

Cara Moeller Poppitt is an entrepreneur, author, and leadership coach who helps professionals create bold transformation in their businesses and lives. A former dancer and choreographer with over 20 years of experience, she blends mindset coaching, business strategy, and creativity to help leaders unlock their full potential. Cara is the founder of two award-winning companies, host of the Big Freakin' Change Podcast, and the bestselling author of Big Freakin' Change.

https://caramoellerpoppitt.com/

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If recital season has ever meant long lines, confused parents, ticket stress, or that sinking feeling that your biggest event of the year could have run smoother, this episode is for you.

Because let's be clear: your recital isn't "just a show." It's your biggest brand statement, a major revenue driver, a powerful retention tool, and a defining leadership moment all wrapped into one.

In this episode of the Transform My Dance Studio Podcast, Olivia sits down with Leo Moore from DRT Performance Tix to unpack how studio owners can transform their recital from a logistical headache into a professional, profitable, CEO-level event. You'll hear why ticketing is the first impression of your show, how DIY systems quietly drain revenue, and what it looks like to treat recital planning like a business strategy, not an afterthought.

If you're ready to stop surviving the recital season and start leading it like a CEO, press play.

You will learn:

• Why your recital ticketing experience directly impacts retention

• How "we've always done it this way" is costing you money

• The psychology behind first impressions and brand trust

• Why digital ticketing elevates your professionalism

• How to turn recital data into real revenue growth

• What a 91% retention rate in ticketing tells us about change

• How small pricing adjustments (even $1) shift your profitability

• Why recital revenue planning should start months in advance

• How young studio owners are scaling faster with better systems

• Why recital season should fund your future, not exhaust you

Leo Moore is the Manager of Partnerships and Growth at DRT Performance Tix, the leading ticketing provider built specifically for dance studios. Working closely with client success teams and studio owners across North America, Leo helps studios create professional, profitable recital experiences through smart systems, revenue planning, and hands-on support. DRT now serves over 3,000 studios and continues to evolve through direct client feedback.

For more information visit https://www.drttix.com/

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Watch our video episodes and subscribe on YouTube here.

Follow The Dance Studio Owners Association:

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

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Instagram: @olivia.modecater | TikTok: @olivia.modecater

You're working harder than ever… so why doesn't your studio feel more profitable?

If you've ever looked at your numbers and thought, "Where is the money?" this episode will shift the way you think about profit forever.

In this powerful solo conversation, Olivia Mode-Cater challenges one of the most uncomfortable truths in entrepreneurship: profit is not natural. Your business will always find ways to spend money, especially in the name of care, growth, new ideas, team, and upgrades. That doesn't make you bad at business. It makes you human.

But if you want long-term sustainability, profit must be protected on purpose.

Olivia introduces her "Three Climbs" framework: viability, stability, and profitability. She explains why most dance studio owners get stuck in survival or systemization without ever fully stepping into true margin-building leadership.

With summer approaching, she also breaks down why summer camps are one of the easiest places for profit to quietly disappear and how to build profitability into your planning before registration even opens.

This is about more than spreadsheets. It's about stepping fully into your CEO role.

Because you are not a teacher who happens to own a business. You are an entrepreneur.

• Why "profit is unnatural" — and why that's empowering

• The 3 Climbs of entrepreneurship: viability, stability, and profitability

• How survival mode keeps profit off your radar

• What "systems bloat," "tech bloat," and "team bloat" are really costing you

• The different types of ROI every studio owner should evaluate

• Why summer planning must start with expenses and profit margin

• The industry's average profit margin — and why 15% should be your minimum goal

• How to forecast summer camps with clarity and intention

• The mindset shift from "teacher who owns a studio" to "entrepreneur"

• Why progress over perfection is critical for financial growth

If you're ready to stop hoping for profit and start protecting it, this episode is your next climb.

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Follow The Dance Studio Owners Association:

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Does summer feel like the season where you hold your breath, cross your fingers, and hope fall enrollment fixes everything?

For so many studio owners, summer looks busy. Camps are running, kids are in the building, but behind the scenes, cash flow feels unpredictable, margins feel thin, and there's a quiet anxiety that summer might actually be hurting the business instead of helping it.

In this episode of the Transform My Dance Studio Podcast, Olivia Mode-Cater is joined by Inner Circle coach and longtime studio owner Annie Leese to reframe summer completely. Annie shares how she stopped reacting to summer and started intentionally designing it, transforming what used to be a stressful season into a reliable, profitable part of her studio's year.

This conversation isn't about adding more programs or working longer hours. It's about meeting families where they actually are, making small strategic shifts, and building a summer structure that supports your studio year-round.

You'll hear:

• Why summer often feels financially unstable even when camps are full

• How Annie designed summer programs around real family needs

• Why small, data-driven tweaks outperform full program overhauls

• How flexibility, aftercare, and scheduling choices impact enrollment

• What it takes to stop taking low enrollment personally and start responding strategically

• How a thoughtful summer strategy can support both cash flow and freedom

If you've ever caught yourself saying "that doesn't work" when it comes to summer, this episode will challenge you to get curious and help you see what's actually possible.

Annie Leese is a seasoned studio owner and Inner Circle coach who has built an exceptional reputation in the dance industry. As the CEO and artistic director of Performing Arts Academy of Marin (PAM) in Mill Valley, California, she has turned her passion for dance and the performing arts into a thriving business that attracts students from all over the region. Through her work as an Inner Circle coach, Annie has helped countless studio owners achieve their goals and reach new heights of success.

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

Watch our video episodes and subscribe on YouTube here.

Follow The Dance Studio Owners Association:

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

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Instagram: @olivia.modecater | TikTok: @olivia.modecater

In this clarity-packed episode of the Transform My Dance Studio Podcast, host Olivia Mode-Cater sits down with DSOA's Social Media Coach and Manager Sophie Mckie to unpack what's actually broken about social media for dance studios and why working harder isn't the answer.

From Canva templates and "pretty feeds" to random posting and constant second-guessing, Olivia and Sophie reveal why most studio owners feel burned out by social media — even when they're doing "everything right." This episode reframes social media as a system, not a chore, and shows studio owners how to translate the incredible work happening inside their studios into content that builds trust, connection, and enrollment.

You'll hear:

• Why parents don't enroll based on aesthetics or templates

• The difference between having a content problem and a translation problem

• Why random posting leads to burnout (and poor results)

• How a simple content system removes decision fatigue

• What "human content" actually looks like for dance studios

• Why social media should support your business goals — not distract from them

• How systems make delegation possible without chaos

• What changes when you stop chasing trends and start building intention

If social media has ever felt like one more thing on your plate, or one more place where your effort doesn't match your results, this conversation will help you finally see why.

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Watch our video episodes and subscribe on YouTube here.

Follow The Dance Studio Owners Association:

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

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Instagram: @olivia.modecater | TikTok: @olivia.modecater

In this candid solo episode, Olivia Mode-Cater tackles one of the most stressful realities of studio ownership: summer cash flow.

If you've ever felt that pit in your stomach when June rolls around, this episode is your wake-up call. Olivia explains why summer doesn't create cash flow problems, it reveals the ones that already exist. Through real numbers, real talk, and zero sugarcoating, she walks studio owners through the simple math that determines whether your studio survives summer… or finally thrives through it.

This isn't about fear or hustle. It's about clarity, predictability, and stepping out of the financial hamster wheel once and for all.

You'll learn:

• Why summer exposes cash flow issues instead of causing them

• What your studio's burn rate actually is — and why most owners don't know it

• How weekly expenses quietly dictate your stress level

• The dangerous gap between being "open" and being profitable

• Why fewer summer classes make cash flow problems worse

• How to plan for a calm, flexible summer without panic

• The mindset shift required to stop avoiding your numbers

• How 10 minutes of math can change your entire year

If you want a summer that feels stable, intentional, and aligned with your life — this episode is your starting point.

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

Watch our video episodes and subscribe on YouTube here.

Follow The Dance Studio Owners Association:

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

Follow Olivia Mode-Cater:

Instagram: @olivia.modecater | TikTok: @olivia.modecater

Do you ever label yourself as "awkward" and then use that as a reason not to take a risk?

In the first episode of Season 6 of the Transform My Dance Studio Podcast, Olivia Mode-Cater is joined by workplace performance expert Henna Pryor to unpack one of the biggest hidden barriers to studio growth: the fear of awkwardness.

Together, they challenge the idea that confident leaders "have it all together" and reveal that confidence isn't about avoiding discomfort, it's about recovering faster. From perfectionism and approval-seeking to emotional avoidance and leadership burnout, this conversation gives studio owners language, science, and permission to lead imperfectly and more effectively.

If you've ever delayed a hard conversation, second-guessed a decision, or felt like success still doesn't feel good, this episode will help you reframe discomfort as a skill you can train.

What You'll Learn:

• Why awkwardness is an emotion, not a personality trait

• How confident studio owners build a fast comeback rate

• The neuroscience behind social pain and why it feels so intense

• How perfectionism fuels shame cycles in dance studio leadership

• Why "positive mindset" can actually become emotional avoidance

• How to create psychological safety for yourself and your team

• The role of community in normalizing leadership missteps

• Why white space is essential for long-term resilience and clarity

• How reframing language (like "sacred time") changes behavior

• A simple reflection practice to uncover the stories driving your decisions

Henna Pryor, CSP, is a globally recognized Workplace Performance Expert, Inc. Magazine columnist, and award-winning author of Good Awkward. Known for her science-backed approach to performance mindset, communication, and leadership under pressure, Henna helps high-performing leaders embrace discomfort to drive meaningful, sustainable change.

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hennapryor/

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The Transform My Dance Studio Podcast is entering a new era and you're invited to join us.

This new chapter of the podcast is recommitting to studio owners who want to build businesses that are successful, sustainable, and supportive of a joyfull life.

This season brings a renewed focus on honest leadership, practical tools, and meaningful transformation, without pretending that running a studio is easy.

For the first time ever, you can now watch full episodes on YouTube with new episodes dropping every Monday.

• Thoughtful solo episodes that explore leadership, clarity, and long-term sustainability

• Real-life stories from studio owners, mentors, and coaches who've been in the trenches, sharing challenges and lessons that shaped their leadersip

• In-depth conversations with respected experts offering practical insight for studio owners at every stage

• A video-first experience designed to be more engaging, relatable, and bingeable

Success doesn't have to come at the expense of joy, energy, or fufillment. This podcast is here to help you move beyond survival mode and into a more grounded, intentional way of leading, where profitability and joy can exist together.

Welcome to the new era of Transform My Dance Studio.