In order to build brand awareness for prospective clients and continually connect my client base to my mission and values, I had a blog linked to our home page that was a weekly dive into how dance affects lives in a real way. You can view the entirety of the series here, but here are some excerpts from my favorites (with the most impressions).
“Those that Do”
It seems to us that people who are the happiest and most successful are simply those that have chosen to do. It doesn’t always mean do well, and it doesn’t always mean success. BUT, if you don’t move forward and DO things that take steps toward your larger goals, you don’t even have the opportunity to succeed (or to learn from the failure!)… I can’t help but think about how dance teaches this lesson. In the studio it can be scary to try something new, for fear or failure or fear of looking silly. But, I encourage every student to “just try it,” or “just do it,” so we have a jumping off point to improve and perfect whatever the skill is. It’s ok to fail, if it was a step towards succeeding, but ACTION is the only way forward.
“Asking for Help”
I’m really not good at asking for help. Ask my husband, my staff, my parents, and my collegiate dance coach. Part of it is wanting to stay in control (if you want it done right, do it yourself… right?) and part of it is being a people pleaser. I don’t want to inconvenience anyone. But what happens when I don’t ask for help? I get overwhelmed, of course. I take on 12 jobs when I only have time for 10… Collaborating with others almost always ends with a better project or result than if I do it alone. 2 brains are better than one from troubleshooting to creative thinking to work sharing… Besides my own journey with asking for help, I see dance experiences teach my clients (both moms and dancers) the same lesson… We are a team. We are a dance family. I am blessed and lucky to have so many eager teachers, moms and family members ready to help.
“Mission and the Why”
Why are we doing this at all? What is the motivation, and what do we stand for?.. Our mission at Lonestar Dance Center is “to empower kids to express themselves with confidence.” We use the art of dance and 7 core values as the lens to teach this mission every day. Everything we do should fit under these umbrellas, and if it doesn’t fit, we need to re-evaluate if it’s something we should pursue… I ask my dancers this from time to time: “Why do you dance?” While the answers are varied, they help re-shape their work ethic, focus, and joy in the classroom. It is an important lesson to have to express the reason behind how you spend your time, and that lesson definitely falls under our mission here at LDC.