Happy New Year! 

We are still trucking through the COVID-19 crisis and salvaging our businesses. But we have more knowledge than ever and gain more with each and every day!

It’s 2021, and that means it is time to GET IT DONE. 

One of my favorite quotes is: 

“You can’t talk butterfly language with caterpillar people.”

This year, are you a butterfly, or are you a caterpillar? The choice is in your hands and will be based on the actions you take NOW.

BOSS UP

The days of feeling defeated are over. 

Now is the time to shift frustration, exhaustion, and discontent into strong and effective leadership tactics that will pay off in the long run. What contingencies are you setting in place to make sure your programs generate revenue and run creatively, safely, and in alignment with your brand? 

Have you considered that:

• Competitions may not happen 
• Recitals may not happen in their traditional sense 
• Travel opportunities may have to be postponed
• Shipping and the supply chain may continue to face delays/disruptions (aka get those costume orders in ASAP!) 

Instead of waiting and watching and having another off-the-rails spring semester, take this into your control, and create opportunities for your clientele to heighten the return on investment of your brand. 

Prioritize YOU and align yourself with third-party vendors that help instead of hurt your cause. 

BE PRESENT

It may be easy to say

• “I don’t know what’s happening, so I can’t do that.”
• “This is so out of my control.”
• “I don’t have the energy to do what I used to do.” 

These are all excuses, and they are excuses that will ultimately hurt your business. 

Leave the excuses in 2020 and start figuring out how you CAN make things happen. 

• Set the Schedules
• Use Project Timelines to Keep You On Track 
• Hit the Deadlines 
• Apply for the Funding
• Meet With Your Staff
• Keep Your Clients Looped In 
• Build Excitement for The Things That Are Coming

While it may not be identical to the way we’ve formerly operated, it is important to generate a confident, forward motion that embraces the resources and opportunities we have. 

FIND YOUR MOTIVATION

If you’re feeling stuck in a rut, find some sources of inspiration. 

• Read a book
• Listen to a podcast
• Call a studio owner friend
• Heck, call a non-studio owner friend 
• Send a survey 
• Check out a webinar or online symposium 
• Create a vision/inspo board 
• Listen to a mood-boosting playlist

You’ve made it this far. 

Don’t stop now! 

Instead, let’s rev it up and work the opportunities in front of us. 

You can do it!  Be a butterfly this year!

Looking for more great ideas from Chasta? Check out the following articles:

• Making the Most of Your Minutes: Planning with Purpose
• Spread Some Sparkle!
• The Studio Owner Dance Recital Survival Guide
• Playing the Long Game

Chasta Hamilton is the Owner/Artistic Director of Stage Door Dance Productions in Raleigh, NC. She authored the best-selling book Trash The Trophies: How to Win Without Losing Your Soul. Her upcoming seminar on January 17, 2021, Disruption by Design: Meaningful Change to Maximize Impact in Your Dance Studio, is a must-attend for studio owners.

Follow Chasta on Instagram at @chastahamilton or @stagedoordanceproductions or via her website www.chastahamilton.com.