Be Inspired

Your success often parallels your productivity—but not all productivity is created equal! Sometimes what feels “productive” is really just “busy.” True productivity is rooted in spending focused time in your zone of genius, otherwise known as your sweet spot. For some studio owners, this is choreography and classroom work. For others it is creating new…

Your studio’s culture is built from your values; it’s the way your mission and vision influence the atmosphere around your staff and students. Over time though, you may notice that the studio culture has shifted. It makes you wonder, “How did that happen? What can I do to fix it?” The answer is to conduct…

As the business owner, you naturally get pulled in many directions when you are at the studio. Trying to get proactive work done in a reactive environment can feel impossible. Sometimes it can feel like the hours of day disappear right before your eyes! Is it possible to take control of your time and still feel productive…

Being a studio owner requires many skills—vision-casting, discernment, financial know-how, relationship-building, risk management—the list goes on. But one skill stands out to me as an underestimated asset: Listening. I believe that true, deliberate, active listening is often overlooked as a business advantage. I’ll admit there were times in my early days as a studio owner…

A friend of mine once shared, “Peace of mind is a discipline.” I felt that sentence deep in my soul because yes, it can be easy to forget that peace of mind comes not solely from outward influences, but from an inner commitment. It is a daily practice of choices (and gratitude) that drives a…

Mentorship has been one of the most powerful experiences of my personal and professional life.  I’ve written before about the many mentors in my life, like Deak Swanson, a local business leader, who made it possible for me to open the doors to Misty’s Dance Unlimited nearly 26 years ago, and Dave Liniger, of RE/MAX,…

One time I was out biking with my son, and we were NOT having an easy time. The trail we were following seemed, well, not well-kept or otherwise clear to follow. We were getting tangled in branches and weeds, bumping along as best we could, but it seemed inevitable that we could get lost or…

OK, so here’s a funny story: I had been driving the same car for five years. That’s five years’ worth of frigid—mostly downright arctic Wisconsin winters by the time I figured out that this car has a HEATED STEERING WHEEL. What!? While my fingers cannot get those five years back, I am now officially basking…

This season of gratitude always makes me reflect on how thankful I am to get to live a life full of dance.  Dance is something I feel so blessed to have in my daily world, whether I’m at my own studio with our families, coaching fellow studio owners, keynote speaking at business events, or teaching…

During a recent interview, I was asked who my dance heroes are.  It took me just a second to think about it because although there are many famous dancers I admire, I realized that my answer was actually much closer to home: Teachers.  Teachers are my dance heroes. They are the ones who make the…

I was talking with a group of studio owners recently and the subject of “drive” came up, as in: “Is it OK to work all the time, to constantly drive your business?  Where do you draw the line at too much work?” This made me really stop and think.  First of all, because I LOVE…

You might remember that over the past year, I decided to take up RUNNING. As in, purposeful fitness-driven running—not just running to meetings or events, or to pick up my kids! So a couple months ago, as the frozen ground began to thaw out, I signed up to do a 3K with my daughter, Isabella,…

Let me preface this post by saying how much I like to work. In fact, most of the time I love to work. Being productive, transforming lives, having a positive impact on this amazing industry that is near and dear to me: these are things that make my heart sing! But … as I grow…

It’s hard for me to believe it, but More Than Just Great Dancing® is coming up on its 12th anniversary! We brought on our first group of charter members in 2011 after a year of deep planning to establish the roots of the organization and fine-tune its mission to help studio owners succeed in business…

This is my first Christmas without my dad. All around the world keeps turning, and we keep turning with it … and yet I still have these moments where I stop and think, “How does life keep going even after such a loss?” I have learned that the answer lies in love. And in memories…

Each July at More Than Just Great Dancing® we host a live event for our community called Member Rally. It is two full days of learning and personal growth: we cover everything from leadership expertise to creative customer service solutions to culture-building camaraderie. In short, our members truly “rally” together—for themselves and for their studios—before…

There is an African proverb that says “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” This couldn’t be more true in the business world, where teamwork and collaboration give us the strength to continually stretch ourselves with new ideas, adaptations, solutions, and innovations. Coaching and mentorship, too,…

You always hear me say, “Dance makes great kids.” And it’s true!  But as I have learned from my sons, youth sports make great kids too. It’s not that I didn’t know this before, it’s just that these days it is more and more clear to me how essential kids’ activities are. They all have…

A couple of years ago, as the pandemic settled into all our lives, I opened an uplifting email in my (very full!) inbox. It was from my friend Terri Mangiaratti, fellow studio owner, who was reaching out to other women leaders in dance to form a powerhouse collaboration group.  Terri’s idea was to create an…

Until recently, I thought of “accountability” as a process defined like this: Assigning responsibility for a task, project, or problem Making sure people follow through on milestones and goals  Teaching people how to own up to a mistake or a missed goal These are pretty traditional definitions, and they’re not wrong. But as a leader,…

You’ve heard me talk before about how at any given moment, two opposite things can be true. In this fall season, it is clearer to me than ever that this is not only a common feeling, it is also a skill. In fact, it is a skill that can be intentionally developed. It’s called cognitive…

At this point, you’ve probably heard me shouting from the rooftops about our newly launched professional development hub, Studio Training Solutions™. After more than two years in the making, it is BEYOND exciting to see this resource come to life! I’m so proud of how our team has curated the STS™ content, from free downloads,…

As small business owners, we often feel like flexibility is just a footnote in the story of our lives. We allow our career responsibilities to dictate the calendar, prioritizing and accommodating everyone within our studios … but not ourselves.  Well, I’m here today to remind you to pump the brakes on this mindset! It may…

This post is a bit different from the ones before it—partly because it is more personal, and partly because today I am forever changed. Just a few weeks ago, I unexpectedly lost my dad. He was Paul Averill, a father, husband, grandpa, uncle, and son. He was also a loved friend to others, an honorable…

IT’S TIME! Today, Tuesday, July 19th, is the launch day for Studio Training Solutions™! This is a day that’s been YEARS in the making! Studio Training Solutions™ is the culmination of a dream come true—a dream I had to build a hub of resources and connections to link arms and strengthen the dance industry. No…

As I’ve been back to school working towards my PhD, there are moments in my studies that cause me to stop in my tracks. These mind-blowing “whoa” moments happen when a concept really hits home. I’ll be reading a scientific study, theory, or case study and suddenly I’ll recognize myself (or my businesses or my…

Preparing for a new dance season always carries a bit of magic. After the recital dust (I mean, glitter!) settles, you find yourself jumping at all the possibilities that await a new school year. It doesn’t take long for things to get busy all over again: you start gearing up for fall enrollment, summer camps,…

This past dance season has been a gift to all studio owners—one unlike any other. With its incredible highs (and even with its challenges) this year has really shown us what we’re made of. Each year since 2020, I’ve seen remarkable changes in the dance world. Changes that I think were meant to happen so…

I’m not sure when I got the idea that I wouldn’t be good at it … “it” being Quantitative Analysis, also known as statistics. This was a class I had to take last semester for my Ph.D. program. A class that, when I thought about having to take it, gave me a pit in my…

Back in high school, I took almost every art class offered. Drawing, painting, sculpture—if it fit my schedule, I had to take it. Art became a hobby of mine and, it turned out, I actually had a knack for it. The piece pictured here is one that hangs in my house today; I think I…

I’ve noticed that when I’m coaching other studio owners, I’m often reminding them that confidence comes from all the pieces of their life. I’ll tell them, “Don’t forget… you always have permission to feel confident. You have permission to be proud of the things you accomplish in life, in and out of the studio.” It’s…

“It is not the strongest of the species that will survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” I’m convinced that this quote from Charles Darwin could have been written about business. Survival is about innovation and pivots and leadership. And surviving leads to thriving! We know that businesses have had…

As the U.S. approaches its two-year anniversary of the pandemic, in the face of much loss there is still much to be grateful for—especially the knowledge and tools we’ve gained for navigating this new season of life. Life isn’t the same of course, but we are beginning to see more touches of normalcy as the…

Whether you’ve been in business for one year or for decades, you are in the process of building a legacy—leaving the mark of your mission. This may be part of the reason you became an entrepreneur, because your impact would be that much greater, compounded exponentially by your studio. But legacies aren’t just made from…

As an avid reader, I often come across quotes that speak to my passion for leadership (and yes, I LOVE a good personal development book!). Recently a friend shared a passage from Brené Brown’s new book Atlas of the Heart, where she defines and discusses human emotions.  In one section she writes about “epistemic emotion—an…

At the beginning of the year, I set a goal to take four trips just for fun. No work. And…. I did it! I traveled to Florida in the spring, drove Route 66 in the summer, visited my mentor’s Colorado ranch in the summer, and visited a different part of Florida earlier this month. For…

At my studio, we’re trying something new this year when it comes to communications with parents: personalized progress reports for every student. Yes, that means HUNDREDS of families will receive a customized evaluation through a new system we’ve adopted. It’s called VAL™. And it has the potential to change everything about how we see the…

When I was a young dancer, I LOVED getting my hands on a new magazine. You can probably imagine that I loved Dance Magazine, but in high school I also had a subscription to Car and Driver! I can distinctly remember how my heart would skip a beat when the newest issue was finally available.…

Like many of you, I heard the news about Afghanistan and immediately began wondering how I could help the refugees fleeing their home country. What must they be feeling? What were their top needs? I couldn’t help but think how overwhelming it must be to start over in a completely new place, especially for women…

In psychology, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is well-known and respected for its theory of how humans are motivated. Maslow puts needs such as air, water, food, shelter, and sleep at the foundation of the hierarchy. A no-brainer, really! And I bet it won’t surprise you that the next foundational step is SAFETY. Once those first…

One of my FAVORITE things about partnering with industry vendors is learning about the ways they serve others—beyond the obvious. Revolution Dancewear, for example, recently became a Legacy Partner with us here at More Than Just Great Dancing!® and I’ve been thrilled to learn about how they are doing good in the dance world. One…

Remember during the Tokyo Olympics, when there was a pretty big firestorm surrounding athletes’ mental health? Gymnast Simone Biles decided to step back from the team competition and it quickly became a buzzy talking point. That a world-renowned gymnast on the grandest stage there is would say, out loud, that she was prioritizing her mental…

I’ve said it before and I’ll proudly say it again: The dance industry TRULY has a special kind of ecosystem. Where else do you see so much support among suppliers or business owners sharing ideas at conferences or studios offering unique services in the community, even during the roller coaster of a global pandemic? When…

Yes, you read that right: Off. The. Grind! Back in July I took some intentional time OFF from the hustle and grind of daily life. It was a bucket list trip: I drove Route 66 with my youngest son, Benji—and we had the time of our lives! You see, when I was little, my dad…

The dance studio industry is in a unique position these days, poised to take advantage of a huge resurgence that’s expected in service businesses, in particular youth activities and the arts. But I think we will only be able to maximize that benefit if we work together—AND make thoughtful steps forward for our studios. Let…

If you could name the most vital public health need facing our population, what would it be? Perhaps your answer would be preventing COVID-19, although in the U.S. the pandemic outlook is improving as the number of infections declines dramatically. The novel coronavirus remains a serious concern, yet its status as an emergency-level issue is…

Fellow business owners and friends, like many of you I recently received the news that a longtime pillar in our dance community closed its doors. At Misty’s Dance Unlimited, we had the privilege of doing business with Curtain Call for more than two decades—nearly half of its existence—and I was saddened to hear that it…

One of the most common challenges I hear from studio owners these days is about developing their employees. They wonder what steps they should take to raise up strong leaders, perhaps even to create a full leadership team. In their small businesses, these studio owners want to hire and nurture great talent and also get…

It was about 24 years ago that a man named Deak Swanson handed me the keys to my first business lease. (I wrote about that journey and my gratitude for Deak here in this previous post about paying it forward!) That gesture had a tremendous impact on me and I always promised him I would…

The Oxford Dictionary defines “pastime” as “an activity that someone does regularly for enjoyment rather than work; a hobby.” I think for most of us, it’s safe to say that our pastime once was dancing! We showed up to classes each week, eager and excited, feeling the pure joy that dance brought into our lives.…

You may have noticed that in the past year we have ramped up production of our publication, INSight™ Magazine including The Recovery Edition (summer 2020) and Start Strong (winter 2020-21). I thought it might be fun to answer a few frequently asked questions here about INSight™ as we gear up yet again for a new…

Back in February, I trained 500 studio owners, managers, and industry vendors at Studio Owner University®, an event we made virtual this year for safety. The virtual platform turned out to be even BETTER than I could have imagined. I swear you could feel the buzzing of the energy through the computer … or maybe…

In dance, the physical limitations we’re faced with these days are pretty incredible: Dancing in socially-distant groups, sometimes inside literal boxes taped on the floor; dancing with face coverings and only the eyes to connect with; dancing without partnering or other close contact. Suffice it to say, we’re on a new level of what “limitation”…

I’ve written before about my friend, dance industry leader Susan Epstein, and I’ve also written about the silver linings of today’s world. Today, I wanted to share with you a silver lining she recently shared with me… As you may remember, Susan is the Producing Director of Group Study at Gibney in New York City.…

Self-care, understandably, has reached an outsize importance in a small business owner’s life. The past year demanded a LOT from us, and somewhere along the way we had to be called to action… for ourselves! We had to remember to stop and breathe and treat ourselves well, so that we could give and serve from…

You might remember that several months ago, I had a major surgery. Over the course of my recovery, with healing and the help of physical therapy, I went from a wheelchair to a recliner to a walker to walking … and FINALLY to actually teaching a dance class (I subbed for my daughter one night…

A few months ago, we conducted a survey of More Than Just Great Dancing!® affiliated studios regarding our Safer Studio™ guidelines. When they results came in, I was FLOORED … in a really good way. The statistics collected from this survey were uplifting to say the least! The numbers showed us that not only have…

Tell me if this story rings true: You wake up in the morning, ready to go, and charge ahead with your workday. You plow through phone calls, emails, and hard decisions and complicated leadership issues. And when you get home, you’re wiped out—possibly even a little snippy to your family. Your energy has been used…

There’s this game I invented called “It’s a Really Good Thing”. (OK, I call it a “game” but really it’s an exercise in focus and discipline and reflection and appreciation.) Here’s what I mean: I’ll say to myself, “It’s a really good thing THIS happened, because now we can do THAT.” For example,  IT WAS…

Last month, I walked into my office one day and saw a cream-colored mystery envelope with a gold ribbon on it. It was set apart in the middle of my otherwise jam-packed desk. Curious, I opened it, and inside was a handwritten letter of gratitude from a dancer who graduated from my studio in 2013.…

I think we can all agree that this year has had more unknowns and unpredictability than probably any other year we’ll experience in our lifetime! The virus that brought businesses and schools to a halt in March continues to cause ripples worldwide, leaving us wondering what’s next, with no guidebook or map—just our own resourcefulness,…

I’ve always said I believed in the transformative power of dance. It’s the concept my studio was built on over these past two-decades-plus. Dance has, for as long as I can remember, held this central place in my heart, my mind, and my work. Like many studio owners I know, my life was influenced by…

Earlier this year I set a goal for myself to run a 10K. For those of you who are unfamiliar with races like this, that’s around six miles or so … and a HUGE deal to me. You might remember that I took up running about two years ago. I’m not the fastest runner (nor…

Last month I posted on social media to celebrate the launch of our new tech-enabled studios which can live-stream classes. It was a significant investment for our small business and so I was particularly appreciative of all the effort that went into it. We hired a company out of Chicago that specializes technology to come…

Season 23 at MDU … I could have NEVER imagined what this year would look like! Now that we’ve gotten started with classes, I’ve had some time to reflect over the many changes we’ve implemented and what the future might hold. Looking around the studio and seeing our staff and students back in action, I…

I’ve shared before how proud to be at the helm of Youth Protection Advocates in Dance®, the organization founded by Leslie Scott Zanovitch. With a mission of educating dance professionals about keeping kids healthy and safe in dance, this cause is close to my heart! As the current leader of YPAD and a champion of…

When I began More Than Just Great Dancing!® almost 10 years ago, I knew that I wanted the community to be special—a group of like-minded studio owners who had the desire to be strong business leaders; who wanted to balance life and work and not be apologetic about making a living from their passion. Women…

At the end of July, we held our annual Member Rally event for More Than Just Great Dancing!® … all virtual. It was like nothing I’d ever produced! Amazing doesn’t feel like a strong enough word. Pre-pandemic, we were supposed to hold the event in Nashville. But by April this year, I knew that even…

The past two weeks, I’ve been on more calls with our county and schools than I ever have before. With thousands of students who are served by our local schools, the challenges in this continuously changing situation are daunting, to say the least! But I’ve never seen a more earnest and professional effort at collaboration…

It’s on my favorite days of the year…not because it’s about me but because it’s a day I consistently give myself permission to really slow down, think about life, who I’m becoming, how I want to show up in this world and what I want to contribute.  Last year I spent the day giving free…

When I was in middle school, my Grandma Marilyn helped my family by paying for my extra dance lessons. In high school, my dance teacher and some school teachers pitched in with special opportunities. And my college career was funded primarily by scholarships … and teaching dance. 🙂 I think it’s fair to say that…

All right, fellow business owners, maybe you can relate to this …  Last week I had to REMEMBER to have fun. Yes, I actually had to tell myself, Hey, it’s OK to stop working for a hot mint and just hang out with the family🙂 It was my son Max’s birthday and we wanted to…

A couple weeks ago I posted a message on Facebook that I had to restart several times before I could come up with the words I wanted to say. I’m still not sure I got it right…or that there is a right way to process.  The post was a reflection on race … a response…

Back in mid-March I sat with my head in my hands. We were in the middle of a “three week” school closure and I was watching dance competitions state by state “call it” as counties and cities around the countries lowered their assembly size limits. At Misty’s Dance Unlimited, we had already transitioned our classes…

When we had to shift plans for this year’s More Than Just Great Dancing® Member Rally to become an all-digital event, I knew that our keynote speaker would have to be someone who could be the ultimate inspiration. We needed someone who could tell a story of hope and survival, someone who could remind us…

If there is anything new I’ve learned this past week or so, it’s how much appreciation I have for PEOPLE.  Whether it’s online, seeing our students shine in their Virtual Recital Experience, or it’s in person, seeing their smiling faces waving from a distance during our MDU Car Parade, it’s the PEOPLE who make all…

It was twenty-three years ago that I put an ad in the classified section of the La Crosse Tribune announcing I was opening my studio, Misty Averill’s Dance Unlimited (yes, that’s actually what it’s called :). There were no websites, cell phones, Google, email, or text marketing campaigns. It was just a two-inch classified ad…

If there’s anything new I’ve learned this past week it is this: There is a paradox in our experiences right now; a duality of the difficult and the beautiful. I’m learning that we can be both sad and grateful at the same time. We can be both disappointed and hopeful, worried and confident. Whatever the…

Last week when I walked into my office to work, I felt a little down. Here I was again. Alone.  It’s the way it needs to be but it didn’t tug at my heart any less. I know many of you know the feeling. Standing silent by the coffee pot, I noticed that even the…

One of my mentors, Dave Liniger, spoke to our More Than Just Great Dancing® members this week, and of all the wisdom he shared, this piece hit me hard. I mean like a kick in the pants and a kickstart to the heart:  He said to us, “Your resilience is being tested right now. You…

I have had moments during these past three weeks where I thought I could literally FEEL the worry crowding into my thoughts. One look at a press conference (or at the school closures) and it would feel like my brain was slowing down and my heart was being squeezed by stress.  I imagine you’ve probably…

You might remember that last spring I took up running, and since then, I’ve run a handful of 5k races. These days, my favorite type of run to go on is the one that’s just two miles—for me, it’s just enough to clear my mind… and get me back in time to tackle crisis emails…

There’s a forested area not far from my home, a former park, where I often take refuge when I need some quiet space to walk the dogs and calm my mind.  It’s a place I can walk through at any time, even at weird hours, and keep my social distance while still getting some exercise.…

Friends and fellow studio owners, I wanted to share with you a revelation I had earlier this week about faith during hard times. No matter where you fall on the spirituality spectrum, I think we can all agree that right now is a time that requires FAITH. The definition of faith is this: “Being sure…

I recently attended a servant leadership seminar led by Jim Hunter, author of The Servant. It was an event funded by my mentor Dave Skogen, and offered free to the community—an opportunity I could not pass up, especially because Dave extended the invite! I think there were around 800 people at Viterbo University for the…

With a knack for making connections and a talent for business, my longtime friend Susan Epstein is making BIG things happen in the dance industry. For as long as I’ve known her, Susan has had a vision for the dance community that never fails to inspire me to want to do MORE! Let me explain.…

To say the past month has been busy would be a major understatement. From the usual beginning-of-the-year meetings and goal-setting to fine-tuning the preparations for our tenth Studio Owner University® (which just wrapped up), I’ve been shoulder-to-shoulder with my team working like crazy to make sure we’re serving our people with the highest-quality content. But…

2020! Not just a new YEAR, a new DECADE! As most of you know I’ve dedicated my entire career to dance, first as a dance teacher, then as a dance studio owner, and now as a teacher to teachers and owners.  🙂 My journey in this industry hasn’t always been easy, but one thing has…

For eight years, I stared out the windows of my previous studio space at an empty piece of land across the street. I saw something there. Like I could actually see it in my mind’s eye. Sometimes, I would walk around that land and pray about what I saw. I would draw it. I would…

A few weeks ago, Mitch and I took a trip to Italy to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary—it was AMAZING.  During that time, the folks on my team were absolute rockstars.  I was actually able to disconnect completely from work during that time, which is REALLY saying something! Taking that week off reminded me of…

Last week I was visiting my daughter Isabella in California and we decided to go out on a shopping date, as mothers and their college-age daughters will do. 🙂  We went to this indoor/outdoor mall, which is AMAZING in and of itself because we don’t have that in Wisconsin … we’d only have a few…

Releasing my first book a few years ago was an intimidating process at first.  Getting everything written just the way I wanted it, then experiencing the PR behind the launch, followed by book signings and keynote presentations … the whole thing was intimidating and of course, VERY exciting! At the time, I didn’t think too…

It’s been months in the making and we’re FINALLY preparing to launch the updated programs of Youth Protection Advocates in Dance! As many of you know, YPAD originated as the heartsong of Leslie Scott Zanovitch, its founder and long-time champion—and someone I now consider a forever friend. 🙂 Leslie created YPAD to uphold a high…

My fellow business owners know this well: Life as an entrepreneur is full of sacrifices, learning, growth, and surprises.  It has high peaks like nothing else I’ve experienced and low valleys that I’m thankful to have climbed out of.  As a studio owner, there have been times where I know this life is THE perfect…

Here at More Than Just Great Dancing®, we’re getting ready for our TENTH Studio Owner University®—WOW!  From February 3-5 in beautiful Austin, Texas, we’ll be hosting this unique university-styled training for studio owners.   If you haven’t heard of SOU before, or you’ve wondered what it’s about, here’s the scoop: SOU might just change your life…

Just a few short weeks ago, I dropped off my oldest child—my daughter Isabella—at college. College! It was much harder and more emotional than I could have expected. But it was also beautiful in ways I couldn’t have imagined. (And yes, I cried my face off. Right. Off.) The thoughts and feelings that have been…

We all know the expression about the proverbial glass being “half full” or “half empty.”  This phrase is usually indicated to show someone’s optimism or pessimism, and it seems to be widely accepted that people should, of course, always choose to see the glass as half full.   I recently had the realization that when it…

When I’m on the road coaching and speaking, I’m often asked, “How do you do it all?” It’s a question that always gives me pause, because I don’t do it all.  Not all by myself. People may see me and think I have some kind of secret system to accomplishing my goals or leading my…

Ah, summer! One of my FAVORITE things about this time of year is that it’s my peak time for coaching.  I get to see and teach my fellow studio owners throughout the next few weeks, over 9 days of live events for More Than Just Great Dancing® plus a 12-day speaking tour.  The busy travel…

Earlier this month, my daughter, Isabella, graduated from high school. (Did I really just type that sentence!?!?!) As you might have heard me mention before, Isabella’s high school journey has been anything but traditional.  Two years ago, at 16, she left home to live in Chicago (about four hours away) to study dance with her…