Episode 24: Suzy and Alice in Barcelona

Last week Suzy and Alice travelled to Barcelona to level up The Theatre Workshop with the Dance Business Coach. Listen to this episode to hear what they got up to and to hear some exciting news about TTW!

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

I would say it's the best investment that we have made as a company because it's enabled us all to be really clear on our roles, our focuses, and hopefully, as the the customers are experiencing a better service, I would hope. We've still got a lot to learn. We're still building on lots of things and we've got lots of goals that we want to do at theatre workshop. But I would say that the last seven months we have really tried hard to look after the customer and make sure every child's happy in their services at theatre workshop.

SPEAKER_00 0:34

Hello and welcome to Theatre Workshop Talks. My name is Alice and I'm a teacher here at the Theatre Workshop. We have a theatre school based in Birmingham, Barnt Green, Blackwell and Bromsgrove. Here you will gain an insight to what it's like being a part of the theatre workshop. Along the way, we will be talking to TTW students, parents, teachers, and also some very special guests. Make sure you hit that subscribe button so you know when a brand new episode drops. Hello everyone, welcome back to another episode of our podcast. Today I'm joined with Susie, and we are going to talk about all things Barcelona. We were there last week, we were doing work as far as some of the students were convinced that we were, we were doing work. So we're going to sort of talk about why we were there, what we did, and just give you guys a little bit more information about the ins and outs of Barcelona. So, Susie, could you tell us why sort of why we were there?

SPEAKER_01 1:37

So we were there because I've joined a mastermind group called the Dance Business Coach. Well, she's a lady, a very successful lady called Louise, and um she had her own dance business studio, and now she's got a mastermind group of like-minded women who all run theatre schools, dance businesses, and um she basically mentors us through weekly uh Zoom sessions, training sessions, and it's absolutely brilliant for us. I mean, we've had such a brilliant time and we've only been on the mastermind for ten months, is it? Ten months.

SPEAKER_00 2:24

Is it that long? When did we join? November. Last October. October, November, December, January, February, March, April, May. Seven months. Oh, seven months.

SPEAKER_01 2:34

Yeah, so we've been on the um dance business coach mastermind course for seven months, and um I would say it's the best investment that we have made as a company because it's enabled us all to be really clear on our roles, um, our focuses, and hopefully, as the the customers are experiencing a better service, I would hope. Um, we've still got a lot to learn. We're still building on lots of things, and we've got lots of goals that we want to do at theatre workshop. But I would say that the last seven months we have really tried hard to look after the customer and make sure every child's happy in their services at theatre workshop.

SPEAKER_00 3:16

And what made you want to join the dance business coach?

SPEAKER_01 3:21

I think for me, um I'd been running theatre workshop for 12 years and I'm not getting any younger. And I think I think, well, I do know exactly what made me do it. I'd I'd followed Louise for a long time through COVID, and I used to go on her free courses and her free workshops, and I found it so beneficial. And I used to think, oh, why don't I just take the plunge and join the mastermind? And I was like, why don't I do it? And I kept saying, No, I can't, no, I can't, I can't afford it, da da. Oh, I'm doing this, so I'm going on holiday, and I'd always make an excuse not to join. And then I think last October you were around and doing really well, and Caroline was wanting to do more. And both of you, I just thought, actually, there was no better time to take the leaf because I'd got two people that were really invested in theatre workshop, and I didn't want to lose you, and you kept going for auditions, and I was like, I can't lose her. So I'm gonna make her a full-time member of staff. So I think that's I would say probably you more than anyone made me do it because I thought I can't lose her. I need her because I'm getting too old, I've got too many bones in my legs. Yeah, I was just like, you know, I can't do it anymore. Um, so I think, yeah, I would say probably you, Alice made me think, right, I've got to do it because before I think, because Caroline's my best mate, she's used to me, like, just do that, just do that, just do this, just do this. She's like, Do you know what I mean? Whereas with you, I couldn't just do that. You can't read my mind, I can't message you at 11 o'clock, I do have to put some boundaries in. And I think that's been really important for me as well, because I'm a bit off the Richter scale in my thoughts. But I suppose Kaz being my best friend, she kind of accepts she gets it anyway. But not that you don't get it, but you know what I mean. I thought I've got to get some sort of like what's the word, structure going on. Yeah, make sure everyone's got their roles and responsibilities, and I would say, as a team now, we've all got our roles and responsibilities. We all know what we're looking after.

SPEAKER_00 5:36

I think definitely, because yeah, I think we do.

SPEAKER_01 5:40

Um, because we were sort of we went through a bit of a transition stage where we were all doing the same thing, and it was hard to sort of know what I should be doing, what Cas should be doing, but now we've got our roles, and yeah, I mean the show's coming up, the show's coming up at the weekend, and then genuinely I did the first show meeting with all the teachers. I I've obviously been in sessions, but I don't know any detail. Like, I genuinely don't. The parents say to me, Susie, what time at the theatre? And I'm like, I don't know, I have no clue because that's not my job anymore. Like, Caroline's been dealing with that, and you're dealing with other stuff, and Caroline's done all the costumes. So honestly, I have no clue. We had a meeting on Monday, and I was like, What do you want me to do on Car, what do you want me to do on Show Day Cas? And she's like, Right, you're gonna do that. That's fine, like but so it is quite important that everyone realises that I don't know everything, so don't ask me the questions anymore.

SPEAKER_00 6:38

Yeah, not everything's like on you anymore.

SPEAKER_01 6:41

Yeah, whereas before it was, I did know the answer to every question, and I probably didn't do the best-ish job at all times, and probably let parents down where I didn't mean to let them down. Um so hopefully now you get a quicker response because the three of us are trying to respond to you. And if you get a response from me, you're probably gonna get the wrong answer. So I'm kind of I'm kind of like looking at the bigger picture and making sure that all the teaching's great and which it always is, and looking at the next next event and the next opportunity, because obviously at Theatre Workshop we strive on giving the children the best possible opportunity professionally, locally, community, all sorts of things, really. Um, yeah, so I'm a bit redundant, really.

SPEAKER_00 7:31

So Barcelona, I absolutely loved it. I don't know about you. It was great. It was it was great amazing.

SPEAKER_01 7:38

And do you know what? It wasn't really focused on business in a mad way. Like a lot of people have said to me, Oh, what did you do? And it was like more about your internal perspective of yourself as well. And I think for me personally, everyone would think, Oh, Susie's like ultra confident, she's sure on what she wants, but actually, I am the worst, and duly can vouch for this at at being a warrior. Have I made the right choice? Have I done this? And and I always need clarification off everyone. So I suppose for me, part of Barcelona was kind of like thinking about making quicker decisions, not overthinking everything because I do overthink everything. But I don't think people would think that about me. No, you do come across as like super like, yeah, that's what we're doing. But I'm not, I'm not. I I I guarantee to get to that place, I'll phone six people to reassure myself. Even if I was changing my car, I'd have to ring my dad and go, what do you think, dad? And then I'd ring my brother, what do you think? And then I'd ring Julie, what do you think? Everyone's like, just do it.

SPEAKER_00 8:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:47

Alright, alright, I'll do it. Because it's almost like if they've told me to do it, it makes me feel safer. Do you know what I mean? So I think that for me, especially uh work-related, I need to make quicker decisions. Like, if if somebody rang me and was like, Do you want to do this show? I'd be like, Yeah, we'll do that show.

SPEAKER_00 9:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:07

I wouldn't overthink that, but it's just other th other stuff that I need to work on. And I think in Barcelona, I did work on that, I thought about that a lot and making quicker decisions and not worrying about things. And I suppose that's almost like maybe I always worry about what people think of me, and I ultimately want to be liked. And sometimes I might say to a parent, I'm really sorry, like, and they're not gonna like the answer I give them. Do you know what I mean? But ultimately, that's life, isn't it? Like, we we've had a couple of things this week where parents have gone, this isn't any shade on any parents, by the way. Oh, we we've got stuff going on here, or we need to come later. And I'm like, Well, it's the show.

SPEAKER_00 9:51

Yeah, it's a commitment.

SPEAKER_01 9:52

You've got to come, it's a commitment, you're gonna let everybody down, and and it's it's hard, and I don't like saying no. I don't like when people want to buy a hoodie, I'm like, Oh, I don't I don't want to charge you. I just want you to have it for free, it's hard, and I think that's because I just wanna be liked by everyone. Yeah, so I suppose I need to get over that. That actually in this life not everyone's gonna like me, and I can't really do anything about it. I'll always act in a kind way.

SPEAKER_00 10:26

Yeah, of course.

SPEAKER_01 10:28

But yeah, believing in myself, I suppose. Like I've run I've run the theatre workshop for 12 years, we've had a lot of success, a lot of students have done amazingly well, and I feel like I just would I just need to believe in myself more.

SPEAKER_00 10:42

Yeah. I think it can make a quicker decision. Yeah, it was a lot of like self um self-improvement as well, as well as business improvement.

SPEAKER_01 10:52

Because at the end of the day, if you're not looking after yourself, then you can't look after the business, and that is so true because who can run on empty, who can run when they're like feeling like that? You you can't you can't you cannot do that. Like, I mean, when we did our training session for the team last last term, we did like a self-care care day, didn't we? Nikki couldn't be there, and nor could Rich. So I said to Nikki, right, you go and have she likes to go for reflexology, so I paid for her reflexology to be done. And Rich went and had a sports massage and had some time to himself, so I paid for them to have that. And ultimately, that's a nice thing for them to do, go and have a bit of time, and act and for me, they'll come and teach and be a better person at the weekend when they're with my kids. So I'm like, Do you know what? If that's what I can give them, and I just feel like you do have to look after yourself, yeah, definitely.

SPEAKER_00 11:48

Because, like you said, if you're when you're teaching, you have to have that nurturing, kind, safe environment for the kids. And if you've had a stressful week and you've not relaxed at some point and took time for yourself, it's gonna show in the lessons, and you're gonna come across stressed, you're gonna come across not yourself, and the kids pick up on that. So you do need to take time in the week for yourself, and I do feel like this mastermind has helped with that because my calls on a Monday, me and Kaz do calls on a Monday, and they always stress that once a week you need to take time to do something for yourself, which is what I always try and do 100%.

SPEAKER_01 12:26

It changes everything, it's massively important. Yeah, like this morning I couldn't sleep, right? So I woke up and it was like I think it was half five, and I was like, I can't sleep. And I started to get myself into a negative because I didn't need to get up till seven to wake the children up, and I was like, I've got to get myself out of this negative situation. So I got myself up, I went downstairs, made a coffee, listened to a podcast, had a lovely habit to myself, and then the money started, and I was like, I'm okay. Do you know what I mean? So sometimes like when you're feeling like that as well, like maybe spin the negative into a positive as well. Like maybe I needed to wake up at half five today and come down and have an hour to myself before this busy weekend's coming. Because obviously, Kaz has been here since nine this morning printing, and we're getting stuff sorted for the show, and then tomorrow I'm going to the theatre, and then we'll be there Saturday and Sunday. So maybe that was just my body saying, get up and have a little hour to yourself on a podcast. Had a lovely time. Even though I was like, I'd have had a better time if I'd have been asleep till seven. But would I have, would I have? I don't know. So yeah, a lot of it, a lot of Barcelona was more internal work. We didn't want to talk about how many students we'd got, how much turnover we'd got. It was none of that. It was more about looking after yourself and your beliefs that impact you negatively.

SPEAKER_00 13:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:53

I know I've all got them.

SPEAKER_00 13:55

Of course. I particularly like the was it the Tuesday night? I loved the Tuesday night. Yeah. We were on a rooftop bar in a hotel and there was a lovely lady called Donna there. She's called the Energy Artist on Instagram, if you want to go and have a look.

SPEAKER_01 14:09

And you could uh put you could put her tag handle on there. Tag handle, what they what do they call it? Handle?

SPEAKER_00 14:16

Yeah, Instagram handle.

SPEAKER_01 14:17

In the show notes, yeah, Instagram handle. I'm not up with it. That's why Alice does Instagram than I do. That's why I don't do Instagram. You'll know when it's me because it's wrong.

SPEAKER_00 14:30

But yeah, it was it was all about sort of being who you envision yourself to be and stepping into that next person and not holding yourself back. Because she said, um what was it that she said? She always wanted to be more, so then she became more, and then people started believing that she was more. So it's all about sort of tricking the mind, and it's almost a form of manifestation.

SPEAKER_01 15:00

I love manifestation, yeah, and me, and I and the mind is so strong as well, like it's like unbelievably strong. I had a session with the energy artists before I went to Barcelona. I didn't know she was gonna be in Barcelona, and I had the most powerful session with her. It was in January, I had the session, and honestly, she's incredible, but I do massively believe in it, I do massively believe in it, and I think it's it is your mindset, and it for the kids as well that are training at a theatre workshop. If they can get their mindset in a good place, then the world's their oyster, I'd say.

SPEAKER_00 15:36

Yeah, they can do anything they want to do. And then the Wednesday and Thursday, they were like the two main days. Um, and that was mainly what we've just spoken about, sort of talking about how you can be better to make the business better, how you can look after yourself, things that you can do to We did talk a lot about values as well and vision of the of of your of your company as well.

SPEAKER_01 16:02

We talked about that a lot, didn't we? And the standards in the business.

SPEAKER_00 16:06

They were two great. I really, really enjoyed it.

SPEAKER_01 16:09

And then and then the Thursday afternoon we had a sound bath, didn't we? Which was incredible.

SPEAKER_00 16:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:13

We had one of those, didn't we, when we did the self um the self-care training at Caroline, should remember?

SPEAKER_00 16:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:20

It was great. It's really impactful.

SPEAKER_00 16:22

Yeah. And I found it really useful as well because you're in a room with there was 80 people in there, and you're in a room with all those people who are doing the same thing. And for example, if you're struggling with something and let's say you're talking to someone who struggled with that in the past, they can share how they overcame it and what they're doing now. So it helps like just talking to people about because you're in the same industry, you struggle with pretty much the same things.

SPEAKER_01 16:50

And you know what? I it wasn't like at all in any sort of way. Like, I did I think I worried about that as well about joining the mass mile. I thought, oh, is it gonna be like competition? Is it gonna be like there is none of that? Like, every person in that room wants you to do well. Like, I sat with this girl from Burnley and I ended up following on on Instagram, and she was like, Oh, she was talking to me about what the goal is for theatre workshop, and I'm happy to share that on the podcast. Um, the ultimate goal for theatre workshop is that we want to find a studio space so it would literally become our home and we would have everything there, so we'd no longer be travelling around with everything. We're not saying we won't do we would still do like different locations, but we ultimately want to find somewhere where we can do stuff from there all the time because we have a bigger goal that we want to do, extra stuff. Anyway, that's just I thought I'd put that out there. So I'm I'm accountable so everybody that listens to the podcast. So that is our actual dream, and I suppose like I was sat with her and I was telling them my dream, and she was like, What's stopping you? Like, you just need to ring people, ask the parents if they know of anywhere. So this morning I've been on the phone to three or four people, and we're gonna go and look at a few places next week. I mean, it might not come of anything yet, it might not be the right time for us, but obviously I'm just looking. And what I was what I was saying about everybody else at that conference, it's not even a conference, I wouldn't even say it was a conference. Um, everyone was just out for each other, like encouraging each other, like it was just lovely to be honest, really lovely, and it restored my faith in the performing arts business because and like that profession because it can be quite quite uh competitive, it is competitive and and and I would say over the two days nobody gave that at all. It was more almost like it didn't matter if you had a school of 20 kids or if you had a school of 2,000 kids, everyone was just encouraging each other, which was lovely. So there we go.

SPEAKER_00 18:57

So if any parents out there know of any old shops, industrial estates, warehouses, they're so huge, and we'd fit all of our students in there. That would be such a great one.

SPEAKER_01 19:11

We don't know how long it's gonna take us, but we are gonna get there.

SPEAKER_00 19:13

We are gonna get there.

unknown 19:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:15

And we wanna make it we've just said before the podcast, we want to make it the right place. So we're not gonna rush into it, we're not gonna put too much pressure on finding it right now. We will find it, but we want it to be the perfect place for the children, for the parents, and for the teachers to make it our place.

SPEAKER_01 19:37

It'd be so much easier as well, wouldn't it?

SPEAKER_00 19:39

Yeah, because we have so much like my boot, Susie's boot and Caroline's boot are full of things that we just take around with us to every place.

SPEAKER_01 19:48

And also, like, Caroline's got a whole out in her new house, she's got a whole outbuilding with theatre workshop stuff. So I give Caroline a monthly payment so we can put all our stuff in there because I don't I have a three-bedroom house, like I don't have enough room. I have three kids, like, I don't have enough room for it all. So Caroline has it all at her house, and um yeah, we've kind of outgrown everywhere. Yeah, so we we want to find somewhere which will work for us all, but we're in no hurry. But if anybody knows of anywhere, then obviously let us know. Yeah, we're in no hurry, but but yeah, we're in no hurry, but I'd like to do it before Christmas.

SPEAKER_00 20:34

No, I've got to get married next. Oh god, the wedding. The wedding.

SPEAKER_01 20:39

The wedding, the wedding, guys. Just so you know, is on Friday the 5th of June. In case you haven't heard once that in case you hadn't heard, and once that's over, I'll be on the hunt for the studio.

SPEAKER_00 20:54

It's on, game on.

SPEAKER_01 20:56

I'll need a I'll need a new focus. I will need a new focus. Yeah, actually, I haven't given the wedding that much focus to be honest. Have I?

SPEAKER_00 21:06

Um I feel like you sorted it really early on. I feel like you got it all arranged quite early.

SPEAKER_01 21:12

So I think well Caroline did.

SPEAKER_00 21:15

Yeah, but yeah, we've had the show and everything as well, so yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:21

And it's gonna be a great show. It's gonna be amazing.

SPEAKER_00 21:24

I'm really excited, and we feel we don't feel stressed about I mean I don't. I don't feel like I feel like we've got everything sorted, everything's planned.

SPEAKER_01 21:34

So it's gonna be No, but I feel like even e yeah, even the show thing, it's been less stressful because everyone's had roles.

SPEAKER_00 21:41

Yeah, that's it.

SPEAKER_01 21:43

Everyone's been clear on what they were doing. Like ri realistically, me going to Barcelona last week with Alice should have been stressful, but it really wasn't. And today, and today we're recording this podcast, and I'm really quite chill. Bring it on.

SPEAKER_00 21:56

It is gonna be good. Well, thanks, Susie, for coming on the podcast today.

SPEAKER_01 22:01

No worries, guys. Any time.

SPEAKER_00 22:03

And we will see you all on Saturday. Exciting! Bye. Thank you for listening to TTW Talks. We hope you enjoyed listening to this episode and look forward to hearing the next one. Make sure to follow us on Instagram at the Theatre Workshop Birmingham and TikTok at the.theatre.worksband to see all of our class and show content and all of the exciting things we get up to. Once again, thank you for listening. This has been TTW Talks.