Amanda Barr 0:00
Music. Hello friends. I'm Amanda Barr and I'm Rebecca Lew Brennan, and welcome to Dance principles united the podcast together. We are passionate about helping studio owners with the business of running their studio Join
Speaker 1 0:14
us as we talk everything from marketing, systems, studio culture, motherhood, life and everything in between, this
Amanda Barr 0:20
is the dance principles United podcast,
Speaker 1 0:28
well, hello friends, and welcome to the dance principles United podcast, it is BEC here, and I have some amazing guests on with me today. I have Dion and Brit from triple T Dance. They are SGC members. Their journey has been incredible. You guys are going to absolutely love this podcast today. How are you? Dion and Britt,
Speaker 2 0:48
we're awesome. Thank you for having us on the show. Oh, we're
Speaker 1 0:52
so pumped to have you. And we were just chatting a second ago about and trying to work out when we first met, because it seems like such a long time ago, but it's actually not that long ago. When you think about it, it's like, what, three and a bit years ago when we actually first met each other. That's like, so crazy when you think about how different all of our lives are now compared to them. But we met in 2021 which was our very first in person event that Amanda Nathan, I held before we had tried, before we had SGC, or any of the things. Do you guys remember that day well? Or
Unknown Speaker 1:27
we
Speaker 3 1:28
do? I do, actually, I do. I remember being so nervous. She was
Speaker 2 1:32
so nervous, and she wouldn't talk to anyone. And I, you know, me back like, I'm like, will you go and talk to somebody, please, you know. And I'm just talking to everyone and asking them questions about their studios and stuff like that. And and then I was like, your shadow behind, yeah, they're not throwing
Speaker 1 1:50
anything. And I remember that. I do remember that,
Speaker 2 1:53
yeah. And then you were asking us about us and our studio, and we both said, you know, we're we've taken the day off work to be here. I think it was, or I don't know if it was or we were, yeah, we're going to, we both worked full time as well as doing the studio. And you said, Well, I'm going to change that and and sure enough, this is our full time job. Now,
Speaker 1 2:14
that's so crazy. And how many kids did you have at your studio, dear, if you remember,
Speaker 2 2:20
at that point we had about 70 to 80 students. That was right after COVID, like the first battle, yeah. So, yeah. So we, when we went into 2020 we we, because we'd never cracked that 100 students mark, and 2020 we were tracking really well. We thought we're going to do it. And of course, you know, it didn't happen. And then we come out of lockdown in the 2020, lockdown, yeah, I think we were sort of about 7978 kids, or something like that. I vividly remember having two preschoolers. Yeah, we had two preschoolers because we didn't. We lost all our preschoolers. Yeah, that
Speaker 1 2:58
is so crazy. And so you guys joined us and started on the journey. And you just, I guess I want to ask you, like, what do you think was the first thing you implemented at that time that kind of really worked for you? Because the thing with Dee and Brit guys who are listening out there is they are such action takers. So, you know, if we say, try this, they just do it straight away. Dion is on every single call without fail. And, you know, Brittany's on nearly every call, although she does have two little people that she also has to look after. So life's pretty crazy, right? But yeah, like, what do you think was the first thing that you I'd love our listeners to go right? The first thing that we probably need to start implementing is this.
Speaker 2 3:43
I think the the the consistency is, is key and focusing on the bottom so focusing on our preschool, advertising for preschool, and I used to always stress what our competitors in our area were doing. And I stopped doing that, and I think that was the turning point for us, was those three things, I think, just consistency with how we marketed, how we treated our preschoolers like we now treat them like they're the most important, you know, like clients in our studio, because, as you know, like the lifetime value of them is, you know, is quite high.
Speaker 1 4:21
I love that. I love that. And I love you know that you have grown from the bottom up. But I also love that you just said you didn't look at other studios around you as much. And it's so easy to do that, isn't it? It's so easy to compare yourself to the studio next door and go, Oh, I should try that. Maybe I should be like that. But whereas I feel that you two now are so strong in what you want your studio to be that that's another reason that you're just stepping forward so easily. Would, would that be, right?
Speaker 3 4:50
Yeah, I agree 100% like, I mean, you always you, everyone's on your radar, right? Like you do look, but we don't, yeah, we definitely don't look and. Pair, or we're just in our own lane, doing our own thing and loving that. Yeah,
Speaker 2 5:04
and we're doing so many things we can't add anything else that anyone else is doing anyway.
Rebecca Liu Brennan 5:10
I love that. I love that. And so are you guys really strong in your belief system, your morals? Like, do you know everything you know? Do you know who your ideal client is? Like, is that more structured now than when it was when we first met you with your 70 students?
Unknown Speaker 5:26
Yes, 100% like,
Speaker 3 5:28
yeah. I just, everything is very clear, and we're on the same page now. We, we majority of the time, don't even have to discuss it. We're, we're already on the same page in our brains, anyway, so yeah, yeah. It's just it's made life so much easier. And,
Speaker 2 5:43
yeah, and, and going back to our ideal client, like, it constantly evolves. Like, I mean, I don't know whether that's what you find as well, but yeah, who our, our ideal client was five years ago, is not, you know, it is more matured now. You know what I mean. Like, I think as you mature as a studio, your clientele base does do and, and we're firm believers, you attract what you put out there. So if we put out good energy and and good, you know, vibes, that's what we will get back in
Speaker 1 6:14
return. I love that. I love that. So you had your 70 students you joined when you then came to SGC, which I think would have been a good 18 months later. How had you tracked by then? Like you were in tribe, you were doing all the things, but I think you still did, you still have your full time jobs. What? What was happening there? I
Speaker 2 6:37
feel like I'm trying to think so no, because you had Oakley by then. So, yeah, so basically, yes. So I think prior, I'm trying to think because, like I said to you earlier, COVID really screws with your brain with what is, here it is. But we'd, I think, when we come out of 20 years. So 2021 I just made a decision at that stage to leave my job. I wasn't enjoying the job, and I just said to my husband, he was lucky enough to he'd got a promotion, so it sort of benefited that way as well. And I said, we're not going to grow unless we actually put ourselves into the business a bit more, you know, like, as much as we treated it like a business always, but it was a site. I felt like it was more of a side hustle, and we were trying to grow it. We were trying to do all the things, but you just can't do it when you're working nine to five in a normal job. So, yeah, second the march that year, which was funny that at times, you know, not long before the second bout of COVID. But, but yeah, Britt was pregnant with her first baby that year, so she was still working up until she had him, and then she hasn't returned back to full time work after that. But yeah, but yeah, working
Unknown Speaker 8:00
full time in the studio, in the studio,
Speaker 2 8:03
mom of two, two toddlers that are 11 months apart. So that's, you know, fun times.
Speaker 1 8:12
So you joined SGC. You guys have tripled your numbers. Is that right? Yeah,
Speaker 2 8:19
we're so frustrated. Like last year, we did crack 300 students. This year, 292, it's just that carrot is just in front of us, you know? And yes, so we cracked 100 preschoolers. Just last year, we also cracked 300 students. So we're just under that now we're just under the 100 because we had a lot of preschoolers graduates, so they're fed into, you know, our school age system, yes. So we're so close, but, yeah, it feels like it's just so far, but I'm sure it's not really. It's just, you know, keep, keep what is Rob and keep saying we keep hustling. Yeah, keep hustling.
Rebecca Liu Brennan 9:03
Keep hustling. Alright, so tell me what your number one thing advice, one from each of you would be to studio owners out there, like, what's the one thing that you're like, either I wish we'd done that from the start, or, you know, that was the big game changer for us. That was the big moment that we really kind of had the light bulb.
Speaker 2 9:25
Jim, I go first. Yeah, if you've got one, um, I think learning your identity is the the key. Like, I think when we rebranded, because originally we were tip tap toe Dance Company, and when we joined SGC, it was something that we talked about, but we were never brave enough to do but we decided that we'd outgrown that name and we wanted something a bit more mature, and that's why we changed it. We always shortened it to TTT, just because it was such a mouthful, so that's why we changed our name to triple T Dance. Um. And I think once we sort of really learned our identity and that and our brand awareness and stuff like that, I think that was when it like fed a bit of like a breath. What's the wording new life into the studio? I believe. Yeah, I agree.
Speaker 1 10:18
What sort of things do you mean by identity? Like, give me some ideas around that
Speaker 2 10:23
I don't know. See, we'd never, we were never strict on uniform policy or anything like that. You know, we never did that. Whereas we, I've got a firm, you know, uniform policy now and and it wasn't until you told us your story that I really gave it credibility about, you know, like thinking, you know, everyone's the same, then there's not, you know, the kids in the the high brand, your crop tops and all that sort of stuff. And because I was that kid, you know, like, and it's not like, I, you know, like, I never thought of it that way, that I always just thought, you know, like, we're putting too much pressure on our parents, but now, you know, like, if they can afford the cozy G stuff, you know, or, you know, whatever other brands are out there, they can afford to buy our brand and be proud of it, you know. And and changing, I think, when we become proud of the brand, then I think, you know, like our kids and families do too, like we've even got parents now that buy merch when we go to competitions, and that they're proud to wear our merch. So, you know, whereas I don't think we had that sort of alignment prior, I love
Rebecca Liu Brennan 11:31
that. I love that everyone wants to belong to something, you know, like everyone wants to feel like they're a part of something. And when you create that studio, like you guys have, where everyone feels a part of the family and a part of being in that uniform. It gives them that sense of belonging, then they're going to stay for longer because they feel like, you know, they're connected to it. So I love that so much. What about you, Brit what's, what's your game changer?
Speaker 3 11:58
Well, I was very young when we opened the shoe. I was only 21 so I feel like I was a bit of a baby, which I know most your owners are when they open their studio. But I remember on one of like, our kind of retreats or workshops that we did, someone said, like, you are the expert in the room. Most of your clients would have never have done dance before. Don't know the world. Don't know like you need to believe that you're the expert, and talk to your parents like you're the expert. And I wish I had done that from the start, because it's true, and education around dance and what we do in the studio is so important to our business. And so I wish I had done that from the start, and really believed in the product I had to offer was a good product, and I knew that I knew what I was talking about, because as soon as kind of, we rebranded, and I took that, that advice on, I just feel like I changed as a leader. And, you know, change always happens from the top. We know that, you know, so, yeah, I think that's my biggest thing is with studio owners, just believe that you are the expert in the room and that you have quality to give to your clients. I love
Rebecca Liu Brennan 13:06
that. And it's so easy for parents to make us feel like we don't know what we're doing, or to question what we're doing, and then we question it, and especially if you're not certain of that in your own self, then you start going, Oh, maybe I should do that, or maybe I am doing that wrong. And I think that's such great advice. I know every student out there has felt like that. I know I there's still times when I feel like that, you know, and I've had my school for 21 years now, oh, far out when those parents just question and then you you know, double guess yourself, but your confidence, Brit is just crazy different, right? Like to go from that little person in that room who wouldn't speak to anyone to now saying that, and you know, how do you deal with difficult parents now? Like, if they do question you what? How do you deal with it within your own self?
Speaker 3 13:56
Um, I think, I mean, like you said, even you know, as a person who's owned a studio for 21 years, sometimes you do kind of step back and we've been open. I think it's our 12th year open. So sometimes it does take me by surprise, but I guess because, like I said, I just know that our core values now are so strong, and our sense of identity is so strong that, you know, I just have to take a breath sometimes and deliver what I need to deliver. And if our clients don't align with that, then they don't align with our studio, and that's okay. It's okay to lose clients that don't align with your brand, because at the end of the day, then they're not bringing anything to to your business and you want and it's a cohesive relationship, and it's a relationship that needs to work well together, because people who represent and wear your uniform you want to embody your your brand and your values and your and everything. So I'm okay with losing clients that don't fit in with our values, and if they don't respect what I have to say, or don't believe in what I'm trying to give, then that's okay. There's probably a. That does believe in what they want, or, you know, offer what they want, and that's great for them. I hope they find happiness within that.
Speaker 2 15:07
And you know, our area, there's plenty to go, you know, like, there's plenty to go around. So, I mean, you know, throw, throw a ball, and you'll hit any one of our competitors. So, and that's okay, that's okay. Like, I mean, when we were, that's the difference. When we were smaller, you would keep them even, you know, like even if they were rubbish clients, you know what I mean? Like you would bow, you know, you bow to their every need and want because you were afraid to lose that client, whereas we don't have that fear anymore. And I feel like as soon as we lost that fear Yes, I feel like that was a turning point as well. Yeah, once we lost that fear factor, I think that was a big turning point as well. Do you agree? Brett, yeah, absolutely,
Speaker 1 15:49
yeah. Huge turning point. I'm so it makes me so proud, Brit, when I hear you speak like that, because you've just had such a, you know, incredible, incredible journey, and you're such a leader now. Yes, I'm just so proud of you. So I just wanted to talk to you guys about the new building and the new renos that went on and all of that sort of stuff. And, yeah, tell me about that first
Speaker 3 16:16
Well, we had our building since we opened. So when do we open? What year? 2012
Unknown Speaker 16:23
sorry, 2013 2013 and and
Speaker 3 16:25
not, not this year. Last year, we ended up moving premises to a much better location. Even though it's only two minutes down the road, it's just so much better in terms of public transport and access and things like that.
Speaker 2 16:41
And it was already a ready built studio, so we didn't have to do any fit out. It has air conditioning, which our studio did not. And, yeah, and it's quite a bit bigger than our our old premises, yeah,
Speaker 3 16:54
um, so yeah. We, what did we do that? So
Speaker 2 16:58
a month and a half, yeah? So we, yeah, we found it in the in the early December or late November, signed the lease mid December, and we moved in basically the January after so it and but the problem was we weren't out of our lease of our existing property, and we weren't going to be released from it, so we needed to do something with it. Yeah, yes.
Speaker 1 17:24
So that's what I wanted to ask you, because you've now done something incredible with that as well. So tell me about that.
Speaker 3 17:32
Well, we sat on that property for six months with it just being a storage unit, to be honest. So that was kind of terrible, but yeah, we decided no, it's not going to do that anymore. We've got this locked in till next year. We're going to try and do something so we fully fit out a new circus slash gym space, which is wild and crazy and amazing. And it's like,
Speaker 2 17:55
yeah. So my husband, Britta, and I, we fitted it out so it's got a proper gym floor on it. It's got six points and and we've got, like, a kindy gym for the little kids, so siblings and that. So the because it is open area, so the kids, the little siblings, can play in, like a fenced off area that's got soft play area, yeah. Yeah. So it's, it's still growing, and we're operating out of there two days a week, but we really foresee next year that we'll, we'll need both premises full time, because we're growing so rapidly that we'll probably need, essentially, a five room studio. So there is still a dance studio upstairs over there. So we'll try and incorporate dance and and circ in there every day, yeah. So we'll have basically five rooms.
Rebecca Liu Brennan 18:51
How incredible that is. So awesome. I love it. And you guys, what I wanted to say is, like Britta Andy, you both are so invested in your learning. And you know, Brett, I know when I first met, you didn't even have circus in your studio, but you've learnt it so well. You're on every call. Like, tell me about that, because it's, I think sometimes people just want to bury their head in the sand and just know what they know, and they think that's enough, whereas you guys are just constantly stepping up in that sense, right?
Speaker 3 19:23
Yeah, I am a big believer in that you can never stop learning. I mean, I worked before, I Well, not even before. But while I opened this, I worked in a school, so I'm big on education. And I just think also within our industry, like teachers were great, amazing unicorn, teachers are so hard to find, so once you find them, why not upskill? And so I'm always upskilling myself and trying to upskill my teachers. So circus just seemed like such a natural progression, especially because I went to a performing art school that offered it. So I actually did it previously, in a previous life, right? So I kind of already had my fingers and toes dipped in there. And we always
Speaker 2 20:00
wanted to introduce it, we just didn't know how. So yeah. And then yeah, when you to put the program out, like it was
Unknown Speaker 20:07
just not even a no, it was a
Unknown Speaker 20:09
no brainer. Yeah. I
Speaker 1 20:11
love that. I love that. And D, you are on every SGC call, but you also come on the tribe calls, and you know you're in everything. Why? Like, talk to me through that.
Speaker 2 20:24
Um, I feel like, see when you originally started DPU, basically in 2020, I found when you, you and Amanda did the lives every I can't remember whether it was Friday. I feel like it was because I was always doing wages at work when I would listen. So, yes. So I just found that one the you know, like, knowing that our problems weren't just our own problems. Everyone was having the same problems. I'm not a dancer by trade, so learning those skills as well, you know, like, like, I can see things, you know, like, I don't need to be a trained dancer to know that they're doing something wrong or right, what have you. But, but knowing the business side of things, I've got a background in accounts and that sort of stuff. So, yeah, I learn all that, but learning all the other little intricacy, things that we do with the tribe, with SGC, yeah, I don't know. And also social butterfly, you know that fact,
Speaker 1 21:30
absolutely All right, well, what is the future of triple T? What are your big goals moving forward? Tell me your number one goal each, or what you see the future of it looking like Brit
Speaker 3 21:42
Um, well, last year was just massive for us, massive growth. We opened the second premises. We started like our college this year. So we had a really big kind of growth and change within our studio last year. So our big goal this year is just to settle and and get all of those things moving the way we want them to move, and making sure we're giving each aspect of our business the love and attention it deserves. So that's kind of my goal for this year, is to kind of get everything working properly and having time for everything, and making sure I'm managing that and being a really good leader across all facets of the business. So that's my goal this year. Love it.
Speaker 2 22:26
Um, I, I always get tricky. You know me, I always find it tricky to pinpoint one. So numbers wise, I think, you know, like we've hit one of our goals. So our goals was we wanted 200 school age students, which we've achieved that just this week, I would like 200 preschoolers. That is a massive goal. And, you know, like, like I said, we're just under 100 now, so it's a big goal to get, but I really do believe we will get it. For me personally, trying to put the systems in place so that I can eventually sort of step back a little bit. Um, my husband wants to retire early, not that I think I'm ready for that just yet, because, you know, as much as I love him dearly, I'm not prepared to spend all day, every day, with him. Um, but, yeah, but yeah. Like, I'm just putting those steps in place that, you know, we can take Britt off class, and she can take more of the leadership role, and I can step back, and, yeah, just getting the systems in place. Because the problem is, we've still got that small studio mindset. We keep thinking we're still small, but we're,
Unknown Speaker 23:37
you are not. No. So,
Speaker 2 23:39
yeah, so just changing that mindset, that's, that's my that's my goal for this year. I think, yeah,
Speaker 1 23:45
I love it. I love it. I'm just going to ask you about SGC to finish up. What is your favorite part about it? What do you love if someone was thinking about joining SGC, what would you say to them is the best part?
Speaker 2 24:01
Um, the best part is the, basically the group itself, like we're such a supportive bunch. I love all the templates. Don't get me wrong, that just makes your life so much simpler. You've essentially, you've engaged your marketer and, you know, and that sort of stuff there without, you know, having to put a person on sort of thing. But yeah, I really, I really love the group and and that support system. I know that you guys were there for me when I was struggling with some personal stuff and, and for that, I'm forever grateful and loyal, you know what I mean? So I
Unknown Speaker 24:42
love that. I love that. And Brit,
Speaker 3 24:46
um, well, mine's very similar. And thought Mom was going to let me get mine in, but that's okay. She took mine. But of course, I love all the things and the people, but I think the mentorship that you guys offer, and I know in your. A introduction of this podcast, you talk about not only being a business owner and a studio owner, but you talk about being a mum, and the advice and the support that you gave around me in such a time of like, you know, becoming a mum and becoming a very a mum of two very quickly, and dealing with those things like that was so important. And so like, yeah, just above and beyond you get. You get more than what you pay for, I believe, and you get more than what you could ever imagine. So I love, yeah, my favorite part of SGC. And
Speaker 2 25:34
I think too, what you what you will get out of it is what you also put into it. So if you're not prepared to put into it, you know, like you're wasting your time. And I'm not just talking about, like, doing the jobs and all that sort of stuff. I'm talking about even interacting with the group, you know, like, if you sit back and you be, what do you call it? A gate, fly on the wall and a gatekeeper, then, you know, like it's, you know, you're not going to get out as much out of it as what you do when you interact. And, you know, look, I, I've got a business bestie that I got out of, you know, meeting them at, you know, Summit, you know. And we talk every day. And, you know, we're great mates
Speaker 1 26:11
and, and that business bestie is so close to you really,
Speaker 2 26:14
we're literally, we're literally with Jen and, and she has become a very dear and loyal friend. So, you know, like, and I just, and for that, I'm grateful as well. So
Speaker 1 26:27
isn't that incredible? I just, I really do feel like the industry has changed a lot since dance principles united in that sense, because there's no way. I don't think anyway, D that you guys would have been business besties, like you would have been, you know, arch enemy,
Speaker 2 26:49
like when we seen her at a comp and she's strutting through with a little midriff top and all the rest of it. And I'm like, Whoa, she looks like a piece of work. You know what? I laugh and and, but I love Robin, and she, she's like, she's such a great person in the industry to have. She will give you the shirt off your back if you need it. And, you know, like, and she's willing to help anybody. So, yeah, I'm, yeah, I'm grateful for COVID that you created this, this group, and I'm grateful for COVID because, you know, like, that's when we reached out to each other about what we were going to do when we come out of lockdown. So, yeah, so,
Rebecca Liu Brennan 27:30
yeah, amazing. I love that. Well, I love both of you so much. Um, Brit is just, you know, she steps out of her comfort zone, even with her teaching. She's come to my studio a few times and watched just to learn from people. These guys are absolute rock stars. And what I want to say to all of you is, any of you can have this journey, you know, these guys started with 70 students, they're now rocking 300 they're crushing goals financially. They both are working full time in the business, and they're just consistent. They're on every call. They do all of the things. They're great leaders, and their consistency is what's got them there. And we're so proud of both of you. Thanks so much for jumping on the podcast today. How much fun was that?
Speaker 3 28:11
Was fun. Thanks for having us on the forum. We had a great time.
Speaker 1 28:15
Amazing. Thanks guys, and thanks everyone out there. And we hope you got some inspiration from this today, and I'll talk to you next week. Bye.
Amanda Barr 28:23
We hope you enjoyed this episode of the dance principles United podcast. If you'd love to learn more from us, we have a special offer just for our podcast listeners, go to the link in the show notes right now to get two weeks free in dance principles United tribe. We would love to see you there. You
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