I have been away from writing blog posts to help dance studio owners for almost 2 years.
On December 9, 2022 (exactly one week before my studio’s winter recital) I woke up at around 5 am to the sound of a 200-pound body falling, hitting the nightstand, wall and tv of the hotel room that I was staying in 2 hours away from home. My husband had woken up, felt dizzy, and tried to make his way to the bathroom. Unbeknownst to us, a massive intercranial hemorrhage had already snuffed out the use of the left side of his body. He was taken by ambulance to the hospital where he would then be in the ICU for 12 days.
I would be staying there with him.
But the show must go on.
My husband depended on me to be by his side. My sons depended on me to hold myself and the family together in this touch and go time.
My dance studio staff and families did not have to depend on me to go forward with a seamless recital weekend.
Systems that were already in place. They were all in writing where they could be accessed by those that needed them. I had a team that was competent and confident.
I sent one email, closed my laptop, and was able to focus on my family. I was sad to miss the recital. It was super weird to know that a recital was going on without me. But I knew that it was going just fine without me.
After the initial hospitalization, my husband was moved to an inpatient rehabilitation hospital in our hometown, where he would spend the next 2 months. During that time, I did return to teaching my classes, but most of the rest of my days were spent at the rehab hospital with my husband so that I could make sure that he was fed, dressed and cleaned. I didn’t take back any of the recurring tasks that I delegated in that 1st email. My studio continued to move forward cohesively.
Here is a list of the reasons that my studio was able to continue to thrive when I had to take my focus away from it.
- A rhythm calendar. Everything. Let me say that again, EVERYTHING that needs to be done at my studio for the entire year is in a rhythm calendar. Within that calendar, tasks are divided amongst the team. The calendar includes everything from the day-to-day administrative tasks to the marketing plan, team communications, and every action that leads up to recitals and other events. It’s all on there. Nothing gets forgotten.
- SOP’s. That’s the military term for Standard Operating Procedures. Every task, from the key going into the front door when the studio opens, to when the door gets locked at night has a searchable Drive file SOP to ensure that it is done and done correctly by whomever may need to it. That, of course, includes every task and event on the rhythm calendar as well as front desk customer service and behind-the-scenes organization.
- An amazing team. When the time came, my amazing team had my back. They jumped right into their places, took up my slack and allowed me to completely focus on getting my family through this hard time.
- Love. Love conquers all. I had team members, students, and studio parents whose love for the studio brought everyone together to keep the show going. As I continue to focus my time on helping my husband in his recovery, that love continues to keep my studio growing and thriving.
I encourage you to take an honest look at your studio and ask yourself what would happen if you, the studio owner, had to suddenly step away. Are there systems in place? Is there a team to take over? Is there a calendar with EVERYTHING on it that needs to happen in every aspect of your business? Do you have a studio culture that has a cohesive spirit driven by a clear vision?
I hope that your dance studio is never tested by personal tragedy, but the truth is that life can change in the blink of an eye. Protect what you have worked so hard to create. Ensure that your studio will be able to continue to serve its families even if you cannot be there.
Start by creating your own rhythm calendar so that you have all the tasks for the year laid out in front of you. From there, you can figure out who could do those tasks if you couldn’t. Make sure that you have accurate instructions for each task, so that they can be easily delegated. If you feel overwhelmed by the thought of creating a rhythm calendar for your entire year, or you feel that your systems or studio communications are lacking, let Studio Planner Pro help you.
I have been away from writing blog posts to help dance studio owners for almost 2 years.
On December 9, 2022 (exactly one week before my studio’s winter recital) I woke up at around 5 am to the sound of a 200-pound body falling, hitting the nightstand, wall and tv of the hotel room that I was staying in 2 hours away from home. My husband had woken up, felt dizzy, and tried to make his way to the bathroom. Unbeknownst to us, a massive intercranial hemorrhage had already snuffed out the use of the left side of his body. He was taken by ambulance to the hospital where he would then be in the ICU for 12 days.
I would be staying there with him.
But the show must go on.
My husband depended on me to be by his side. My sons depended on me to hold myself and the family together in this touch and go time.
My dance studio staff and families did not have to depend on me to go forward with a seamless recital weekend.
Systems that were already in place. They were all in writing where they could be accessed by those that needed them. I had a team that was competent and confident.
I sent one email, closed my laptop, and was able to focus on my family. I was sad to miss the recital. It was super weird to know that a recital was going on without me. But I knew that it was going just fine without me.
After the initial hospitalization, my husband was moved to an inpatient rehabilitation hospital in our hometown, where he would spend the next 2 months. During that time, I did return to teaching my classes, but most of the rest of my days were spent at the rehab hospital with my husband so that I could make sure that he was fed, dressed and cleaned. I didn’t take back any of the recurring tasks that I delegated in that 1st email. My studio continued to move forward cohesively.
Here is a list of the reasons that my studio was able to continue to thrive when I had to take my focus away from it.
- A rhythm calendar. Everything. Let me say that again, EVERYTHING that needs to be done at my studio for the entire year is in a rhythm calendar. Within that calendar, tasks are divided amongst the team. The calendar includes everything from the day-to-day administrative tasks to the marketing plan, team communications, and every action that leads up to recitals and other events. It’s all on there. Nothing gets forgotten.
- SOP’s. That’s the military term for Standard Operating Procedures. Every task, from the key going into the front door when the studio opens, to when the door gets locked at night has a searchable Drive file SOP to ensure that it is done and done correctly by whomever may need to it. That, of course, includes every task and event on the rhythm calendar as well as front desk customer service and behind-the-scenes organization.
- An amazing team. When the time came, my amazing team had my back. They jumped right into their places, took up my slack and allowed me to completely focus on getting my family through this hard time.
- Love. Love conquers all. I had team members, students, and studio parents whose love for the studio brought everyone together to keep the show going. As I continue to focus my time on helping my husband in his recovery, that love continues to keep my studio growing and thriving.
I encourage you to take an honest look at your studio and ask yourself what would happen if you, the studio owner, had to suddenly step away. Are there systems in place? Is there a team to take over? Is there a calendar with EVERYTHING on it that needs to happen in every aspect of your business? Do you have a studio culture that has a cohesive spirit driven by a clear vision?
I hope that your dance studio is never tested by personal tragedy, but the truth is that life can change in the blink of an eye. Protect what you have worked so hard to create. Ensure that your studio will be able to continue to serve its families even if you cannot be there.
Start by creating your own rhythm calendar so that you have all the tasks for the year laid out in front of you. From there, you can figure out who could do those tasks if you couldn’t. Make sure that you have accurate instructions for each task, so that they can be easily delegated. If you feel overwhelmed by the thought of creating a rhythm calendar for your entire year, or you feel that your systems or studio communications are lacking, let Studio Planner Pro help you.