Transform My Dance Studio – The Podcast For Dance Studio Owners

In this heart-warming and strategy-packed episode of the Transform My Dance Studio Podcast, Olivia Mode-Cater sits down with Inner Circle mentor and Los Angeles studio owner Jodi Shilling to talk about one of the toughest seasons for studio owners—the holidays. When attendance dips and families get busy, Jodi shares how she keeps her dancers coming back year after year through community, simplicity, and a little festive magic. From The Cracked Nut to pajama week, discover how to transform your December from stressful to joyful—and why "easy" might be your most powerful retention tool yet.

What You'll Learn:

• The honest truth about why holiday retention is always a challenge—and how to plan for it

• Simple, high-impact ways to create festive fun inside class instead of adding more events

• How to balance fun and technique without sacrificing progress

• Why "everyone needs a break"—including your teachers—and how to lead with empathy

• The difference between attendance gimmicks and genuine community-building

• How mentoring and "big-little" programs turn students into lifelong team members

• The "third-space" concept and how to make your studio a true safe haven

• How anticipation, communication, and small delights boost year-round loyalty

• Easy ideas like kindness bingo boards and grateful trees to reinforce gratitude and connection

• Why retention isn't luck—it's leadership

This episode is perfect for: Studio owners ready to trade holiday chaos for connection—and keep their dancers thriving into the new year.

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In this insightful and relatable episode of the Transform My Dance Studio Podcast, Olivia Mode-Cater sits down with Rosina Andrews, author, educator, and host of The Dance Smarter Podcast, to unpack one of the biggest challenges in the studio calendar—the November slump. Together, they break down why student motivation dips, how family schedules and burnout collide, and the practical ways to protect retention and community when stress levels are high.

You'll walk away with strategies to keep your students showing up, your parents communicating, and your team thriving through the busiest season of the year—without losing your sanity or the studio magic.

What You'll Learn:

• Why November is the "make or break" month for student retention

• The subconscious stress families and students feel before the holidays

• Early warning signs of disengagement (and how to catch them early)

• How to plan smarter rehearsals and avoid burnout and injuries

• The secret to boosting belonging and progress during slower months

• How to turn family chaos into community connection

• Creative ideas for spirit days, parent weeks, and holiday events

• Why over-scheduling kills motivation—and what to do instead

• The importance of communication handbooks and clear systems

• How to keep joy, consistency, and connection front and center all season long

If you're ready to make November a month of connection, not chaos, this episode is your roadmap to higher retention and a happier studio.

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In this empowering solo episode, Transform My Dance Studio host and DSOA CEO Olivia Mode-Cater flips the script on recital season. What if your recital wasn't just a show—but your studio's biggest retention and revenue driver? Olivia dives into how to make your recitals a celebration that's as profitable as it is meaningful. You'll learn exactly how to turn your biggest event into a loyalty-building, memory-making machine that keeps families coming back year after year.

From tiered ticket pricing to program shout-outs and backstage busy bags, Olivia shares five simple yet powerful strategies to boost your bottom line and create a more joyful, stress-free experience for families. If you've ever said, "My recital just breaks even," this episode is your permission slip to think—and charge—like a CEO.

You'll learn:

• Why "break-even" recitals are costing you money and momentum

• The psychology behind premium seating and tiered ticket pricing

• How to use your recital program as prime real estate for new revenue

• The genius of "on-stage shoutouts" and why families love them

• Creative ways to involve teens while adding value for parents

• How to design "Backstage Busy Bags" that delight dancers and drive profit

• The mindset shift that transforms your recital from event to experience

• How every upsell can also increase loyalty and reduce family stress

• Why the small details are what keep families coming back year after year

• Olivia's one action step to make this your most profitable recital yet

If you have been just breaking even or losing money on your recitals, this one is for you!

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In this empowering and refreshingly honest episode of the Transform My Dance Studio Podcast, Olivia Mode-Cater sits down with Inner Circle mentor Nadine Selinger to talk about a topic many studio owners would rather avoid: their numbers.

Nadine shares her journey from "QuickBooks was like poking me in the eyeballs" to celebrating her Financial Fridays, proving that mastering your finances isn't about being a math person. It's actually about about confidence, systems, and clarity.

Together, Olivia and Nadine unpack how studio owners can move from financial avoidance to financial control, and why profitability doesn't make you less passionate, it makes your purpose sustainable.

Whether you're terrified to open QuickBooks or already tracking every dollar, this conversation will help you face your numbers, strengthen your team, and build a studio that serves you, not the other way around.

You will learn:

• Why most studio owners avoid their finances — and how to break the cycle

• The four financial habits that shift you from chaos to control

• How to make budgeting as creative as choreography

• The mindset shift that turns "bad news" into better decisions

• How to calculate your profit margins — and what 20% really looks like

• Why "it's not personal, it's business" is a form of leadership, not coldness

• Practical ideas for getting your team invested in revenue goals

• How to gamify finances to motivate staff and celebrate wins

• The ultimate reason to get your money right: freedom for your family and your future

Whether you're terrified to open QuickBooks or already tracking every dollar, this conversation will help you face your numbers, strengthen your team, and build a studio that serves you, not the other way around.

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In this game-changing episode of the Transform My Dance Studio Podcast, Olivia Mode-Cater sits down with Inner Circle mentor Nadine Selinger, owner of Dance City in Regina, Saskatchewan. Nadine opens up about her wake-up call moment, when running on exhaustion and relying only on tuition was no longer sustainable. She shares the practical (and profitable) revenue streams that transformed her studio, her team, and her financial future.

Whether you're stuck at "tuition covers the bills" or ready to stack new streams of income, this episode will show you that profitability doesn't mean nickel-and-diming—it means adding real value for your families.

What you'll learn:

• Nadine's turning point from burnout to growth

• Why tuition should never be your only reliable source of income

• The first additional revenue streams Nadine added—and why they worked

• How events, summer camps, and merch became huge profit drivers

• Why private lessons and daytime programs can unlock hidden revenue

• How to avoid burning out your staff with too many new ideas

• The difference between "charging more" vs. "adding more value"

• Transparent pricing strategies that stop families from feeling nickeled-and-dimed

• Why investing in team is the real key to scalability

• How to systemize new streams so they become rinse-and-repeat

If you're ready to stop hustling harder and start getting smarter with your revenue, this conversation is a must-listen.

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In this insight-packed episode, Olivia Mode-Cater sits down with Andy Seely, CEO of Creatively Disruptive, to reveal how dance studios can grow profits without piling on the stress. If you've ever felt trapped in the cycle of "doing it all" and still hitting a revenue ceiling, this conversation is your wake-up call. Andy shares how the most successful studio owners stop thinking like technicians and start thinking like CEOs — building teams, pricing for value, and embracing technology that keeps them ahead of the curve.

You'll hear:

• Why staying the "hub of the wheel" in your studio guarantees burnout

• The pricing strategy that actually attracts more students when you charge more

• How to stop chasing shiny new revenue streams and maximize what's already working

• Why "marketing" is really just "communicating with your community"

• How AI tools are changing the game for lead conversion and parent communication

• The single mindset shift that unlocks hundreds of thousands in revenue growth

• Why you don't need more students — you need more profit per student

• How to build a team that carries your culture, values, and mission with you

• What to do when it's 3am and you feel like you're carrying the studio alone

• One bold step you can take today to transform from stressed teacher to confident CEO

If you're ready to step off the hamster wheel and build a studio that thrives without draining you, this episode is your roadmap.

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In this solo episode of the Transform My Dance Studio Podcast, host Olivia Mode-Cater reveals why most studios lose nearly half of their students every year—and how the top-performing studios break the cycle with retention strategies that actually work. Drawing lessons from gyms, preschools, and Inner Circle members, Olivia shares practical, real-world tactics that you can apply immediately to stop "leaky bucket syndrome" and grow with confidence.

Whether you've been stuck on the enrollment hamster wheel or scrambling to re-recruit at recital time, this episode will challenge you to rethink your retention and give you simple, doable steps to keep more students for the long haul.

What You'll Learn:

• Why focusing only on new enrollments creates "leaky bucket syndrome"

• Retention secrets borrowed from gyms and fitness studios

• The surprising role preschools and childcare centers can play in your retention strategy

• How to use newsletters, milestone celebrations, and theme months to boost loyalty

• Why your onboarding system matters more than your trial week

• The "plus-one / minus-one" scorecard every parent keeps in their head

• How to track retention month-to-month to spot patterns before it's too late

• Examples of Inner Circle studios crushing retention with creative ideas

• Why small, doable actions matter more than grand plans

• The one next step you should take today to strengthen your studio's future

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In this insightful deep dive episode of the Transform My Dance Studio Podcast, host Olivia Mode-Cater is joined by Inner Circle mentor and powerhouse studio owner, Kelli Leighton, to unpack the strategies that keep dancers and their families coming back year after year.

From rec students to competitive teams, Kelli reveals the systems and mindset shifts that have helped her studio create a fiercely loyal community. Forget scrambling for last-minute re-enrollments, this episode shows you how to weave engagement and retention into every part of your season.

You'll hear:

• Why re-enrollment is never a one-day event (and what to do instead)

• How to run an "Epic Week" that celebrates progress and builds confidence

• The one-on-one goal setting strategy that keeps competitive dancers engaged

• Why welcome bags aren't just fun—they're a retention powerhouse

• How to turn your End-of-Season Bash into your biggest re-enrollment driver

• The simple language shift that reframes "retention" into "engagement"

• Data-driven insights to help you plan smarter and market better

• Mindset shifts that make retention feel like offense, not defense

Whether you're just starting out or scaling a multi-program studio, you'll walk away with practical tools and fresh inspiration to keep your families committed for the long haul.

If you're ready to transform your feed into a retention powerhouse, this episode is your invitation to take the leap.

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In this short and powerful episode of the Transform My Dance Studio In this candid and empowering episode of the Transform My Dance Studio Podcast, host Olivia Mode-Cater is joined by Inner Circle mentor Kelli Leighton for a real talk on student retention, re-enrollment strategies, and building a culture families can't imagine leaving.

Kelli opens up about her early years as a studio owner—when she didn't even know the word "retention"—and the wake-up call that forced her to rethink everything. From creating inclusive pathways for beginners to structuring engaging programs for teens, Kelli shares how she built a thriving studio community where every dancer feels they belong.

Whether you're struggling to keep recreational dancers, facing parental pressure about level placements, or wondering how to engage senior students, this conversation will give you the clarity and confidence to build loyalty season after season.

What You'll Learn In This Episode:

• Why focusing on why kids stay matters more than why they leave

• How to design programs that serve both recreational and competitive dancers

• The secret to building belonging: "It's brave to be a beginner"

• Why letting some families go is essential for protecting your community

• Practical strategies to boost re-enrollment before recital

• How to handle parent expectations about leveling up each year

• Engagement tips that actually work for teens (and why music & trends matter)

• The role of brand identity in building loyalty and confidence

• Why clear communication beats assumptions with parents every time

• How retention transforms not just your business, but your culture

If you're ready to stop the enrollment hamster wheel and finally build a studio families stay with year after year, this episode is for you.

Kelli Leighton is the owner and artistic director of Leighton Dance Project in Folsom, California. A mom of four and an Inner Circle mentor, Kelli is known for building a studio culture rooted in connection, community, and belonging. She's passionate about creating pathways for every dancer—whether recreational or competitive—and helping studio owners strengthen retention through systems, engagement, and heart-led leadership.

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In this short and powerful 10 Minute Marketing episode of the Transform My Dance Studio Podcast, Olivia Mode-Cater drops a marketing truth bomb that could transform the way you approach your social media.

If your posts only speak to strangers, your current families will start to feel like strangers too. Olivia shares her own lessons learned about balancing recruitment with retention, and how showcasing community, student wins, and behind-the-scenes stories builds trust, belonging, and loyalty.

Through practical examples and easy-to-implement strategies, you'll discover how to stop chasing new enrollments with every post and instead nurture the thriving community that fuels long-term growth.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• The critical 80/20 social media balance every studio owner should follow

• Why "nurture content" (not constant selling) actually drives more enrollments

• The difference between transactional posts and transformational storytelling

• How to capture and share student wins that boost belonging and retention

• The power of micro-influencers in your own community—and how to leverage them

• Simple recurring post ideas ("Family Friday," "Why We Dance Wednesday") to build consistency and connection

• Why belonging content creates ripple effects of trust, shares, and referrals

• The marketing audit every studio owner needs to do on their feed—today

If you're ready to transform your feed into a retention powerhouse, this episode is your invitation to take the leap.

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