DSO Connect - By & For Dance Studio Owners

93. Building an after school program at your studio with Bonnie Sita

We're back with Bonnie Sita for another episode featuring her DSO wisdom. This week she chats with Robin about how she created an after school program and boosted revenue at her studio!

To learn more about Bonnie and her coaching services, go to www.studiomasterymembership.com/ 

To join Bonnie's Facebook group, click here.

92. Packaging programs for profit and student success with Bonnie Sita

Bonnie Sita is back this week to talk all about how she packages her programs at her studio to curate an optimal student experience.

To get Bonnie's FREE marketing guide for studio owners, click here.

91. Friendsgiving with the DSO Connect Crew

The whole DSO Connect crew (Casey, Robin, Amanda, Tami, Heather, and Holly) got together this week to talk about what they're thankful for in and out of their studios, and share how they'll be spending the Thanksgiving break.

90. Choreographing your business with Bonnie Sita

Casey chats this week with Studio Owner veteran Bonnie Sita about how her studio has survived (and thrived) in the pandemic. She credits her success to being a parent-focused studio, thinking outside the box, and always remembering that building confidence in kids is the main goal.

To download Bonnie's FREE guide for marketing success by targeting parents' love language, click here.

89. Building a thriving studio post-COVID (Part Two) with Amanda Cacciotti

Continuing last week's conversation with Dana Tibbetts, this week Robin talks with DSO Connect Mastermind Amanda Cacciotti about how she's reached her highest enrollment numbers ever by cultivating a strong community at her studio, keeping things interesting for her dancers, and cheering on her team.

88. Building a thriving studio post-COVID (Part One) with Dana Tibbetts

Robin sits down with DSO Connect Community member Dana Tibbetts this week to talk about how she's building back her studio better than ever post-2020. By using exciting teaching strategies, word-of-mouth advertising, and Facebook, Dana has grown her enrollment AND revenue better than her pre-COVID numbers!

87. Trans inclusivity in the studio with Trish Moulton and Chris Hale

Casey talks this week with DSO Connect Community member and studio owner Trish Moulton and dance educator and life coach Chris Hale about how to create inclusive spaces for our trans and non-binary students, and why it matters.

86. Real talk with real studio owners

Robin and Casey catch up this week and chat about what's happening at their studios, from conventions to student motivation deadlocks and power struggles to plain old exhaustion (this DSO life isn't always sunshine and lollipops). Plus, Robin's granddaughter turns one and Casey's getting a new roommate!

85. All about the National Honor Society for Dance Arts with Mandy Myrick

This week Robin and Casey sit down with Mandy Myrick, one of Robin's team members at her studio, to talk all about the National Honor Society for Dance Arts. This program, part of the National Dance Education Organization, helps recognize committed dancers for their academic, artistic, and community accomplishments. Mandy runs the NHSDA chapter at Robin's studio and tells us how she organizes the program, and how the program helps keep older students engaged at the studio.

84. Keeping injured dancers engaged

Inevitably, as dance educators we will face the issue of injured students in our studios. This week Robin and Casey chat about how to keep those dancers engaged, from class observation to social media takeovers, and of course the importance of injury prevention.

83. Preparing our dancers for auditions with Holly Brucker

Whether it's your studio's competition team, the high school musical, college dance team, or professional companies, our dancers will likely face some sort of audition scenario in their dance journey. It's our responsibility as studio owners and educators to prepare them for that experience. This week DSO Connect team member Holly Brucker joins Robin and Casey to talk about all the things we can do in our studios to help our dancers (and their parents!) feel confident and prepared when they step into their next audition.

82. Making law fun with Cory Sterling

Lawyer Cory Sterling chats with Robin and Casey this week about how he and his law firm, Conscious Counsel make law FUN for heart-leading businesses, including dance studios! From waivers to employee contracts and everything in between, Cory has the expertise and the positive attitude to help guide his clients to peace of mind in all their business relationships.

 

Cory has an exclusive offer just for DSO Connect listeners! Get his brand new online course, Don't Get Sued: Legal Essentials for Wellness Professionals, a $297 value, for FREE with promo code DSO. This course covers all the core issues Cory sees his clients have the most questions about, including:

• Business structure
• Operating online (privacy, T&C, disclaimers)
• Waivers of Liability
• Trademarks + IP
• Membership/service agreements
• Employee & Independent Contractor agreements 

Click here and use promo code to get this $297 course for FREE!

81. Ways to wow at your opening week

Whether your first week of classes is right around the corner, or you've already begun your season, it's always a good time to WOW your customers and make parents and students feel welcomed and included. This week Robin and Casey share some ideas to set the stage for a great new season of dance!

80. Summer Wrap Up

As summer comes to a close and we're gearing up for fall classes to start, it's super important to be focusing on a few things: marketing (both internal and external), debriefing your summer programs and events, and most importantly, rest and self-care!

79. Birthday Parties

Birthday parties are a GREAT way to reach new customers and increase revenue at your studio! Casey shares some of her strategies for making birthday parties at her studio incredible events for the birthday child and their guests, as well as all their parents.

For more in-depth details on how to make birthday parties successful at your studio, join the DSO Connect Member Vault, where we'll be sharing even more info on birthday parties in the next few months.

78. Studio Spruce-Up Ideas

As the summer comes to a close, and the beginning of a new season is right around the corner, it's the perfect time to spruce up your studio! Whether it's painting, fixing things, or updating your photo wall, we've got some ideas to help you freshen up your space on a budget!

 

Become a patron on Petreon and get exclusive access to a bonus podcast episode each month! Find out more here.

77. Three new ideas to re-engage unenrolled families.

Are you still waiting for your students from the 2019-2020 season who dropped off after COVID to re-enroll? This week Robin and Casey share three simple ideas to re-engage with these families and get them back in the door!

PLUS, learn all about the new structure of the DSO Connect Member Vault! With two new tiers of membership, you can cover the cost of your ticket to next year's Retreat! Learn more and sign up here.

DSO Connect is now on Patreon! For just $5 or $10 a month, you can make a huge impact on our show! Learn more and sign up as a patron here.

76. Retreat Recap

WHAT A WEEKEND! The DSO Connect 2021 Retreat was a HUGE success. It was three days full of studio owners learning, growing, and making connections. This week on the podcast, all six of the DSO Connect team do a Retreat recap, sharing our personal highlights and favorite moments.

Are you a member of the DSO Connect Community? Get all the latest updates on next year's retreat by joining our FREE Facebook group! Click here and make sure you answer all the questions to join. We can't wait to meet you!

75. REPLAY: Meet DSO Connect

In honor of the entire DSO Connect team being reunited for the first time in over two years, we're going back to the very beginning! In this intro episode, you'll meet all six members of the DSO Connect team, Casey, Robin, Tami, Holly, Heather, and Amanda, learn all about the start of DSO Connect, how to get involved, and more!

 

Join the DSO Connect Community on Facebook! Click here, and make sure you answer all of the questions to join.

74. Effective team communication

With a new season looming on the horizon, this week Robin and Casey talk about all things team communication: how to communicate with your staff to keep everyone on page all year, from fall kickoff meetings to apps like Band and Trello.

 

It's not too late to sign up for the Virtual DSO Connect Retreat! Deadline to register is THIS WEDNESDAY 7/14! Click here for more info and to sign up. You won't regret it!