One of the best parts about our industry is our common ground—we share a love of dance, and especially, of dance education. It’s what inspires us and fuels our decisions; it’s the reason we persevere through hard times and celebrate each other’s successes. The relationships we build—among students, parents, staff, and vendors—are all interdependent. We empower others and feel empowered in return.
Here at INSight™ we asked a sampling of industry vendors to share their thoughts on what that empowerment looks like for themselves and their businesses. As you read through the responses, I encourage you to think about your own definition of empowerment: what makes you feel strong and confident in your leadership? In your own answer, I bet you’ll find more of that common ground.
A Wish Come True - RENÉE STOJEK, CREATIVE DIRECTOR
“To us, empowerment means tangible appreciation, empathy, and trust. A Wish Come True’s team members are our most valuable asset, so trusting and supporting their capabilities is what leads to our success.”
42nd Street Tours - JILL MATTAROCHIA, TRAVEL PLANNER
“We’re empowering studio owners by advising them how to incorporate travel into their plans, so they can gain opportunity for their dance students and generate additional revenue for their studio. By using a dedicated dance merchant like us—a company that understands their needs and goals—studio owners aren’t spending valuable time trying to coordinate this on their own.”
Talent On Parade - Kimberly McCluer, Owner
“I think empowerment means you give yourself the authority to handle difficult situations, often during extremely tough times, in a way that might not have seemed possible. Empowerment is a superpower we all have—we just have to find it!”
Teaching Artist Exchange, Rhythm Works Integrative Dance, Dance In a Box, and Intellidance® - Tricia Gomez, Global Director
“Empowerment means allowing my employees to use their unique strengths. I utilize the Gallup CliftonStrengths test to identify the top five strengths of each employee; this helps us focus their workload in a way that excites and fulfills them. My employees also know that I am an open door when it comes to making suggestions and trusting their areas of expertise. It’s important to me to know that the people I work with are happy and feel like they are doing a worthwhile job.”
guiDANCE - Kelly Peterson, Owner/Director
“Empowerment is strength that stems from the self and community. At GDX we encourage the strength of empowerment to help change things within the dance and competition world.”
NRGdanceProject - Laila Hardman, Studio Management Consultant
“To me, empowerment is knowledge. The more studio owners know, the more equipped they are to make smart decisions for their business.”
DX EVENTS - DANCE XTREME USA - Lisa Kubinski Saline, President
“I’ve always tried to empower my employees by sharing my knowledge, encouraging them to explore things on their own, and holding them accountable for their actions. We have a small but powerful team.”
PODIUM - Shannon Blake, Senior Partner Manager
“In my personal world, empowerment looks like knowing that happiness is in my control. It is the knowledge that I can influence more than I realize. In our business, at the core of Podium, we exist to empower businesses to compete with the big guys by providing them with modern and convenient communication and payment tools. We are obsessed with this mission!”
Promark Insurance - Joanne Klenk, National Dance Insurance Program Director
“Having the ability to tailor an insurance program for the dance and performing arts industry gives me a sense of empowerment. If I am not happy with what I see, I have a Plan B in my back pocket. It’s an amazing feeling when you can make choices and have the opportunity to help.”
Stagestep - Randy Swartz, President
“To be empowered is to have the knowledge and the resources to fulfill your purpose. We’re proud to empower studio owners with a safe and performance-ready environment for their students.”
Revolution - Taylor Hiller, Marketing Channel Brand Manager
“Revolution believes that empowerment is having reliable and useful products, tools, and resources that support your studio’s success. We’re always listening to what you need and are continuously looking for ways to help you boost your revenue and make it easy to sell dancewear and costumes to your students. Our heart has always been with studios!”
Weissman - Missy Catlin, National Sales Manager
“In my role, I am the ‘voice of our customer,’ empowered to fulfill the needs of the studios and the families they serve. In turn, studios empower Weissman because they trust that we will understand their challenges and help make them smart business decisions.”
Vivial - Ryan Richardson, Senior Marketing Consultant
“Empowerment to me is being able to put ourselves and those around us in a position to succeed. I aim to empower the studios we partner with by putting them in a position to be found online, and connect with the right families.”
