The Dance CEO Podcast

In this episode with guest Rachel Jenks, founder of Booty Kicking Ballerina, she shares an anything but ordinary journey from stopping being a professional dancer due to injury, to where she is now. We also talk deeply about internal healing and what it takes to embrace and love who you are regardless the title of dancer we are so used to embodying. Stick around til the end of the episode because we both share some deeply personal transitions we have had to undergo to be where we are today. Guest Bio:Rachel Jenks is a seasoned coach, NASM certified Corrective Exercise Specialist, personal trainer, and health coach who helps dancers and high performers reconnect with their bodies to move pain-free and achieve their best. Known as the Booty Kicking Ballerina, Rachel combines her expertise in movement, her professional ballet background, and her deep understanding of the mind-body connection to deliver transformative results for her clients.Her journey into coaching was deeply personal. After injury and unhealthy mindsets ended her professional ballet career and threatened her freedom of movement, Rachel refused to accept a life defined by chronic pain. Instead, she embarked on a decades-long healing journey that shaped her approach to movement and well-being. Along the way, she discovered her passionfor helping others heal from the inside out, strengthening not just their bodies but their whole selves.Rachel is dedicated to coaching and empowering her clients with thetools, knowledge, and support to thrive both physically and emotionally.Rachel is also the author of the Amazon bestseller Morning Tea: Daily Encouragements for Entrepreneurs and a sought-after public speaker. When she’s not coaching or training, she loves creating in the kitchen for her food blog, going on adventures, and spending time with friends and her two beloved cats.Highlights:It's possible to be to committed to danceWhat happens when forced to stop dancingHow dance experience can influence a path outside of itThe healing journey with oneselfThe mindset that shows you're thrivingWhat it means to Rachel to be the CEO of her life and business Links/Free Resources:https://mindset2movement.com/kaleyhttps://www.thedanceceocoach.com/societyDance CEO Self-Care Routine BlueprintDance CEO Masterclass Series Follows & Contact:@mindsettomove@thedanceceocoachthedanceceocoach@gmail.com

An entrepreneurial mindset is often overlooked or not even recognized, especially in the dance world. But it is so crucially important to develop and have one.This week I share exactly what an entrepreneurial mindset is and how to develop it. And why it may be such a challenge for you and your dance business or career. Highlights:Defining an entrepreneur The unique approach in the dance worldWhy many in the dance world struggle with this identityHow to embrace the entrepreneurial mindsetLinks:https://www.thedanceceocoach.com/society Follows:@thedanceceocoach

Part 2 - Not loving the status of money in your life right now? There are ways to increase the relationship and shift your view on money.In this 3 part series, I dive into how to do that, and share my own money mindset journey, in depth. If you have struggled for money to be a consistent part of your life, this series is absolutely for you. Links:Strategy CallJoin The Dance CEO Society

Go deep with Lyssa and I as we discuss the importance to mindset & mental performance, especially in the dance world. We really talked about the potentially harming coaching that can happen when working with someone not qualified, and how to know if they are. Career transition is also discussed and insights are shared about how to really help yourself and your clients level up your mentality. Episode Highlights:Parents supporting our dreamsCareer transition from professional ballet dancer to mental performance consultantCollege helping the pathHow to avoid trauma triggering situations Working with the right clientsThe difficulty of starting a dance business without previous experienceWhen certifications are or are not necessaryGuest Bio:Lyssa Wopat is a dedicated professional in the field of sport and performance psychology. She holds both a Masters degree in sport and performance psychology, as well as a bachelor's degree in dance from the University of North Carolina School for the Arts. Shortly after earning her bachelor’s degree, Lyssa danced professionally with the Georgia Ballet where she performed in various soloist and corps de ballet roles in ballets such as Les Sylphides, Carmen, Sleepy Hollow, and The Nutcracker. After retiring from her dance career, Lyssa pursued an MS in Sport and Performance Psychology (SPP) with the aim of bringing performance psychology support to the dance world. Now, as a sport and performance psychology consultant, Lyssa works with diverse performers and athletes, but specializes in work with dancers. With her extensive knowledge in both dance and sport & performance psychology, Lyssa is passionate about, and is committed to, helping dancers thrive by optimizing their performance, mindset, and well-being, thus enabling them to unlock their full potential. Links:https://www.performentalitytraining.comFree consultation scheduling: https://performentality.as.me/schedule.phpwww.thedanceceocoach.com/masterclasshttps://www.thedanceceocoach.com/society Follows:Lyssa Wopat - @performentalityllcAudra Allen-Queen - @thedanceceocoach Make sure to subscribe to this Podcast & like this episode!Thank you for listening

Being a parent and building a dance career, let alone a business is not an easy thing. And it's not something talked about often enough in the dance world. Unintentionally this is the exact topic Nancy and I dove into first. And the conversation just flowed from there to also discuss how Nancy took advantage of the virtual platform during Covid, instead of shied away, and how that has helped her to get to where she is today. Nancy Paradis began her professional ballet career on the east coast performing withthe Washington Ballet with Mary Day. She then joined the Richmond Ballet as anoriginal member in its first year as a professional company, and was thrilled to performfor four years. She also performed one season with The Louisville Ballet. As a principaland soloist, she loved dancing a diversity of roles ranging from classical, neo-classical,Balanchine and modern ballets.In a pivotal career change, Nancy moved to Los Angeles where she performed in thetelevision and film industry, commercial and fitness market. After honing her craft as achoreographer and instructor in ballet and jazz styles, she become adjunct dance facultyat University of California Irvine, Loyola Marymount University and currently MoorparkCollege.She is artistic director of her company LA Dance Moves, a very unique dance, music, artand media company. Combining her passion for music by collaborating with composers,she creates a new genre of performance art by weaving the composer and dancers intoeach other’s lives. She shares inspiring works of the human spirit in her most recentwork, a feature documentary titled "Back to the Heart".Nancy resides in Los Angeles with her husband Andre, a relationship coach and their two children who are attending college. Through her works of the human spirit, she isdetermined to warm your heart and move your soul! Episode Highlights:The challenges & rewards of running a business and being a motherTaking advantage of the virtual scene during CovidBuilding a dance company and making it profitableThe different ways we can serve the dance community Links: https://www.ladancemoves.com/www.thedanceceocoach.com/masterclass Follows:Nancy Paradis - @ladance_movesAudra Allen-Queen- @thedanceceocoach Make sure to subscribe to this Podcast & like this episode!Thank you for listening

So many studio owners and dance business leaders self identify as their work, and sacrifice personal everything because they think they have to to experience professional success, or they will look like they don't care.Ashe Caldwell of Bloom Studio Coaching and I are here to share our conversation about how you don't have to do all that anymore. Ashe shares her journey of how she has successfully built her dance studio business without needing to be in it everyday. We dive into a lot of beliefs that we fully embody but may seem contradictory with what the dance world tells us we need to do to be successful. Are you looking for permission to do things differently than you've been taught? This is the episode for you!Ashe Caldwell has been involved with the arts all of her life. She danced numerous hours a week, took singing and acting lessons, and was on the stage every chance that she got. Eventually, she was granted acceptance into the Musical Theatre program at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City and had the privilege to audition and work in dance and theatre productions in the US as well as Canada. She moved her love of the arts on stage to behind the curtain creating dance and music studios and even a fine arts preschool. She has had the privilege to be a studio owner for the past 20 years owning multiple locations and bringing in 6 and 7 figures consistently. She has purchased commercial space and acquired a $2.2 million dollar commercial mortgage all through her studios and has been Awarded the Canadain Business Review Board’s Best Dance Studio in Canada. She now loves coaching studio owners(just like you) on how to stop surviving and start thriving in their studios. Episode Highlights:A different, more successful way to run a dance studio & businessHow a coach made Ashe's success happenThe power of tapping into your intuitionDifferent ways you can run your business & live the personal life you desire Links:www.bloomstudiocoaching.comwww.thedanceceocoach.com/masterclassFollows:Ashe Caldwell - @ashe.caldwellAudra Allen-Queen- @thedanceceocoach Make sure to subscribe to this Podcast & like this episode!Thank you for listening

It's not often that success for a dancer is celebrated unless they make it into a top tier dance company. But there are so many who do have successful dance careers while not "in the spotlight".Join Kara Tatelbaum, author, teacher, coach and myself as we dive into the importance of knowing you can still be successful even if it's not in the "traditional" sense. We also take a few left turns (as I often do) and dive a bit into our backgrounds, our creative journeys and share our visions for the dance world.Described by the New Yorker as “having brown curls, bright eyes, kiddish exuberance andlooking like the heroine of a children’s book, Really Rosie meets Olivia the Pig,” KaraTatelbaum brings full-out dancer energy to all of her endeavors. She tries like hell not to pigeon-hole herself—striving for a life of authenticity, grace, and humor. As a sought-after teacher and coach, Kara empowers others to hold on, let go, realize, and expand their own dreams. You can find her spotlight center-stage or cheering from the audience. Turns out she’s comfortable both places.Kara lives in NYC with her husband and two children. (Half of that sentence is still a totalshock!)Kara’s memoir Putting My Heels Down: a memoir of having a dream…and a day job—abrutally honest look at her life as a dancer and very reluctant Pilates instructor trying to make it in NYC—was released by Motina Books on International Dance Day (April 29, 2022). Highlights:Kara's dance journeyWays to take ownership in your training and experienceHow there's room for all of usLinks:www.karatatelbaum.com www.thedanceceocoach.com/masterclass Follows:Kara Tatelbaum @karatatelbaumAudra Allen-Queen @thedanceceocoachMentioned In This Episode:Book - Putting My Heels DownThe Dance CEO Masterclass Series