From Studio Dreams To Dance Legacy

A lot of people say “follow your passion” — few show the messy, determined work that makes it sustainable. We sit with AnnMarie Bean, owner of AnnMarie’s Dance Academy in Farmington, to talk about how a kid who grew up dancing for fun built a studio that blends serious training with a bright sense of family. From the first business license to punching through walls for more space, AnnMarie shares the moments that shaped her: believing she could run a better program, earning parents’ trust, and creating a place where newcomers feel welcomed and competitors feel challenged.

We dig into the real engine of a studio: the admin grind nobody sees. Think customized costumes, edited music, guest teacher travel, and a calendar built around conventions and competitions. One simple change — automatic payments — freed hours and eliminated awkward money talks. AnnMarie also gets candid about boundaries with parents, setting consistent standards across classes, and training staff who uphold the same expectations so students hold their line anywhere they go.

What makes this studio different is access and outcomes. Industry pros from LA, New York, and Vegas teach on site, giving dancers a taste of bookable skills and professional etiquette, while alumni return with experience from TV, touring shows, and major events. The focus on being coachable, taking critique, and showing up with effort builds adults who thrive beyond the stage. We also talk about the pressure of new competition deposit timelines, the reality of motherhood and evening classes, and a future vision: a multiroom studio with a dance store and coffee space that turns training into a community hub.

If you care about small business, arts education, or the craft of turning passion into a livelihood, you’ll find both heart and playbook here. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves dance, and leave a review telling us the one small change you think makes the biggest difference.

Be sure to follow or subscribe!  And, if you're a local business owner who'd like to be featured - or know someone whose story should be told - get in touch at Ken@StrategicHorizonsConsulting.com

This show is brought to you by Strategic Horizons Consulting (a division of Ken Collins Marketing).

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 1:05

I'm here with Anne-Marie Bean, the owner of Anne-Marie's Dance Academy.

SPEAKER_02 1:11

Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_00 1:12

Tell us a little about yourself.

Anne-Marie’s Path Into Dance

SPEAKER_02 1:14

My name is Anne-Mrie Bean. You said that. I actually grew up in Albuquerque dancing at a studio there. I just did it for fun. My mom always told me it was never going to be a career. And here I am now.

SPEAKER_00 1:29

Making it a career.

SPEAKER_02 1:30

Yeah, she just wanted me to enjoy, you know, something in life. And so I competed from the time I was eight or nine all the way till 18. And then went to New Mexico State and um graduated with a bachelor's degree in community health. Did not get a degree in dance at all. I just kept dancing through a um student-run organization there called Dancers Unlimited. And just my dad told me if I continue to dance, I didn't have to work and he would pay for my dorm and all that. And so I was like, door, right? It was like the best deal ever. I'm like, I mean I can just keep doing what I love to do and be involved with the school in that way. And that's all they wanted me to do. And so I did that. And then met a guy, moved up here for him after I graduated to Farmington, New Mexico, and um started teaching at another local studio, and then just wanted to do it myself. And so um I I did got my business license and decided this is what I want to do with the rest of my life. So nice. It's it's kind of cool. Like you just get to do what you love to do and get paid to do it. Like there really is no other, you know. And then I became a mom and then it got a little tricky because you're like, okay, right, you know, like how much time can I? I want to be the best. Like that always comes first for me. Just my family. So um, yeah, I don't know. So just that balance has been tricky, but I wouldn't change it for the world, man. I I love being in Farmington more than Albuquerque. Um yeah, met a new guy. So yeah, Jacob Childers, the love of my life. But yeah, so he's works here too, and he's not planning on going anywhere. So we're pretty much stuck in Farmington forever. He'll retire and then I'll still be doing this till I'm 80, but that's okay. That's okay. At least I love what I do, so it could be worse.

SPEAKER_00 3:25

Yeah, awesome.

SPEAKER_02 3:26

Yeah.

Choosing Farmington And Starting Up

SPEAKER_00 3:27

So uh it seems like you gleaned over maybe a little bit of that at the beginning. Um, how what was it like in the early days? Like, did you do much planning or or because you said you just decided I wanted to do it as a business and then just well, I mean, I worked at a studio that it they it's not that they did it the wrong way, but they weren't doing things how I knew was more efficient as far as growing a dancer.

SPEAKER_02 3:51

And um I just knew I could do it better. I mean, without trying to be too, you know what I mean? I don't want to call them out or anything, but I just knew I could do it better. And I had a lot of parents that um believed in me and they wanted me to teach their kids. So um yeah, I told her I said I would teach again like one more semester if she wanted me, and she said no. I think she was kind of offended I wanted to do it my own, but um yeah, I had I had called my dad a bunch of times, just being kind of unhappy at the situation over there, and he's like, You think you can do it better? Do it yourself. And I said, Okay, dad. So I went out and got my business license the next day, and I was like, okay, I'm doing it, and found this building, or this building was actually brought to me by one of the dance parents. It was um Lloyd Engelbret. I don't know if you've heard about him in town. He owns Lloyd's carpets. Oh, okay. Downtown, he passed away um last year, the year before, but he owns this whole strip, and so he was one of my dance grandpa's for a while. So he gave me a good deal on the building, and we originally just had this one side, and then five or seven years in we punched up that wall right there and built the other.

SPEAKER_01 5:03

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 5:04

Did the other side, so it's just been growing. I eventually would love to have my own building because this old building is just it's had it.

SPEAKER_03 5:11

Sure.

SPEAKER_02 5:12

We flooded three times. We've had a porter potty outside for like three weeks one time because the pipes were just needed to be replaced. So one day I would just love to have a nice building that I own and you know, do it like that. But yeah, it's hard to um have consistent teachers too, because you live in a town where people come in for the oil field and then they leave again, or they come in for a job and then they have to leave, or I teach, I train my kids to teach for me, you know, and then they get to be 18 and they go on to college and you're like start all over. Yeah. But I mean, I want them to go. I don't want them to stay. I want them to go and spread their wings and they always come back, always, which is so cool to see. Yeah. They can't get rid of me.

SPEAKER_00 5:57

They just but are there any dance programs at the college that maybe you could pull from?

SPEAKER_02 6:03

Um, not a lot. They do some adult classes, um, but as far as like full-on programs, there's not much available.

SPEAKER_03 6:11

Okay.

Opening The Studio And Finding Space

SPEAKER_02 6:11

Um, we do do like a little dance showcase with the college dancers. Um, but a lot of those teachers are just other dance parents in the community. So they're yeah, it's not much of a of a pool. And I I am pretty particular with who I want to teach my kids. I'm very a little bit of a control freak, people might say, but it's a qual it's a quality thing. I just know it's an issue, it's an issue. I have a hard time managing. I'm like, I could just do it. There's just not enough hours. If I could clone myself, it would be better. But yeah, so it's hard finding consistent, you know, great teachers in this town, especially that have um, I like them to have some sort of um experience in the industry too. So I bring in a lot of teachers from California, from New York, from Vegas to come in and teach our kids too, so they get that as well. If that's what they want to do in life, they get a little snippet of it so they can see.

SPEAKER_00 7:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:17

Is the things I'm just brainstorming. You've probably fleshed all this stuff out. No, you're good.

SPEAKER_02 7:22

Sorry, I'll just keep talking about it.

SPEAKER_00 7:24

You've been doing it for a long time, but I know the city um and their theater troupe has been, you know, doing doing things and then they bring in outside, you know, traveling troops, whatnot, and then they commingle them. So are there any kind of um resources there to pull from for dancers?

SPEAKER_02 7:43

I mean, probably. Uh the problem with that is all of our times are not compatible because they have them the same time we do, you know what I mean? After school and the same hours, and so they're already committed to these classes, so it's hard. And then we have a big heavy um competition dance at the studio, like we're heavy into that. Oh, we have a rec program as well, which I just want to put that out there because some people think that we're so competitive that we don't also offer recreational. But um, a lot of our competitions and all that like fall on the same show dates as theirs and when they're bringing in people. So it's kind of just it's not that we don't want to use it, it's just it doesn't, yeah, sometimes it doesn't mesh like we want it to.

SPEAKER_00 8:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:27

So how have you evolved over time? How's that how's that gone? Um you mentioned a couple things like expanding the space. We did, we did.

SPEAKER_02 8:36

So we started, I taught every single class for five years all by myself. Like I did every ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, macro, point, contemporary, lyrical, yeah, everything. The only thing we don't do is ballroom, which I'm like, I would love to be trained in ballroom because it's so hot right now. I know everyone's dancing with stars and all that. And I just want my dancers to be well rounded. And at this point, ballroom has to be on there now. Like you can't be a bookable dancer unless you know ballroom, sure, which is crazy. So I would love to have a ballroom teacher, put that out there. If we have any in the community listening to this, please hit me up. Um, but so doing that for five years was was hard, but I also didn't have kids yet. So I was young, I was 25 when I opened it. So it was just gung-ho.

SPEAKER_00 9:28

I could be here for you know massive amounts of energy.

Teacher Shortages And Bringing Pros In

SPEAKER_02 9:31

And I'd be fine. Um, but and then I had um a couple teachers from there that I um well, I went to school with one of them, Sarah Jane, shout out. Um, she came and she started my ballet kind of program, so I got to get rid of that a little bit. And so then I was like, okay, we can have two rooms going at the same time now. Like I don't need so then I yeah, so I had to expand because we needed more space. And I started with the competition team of like 20 something that year, and now I have 48. So wow, and then I mean, we fluctuate between like 100, 125 students every year. So I mean, I just word of mouth too. I really don't advertise or anything like that, which is nice because small towns, I mean, they'll talk when it's good and they'll talk when it's bad. So yeah, absolutely. We try and keep it as good as you possibly can. And um, I think a lot of that people like to leave studios to go to do like the dance teams or cheer or soccer or whatever. And I think a lot of studios get um kind of hurt by it. They're like, oh, did I do something wrong? But I always just try and support whatever they're trying to do because you never know if their niece is gonna need a dance studio down the way, or you know what I mean? You always want to be something positive that was in their life that they're like, okay, you need to go see her, you need to go dance for her. So it always comes back around. So you just support him in whatever makes them happy.

SPEAKER_00 10:54

And you're supporting well-randed dancers, so that's part of it. Yeah, you know, you're offering a lot here, but um even just the same thing from somebody else with a different style would help round that out as well.

SPEAKER_02 11:07

Yeah, for sure, for sure. And it's just kind of cool to be a dance teacher too, because you get them from the time they're little till they're 18. Like you're a part of their life. Like those senior send-offs are like gut-wrenching.

SPEAKER_03 11:20

Right.

SPEAKER_02 11:21

Because they're my kids, you know, like it's crazy that most school teachers, you know, you have them for third grade, and you're like, okay, go on. I literally get them for their whole life sometimes. It's just it's so cool.

SPEAKER_00 11:31

You watch them grow up, you play a part in them growing up.

SPEAKER_02 11:35

It is, it's so fun.

SPEAKER_00 11:36

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 11:36

I'm just glad that people trust me to do that, you know? Like it's cool.

SPEAKER_00 11:40

Yeah, it's pretty cool. So that's um probably part of the thing. So, what makes you special in this community? Do you think?

SPEAKER_02 11:50

Better question for somebody else. It's so hard to like talk about yourself in that sense. What makes me special? Um I would say I'm consistent. I expect the same thing from them every single time they come to class. You know what I mean? It's not I'm not all of a sudden gonna let something else fly because I didn't last week. You know what I mean? Like it's very consistent.

SPEAKER_00 12:12

That builds trust.

SPEAKER_02 12:13

Um I respect them and I expect it in return. I respect their time and their energy, and then so I'm gonna give them the same that they give me. Well, I always give them the same, I expect them to give me the same. You never know. Obviously, it fluctuates with days, but um yeah, consistency, respect, and then just access to other people that come in. I don't think a lot of other studios bring in outside um people speaking of. Well, Nick is FaceTiming me right now. He's supposed to be flying in today. Um, but yeah, so like Nick Signor, that's so funny that he FaceTime. He always has a very but he, I mean, he's almost about to be on. Well, we're crossing our fingers that he makes it to the last round of the traveling show for Beetlejuice. He's worked on Marvelous Miss Maisel, he's in shows in LA, and we have other um one of my dancers, Savannah Skaggs, she has performed in the Super Bowl, she choreographs for artists, she's you know, in Vegas working as a teacher and a dancer, and we have, I mean, I could name drop for forever, but we have a lot of people who work in the industry that now get to come and teach the kids, which a lot of other studios don't do that.

SPEAKER_03 13:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:28

Um, and so it's just cool to have those connections. And so when we have people, we have a dancer right now who's in LA who now, because she has you know these connections, has now branched out and able to help him in LA and able to meet more people. And so it's just it's cool to see because I don't think many other studios do that in town. Wow. It's kind of our our specialty, I guess. I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 13:52

Oh yeah, yeah. I'm cool.

SPEAKER_02 13:54

Yeah, yeah, it's fun.

SPEAKER_00 13:55

So what if you maybe it's that? What if you what are you most proud of? Um kind of opening it on purpose, so it couldn't be your team, your processes, your right.

Competition Vs Recreational Balance

SPEAKER_02 14:05

I think I'm most proud of um I don't know. I guess just my ability to manage it all, like motherhood and the studio and everything. Because you're not just a dance teacher, like you're right doing the admin, the the bathrooms, the like every you know, it's like it's a lot. And so to do that along with motherhood is a lot, but yeah, I feel like that's what I'm most proud. And the fact that everyone who leaves comes back.

unknown 14:37

Right.

SPEAKER_02 14:38

Because you're like, okay, you did love it here. Yeah, I I made my mark on you, like haha, you're stuck with me for life. So I would say that just that they come back. And like honestly, pretty much every dancer who left here, whether they went all the way through or they just came for a little time, has become successful in whatever they're doing. So their work ethic leaving here um is also something I'm really proud of. Right. And I've kind of pushed that into them.

SPEAKER_00 15:05

That like whether they're dancing or not, they gotta show up, they gotta, they gotta participate, they gotta be all in. Yep, they have to give the effort. Um that'll I mean that translates to just about everything. Oh, for sure.

SPEAKER_02 15:17

For sure. Yeah. So I I think those yeah. I think yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:22

That's um dance is not something that's normally included in that, but that's something that people talk about a lot with organized sports, you know, with team team sports, even individual sports, if you're working with a coach.

SPEAKER_02 15:34

Right, being coachable.

SPEAKER_00 15:35

Yeah, that translates into every aspect of your life. For sure. Taking critique, yeah, being able to take it and not, you know, right, and not fly off the handle and be defensive and everything and actually make improvements based on it. Yeah, that's a really useful life skill.

SPEAKER_01 15:51

Yeah, agreed, agreed, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:53

So if someone's never been here before, what's one thing you'd want them to experience?

SPEAKER_02 15:58

Uh, community, that sense of like family. Um and I feel like we have, I mean, we have our bean team, which is our competition team, but I feel like it just encompasses the whole studio. Like you should come in and feel welcomed, no matter what you, you know, your experience level, what you look like, anything like that. Like you should come in here and just be able to have a really freaking good time. Yeah. Like, yeah, we're serious, but we have a really good time here. Almost too much fun sometimes, but we're we're that studio of movies. It's supposed to be fun. That's fair. Yeah, that's fair. They work their butts off, but we do have a freaking blast.

SPEAKER_00 16:37

Yeah, yeah. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_02 16:39

It's so fun.

SPEAKER_00 16:39

I mean, it don't be wrong. It's work as well. But it's I mean, it's dance. It's yes, it's gotta be fun. I mean, that's kind of at the core of it.

SPEAKER_02 16:46

Right, right. That's what I my mom was like, would you ever teach like out of school? And I was like, absolutely not. Like, my kids want to be here. You know, like teaching out of school, like those kids don't really want to go. Or most of well, I don't know. But I feel like a lot of kids they're doodling dancing. They would have, yeah, they got their headphones on, they're dancing in their heads the whole time. But yeah, I feel like they want to be here, so it makes my job easier.

SPEAKER_00 17:13

Yeah, yeah, it does.

SPEAKER_02 17:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:17

Oh my goodness. So what's something that's um people don't see, but it's crucial to keeping your business running smooth?

SPEAKER_02 17:26

Admin work. All the admin work.

SPEAKER_00 17:30

Yeah. Um it never ends.

Growing Teams And Word Of Mouth

SPEAKER_02 17:32

It it doesn't, and and it's okay. Like I'm I've gotten better at it, but I've definitely like have accountants because that stuff just goes straight over my head. I'm like, I don't ever want to deal with that. So I hire accountants to do a lot of that stuff, but all the admin work, all the endless hours I spend looking for costumes and music and um ordering costumes, sizing kids, cutting music, um just yeah, scheduling flights, scheduling like just regular schedules, like dance schedules when people come, when they break, when they need lunch, when they like it's a lot of work on my side to bring in these people, um, where they stay, all that good stuff. And a lot of times they just stay at my house because they're my friends. Right. So that's really nice. But then you also have company in your house a lot.

SPEAKER_03 18:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 18:24

Um, which is which is fine. My kids absolutely love it. They just get so excited when someone's coming to town. But um, yeah, just all that extra scheduling and ordering and because I mean you want to be creative, you want to stand out on stage, and so I kind of specialize in not doing just like the catalog costume, like you get so many dance costume catalogs. I don't know, you obviously don't know this, but every year you get probably 20 costume catalogs through that door, and you're like, half of it's just trash and they overcharge for just yeah, crap. And then you never, as a dancer, like I grew up dancing and I never wanted to step on stage after somebody that's wearing the same costume as me. For some reason, it's very like off-putting. You're like, oh man, like that judge already saw the costume. Like, I don't want to go out. So I make sure that they feel unique and they feel really cool in whatever they're wearing, because then I feel like it translates into the dance.

SPEAKER_01 19:21

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:22

But sometimes because I do that, I'm spending I don't even know how many hours on one dance because I want pants from this company and a shirt from this company and a bandana from this company, but then they need gold hooves, but then they need this type of shoe, but then this sock. Like it's it's a lot for every single dance. And we have 43 dances, you know, so it's just but and it's fun. Like I do love it, but some nights that I'm like, okay, it's three in the morning, like you have to get up at 6 30 to take your kid to school, like go to sleep. So, but I don't know. I would say that part, just all the admin work that they don't see.

SPEAKER_00 20:00

Yeah, yeah. Do you do you see a a time when maybe um you grow and you can bring someone in to to kind of handle some of that stuff for you at least? Um there goes my it's a trust issue, isn't it? It's a control issue.

Consistency, Respect, And Industry Access

SPEAKER_02 20:17

It is a control issue because I don't trust them to like have the same vision as me. Like I'm very particular. Um, I did so Tara Les, shout out to you. Uh we have recital every other year. So we compete every year, but we have like recital with all our ret kids every other year, which is nice. But I gave her, and those ones we just do catalog because it's in town, no one's gonna see any other costumes like you know, so it's it's fine. Um, but yeah, I made her order all the costumes for recital last year, and that was the best. So I think if maybe if I can find all everything and then just give her a list and be like, okay, now you order all of it, that might be helpful. But at that point, I'm already on the site, like I might as well just order it. You see what I mean? Like it's just and then we get back to this, like, okay, then I have to send it to her, and I send her all the sizes when I could have just placed the damn order. So I don't know, it's a hard and then I don't want to give up teaching because I love teaching.

SPEAKER_00 21:15

So maybe it's to have someone do the legwork with your approval, you know what I mean? Right. Like bring it to you and you say, yeah no. Which happens quite good.

SPEAKER_02 21:29

What if we just I'm like, just and that kind of is almost like, I'm like, just don't, because then I just have to like tell you no, and I should know or feel bad. Yeah, I'm like, I just just don't, just let me do it. So I'm working on it. I do um we have a new teacher this year, Aubrey. She's amazing. She's been taking on a lot of our like younger classes and stuff. So I've been able to at least step away to be able to like pick up my kit from school every day, right? Do that, which has been super nice. So I'm working on it, Ken. I'm working on it.

SPEAKER_00 22:01

It's a very normal thing. I mean, business owners, you know, everything that you've said is pretty somewhat typical. Like they were at a place and they're looking around, going, why are we doing it like this? This is like ridiculous. I know a way better way to do this. And no one's listening, and then they go off and they do it their way and they form a business. And because they're very opinionated on how things are supposed to go, then no one else really matches up to their level of how I want stuff done. That's very and it's a very real thing because it's not just from your point of view. Oftentimes, a lot of people just really don't match up. Yeah. You know?

SPEAKER_03 22:38

Yeah, that's true.

SPEAKER_00 22:39

So it's a thing that you have to deal with, wrestling your own brain and your own control issues with finding someone that can actually maybe feel part of your shoes on some things.

SPEAKER_02 22:49

Right. Exactly, like something.

SPEAKER_00 22:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:53

No, it's the yeah. I'm I'm working on it. Working on it. I don't clean the studio anymore. I did that for years. I was like, I'm not doing it anymore. That I will pay for now. I'm like, no, I I don't have time for that. It's baby steps. Baby steps, yeah. It's working. Someone else can do that. That I don't have to micromanage anymore.

SPEAKER_00 23:13

So what's a what's a small but mighty system or process that you put in place that made a big difference?

SPEAKER_02 23:21

Oh, small but mighty. Automatic credit card payment.

SPEAKER_00 23:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:27

I mean, it sounds stupid, but like massive. Yeah, I'm like, tuition's due by this day. If not, I'm running the card. And it has made and honestly the parents love it too. Yeah. Because they don't have to remember, and I I mean it's gonna come out of there anyway. So um I did switch that program over this year, and it has been a huge stress relief for everyone, I feel like. So yeah, I just run cards and tuition's paid for, and that's been so, so much nicer. I don't have to like chase people down or make all those calls. So that saves me time too. But yeah, I would say that that this year has been superb.

SPEAKER_00 24:03

In my work with the marketing agency, and now as a consultant, I have retainer clients, and I really don't want to spend my time sending out invoices, tracking down payments, collecting those payments, getting them deposited and everything. So it's just a mandatory thing. If you're signing with me, it's gonna be on a retainer and it'll be it'll be on automatic credit card payments. So I don't have to do that stuff. I can concentrate on helping you, right? Not billing you.

SPEAKER_02 24:30

Right? I'm like, I can prep for my class and make up a combo because I have to figure out a combo for tonight. So yeah, which is what I was doing in my kitchen before I got here.

SPEAKER_00 24:42

That's a brilliant example of small but mighty, because that is massive. It doesn't seem like it is, but it is.

SPEAKER_01 24:48

It is, it's huge.

SPEAKER_00 24:49

It's huge. Has has anything gotten easier or harder over time?

Pride, Alumni Success, And Life Skills

SPEAKER_02 24:56

Um I think I used to be a lot more scared of parents. I've kind of developed a bigger backbone on that and just being aware that I I cannot please everybody. It's true. Like my name's on the door. If you don't like it, there's plenty of other studios you can go to. Like it's I won't be offended at all. Like if you don't like the way I do something, like that's fine. You don't have to be here. Yeah, you know, so because I mean they they're you're dealing with um their time, their money, and their kids, which are your biggest those are the three biggest things in someone's lives, and you get all three of them, yeah, as a dance teacher. And so it's it's a struggle, it's a balance to kind of you know make sure everyone's happy, but at the same point, like it's a business. And so you want to, you know, just keep all those three things in check as you're doing things that respect their time, they respect your time as kind of this whole thing. But um I think that's gotten easier, just being able to just stand my ground and this is how it is, and yeah, you know, so that's been nice. Um, maturing into that. Um what was the other part of the question?

SPEAKER_00 26:09

Um, just that that you know, has has anything gotten easier or harder?

SPEAKER_02 26:13

Harder. Um, I would say now that my my oldest, so I have two kids. My oldest, August, he's just turned six, he's in kindergarten, and then Harlow, she's three. And so I've been loving, like when I had them and I just had the studio, well, not just had the studio, but just had them and the studio, and he wasn't in school yet. I spent all day with them.

SPEAKER_03 26:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:36

And then I come to work at night, and I have amazing in-laws and parents and stuff that help with my kids because there's no such thing as nightcare, you know. Like, and my husband's a fireman, so he would be on shift for two days, and so I'd have to find somebody to watch my kids, um, which my in-laws have been amazing. But so now he's at school, so I don't see him all day, and I don't see him all night, and that was a struggle for me. Yeah, but we got it so I can pick him up from school every day. I go late on Mondays, and so I'm early off on Fridays, so I still feel like I'm a part of his life, which is really nice. Um, but that was well, that was like a hard thing this year for me to try and wrap my head around because they always come first, of course, no matter what. So yeah, that was tricky, but I think I think I managed.

SPEAKER_00 27:25

I cried the whole way home on the first day, but that's something super hard to people don't talk about that enough, I think. Because it has to balance. If it can't balance, you give up the business. That's I mean, right? Yeah. So so it has to balance with the kids coming first, but balance, but they're weighted more. But you have to balance it. But it's like that's a struggle.

SPEAKER_02 27:49

Well, and then all my teachers get pregnant, and I'm like, dang it, you guys, we need to stop having kids. Like, this is I don't know what's in the water, but like one year, all four of us are pregnant, and I was like, this is we gotta stop, guys. Oh no, but like you cannot call maternity leave again. Like, I need you.

SPEAKER_00 28:04

So okay, everybody leave the water family.

SPEAKER_02 28:07

No more stop. But yeah, like we have two teachers now that are one's due in December, the other one's due in the spring. And I'm like, oh man, I finally got these hours that I could spend with my kids, and then now you're off, so I will uh take your classes and we're back to square one. But luckily, I just I don't know. I like that my kids can see that I am running a business doing something I love too, so they can see that one day and be like, oh, like she's doing what she loves to do and getting paid for it. Like I could do the same thing. So I think it's good for them to see that too. So I don't know. It's most definitely the balance is is hard.

Community Feel And Joyful Grind

SPEAKER_00 28:42

But I've always thought um that there and there may be now. I you know, I've been out of the school system for too long and not not exposure to the school system, but I always thought there needed to be a better path for kids that don't want to take that traditional go to school, get good grades so they can get in good college and go to college, get a degree, and then get out and get a good job. Some people that's just not the life they want. No, and for most people, for people that do, that's awesome. That's yeah, that's not dogging that at all, but some people that's not really their thing. And so I always wanted from a young age, not you know, work for a place for 10 or 15 years and then decide, man, I'm out. I'm gonna go do my own thing. Like, know ahead of time if that's the kind of person you are, and have a a path to get there, you know.

SPEAKER_02 29:32

So introduce them to trades earlier, yeah, you know, or different. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:36

So kids that grow up with parents that are doing that are exposed to that. That's right. They see it happen. And um, and it might not be the for them, but if it is, at least they know, hey, there's a path. This is possible. I don't have to follow this other path that I'm not really super excited about. I can go this direction.

SPEAKER_02 29:53

Well, and I think a lot of times too, the colleges give out degrees that you don't need either. Sure. You know what I mean? Like it's even dance, like you don't need a dance degree to be able to teach dance. Right. So that's why I didn't get a degree in dance. I'm like, I should probably get a degree in something else. So that way, like if I want to do something else, it's you know, if I want to do some health promotion or whatever. Yeah. Um yeah, like I did a in college, I uh my internship or my not paid, you know, they don't pay you to do anything in college, but I did a community garlic garden for the homeless, and it was like the coolest freaking thing ever. Like we just grew vegetables and then I taught them like how to cook it and in the little area that they had. And it was just it was so fun. Like I'm like, okay, like I could do this kind of stuff too. Yeah, but I just fell in love with teaching kids dance.

SPEAKER_03 30:44

Right.

SPEAKER_02 30:46

I mean, just fun. It I mean, you some days you would understand why. I would say ninety-eight percent of my time, I I love it.

SPEAKER_00 30:56

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, what's something you wish ran a little smoother behind the scenes? You may have already mentioned some of those.

SPEAKER_02 31:03

Um Smoother behind the scenes. I don't know. I feel like it's it's kind of a well-oiled machine now. It's just like our years start different. Like our beginning of the year is fall, which I feel like should be our January. But it's kind of fall is just crazy. We got all kinds of choreography happening, costumes, and all that stuff. And then winter we kind of slow down, but it's a lot of rehearsals and stuff. And then when like late winter, early spring kicks in, we're traveling almost like twice every month to go to competitions and stuff. So it's kind of a well-oiled machine now after which is nice. Um yeah, I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 31:49

Is there an area that you're still kind of figuring out as you go? Any areas like that?

SPEAKER_02 31:54

Um I mean, just hiring new staff is always tricky for me because like I said, we have two rooms, so like if I'm teaching, I can't be watching their class.

SPEAKER_03 32:06

Right.

The Hidden Admin Load

SPEAKER_02 32:06

And so I would it's hard to like trust that they're doing a good job. I mean, it's not hard to try, but it is for me because I'm just a control freak. But if I could watch their class, maybe I could should start like recording it. I was gonna and then I can then I can watch it in my free time. It's like, see what I mean? I don't have free time to go back and watch their class. Well, acting like I had free time ago. Okay. Um but yeah, I would just love a better way to make sure that everyone's doing what they should be doing when they're supposed to be doing it, and not necessarily the teachers, but the kids too, because they sometimes act differently in my class than they would in somebody else's class because, like I said, I'm very consistent, whatever, but other teachers might not be. And so I just want to make sure they're still holding themselves to the same expectation that they would in my class and somebody else's class. And I think that translates when we go to like conventions too, and they are like, Being there was people that were sitting down in class. I'm like, see, it's so annoying, right? Like, you would never. They're like, no, we would never. I'm like, I know, see, yeah. So it's just just making sure, just being kind of the fly on the wall and making sure and trusting that they are gonna do it the way I want them to, and the way we train them to be. So but other than that, I think yeah, I trust them, they're good kids, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:28

Yeah, but I mean, kids are you made a point about you know, not just the instructor that you can't keep an eye on, but the kids with that instructor, because kids are are pretty flexible chameleons. Oh, so they figure out I didn't say that a moment. Yeah, yeah, they figure out real fast, depending on their environment, what they can and cannot get away with and what buttons they can and can't push. So they'll act maybe differently with one person than they do with another person. Right. And those two people confer and they're like, I don't know what you're talking about. They never do that. They're like, Yeah, they do it all the time.

SPEAKER_02 34:03

She won't stop talking in my class. I'm like, separate them. What are you doing? They talk every single week. Don't let them stand next to each other. Be smarter.

SPEAKER_00 34:15

So what's your what's your biggest headache right now, if you don't mind my asking?

SPEAKER_02 34:21

Um honestly, I'm getting really irritated at competition deadlines, which is weird because when I first opened the studio, you were supposed to register like six weeks in advance of the competition. You didn't need a down payment. You had to pay, you know, then or like it was like 30 days you had to make sure your bill was paid. Now they're asking for a$20 to$50 deposit per dance at least six months in advance.

SPEAKER_03 34:53

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 34:54

Which is so stupid to me. And it all happened after COVID when they lost so much money on the theaters that they had rented, and then so now to save their ass, they're doing that, which makes sense.

SPEAKER_01 35:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 35:04

But as a business standpoint, from like us, like you're asking us to get like I'm nine grand in the hole right out of the bat because you need deposits to secure my spot.

SPEAKER_00 35:15

Six months ahead of time.

SPEAKER_02 35:16

Six months ahead of time. And so that's been a really huge pain in the butt to try and figure that out because it's just dumb. Like, why can't we just say we're gonna be there and then we'll, you know, just take us on our word or you know, I don't well, I guess they can't do that either because I'm sure they've gotten screwed too. So it's just that's been a huge headache. Like, we have a competition in February, and they needed all of our entries, all of our dancers, all of our routines, not paid, but entered into the system with the$50 deposit for each dance by November 1st.

SPEAKER_00 35:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 35:50

And it's in February.

SPEAKER_00 35:51

I'm like, Right. What the hell? You're dealing with Halloween kids. Yes, I'm like, are you? Thanksgiving, Christmas, all that stuff.

SPEAKER_02 35:58

So yeah, it took me like four hours because we have a bunch of new members, you have to put in their birthdays, and you gotta average the ages, and you gotta, you know, put everyone in their dance. And there's three groups that we're alerting this weekend, so I don't even know the names of the group. I'm like, you guys, we haven't even finished our choreography, and you already want yeah, so that's been a huge pain in the ass, to be honest.

SPEAKER_00 36:17

But it's almost like you need to pick the competition and then start training for it.

SPEAKER_02 36:22

Yeah, we do.

SPEAKER_01 36:23

I mean, that's yeah. Because you have six months, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 36:26

It's so stupid, so stupid.

SPEAKER_00 36:28

Kind of backwards, man.

SPEAKER_02 36:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:31

So what are you most excited about for the future of your business?

SPEAKER_02 36:38

A new building. I mean, this building has been so good to me and the landlord, they've been awesome, but it's just old and dingy. And I feel like um once we have some teachers that are like set that they're not moving anywhere, because that's the thing, it's like, oh by the way, I'm moving next year. No, no. So um, and like a set curriculum and stuff. I would love to have a studio that has like four dance rooms and a dance store. We don't have a dance store in town, so like I'd love to have a working dance store. Um, maybe like a coffee shop, plant store. I don't know. Like I just see this like massive little center with all kinds of things. How cool would that be?

Control, Delegation, And New Help

SPEAKER_00 37:24

Like like a balcony coffee shop hangout area that overlooks several classrooms and people could like hangout.

SPEAKER_02 37:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:34

Behind the glass, so they're not really, you know, they can have their conversations, not interrupting the class, and they can just sit and watch the dancers.

SPEAKER_02 37:40

Like the moms would love it, you know, go get their latte and wait for their kid to be done.

SPEAKER_00 37:43

Right.

SPEAKER_02 37:44

Have a little, yeah, so one day.

SPEAKER_03 37:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 37:48

That'll be my dream for Farmington is to have a whole little plaza with my studio in there. And nice. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 37:56

I also want a mini golf one day, which is completely off the next. I would love to own a mini golf place.

SPEAKER_00 38:05

It seems so stupid, but I think Marie's Dance Academy slash minigolf coffee shop slash dance store slash flower shop slash mini golf.

SPEAKER_02 38:15

Yeah. Yep. It's gonna be a good little it's a whole plaza. It's not just one building, you know, like a whole the cool courtyard in the middle. Maybe like a pond, you know. I don't know. I see it. You don't see it, but I see it. I think that's awesome. We we don't have any, like, we need more family activities to do in this town. Like, we really don't have much. Got the roller rink and bowling and the movies.

SPEAKER_00 38:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 38:42

Fly hive, I guess.

SPEAKER_00 38:45

So that may be the answer. Like, if time and money weren't an issue, what's something new you'd want to try? That yeah.

SPEAKER_02 38:54

Like, I don't know. I just think it'd be a fun little I'd probably I'd make it indoors so you could do it all year round, you know. And have like a dinosaur section and a 3D one and a glow in the dark one. Like, I just think I don't know, yeah. You can do like whatever, I don't know, change it after once in a while.

SPEAKER_00 39:11

Yeah, bowling in there and ice skating rig too.

SPEAKER_01 39:14

Might as well. We don't have ice skating either. You're right. Yeah, I had it all. Laser tag, you know, just go crazy.

SPEAKER_00 39:22

Um, do you have any big goals or changes you're working on towards or working towards this, like either this year or the next?

SPEAKER_02 39:31

Um, not too much. I finally got a new car, so that was cool. Yeah, after 11 years in my extera, I gave her up. But when the AC and the heater goes out, and I'm like, I work too damn hard to be driving a piece of shit car. But yeah, so that was cool. I mean, that was something I've been needing to do. So I got that done this year. But no, I just I just want to be a great mom and a great business owner all at the same time. It's just hard to balance. So I feel like I'm I'm doing it, but you know, some days are better than others. Today I feel good. If you come back next week, it could be a different story.

SPEAKER_00 40:08

Well, wanting it all and having it all, the great mom, great business owner thing is is not always possible, but it seems like you're you're doing it.

SPEAKER_02 40:20

Thank you. Thank you. I'm glad I'm glad from an outside perspective. It looks really good.

SPEAKER_00 40:27

You when I walked in the door, met you for the first time, because I've never met you before. You you didn't look like you just woke up, you know. Nope. It was like I've been dancing in my kitchen. Like, what? What now?

SPEAKER_02 40:41

Right. They'll do that today. Maybe that's my next goal, is to make sure people come in the right door. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 40:53

I do like, I pointed it out to you, but the listeners don't know that. Do you have a sign out there that says Amory parking only? All violators will be forced to dance.

SPEAKER_01 41:04

We do have that sign out there, and people do not read it.

SPEAKER_00 41:08

No, of course not.

SPEAKER_02 41:10

But all the teachers are like, we need like metal like stakes in the ground that's very visible. So I do need to.

A Small But Mighty Payment System

SPEAKER_00 41:17

Remote control pylons.

SPEAKER_02 41:20

What I do is I try to park behind them.

SPEAKER_00 41:23

Lowers them down from the roadside.

SPEAKER_02 41:25

You just need to lock their tires and park their can't dance, or you have to dance and then we'll take your wheel off.

unknown 41:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 41:34

No, I just started parked behind them. I'm like, then you have to ask me to move. I'm like, oh funny.

SPEAKER_00 41:40

I used to do that. Just right on the bumper.

SPEAKER_02 41:43

Meggy worry that they won't look behind. They'll just crash right into you.

SPEAKER_00 41:46

That did happen one time. I pulled up behind a coworker, actually. They pulled into my space. Everyone knew that was my space because I need it to get in and out quickly all the time. And they pulled into my space, so I just pulled right behind them. And um, and uh this person came in the office a while later. We'd been there for a while, and she was all upset, and she said, I need you to come move your truck. Or she said, Get your truck off of mine. I'm like, What are you even talking about? And so I was so close to her when she started backing up, she didn't feel an impact, she just felt some pressure. She just tapped right into it, some pressure, and her trailer hitch was pushing against my front bumper. And she thought, I don't know what that is. So she just gave it a little more gas. And it's the trailer hitch slipped under my front bumper. So now it was literally stuck. Oh my gosh. And so we had to get a bunch of people to stand on her bumper.

SPEAKER_02 42:43

This is why us girls have a bad reputation. She was all stupid stuff like that.

SPEAKER_00 42:49

She was all huffy that I needed to get my truck off of hers.

SPEAKER_01 42:54

You're like, put it on there. Okay. What was this?

SPEAKER_00 42:59

Oh my goodness. So what's what's a piece of advice you'd give to someone just starting out in this industry?

SPEAKER_02 43:10

Um don't.

SPEAKER_01 43:12

No, I'm just kidding.

Boundaries With Parents And Policy

SPEAKER_02 43:14

No, I think I think you have to remember that if you're doing it only because you love to dance, you're doing it for the wrong reasons. Because just loving to dance doesn't make you a great business owner or teacher or educator. Like you need to do it for the right reasons. Um, and realize that it's not going to be just about dance most of the time. Like, I would say 25% is you actually dancing and for the love of that, but the rest of it, it's a lot of other things. So just be aware that you know what you're stepping into. Um set up a program where it's auto-drafted. That makes a huge difference. And yeah, just remember why you're getting into it and stick to your morals and don't um don't let the parents run it like you do what you want to do. And if yeah, if they believe in you, they'll stay. If not, yeah, they won't, and that's okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 44:09

I think that's great advice. I I see that sometimes another I the the one that came to my mind um that popped in there first was restaurants. Somebody that loves to cook, and people love their food, and so everyone encourages them. Right, open a restaurant, and so they open a restaurant, it's a disaster. Yes, their food is amazing, but the business of running that is so much more than just cooking food. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:37

No, that's I love that.

SPEAKER_00 44:37

Yeah, that's great advice.

SPEAKER_01 44:39

Yeah, just be a cook.

SPEAKER_00 44:41

What's um what's something your customers might not know about you, but they should.

SPEAKER_02 44:47

I feel like I'm such an open book. I don't know. They probably know everything more than they need. I just I'm honest to a fault. Like, I I will not lie. I can't lie. I just it's a problem. Um, I don't know. I think they do, I think they know where I stand all the time, which I think is good. I don't think I hide anything from them. It's very what you see is what you get. Like there's no sugar coat and things that'll tell you what you need to know when you need to know it. And I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings, but it's just how I roll. And I have a good sense of humor about things too, which I think helps a lot, even dealing with kids and the different age groups and stuff. You teach them completely different depending on the age group. So being able to kind of chameleon myself into whatever I need to be in. Um yeah, I think they know everything. I don't think there's anything that I'm hiding.

SPEAKER_00 45:42

I mean, I think maybe they don't know you only get like three hours of sleep a night.

SPEAKER_02 45:47

Well, I feel like they do know that. They just don't care.

SPEAKER_00 45:50

They all get the memo.

SPEAKER_02 45:52

Yeah, they just don't care. They're like, all right, cool. This is you, you decided to open this. Yeah, exactly. Not my problem. We would be fine in catalog costumes, but no, you decide to do all this extra work on yourself. So no, I think yeah, they know I have no sleep, but I think that's any mom. Like it has nothing, you know, even stay-at-home moms, like they don't get enough credit. Like, that's a lot of work. It's you're running a full freaking home business, you know. Yeah, so yeah, I think I think everyone's tired. I hate that when they're like, I'm tired. I'm like, we're all fucking tired. Like, we are all tired, okay. I don't want to hear it. Like, get up and do what you need to do. Like, nobody cares. Yeah, that's not an excuse.

SPEAKER_00 46:34

That puts you in the bucket with the rest of us.

unknown 46:36

Exactly.

Motherhood, Scheduling, And Balance

SPEAKER_02 46:36

I'm like, nobody cares. Okay, get up and do what you have to do. So I think that just goes on with work ethic. Like, can you still get your job done? Like, cool, go do it. Yeah, go to bed early if you can. Don't scroll on TikTok for three hours, Dean. That's my problem. I'm like, what do they call it? Revenge bedtime procrastination. I think is what it is. Yeah. Where you just sit and doom scroll because it's the only time that you like don't have to do anything. Like your kids don't need you, your husband doesn't need you, your business doesn't need you, and you're like, oh. And then you're like, oh my god, I've been doing this for two hours. You need to sleep. Like, don't forget you also need to do that. So, but yeah, no, I mean, I'm super happy with my life. I'm so grateful that I get to do this for a living, and I have like the best family that supports me, and yeah.

SPEAKER_00 47:28

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_02 47:29

It sounds so cliche, but I love my life.

SPEAKER_00 47:31

Right?

SPEAKER_02 47:32

And you're allowed to say that. Yeah. I'm so grateful.

unknown 47:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 47:37

It's actually refreshing to hear someone say that. Some people feel guilty about saying that because the truth is a lot of people are not happy with their life.

SPEAKER_02 47:45

So then do something.

SPEAKER_00 47:46

It's kind of like you're bragging.

SPEAKER_02 47:47

And freaking do something.

SPEAKER_00 47:49

My life's awesome. What's your problem?

SPEAKER_02 47:52

Some days it's not, but like, you know, you just have to look back at your life and just think of the things that you are really grateful for. And I think it changes your perspective.

SPEAKER_00 48:01

That gratitude actually um causes more good things to happen.

SPEAKER_02 48:06

Completely.

SPEAKER_00 48:07

Yeah. Just offering gratitude.

SPEAKER_02 48:09

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 48:09

Um, brings you more to be grateful for. Yeah, no, it does.

SPEAKER_02 48:13

It does.

SPEAKER_00 48:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 48:15

It does, yeah. Just waking up this morning and like, oh, the leaves are gorgeous. Like Jacob's out there mowing the lawn. I'm like, I freaking love the smell of gasoline and fresh cut grass.

SPEAKER_01 48:24

I don't know, there's something about it.

SPEAKER_02 48:25

I'm like, oh, the best. Yeah. Mulchin leaves, like we made a leaf pile the other day, throwing the kids in it. Like, it just life is good. You just have to look for the good sometimes, you know.

SPEAKER_00 48:37

I get it. Every once in a while I'll go to visit to a friend on a farm or something. I get out of the vehicle and I could smell manure. I'm like, oh man, that's awesome. It's manure, but it's like not something I smell in this city.

SPEAKER_02 48:50

No, it's that fresh air.

SPEAKER_00 48:51

Yeah, it means you're definitely on a farm.

SPEAKER_02 48:57

It's all right. It's good. Yeah. Farm life shoot. I I couldn't do that. That's a lot of work right there. Yeah. That you can say your time. That's a lot. Grab that crack a dog and do whatever. Yeah. No, I I couldn't do that one. But I respect that life.

SPEAKER_03 49:15

Many people could.

SPEAKER_02 49:16

No. My son's like, why can't we have chickens? Why can't we have a goat? I'm like, do you like going on vacation? Because he would never be able to do that ever again.

SPEAKER_00 49:25

Your vacation would be go feeding the chickens.

SPEAKER_02 49:28

Exactly. I'm like, no, we're yeah. We do not need a farm on top of everything else. Not happening.

SPEAKER_00 49:36

Oh my goodness. Well, man, this has been awesome. Like I pulled up here, you know. I it's all these little businesses. And again, I don't drive these roads, so I never know who's in here or who's out of here now. And um, and so I pulled up, and this was it was kind of like a magical experience. Like you open the door to like a small house, like from the road, it looks like a like a one-bedroom house. It's got a living room slash living room, yes, or a kitchen slash living room, and a bedroom. Right, and then you open the door, and it's like a six-bedroom house, three bathrooms. You're like, what just happened? Where did all this come from?

SPEAKER_02 50:17

That's fair. It is a lot bigger on the inside than the outside for sure.

SPEAKER_00 50:21

Yeah, it's amazing.

SPEAKER_02 50:22

So sneaky little space. And then my my best friend Courtney, she's across the street from me. She opened her business uh probably seven years after I did or something. And so it's just so cool to like we both have businesses on the street together. It's just, I don't know, it's fun. You should interview her. She's a good one too.

SPEAKER_03 50:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 50:41

But um, yeah, it's just we're living the dream, man. There's nothing we get to do what we love and get paid for it.

SPEAKER_00 50:48

So yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 50:50

It's so fun.

SPEAKER_00 50:51

I love it.

SPEAKER_02 50:52

It's the best.

unknown 50:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 50:56

If you don't like your life, change it, you know. It's life's too short to be unhappy. Like, I don't get paid a lot to do this, and I'm totally okay with that.

SPEAKER_03 51:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 51:06

Because it's something I love to do. So sometimes you have to make that kind of yeah, money doesn't solve everything.

SPEAKER_00 51:13

So there's a price to happiness.

SPEAKER_02 51:15

Can't take it out.

SPEAKER_00 51:16

That price is different for everybody, you know, but there is a price to happiness.

SPEAKER_02 51:19

So I mean, money does make things a lot easier. It sure does, but which does make it a little bit, but I mean, obviously it's important, but yeah, it's not everything.

SPEAKER_00 51:29

So I think it was Daniel Tosh or something that way back he was doing a bit on that. That you know, they always say money can't buy happiness. He's like, Well, no, but it can buy a wave runner. And like, have you ever seen anybody on a wave runner wasn't happy?

SPEAKER_02 51:44

He's fair. Tosh 2.0. I think I love Tosh. Whatever happened to him.

SPEAKER_00 51:49

I don't know. I think he's still around, but I don't really know.

SPEAKER_02 51:53

Yeah. Dang it. That was like when Robin Big were on MTV TV. It was a long time ago.

SPEAKER_03 51:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 51:59

Good times.

unknown 52:00

Good times.

SPEAKER_02 52:01

I don't have time for TV anymore. Like, what shows are you watching? Like, I don't watch. And then I finally find one that I'm like, oh Jacob, we should watch this. He's like, Yeah, we watched that. The station, it's not very good. I'm like, you know what? Just breaking my heart. They just watch all the things at the station and then he comes home and I have nothing to watch with him. Like, all right, well, I'm going to back it up.

SPEAKER_00 52:21

So um, she likes to get up like a lot of women, it seems like they can't just sit still and watch the thing. Yeah. Like, oh, let me check on this and we get to do this one. I'm still watching, I'm still watching. Well, you're not. You're not really. And so I watch things before her so I can concentrate on it and get everything in there. And then I'll watch it again with her if I think she'll enjoy it. And that way she can interrupt all she wants, and I'm not gonna miss any parties.

SPEAKER_02 52:47

See, but he just he ruins it for me because he'll he's never seen it, but he'll call the ending like every time. I'm like, Yeah, me too. Can you just keep it to yourself? Like, because now he ruined it.

SPEAKER_00 52:57

Like it must be a man thing. Yeah, how am I? Do the same thing. I make fun of my wife with Hallmark movies because she'll put a Hallmark movie on it.

SPEAKER_01 53:07

Well, everyone knows how those are gonna end.

SPEAKER_00 53:09

Or a lifetime movie, even so we know how that's just put a lifetime movie, and I'm like, oh, that guy, yeah. Okay, uh if we're five minutes in and I've told you how it's gonna end, then we I mean those ones are predictable.

SPEAKER_01 53:21

Those ones are predictable.

SPEAKER_00 53:22

I would think so, but not everybody thinks that.

SPEAKER_02 53:26

She knows too. She's just you know, she's just rattling your cheek. Yeah, that's all it is.

SPEAKER_00 53:30

Exactly. It's just something to do. Yep, yep. Oh well, awesome. Awesome talking with you. Yeah, that was fun. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 53:39

Thanks for coming by.

SPEAKER_00 53:40

Thanks for for coming on the show. I know.

SPEAKER_02 53:42

I don't even who who recommended me? Do you even know?

SPEAKER_00 53:45

I put a call out on on Facebook saying, hey, I'm starting a new thing. Um who should I talk to? And you were one of the names. I got like 20 different names.

SPEAKER_02 53:55

Amazing.

SPEAKER_00 53:56

I love 20 different names, and you were definitely one of them. So I think maybe you were the first one because you were right at the top of my list. So I just um was able to schedule a few other people before you.

SPEAKER_02 54:07

So I know, heck yeah, I love it. I know. I was October was crazy for me.

SPEAKER_00 54:11

Yeah, definitely.

SPEAKER_02 54:11

But it's over, Holler. How you missed our Halloween decorations.

SPEAKER_00 54:14

It's always insane in here.

SPEAKER_02 54:17

We go hard for Halloween.

SPEAKER_00 54:18

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_02 54:19

But yeah, I was like, put it away. October's over. Once the holiday is over, that's it. Pack it up. Move on to the next.

SPEAKER_00 54:29

Well, I like what you do, and I like how you're doing it. Thank you. And everything. So keep doing it.

SPEAKER_01 54:33

Thanks. We're glad you're here. Thanks for coming to the studio. Welcome back anytime. Come cut a rug.

SPEAKER_00 54:39

Oh dude, no one wants to see me dance.

SPEAKER_01 54:43

That's a lie. That's a lie. Well, thank you so much.