What makes a dance teacher unforgettable?

It isn't the loudest voice in the room.
It isn't the toughest corrections.
And it definitely isn't running a class through fear.

In this episode, Bec is joined by her daughter BeBe for a fun, honest conversation about what really makes kids thrive in dance class.

Together they share practical teaching strategies they've developed inside their own studio that help students stay engaged, improve faster and genuinely love coming to class.

Whether you're a dance studio owner training staff or a dance teacher wanting to improve your classes, this episode is packed with practical ideas you can start using immediately.

In this episode we cover:

• Why kids actually want clear boundaries
• Creating non-negotiables that make classroom management easier
• Choosing age-appropriate consequences that actually work
• Building relationships with challenging students
• Why "naughty kids" often just need understanding
• Teaching with encouragement instead of constant correction
• Using your voice to capture attention
• Coaching and mentoring new teachers
• Helping students see their progress every week
• Why involving parents improves student retention
• Positive teaching language that builds confidence
• How to leave your bad day at the door and show up for your students

Great teaching isn't about being the strictest teacher in the studio.

It's about creating an environment where children feel safe, supported, challenged and excited to improve.

If you're passionate about developing stronger teachers and creating incredible student experiences, this episode is for you.

Enjoying the podcast?

If you'd like more practical training for dance studio owners and teachers, come and join us inside Dance Principles United Tribe, where we share weekly coaching, resources and staff training to help your studio grow.

https://danceprincipalsunited.com/dpu-tribe/

The Secret to Better Student Retention? Better Dance Teachers

You can have incredible marketing.

Beautiful branding.

A stunning studio.

The latest enrolment software.

But if your teachers aren't delivering an exceptional experience every week, families won't stay.

In this episode, Nathan and Bec dive into one of the most overlooked responsibilities of studio ownership: developing your teaching team.

Too many studio owners hire great people and simply hope they'll become great teachers.

The reality?

Teaching is a skill.

Leadership is a skill.

Both need coaching.

Bec shares why regularly observing classes has transformed her team, how to give feedback that actually helps teachers grow, and why staff development is one of the highest-return investments you can make in your studio.

In this episode you'll learn:

• Why your teachers are your product
• The difference between great dancers and great teachers
• How often you should observe staff classes
• Simple ways to give constructive feedback
• Creating clear teaching expectations
• Why ongoing coaching builds staff loyalty
• The biggest mistakes studio owners make when managing teachers
• How better teachers improve student retention and profitability

Great teachers aren't born.

They're developed.

And that starts with leadership.

When was the last time you looked at your pricing... not because you had to, but because you genuinely questioned whether it still made sense?

Too many dance studio owners keep doing things simply because "that's how we've always done it."

Paper invoices.
Sibling discounts.
Complicated pricing tables.
Term invoicing.

They're all systems that made sense years ago—but are they still serving your business today?

In this episode, Bec and Nathan unpack some of the biggest pricing mistakes they see dance studio owners making and explain why simplifying your pricing can dramatically improve your cash flow, your parent experience and your profitability.

In this episode we cover:

• Why complicated pricing actually reduces enrolments
• The psychology behind simple pricing
• Should you still offer sibling discounts?
• Why weekly direct debit is changing the game
• How Payday Super makes cash flow even more important
• Why paper invoices need to become a thing of the past
• Common objections studio owners have—and why they rarely happen
• How simplifying your pricing creates happier parents and a healthier business

If your pricing hasn't changed in years, this conversation might be exactly what your business needs.

Because sometimes the biggest growth comes from questioning what you've always done.

Most dance studio owners think enrolment happens in January... and that's it.

But what if you could create another wave of excitement in the middle of the year that brings in dozens—even hundreds—of new students?

In this episode, Amanda and Rebecca share why Open Week has become one of the most effective dance studio marketing strategies they teach inside Studio Growth Club. They unpack the systems, marketing and mindset behind studios achieving incredible enrolment results, including regional studios adding more than $40,000–$60,000 in annual tuition revenue from just one campaign.

The biggest takeaway? It isn't luck.

The studios seeing exceptional growth are the ones willing to create excitement, build urgency and consistently market their dance business.

Amanda also shares the behind-the-scenes results from her own studio, where a carefully planned Open Week generated 161 new class placements in just seven days, adding approximately $3,500 in recurring weekly tuition revenue.

If you've ever thought your location, studio size or budget was holding you back, this episode might change your perspective.

In this episode we discuss:

• Why successful dance studio growth comes from consistent marketing—not luck.
• What an Open Week is and why it creates so much excitement.
• How urgency and FOMO encourage families to enrol now instead of "thinking about it".
• Why regional and smaller dance studios can achieve incredible results.
• Real examples of studios adding tens of thousands of dollars in annual tuition.
• The importance of having a strong conversion process after every trial class.
• Why great marketing still needs a great dance studio experience behind it.
• How incentives can increase on-the-spot enrolments.
• Creative ideas that helped generate more than 160 class placements in one week.
• Why studio owners should stop relying on January as their only enrolment period.

One of the biggest themes throughout this conversation is that successful dance studio owners don't simply hope for growth—they create opportunities for it.

Amanda and Rebecca discuss how marketing events like Open Week work because they give families a reason to act today instead of someday. Just like Black Friday or end-of-financial-year sales, a limited-time event creates excitement, urgency and momentum.

The conversation also explores why so many studio owners underestimate what's possible during the second half of the year. Rather than accepting slower enrolment periods, the most successful studios actively create campaigns that bring new families through the doors while also encouraging current students to add extra classes.

Another important reminder is that marketing alone isn't enough. While strong advertising gets families into your dance studio, it's your customer experience, teaching quality and enrolment process that turn enquiries into long-term students.

Throughout the episode, Amanda shares practical examples from her own studio, including invitation cards, social media campaigns, school partnerships, referral strategies, follow-up systems and exclusive enrolment bonuses that helped make Open Week such a success.

If you're looking for practical dance studio marketing ideas you can implement immediately, this episode is packed with inspiration.

Whether your goal is stronger dance studio enrolment, increased recurring revenue or simply building more momentum throughout the year, you'll walk away with ideas you can adapt to your own business.

Success isn't reserved for the biggest studios.

It's built by the owners willing to consistently show up, market their business and put in the work.

If you enjoyed this episode, we'd love it if you subscribed to the Dance Principles United Podcast, left us a review and shared this episode with another dance studio owner who could benefit from these ideas. Every share helps us support more studio owners to build stronger, more profitable dance businesses.

Are you accidentally ghosting people who want to give your dance studio money?

Someone fills out your website form. Sends you a DM. Asks about a preschool class. Maybe they even book a trial.

You mean to reply. You really do.

But then a teacher calls in sick, you've got costumes to organise, a parent needs you, there are 47 unread emails waiting and suddenly that new enquiry has been sitting there for three days.

In this episode of the Dance Principles United podcast, Amanda and Rebecca are talking about why dance studio owners ghost enquiries — and why fixing your follow-up process could be one of the simplest ways to increase dance studio enrolment.

Because here's the thing: if someone has enquired, they've already taken the first step.

They found your dance studio. Something caught their attention. They were interested enough to contact you.

You don't necessarily need more leads. You might simply need to do a better job with the ones you've already got.

In this episode we discuss...

• Why busy dance studio owners accidentally ghost new enquiries
• The difference between being pushy and providing good customer service
• Why one follow-up message often isn't enough
• How perfectionism can slow down your enquiry process
• Why studio owners prioritise comfortable tasks over sales activities
• How to think about the lifetime value of a dance student
• Why parents don't always reply, even when they're genuinely interested
• What to do when a family doesn't show up for a trial class
• How your dance studio team can take more ownership of enquiries
• Why making enrolment easy matters just as much as your marketing
• Stop treating an enquiry like an interruption

One of the biggest issues Amanda and Rebecca see is that dance studio enquiries aren't always treated as a priority.

It's understandable. Running a dance business means there is always something urgent competing for your attention.

But there's an important difference between urgent and important.

Choosing a costume might feel urgent. Answering a current parent might feel urgent. Fixing tonight's class problem definitely feels urgent.

Following up the mum who asked about your three-year-old class yesterday? Easy to put off.

Yet that enquiry could become a family who stays at your dance studio for five years or more.

That's why good dance studio management needs a clear enquiry system, rather than relying on the owner remembering to reply when things calm down.

Because things rarely calm down.

Following up isn't being salesy

Many studio owners hesitate to follow up because they don't want to annoy people.

But remember: they contacted you first.

You're not cold calling a stranger who has never heard of your studio. You're helping someone who has already shown interest make a decision.

And sometimes they need more than one reminder.

Parents are busy. Dance class might be important to them, but it's competing with school, work, dinner, siblings, sport and everything else happening that week.

No reply doesn't automatically mean no.

Look beyond the weekly class fee

Another important shift is to stop looking at an enquiry as "$20 a week".

Think about the value of that family over a year — and potentially over five, eight or even ten years.

Add classes, costumes, concert tickets and other studio purchases, and one enquiry can represent thousands of dollars in lifetime value.

More importantly, that child could be at the beginning of an incredible dance journey.

Suddenly, making another phone call doesn't seem like such a hassle.

And don't ghost your no-shows

A family books a trial and doesn't arrive.

What happens next?

Too often, nothing.

Instead of assuming they weren't interested, call them. Ask if everything is okay and offer to book another trial.

They may have forgotten. Their child may have been sick. Their afternoon may simply have fallen apart.

Good dance studio customer experience means making the next step easy — not making people feel awkward because they missed the first one.

Your job isn't to chase people aggressively. It's to help interested families move forward.

So, after listening to this episode, check your inbox, DMs and dance studio software.

Is there someone you've accidentally ghosted?

Send the message. Make the call. Follow them up.

That one small action could turn into your next long-term dance family.

If this episode helped you, subscribe to the Dance Principles United podcast, leave us a review and share it with another dance studio owner who needs the reminder to stop ghosting their enquiries.

Do you know the three numbers that tell you how your dance studio is really going?

Not roughly.

Not "I think we're doing okay."

The actual numbers.

In this week's episode of the Dance Principles United Podcast, we're talking about the three key numbers every dance studio owner should be tracking:

• Student numbers
• Class placements
• Weekly revenue

They're simple numbers, but knowing them can completely change the way you make decisions in your dance business.

Because once you can see what's happening week by week, you can spot problems earlier, set clearer goals and make smarter calls around your timetable, pricing, enrolments and team.

We also chat about why class placements can tell you more than student numbers alone, why weekly direct debit can make such a difference to cash flow and retention, and what happens when you start looking at which classes are actually making money… and which ones are quietly costing you.

And if numbers make you want to stick your head in the sand, this episode is especially for you.

You don't need to become a spreadsheet person overnight.

You just need to start with the right three numbers.

🎧 Listen to the latest episode of the Dance Principles United Podcast now.

https://danceprincipalsunited.com/podcast/

And if you're not currently tracking these numbers, send us a DM. We've got a simple tool to help you get started.

Most dance studio owners didn't open their business because they love spreadsheets, budgets or profit margins.

They opened because they love dance.

They love teaching.

They love creating opportunities for children and building a community that feels like family.

But passion alone doesn't pay the mortgage.

In this week's episode of the Dance Principles United Podcast, Nathan sits down with former financial adviser and small business owner Jess Bowles to tackle one of the most important — and often avoided — conversations in studio ownership: financial fitness.

Because while your studio might be changing lives every single day, it also needs to be doing something else.

It needs to be looking after you.

Together, Nathan and Jess unpack what it really means to build a financially healthy studio business, why profitability matters, and how studio owners can start thinking beyond simply surviving month to month.

In this episode we discuss:

• What "financial fitness" actually means for dance studio owners
• Why many studio owners accidentally build jobs instead of assets
• The difference between revenue and profit (and why it matters)
• How to know if your classes are actually profitable
• Why paying yourself properly isn't selfish — it's essential
• The dangers of relying on credit cards and debt to fund growth
• Why building wealth outside your studio matters
• The power of budgeting and paying yourself first
• How small financial decisions compound over time
• Why increasing prices is often the fastest path to a healthier business
• The role accountants and financial advisers can play in your long-term success

Nathan and Jess also explore an uncomfortable but important question:

If you decided to stop teaching tomorrow, what would your studio actually be worth?

Because the goal isn't simply to build a business you love.

It's to build one that loves you back.

If you've ever wondered whether your studio is truly working for you financially, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

Have you ever looked at someone successful and thought, "They're just naturally confident"?

Yep… this episode is here to completely bust that myth.

This week, Bec sits down with the incredibly talented Stephen Tannos for one of the most honest conversations we've had on the podcast. From anxiety and imposter syndrome to panic attacks before speaking on stage, Stephen opens up about the fear that almost stopped him from stepping into bigger opportunities - and why pushing through it changed everything.

Fear doesn't disappear when you become successful. You just learn how to move with it.

This episode is packed with powerful mindset shifts for studio owners, creatives, teens, and honestly… anyone who's ever doubted themselves.

It's raw, funny, vulnerable, and one of those episodes you'll probably want to send to your senior students too.

In This Episode We Chat About:

• Why fear shows up most when you're about to grow
• The pressure of vulnerability vs "performing"
• How social media hides the messy middle
• Bec's business wake-up call that changed everything
• Why resilience matters more than confidence
• Letting go of people-pleasing in your studio
• Learning to stop waiting for permission
• "False evidence appearing real" and how fear tricks us
• The mindset shift behind "no one's coming to save you"
• Why every creative teen needs to hear this message

Stephen is now sharing this powerful talk with dance studios and senior students around Australia, and we think every creative teenager should hear it. To enquire about bringing Stephen into your studio, contact: info@stephentannos.com

Want More Support? If you're craving support, community, coaching, and real conversations with studio owners who get it…Come join us inside Dance Principles United Tribe. Podcast listeners get 1 week free to check it out.

https://danceprincipalsunited.com/dpu-tribe/