If I Had to Start Over, Here’s What I’d Do Differently

You might know my story—how I walked out of a dance class feeling deflated and decided right there, on the corner of 57th and Broadway, that I would teach the kind of classes I actually wanted to take.

But do you know what happened next?

For my very first class, I rented a studio by the hour from a kids' physical therapy center on the Upper East Side of NYC.

The song? My Love is Like… Woah by Mya.
Like I said, it was 2003.

I made $65 in profit at my first class.
$15 in profit at my second.
$0 at my third.

And it took me until 2017 to start franchising.

A lot happened between 2003 and 2017, but that’s a story for another Founder Friday email (or maybe a future New York Times bestseller).

If I were starting a dance studio business from scratch today, here’s what I’d do differently:

1️⃣ Clarify the business model. Drop-ins and “I’ll be back next week!” aren’t a real plan. A membership model builds stability and community.

2️⃣ Define my target customer. “Everyone” isn’t a target audience. Get specific—then market relentlessly to those people.

3️⃣ Get serious about numbers. You’re not “bad with numbers.” You just need to pay attention to them. Data tells a story—learn how to read it.

4️⃣ Prioritize revenue-generating activities. Making playlists is fun. Designing shirts is fun. Calling leads? Less fun, but way more profitable.

5️⃣ Start with enough capital. I bootstrapped hard, but I wish I had explored funding options earlier. There are more ways to fund a business than you might think.

The good news? Our franchise owners don’t have to figure all of this out alone. They get the playbook, the systems, and the support to start strong and grow fast. They are never alone.

Building any business from scratch is hard. You can spend years trying to make it work—risking burnout before you even get off the ground. Or you can tap into a proven brand with built-in marketing, training, and a team that wants you to win.

So yeah, I’d do things differently if I had to start over…
But I don’t.
And neither do our owners. I freaking love franchising!