Transform My Dance Studio – The Podcast For Dance Studio Owners

The Studio Workaholic's Wake-Up Call

Transform My Dance Studio – The Podcast For Dance Studio Owners

Show Notes

In this six part podcast series 'Work Less, Make More', workaholic studio owner Annie Lesse Thistle discovers her true values and transforms her life to achieve a balance of work, family, and self that she never thought possible. During this podcast mini-series, Annie will be your guide to achieving more freedom and balance in your studio life as she walks you through her six secrets to achieving the highly profitable 20 hour work week.

In this series premiere, you'll discover: 1. How Annie Leese Thistle went from working 72 hours a week to a 20 hour work week 2. What it was like for Annie during the pandemic and how it changed her perspective 3. How to identify and let go of things in your life that are holding you back And SO much more. "Everything you want is on the other side of fear."

About Your Host: Annie Leese Thistle is an extraordinary studio owner and Inner Circle member who will be leading a six-part series on working less and making more.

Annie is the CEO and artistic director of Performing Arts Academy of Marin (PAM) in Mill Valley, California. She established Pam in 2009 and has grown it from humble beginnings in a church hall to a thriving community with state-of-the-art facilities and premier training in dance and the performing arts.

More from Transform My Dance Studio – The Podcast For Dance Studio Owners

Oct 12, 2026

Is there a missing piece in your dance studio business that's holding everything else back? Maybe it's the right team member, clearer financial information, better systems, or simply the courage to make a difficult decision. In this special episode of the Transform My Dance Studio Podcast, we're revisiting one of our favourite talks from Craig Burns, Inner Circle Mastery Executive Coach, who brings over a decade of coaching experience, including five years working specifically with dance studio owners and hundreds of hours of one-on-one coaching conversations. Through a powerful personal story and an interactive puzzle exercise, Craig explores how the pieces of our businesses and lives fit together, and why some pieces simply don't belong. His message is a reminder that building a successful studio requires clarity, the right information, and the willingness to stop forcing solutions that aren't working. What You'll Learn: How to identify the missing information, conversations, data, or processes that could be holding your studio back.

Oct 5, 2026

Your recreational dancers may only spend 45 minutes a week inside your studio, but are you creating an experience that makes them feel like they truly belong there? In this episode of the Transform My Dance Studio Podcast, we're re-sharing a jam-packed talk from DSOA CEO of the Year and Studio Growth Coach Sharon Uyar. Sharon breaks down how she's built a thriving recreational program by focusing on five key areas: studio culture, customer service, marketing, engagement, and convenience. From making families feel seen to rethinking schedules, communication, community events, and even the traditional recital, Sharon shares practical ways to create a stress-free experience that drives retention, revenue, and long-term loyalty. If you want your recreational families to see your studio as more than just another activity on their calendar, this episode is packed with ideas you can put into action. What You'll Learn: How to make your studio stand out in a crowded extracurricular market

Sep 28, 2026

Could your curriculum be one of the most valuable assets in your dance studio? In this episode of the Transform My Dance Studio Podcast, we're re-sharing a powerful talk from the Dance Teacher Web Conference & Expo in Las Vegas in August 2024, where Studio Growth Coach Alisa Finney shares her "13 Steps to Financial Freedom" and reveals why curriculum is so much more than a teaching tool. Alisa explores how a clear, progressive curriculum can create consistency across your team, strengthen student progression, protect your studio from teacher turnover, unlock additional revenue streams, and differentiate your business from the competition. Most importantly, she explains how delivering an exceptional, consistent product can build your confidence in your studio's value, helping you move away from discounts and compete on quality rather than price. What You'll Learn Why curriculum should be treated as a foundational investment in your studio

Sep 21, 2026

You can run a successful dance studio for years and still feel completely insecure when it comes to your numbers. In this episode of the Transform My Dance Studio Podcast, we're resharing a powerful talk from two years ago with Robyn Tedesco, CEO of Move With Grace Dance Studio, co-owner of Inspire Dance Challenge and Amplify Dance Lab, and a certified Board Director with the Performing Arts Educators of Canada. Robyn shares how changing her mindset, learning her KPIs, creating consistent financial routines, and holding herself accountable helped her step into her CEO power—paying off more than $100,000 in debt in 18 months while still achieving a 22% profit. If getting on top of your finances keeps showing up on your 90-day plan, this episode is a reminder that you don't have to be a "math person" to understand your numbers and take control of your studio's financial future. What You'll Learn: Why you don't need to be a "math person" to understand your studio finances

Sep 14, 2026

Growing your studio shouldn't mean sacrificing your time, your family, or yourself in the process. In this episode, we're sharing a powerful presentation from Nadine Selinger, originally delivered at DSOA's 2025 Inner Circle Member Retreat in La Jolla, San Diego. Nadine shares how she went from teaching 40+ hours a week and wearing far too many hats to building a team of empowered leaders with clear roles, ownership, and opportunities for growth. She breaks down how developing her people, strengthening systems, and learning to delegate helped Dance City double enrollment from 400 to 850 students and grow annual revenue from $1M to $2M—all while creating more freedom for Nadine outside the studio. What You'll Learn How to identify and develop leaders already on your team

See all episodes →