Hi, Emily! Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business:
Hi, I'm Emily. I am the Owner of Anyone Can Dance. I've always wanted to be an actress and have been working professionally for 10 years, but the business is extremely inconsistent. I've always taught dance and theater when I wasn't working in theater. As I got older and went through a pandemic, I realized I craved stability. So I wanted to start something of my own where I didn't have to rely on anyone else for hours, or scheduling. I also love helping people and I found a way to make a huge difference in people's lives by helping them with the biggest day of their life!
Who are your customers?
Engaged couples who want to feel comfortable dancing on their wedding dance and aren't looking for any specific ballroom style, but just looking for confidence and movements that fit them properly!
What was your background prior to starting your own business?
I've been teaching dance for almost 20 years so I know how to communicate and break things down so every type of person understands it. I'm also an actress so I have a big personality and feel I can relate to almost everyone!
What made you take the leap to start your own business?
I started teaching masked private lessons to people who just wanted to get out and try something new while we were in the middle of the pandemic. Through my advertising of private lessons, a couple who was getting married found me and asked if I could teach them a simple dance for their wedding. No fancy ballroom technique, they were both just nervous and felt like they had two left feet. After working with them and loving every second I switched my advertising to wedding couples. It started taking off slowly and I fell more and more in love with it. I decided to really focus on growing it since I've always wanted to be my own boss, and one of the hard parts of doing theater is the lack of consistency. Creating my own business has given be stability and consistency but it's time for some help!
Such a fantastic business journey! Take us back to when you first launched your business; what was your marketing strategy to get the word out and did it go as planned?
Thumbtack, The Knot, and Google. It worked for the last two years but it's not good enough anymore.
What is the biggest challenge you have encountered along the way so far and what have you learned from it?
I am terrible at marketing. Social media, advertising. I have a million ideas but no idea how to execute. Also TAXES! Oof did that hurt.
What accomplishment are the most proud of to date in your business?
Doing it all on my own. Making over $100,000 in the last two years is something I never thought was possible.
Such an accomplishment! Do you have any recent wins from the last year that you'd like to celebrate with our community?
This year my company hit 425 lessons in the first 6 months!
What's next for your business? What can we expect to see over the next few years?
Hopefully exponential growth and hiring multiple teachers so I can teach less and focus more on the business side.
What is your top productivity tip?
Calendly. I would die without it.
On the flip side, how do you avoid burnout?
I make my own schedule, so I know if I have 6 lessons one day to maybe only schedule 3 for the day after so I don't get too exhausted. I also make sure to give myself days off. Sometimes.
What is your approach to work-life balance / integration?
Hiring people. Having an extra teacher and someone to book the studio space for me has allowed to give me room to do other things. Also most people need lessons after work so I have daytimes free.
When hiring, what is your go-to interview question?
What makes you want to work with wedding couples? I've always had a Zoom interview as well as an in-person interview to see how people teach. A lot of people in NYC can dance but being able to teach beginners is ENTIRELY different.
What's the one app on your phone you absolutely cannot live without and why?
Calendly and Google Calendar. I wouldn't know where to go when.
What is your favorite business tool or solution and why?
Excel sheets. I have about 50.
What advice do you have for aspiring Entreprenistas?
Just go for it but be prepared to get overwhelmed and sometimes making less money and hiring someone is worth it.
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About the Author
Jessi Anderson
Jessi Anderson is the Marketing and Creative Director at Entreprenista, driving innovative campaigns and creative strategies that inspire and connect women entrepreneurs within the community.
