The Business Side of Danceline Coaching Nobody Talks About | Ep 11

Stop Running Your Danceline Like Chaos...

🎙️ In this episode, Mallorie Robinson joins us to discuss one of the biggest issues in the danceline world: inefficiency behind the scenes.

As a former HBCU dancer, veteran high school danceline coach, and creator of The CoachMode App, Mallorie shares how her own coaching experiences inspired her to create systems that help coaches manage teams more effectively without losing their creativity.

We discuss:
✨ Streamlining communication and team management
✨ Why structure and systems matter in successful programs
✨ Planning an entire dance season efficiently
✨ Her personal goal-setting document and “brain dump” strategy
✨ How coaches can spend less time overwhelmed and more time creating
✨ The CoachMode App!

If you’re a dance coach, captain, director, or aspiring leader, this episode is packed with gems that can help transform the way you run your program.

📲 Download & access The CoachMode App here:
https://apps.apple.com/redeem/?ctx=offercodes&id=6761402049&code=mbpodcast

Transcript

Speaker 2 0:00

Coaches, we're like the CEOs of our programs.

Speaker 0:03

And then actually run the auditions on with score sheets and papers and spreadsheets. But my girl got us a new system.

Speaker 2 0:10

We're managing personalities, the leadership systems of the team, scheduling the culture of the team. It frees you up to be more creative. When I was making this, I really had my coach friends in mind. Everything was ranking, adding up in real time. And on my end, and the band directors end, because they had the app as well, they were seeing the scores come in. And the app actually ranked them from highest to lowest. I have all of the uniforms and hairstyles that we're going to be wearing for each game in August. Like I have it's called goal setting, a big document, big electronic document in my iPad.

Speaker 0:57

Welcome to the Major Business Podcast where we talk all things HBCU dance from strategy structure, leadership, performance, and training. And I'm your host, Vershion Lee. And today we have a very special guest. Um, so I'm just gonna, of course, read a little bit about her as usual, and then we'll get right into the conversation. So she is a dance coach, tech professional, and the founder of the Coach Mode app, where she's combining her two passions, dance and technology, to change the way coaches run their teams from dancing with Clark Atlanta University's Essence Dance line years ago to leading award-winning programs and building innovative tools for coaches. Mallorie is bringing a fresh real world perspective to the culture and business behind dance lines. And y'all, you must meet. I gotta introduce you to my girl, Mallorie. You know, you're one of my favorites. Oh, you're right, too. Um, when did we meet? Like what? Last was it last year? Last year, last year, yes, last year. That's crazy. Well, I had heard a lot about you, and then Emily used to talk about she was like, Oh, she's just so sweet. I gotta be. And then I was like, okay, so yeah, we finally got a chance to meet last year, actually, like around this time, really. Yeah, for real. Yeah, it's been like a year some change. Um, but yeah, so good, good to get to know you over the year and all the things that you've accomplished, the things that you've done at by this stage in life, it's just um it's phenomenal. And thank you, thank you. And I think it's the uniqueness of the career choice or the career path that um really had me like, wow, that's great! Like, so I just maybe let's just start right there, okay? Maybe let's just start right there because that was the part that amazed me the most. So, and you didn't put it in your bio. So I know it's hard to really, you know, kind of talk about yourself like that, but I do want to go ahead and like not only just give you some shine, but like I want you to share because oftentimes I'm telling dancers you don't have to be a professional dancer, but you utilize these tools that you get from dancing, the discipline and all the things that you learn that comes with dancing, and you just apply them to your career path. And you can always do dance on the side, like just like what you're doing, we'll get into later. But I want you to talk about like your your career choice, your career path, and like how you how did you choose that? But I mean, of course, we got to share what what you did.

Speaker 2 3:50

Okay, so I am Mallorie, like she stated. Um, I'm originally from Selma, Alabama, and so I graduated from Clark Atlanta University with a computer science degree. So I have a bachelor's in computer science. So I can say what got me into technology. So I'm a millennial, so I feel like you know, we were on the brink when the computers really just came out. We uh my sister, she worked at Alabama Power, and she brought home this big old monitor left uh computer with the keyboard, and it was AOL, you know, you couldn't be on the phone and the internet at the same time, and so I got me a MySpace page. And if you know about MySpace to design it, you had to know a little HTML or whatever to design it. So that's how I got into my love for computers. And so when I went to Clark, I had to choose a major and I was like, well, I want to stick with computers, so I did computer science. Then I became a web developer where I started doing websites. So, you know, I was able to just play around with different colors and graphics and pictures, so you know, still using my creative side and technology. Then I went and got my master's in information engineering management, so that's kind of like where all of the nerd stuff comes from the Excel, the spreadsheet, the data, all of that good little stuff. So that and so now I currently work for a big school district in their technology department in my nine to five. And so um I'm I'm a system analyst and I kind of manage the analyst. So, yes, I'm a STEM, I'm a STEM girly of tech. I love technology. I feel I'm I'm big on working smarter, not harder. And technology, that's what it does. It helps us work smarter. So here I am. That's my that's my nine to five.

Speaker 5:50

When I first met you, I was like, what? And I, you know, it's funny because certain careers, um, you know, people have different, like certain personalities. And usually like computer people are not I want they're not people people, you know what I mean? So because you're so personable, so sweet and nice, and you know, it was just like that don't even match. Like, what she is she sure?

Speaker 2 6:13

Okay, I'm gonna be honest now. I do kind of like to be to myself sometimes, you know. I have to go back into my little bubble and recharge. It does take me a lot to, you know, uh socialize and be around. So hey, I do love my alone time, okay? I do love my my work-life balance.

Speaker 6:35

Okay, okay, that's fair. That's fair. So, um, how are you now fusing um your love for a dance with your other passion, which is technology? Like, what are you doing now to kind of like merge?

Speaker 2 6:53

Okay, so here we are. This work smarter, not harder. So I am a dance coach currently. Um, I've been coaching since 2011. So, like right after I got um out of school, and let's say it was many nights where it was time to order something for the team, and I I had to go through all these papers and see how many smalls I had. Boom, 10 smalls, how many mediums I had. I had to write this down. I had to go and see, okay, what who's um who wears their seven and a half? I got tired of doing all of that, so I just say, I wanted to develop a system for me first that would just kind of help me organize and help me get to these things early. So I created me an app. And so the app is called Coach Mode, and that's really where it started from. Me not wanting to go through all of these different papers to see how many sizes I needed to order. So I made an app, I put everybody's information in there, I put their sizes in there, their measurements and everything. So it just tells me, okay, if I have 12 girls on the team, you need three smalls, you need four mediums, you need, you know, this amount of large. So I don't ever have to go back and count up, you know, how many things I needed. So that's how the app idea originally started. And it has just morphed into a lot of other stuff now. Well, how long ago did you create it? Okay, so I I actually started working on it last year. I started working on it last year. I took a little break. Uh, my mom had got sick. Um, and so I wanted to just kind of focus on her, you know, focus with her, spend time with her last days here. And so, you know, she just passed in January, and I needed something to fuel my mind at night. So I said, let me start back working on this app. And I know my mom wanted me to, you know, finish it. So she really was the driving force behind me getting this app completed and done. So let's just say it took me a year. It took me a year to really get it into fruition.

Speaker 9:14

Okay, so let's go back because you know both of us have coached some teams, and it's a lot trying to keep track, like you mentioned, up all the things, but it's not just keeping track of sizes and all that, it's a lot of behind the scenes management of teams that a lot of people don't realize that we have to do, so there's a whole business side. We're not just the creative side, it's cool, but there's far more business things to handle than it is creatively. And if you don't have a good advisor or sponsor that's gonna be present and like actually try to help with the business part, which is usually what their job would be, it makes it more difficult to be split brain trying to get it all done and don't mess around and not work at the school, then that's a whole nother something else, right? Because now you gotta pull up and figure it out right quick, or you gotta be trying to handle it from the house, or you know, like you said, you gotta hit up the band the band booster and try to get stuff ordered, and then you gotta it's a lot of things, you know. You gotta give it to parents, and it's a lot of moving parts, so just kind of talk about your experience with different, you know, name different circumstances and different situations you've been in with managing a team, just more so on the business side of it.

Speaker 2 10:32

Okay, I can start with my very first team that you know are my longest tenure, and that was with the Central High School Dazzling Falconettes in um Tuscaloosa, Alabama. I was there about six or seven years. Now, starting with them, I really had to build them up. When I got there in 2011, they were wearing the same uniforms their moms were wearing in the 90s. So we had to start from the ground up there with just uniform redesigns, um, branding. Um okay, so let's kind of let me go back. So, okay, after I got over them, I ended up being the coordinator for the entire auxiliary, which was the flag and the major edits and the dance team for Central High School. And I didn't have a sponsor, so I was the coordinator, the admin, the coach, all of that. So I had to do all the ordering, the logistics for three different teams. And so that's when I was like, oh, this is this is a lot, you know. So then I honestly started using like, let's say, my I started using XL, like spreadsheets back. That was like 2011, 2015, around that time. So, you know, I was using a lot of spreadsheets to manage my um data there. You get what I'm saying? Like collecting and parent information, um medical notes, just everything. So when we were at a game, I had my laptop out. If someone was to get sick, I had to see what type of medicine, you know, they need and the different things like that. So just it was it was very tedious, you know, being all of that. And I try to tell people, um, coaches, we're like the CEOs of our programs, you know, like we have to manage everything, we have to manage everything, every aspect. Um, I'm trying to think of like just one particular scenario. Like I said, just managing the entire auxiliary at Central High School with three different teams, I had to find a way to, you know, um seamless and streamline everything. So even though, like I said, with the with the spreadsheets, I still had like calculations in there that'll tell me how many smalls I need, how many mediums I need, but it was still just inconvenient trying to have my my laptop out at a game, you know, versus now with the app that I built, I can just pull my phone out that I have anyway because I'm recording. So I can just pull that out and see and see what's going on.

Speaker 13:10

So oftentimes band directors don't realize how much work we are actually doing, right? So I know you said you would, you know, we gotta order uniforms. Um so that's that's evident, right? But what else are you managing aside from ordering uniforms and things that we have to keep track of so they can fully understand, get like a full picture of what all we have to do.

Speaker 2 13:38

Okay, I'm managing emotions, I'm managing teenagers growing up in high school. Um, look, we're managing personalities, um, we're managing, let's say, the development as well, as far as like the craft, the dancing, or well. So we have to manage that. Um, what else do we have to manage? We have to manage manage scheduling, we have to manage the culture of the team. You know what I'm saying? So we have to manage the leadership systems of the team. There's just a lot, you know, in the team that we have to, we have to, you know, besides the dancing and the creative part, like you said, on the business side. So just those type of things like that, just making sure leadership is managing your captains and your co-captains, making sure that they're, you know, doing what they're needed, they're needed to do for the team. Um yeah.

Speaker 14:31

I know also, so you worked with the team in Alabama, you worked with a couple teams here in Georgia, and then, but those are all high school teams. But tell us a little bit more about your role with your college babies. Well, what did it what is it considered? Like a um, yeah, it's like a hybrid.

Speaker 2 14:49

That's why I was like, it's not just college. Yes. So last year I got the opportunity to come on board with the Sophisticated Jewels of the Georgia Mass Band, and that has just been an amazing experience. So I came on as the coordinator, right? So pretty much doing the behind-the-scenes business. And so, you know, now today we have to have social media has to be in that business aspect. We have to add that in. So definitely, you know, um, getting content for them, um, the logistics, um, ordering different things, um, just pretty much making sure taking attendance, making sure, you know, the communication to everybody is clear. Because one thing I say, you can have a talented team, but if the communication and expectations are not there, then what's the point of you know all of that talent? Right.

Speaker 15:41

Yes, so they'll never be on the same page, yeah.

Speaker 2 15:44

Never be on the never be on the same page. Right. But for like the Sophisticated Jewels, you know, that's not a school. We're our own organization. And so, of course, it's a staff, it's a staff of us, and they are just amazing. So we all play our different roles in that.

Speaker 15:58

Hmm. Okay. So um, I know you've been implementing your app everywhere. Um, when you first started your launch, well, no, it wasn't your lunch. What was the first phase that you did with the app to help us all get it together at these here auditions? Which is another thing that we have to manage as well, because we have to not we have to recruit kids to come to the auditions, and then we have to have the auditions everything set in place. We got to get the judges for the auditions and you know, everything and then and then actually run the auditions on with score sheets and papers and spreadsheets. But my girl got us a new system. So, when did you start implementing like the process of it before you actually did your lunch?

Speaker 2 16:45

Okay, so like I said, after my mom passed, right after that, it was time for my auditions, and so that was something I was like, okay, I don't want to be here five hours. I don't want, you know, to have to sit here and calculate all of these scores. Now I had already moved to spreadsheets, right? But I still had to get all of the scores from all of the judges, add those to the spreadsheet, you know, do all of the tally in there and say, no, I'm gonna add this in the app. I'm gonna add this in the app. I'm gonna create an audition portal. I'm gonna create the score sheet, I'm gonna create a judges portal. The judges can go in. I'm gonna be we're gonna be able to add the girls who are auditioning. And Vershayne, you got to use the app because you were one of my judges at audition.

Speaker 17:38

So I was one of the first, I was one of the first to to operate.

Speaker 2 17:42

You was you were the very first, very first person to operate the judges um portion of it. And so, you know, yes, so as you know, the girls' names were in there. You got to see their picture when it was their time to come up, you seen their headshot, you were able to go in and just give them a score. So while you were doing that, everything was ranking, adding up in real time. And on my end, and the band directors end, because they had the app as well, they were seeing the scores come in, and the app actually ranked them from highest to lowest. And so I felt like that was the quickest audition I ever ran. Ever. Because you were at the last you were at the audition last year. I felt like it took forever. Remember, we had like first of all, let's go back.

Speaker 18:36

That was wild. Okay, so because it's it's crazy because while it was what three of us operating the auditions, it was a trillion girls, right? So we were already gonna be there all night because it was a thousand of them. Yes, and then and then on top of that, we did okay, so we did have we had pictures of all the girls on the iPad, okay. When I when I went out there and took a picture of all the girls that day with their number on the iPad, so we had that on the table with the judges for us to go back to review later, okay. We had that down, all right. We had the person that was escorting the kids because we're gonna walk them through this whole process now because it gets crazy. But the way you had it going this couple months ago, it was, I mean, drastically different difference. So we had somebody escorting, you know, what was it, Chelsea? I think was taking the girls from the hallway to the stage. Okay, so then you would catch them right there, you would tell them what to do, and then somebody would hit play. All right. So the judges had their papers and they were doing their thing on their papers or whatever, and then you had somebody that was on the spreadsheet, right? That somebody was putting in the input and the numbers on the spreadsheet. It was a full operation, okay? Then at the end of the night, then we still had to, you had to go back and like you know, go through after you all, you know, everything calculated, because of course you had your formula set up in there, and then you can then you know, then you gotta kind of resort it to to put them into order, right? But it's crazy to think about because let us, I mean, that's how we knew. And then, you know, so then it was like, who is this and who is that? So then, of course, we using the iPad, we swiping and swiping, so everybody can see who was who, and you know, to kind of see where the scores was lying, and you know, where we were gonna draw the line to figure out who would be on the team and who would not make the team. Wild to think that that even happened, to turn around. What was that? What what month was that? March. February. February, February, to turn around, February, and all we had to do was click, click, click, click, click. And before we knew it, we were chit chatting. And she was like, All right, we ready to announce the team. We was like, what? And the crazy thing was, of course, okay, so I guess because it was new, we we were just, you know, we just doing what Mallory told us to do. We pulled it up on our phone, she got everybody situated, and we do actually. I think I was on my computer. Maybe two of us was on our computer. And some people were on their phones, and we were, you know, we were clicking. We had no idea that it was auto-saving. I think that was probably my favorite feature. We had no idea it was auto-saving. So every time we would finish the scores, it would go away. And I was like, shoot, I don't even know if I need to, you know what I'm saying? So we just went on to the next, you know, dropped in our next, our next group, dropped everybody in the, you know, pulled them down in the drop down, and we were ready to go. We were scoring. It was like, okay, cool. And then that's when you said, Well, it's auto scoring, y'all, so don't worry about it. Cool. But I still don't think until it actually hit us, we eating and talking. And I mean, literally, maybe 15 minutes later, y'all had already deliberated. Like the scores was there, you and the band directors was up, and y'all were ready to go. Ahead and announce the team.

Speaker 2 22:02

So y'all have the skeleton version of it, like the absolute bare, bare version of that app. Oh, it's just has grown to into something so much more.

Speaker 22:14

That's crazy. That's why I'm like, just to think just last year, what we was doing, and how many people it took to run the operation.

Speaker 1 22:22

Yeah.

Speaker 22:23

To turn around this year, to then like it'd be so simple. So I'm like, it's so dope, very genius of you to have created an app. Um, because you say smarter.

Speaker 2 22:39

I like to like, I like to work smarter, not harder. Sometimes I can be a little lazy.

Speaker 22:45

No, but I mean, like this day and age, it's efficient, you know what I mean? And I think that I'll take efficiency any day over just doing things to look busy, you know, because a lot of times it's just not it's not effective. You have to do too much communication to get everybody on board with whatever your process is gonna be. But in this, it's just you know, long as they can be, it's it's it is probably some work up front, right? So maybe let's talk about that quick because I'm sure initially to get the app going, because everybody won't have the same skills and the same things that they want to have graded on the app. So, what is your process when someone first wants to like say utilize the system? What are the things that they can manipulate in there in order to you know make sure they can score what they want to score and not have to use like a cookie cutter system?

Speaker 2 23:36

Okay, so um the coaches, you all have the flexibility to create your own score sheet. So once you come in the app, it's a section called score sheet, and you just come in here and you build your own score sheet. If you want appearance, you say you put appearance and you say how many points you want it worth. Um, technique, you put how many points you want it worth. It's like so flexible. You create your own score sheet, and so that would be the score sheet that the judges use to go and score the girls on. So there's no template or anything. I don't because another thing I know we're saying this is like, you know, because I'm a dancer, and so of course it's going toward dance coaches, but it's pretty much anybody, any coach with a team. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? Like, especially for cheerleaders. So, you know, if a cheer coach wants to come in here and build her score sheet, she can do it. So it's flexible. I didn't want to have like a cookie cutter, you know, template or anything because I wanted anybody to be able to, you know, utilize the app. So yep, you'll come in here, you create your score sheet, and then you know, you create you create your judges, you they'll have their their own login. And so when the judges log in, they're only gonna see their score sheet and you know how they're scoring um their their candidates. And so now you're thinking, okay, so you've built your score sheets now. What about the the girls who are auditioning? So what you come in here is easy registration, you just put their name, audition number, you get them a headshot. And so basically, like build them a profile, yeah. Yeah, you're pretty much building a candidate profile. Uh, you come in, um, and and another thing, so you can actually, you know, type in this, type in these things manually. So, what I did for like the jewels auditions, um, the people who are auditioning, they came in and they filled this out. They gave me their name, their number, I mean, you know, their name, their email, and I took a picture. But let's just say you've already had a pre-registration, and you got a lot of a lot of girls or a lot of guys trying out. You can import this information in. So I know you're gonna collect it on the spreadsheet, and you also and I have a download template so you can see all of the fields that you need, and so you can just import this information. So import like a um like a CSV or something like that, like a CSV, so you don't have to type all of that in um manually, you know. So work smarter, not harder. Because I know normally people do registration on Google Forms, Google Forms allow you to turn it into a CSV. You just take that CSV and upload it here, and you have everybody who's auditioning. So that's another way. And then your judges, and then your judges they'll come in, and this is the score sheet that was built. They'll come in, choose the candidate, and just start scoring them.

Speaker 26:43

And it's per group, that's it. And it's per group, so yeah, because I think you had four, right? I think you had four in each group, but if you have two or one or three, five, ten, you know, that it'll just you just drop down each number. So if you got if you got them numbers going left to right, and you drop down one, two, three, four, five, and it'll drop down all the candidates for each number, and then you just grade them as if normally when I'm scoring, I have my my sheets. If I if it's four people in front of me, I'll have my sheets, all four of my sheets, and then that way, you know, this one goes to this girl, this one for this person, this one. This person, this this person, but in this same thing, just no sheets. I'm just putting the scores right there. Now, what about comments? How does that you I don't I can't recall if I made comments?

Speaker 2 27:33

There you go. You can add comments, you can add notes, you can add notes to anybody who is auditioning. You can definitely add comments. Okay, yeah, because that's that wasn't there. That wasn't that wasn't there.

Speaker 27:48

Oh, okay, because that's where because I remember we were going quick, but that is one thing I know a lot of um like high school programs, they like to have comments. They usually like to say in case somebody comes and ask them questions. But I I mean, can't you have you recalled a time where because I mean of all the auditions I've ever done, I've I've done nothing but thrown the papers away. So what have you ever had to use the score sheets that you have? Tell us about it, ma'am.

Speaker 2 28:23

I have PTSD. Jesus. Yes, a principal wanted to see the score sheets, you know. Someone who didn't make the team wanted to contest why they did not make the team. Um, they wanted to see the score sheets. The principal also wanted to see like the spreadsheet with everybody's scores to compare. Yeah, it was just a lot. It was, yeah. But guess what? Guess what? I have a I have a fallback for principles like that. And if you all run into, you know, God forbid you run into that. You also coaches, you can export these scores. So if you ever need proof of anything or any evidence, you know, even though we're trying to get away from paper, and you need to turn these in to, you know, admin or anybody, you know, you can export it. So I I dealt with that. So I can say this app was built off of experience, yes, and real frustrations.

Speaker 29:45

Things under I think, but that's why, you know, they always say, like, it's just you go through the things and to make sure others don't, you know, so then you end up producing something out off of that. I mean, we needed it, you knew we needed it because you've been through like and had variations of highs and lows with the you know, with the different things that we have to deal with. So I think it's really cool. Um, again, for people that are in the like say in the HBCU band or like marching band um industry, so to speak. And I mean from the from the coaches to the band directors to the sponsors, all stakeholders as a part of this situation. I think it's important that everybody kind of like listen and understand that we are managing a lot, and and having to have and getting to have something as robust as this program, as this app to be able to manage that that takes like a little piece of low off, and now it just allowed frees you up to be more creative, you know what I mean. Um, so I know you have some other features, and I want to get to the rest of the features that you have on there because I just remembered I'm glad wait, I'm glad you said that.

Speaker 2 31:02

Um wait, go back to that because it frees you up so you can be more creative. Because what they don't understand is we get that burnout quick when you are doing all of this other behind the scenes business aspect, and sometimes a lot of people don't have a lot of support from admin. You get what I'm saying? So it's like a burnout, and so this was created to not let us burn out and be able to still be in our creative bag more because that's the show we got to put on, yeah.

Speaker 31:34

It's a show we gotta put on, and I mean, creativity happens not only through the actual dancing, but like you have to be creative with how you're gonna have the kids interact. Because remember, you mentioned about managing the personalities and the character and the the culture of the team, like you gotta be creative with how you're you know governing that whole thing, so that's that's creative in itself. Because for me, I hear a little bit of silence and I feel if I feel an ounce of tension, oh, practices, cancer, baby. We it is a game, and my kids know if I start if if I get too quiet and I started setting some stuff up, moving furniture. Oh, it's oh okay. She said she's sick and tired, okay, and all of a sudden it's the obstacle course of here because I need to hear some last, I need a little kiki or something. What is wrong with y'all today? Something. So I mean, managing the culture requires you know some level of creativity as well, and then you know, so again, you got the dancing and the skills and all that, that's cool, but there's a lot that goes into that job, and some people don't even want to pay enough for it, but that's not our conversation, but okay, but aside from that, like this here though is definitely what we need in order to you know um allow us free up some time and allow us to be able to do the things that we love to do the most, which is why we even took the job, exactly, exactly.

Speaker 2 33:08

So, like I said, this is a tool. I just feel like we all needed that tool. All needed that tool.

Speaker 33:15

So, what's the tell us about the other features that you have um outside of the audition process? Um, and I know you mentioned about you know the measurements, the sizes, and things like that. What else can we do with the app, girl?

Speaker 2 33:28

Okay, so okay, lastly, before I move on for from auditions, I added the audition videos because I know a lot of people are now going to virtual auditions. So, you know, you can come in here and you can put your virtual candidate auditions, and the judges can still go to the virtual audition videos and score them from here. So I know that's one thing that people are moving to virtual auditions. You can definitely do your virtual auditions in the Coach Mode App.

Speaker 33:55

Hmm. So, okay, so if we're if we're past the you know, they're using up you using the virtual auditions to select people to invite them to the to the actual in-person audition, right? Well, you know, when you get to the in-person audition, is it are we able say if we're at the audition, we're judging at the in-person one. Are we able to go in there and see the video from that they submitted before? Oh you are okay.

Speaker 2 34:21

Okay, super dope. You are okay, and so then so you know, after, like I said, from auditions that are ranked the uh members from highest and lowest, and then you can move them to the roster. So then uh you got your roster, roster um management. So it just comes here and have all the information. It's where you put all the sizes and different things like that. The other features we have on here that I think will be very dope is like attendance and practice notes. So I can come in here and I can take attendance. So, for example, I'm able to come in here and see who's present, who's late for what day. Um, another thing you can do notes in there. You can also, let's see, formations, okay, because this is where I struggle sometimes with like formations. So we do have the formation generator there. Um you can have, you can put in how many people you have. Let's just say there's 20 people, and you just come here, you can drag and drop too. You can freeform these, and so you can choose the different ones, uh, different type of formations. So I know sometimes my brain gets stuck and I'm like, I need a formation, I need a V. I need this, I need so I'll come in here and use that. But guess what? You can also change the background of the of the like put them in the stands, yeah. So you need to do stand formations. Um, let's say uh cheerleaders. I know y'all are on the track, so you may want to do some formations on the track. Um, we have gyms, it's just different, like I said, it's for different, different coaches, different types of coaches. Basketball, you know, basketball court. So you can also save these formations and and um play them and load them later. And so then let's see, what's the last feature on here? And then uh you can invite your students to this. So if you invite them and you want to add different like videos and documents, you can add it here. The students will log in with their um information and you can send them announcements and you can send them anything you need to send them.

Speaker 36:37

So wait a minute, wait a minute. So now you're saying it's we don't need the band help no more. Wait, does it have a wall? I guess that's what I'm about to say. Does it have a wall we they can post text?

Speaker 2 36:49

It does, it does, it does, it does change the game free. You changing the game, announcements, and it's gonna post, and the students can see it, but they can't respond.

Speaker 37:03

Okay, okay, so no, so we do in certain in terms of them like responding, and like you know, you make a post and them typing like on a wall, you don't have that feature yet, because I'm sure you're gonna ask.

Speaker 2 37:15

Yeah, because I don't I'm hey, practices counsel, don't go back and forth with me. Uh, sometimes I don't even need them to um, I don't even need you to respond. So here, this is what I need to say. That's that was the whole that was the whole thought about it. This is a coach's announcement, okay?

Speaker 37:31

But wait, wait, I love a good receipt. Now, if I'm when I make my announcement and I send it at 1 :38 p.m. to tell them practices canceled for today, right? That's gonna supposed to start at 3: 30. Can't can I see who saw it? Because you don't have to respond to me, but but can I know who saw it? Oh, check back in a month. Check back in a month.

Speaker 2 38:01

Check back in a month.

Speaker 38:02

I didn't know. You didn't?

Speaker 2 38:04

Yeah, you saw it. It came to your father.

Speaker 38:07

Right here, right here it says you saw it at 1:39pm. That's that's the type of carry and all I like. And that's I didn't want it look, and that's what I was saying.

Speaker 2 38:19

I didn't want it to be like a chat, like a chat box, because they these kids these days have all the excuses in the world, and I'm like, I don't, I don't have time for it. So this is what I said, it's the end of it.

Speaker 38:35

No, but I like that though. That's enough. You I mean, that's enough. That's enough. Yeah, now I will say, because I I'm I'm loving all of this. I will say what I what I when I was doing attendance, and by the way, a lot of teams don't take attendance, unfortunately. You wouldn't believe, and people, some people don't even realize how important the attendance is, and that's really just you know a tracker for the parents, it's for my brain, so I can remember who was present and you know, whatever, or also I may make a note like, oh, so-and-so not gonna be here because she got you know appointment, whatever the situation is, right? I've already put that in. So by the time it's time for me to go in, I really know what's up, but you really need it for the parents, like unfortunately, you need it for the parents because safety-wise, it's a concern because if she wasn't there, then where was she? I don't know, but I'm just telling you, she wasn't here this day, so or you have certain parents that would be like because just like school, you know what I'm saying? It this is an extension, and I don't know if my child loves school or not. I mean, you know, some of these some of these parents they don't have locations on the children. That's that's that's them, not me. But still, if you request, if you request to say, hey, let me know, you know, if she don't come or is she late today, because that means possibly they left right after school, came back, depending on what time brand practice start. And they, you know, so sometimes they just be needing to know just as a ballot checks and balance system, which I'm willing to participate with that if you need extra information, but I have to keep a log of what's happening because too, when it's time to perform, sometimes if you weren't here, not sometimes if you wasn't here, then you're not gonna be able to do that.

Speaker 2 40:17

I was about to say that you're not gonna I was about to say that it's for the parents because if your child is cut because she has come to practice late too many times this week, or she did not show up. Here's my record. Your child is not performing on Friday night. Here's my attendance. She was late this day, she was late this day. She ain't even come this day. You think she's making on this field?

Speaker 40:39

Exactly.

Speaker 2 40:40

Here you go.

Speaker 40:42

Exactly, exactly. So that's why I used to like to do it. I would do the attendance because I would have like a band for the parents, and I will have a band for the kids now. Some people put the kids and the parents together, absolutely not, absolutely not. But that's I know I know a coach in particular that was like, You did what them parents were so mad. They I mean had the whole school in there, like all the class periods, everything. It was wild.

Speaker 2 41:12

Um, and because I don't even quite I don't need you questioning, I don't need you questioning me why I just sent this message at 11:30 p.m. tonight. It was on my mind. I just need to get it out to the kids real fast, right? Right. I know it's a school night. I know it's a school night. Just let me send this message out.

Speaker 41:30

I don't need you questioning me. No, but yeah, so I would you know post it over here then you know on a band app, you can repost it over there. Same message, you can kind of copy it, everything's cool. Um, so I mean there are a few features that I do like about band, but when I took attendance, I took the attendance over on the parent side. I didn't always take it on the kids side, and then it would show them real time when you when I when I'm checking them in, it will show them real time, very, very equivalent to like a I didn't even I didn't even know Ben had an attendance, yeah. Yeah, and it was it was showing them so so yeah, it was showing them so when they you know when the parents would drop them late, that was really my way of saying, I know you're not here. Just I'm just making sure you know that I know because I think sometimes parents pull up and they think people not keep a track because they they don't know what's happening inside of the building when they just pull up outside, you know what I mean. So maybe you think I ain't in the room, maybe you think I'm not paying attention, maybe I don't know. Maybe you think I'm scrolling on my phone. No, ma'am, I'm waiting for y'all. Maybe and so I you know, I'm usually clicking on there, so they be like, oh dang, you know. So usually when they know that you can see them, unless they have a valid excuse, you know, they're gonna go ahead and try to be on time. And it's not a scare tactic of any kind, it's just like we I'm trying to handle business here, you know, and I'm trying to be mindful of your time, so just be mindful of my time. So if you get in here on time, we can get out on time. Because I'm starting at the time. Actually, before the time, they've already started warming up and doing whatever start, you know. Like, we ready to start, baby. You can't when you're pulling up, you know, 30 minutes later, even 15 minutes later, it's kind of like man, what you thought we was doing? They done missed the warm-up now. So, so now if they get injured, whose fault is it?

Speaker 2 43:23

Right, and I'm not going back, and I'm not going back to reteaching anything.

Speaker 43:28

That part, so it's just it gets a little oh, so people think, like, you know, in case someone was wondering if I'm using scare tactics. No, I'm just saying that you know, parents get a little carried away, assuming that there's nothing happening, and we're twiddling our thumbs waiting on the kid to pull up, and that's not the case.

Speaker 2 43:46

So even just for like your admin, and you know, for all the high school coaches and you know, coaches to coach at a school, you still need this information. You know, I know sometimes band does a class or band practice, you know, is a grade. So you know, taking attendance there will also, you know, be able to help and show proof there too. So, you know, I was thinking about that when I when I created my attendance. That's listening.

Speaker 44:13

That's a great feature. We need that one. We need that one. Keep it.

Speaker 2 44:17

Especially to mark the ones who came late.

Speaker 44:19

Mark the ones who came late. And what time? You said we can make comments, right? You can you can take practice notes definitely you most definitely can. Yep. Came at 412 practice started at 330. That's my note.

Speaker 2 44:35

You know what I think I want to add voice notes. Oh I just got so for sure I got so much I want to add we're gonna have to talk offline though I just got so much I want to do with this wait now what are we going to do with the voice note I'm thinking I'm thinking about when we're judging um battle of the bands oh you know you're right because when I do exhibitions they have the little recorder imagine we get the band direct we're gonna talk offline we're gonna talk offline we're gonna talk you on listen Melly you you you know you know what's up we're gonna talk offline just that quick I forgot when I was when I normally use that feature but you're absolutely right okay okay okay well um okay so we got you went over you said the attendance feature you talked about the um the the sizes and measurements for costume ordering uniform ordering all that we talked about the auditions running auditions we talked about the formations um the profiles that you make with the kids to put them all in there they can come in there too and you can send announcements anything we're missing from this app because that at this point it's worth all the coins at this point with just the little bit we got it cover that's it it covers it I don't want to make it too much you know because I don't want to I don't want to like I don't want to scare people off so I just want it to be just enough to be able to help you do what you need to do right here right then there okay now does it cost it does a little price okay it's a little it's a little price it's a little price it's a little monthly subscription oh that ain't bad yeah yeah it's not knocking nobody's head off it's not knocking nobody's heads off you really can just add that in your in your um in your fee per child yeah good for real or you're it's seven it's $7.99 it's $7.99 no that's cheap that's why I say you can add that in you can add that in your in your in your kids fee man we're gonna talk about that price that's that's that's well we're just well we're just starting we're just starting we're just starting okay this is the come on in come on in come on in while it's hot okay and then yeah don't miss the train don't miss the train don't miss the train because that price needs to be up and then but but still I'm also thinking though when I thought about the price I really did think about my coach friend's struggles though like a lot of a lot of people don't know that most of us do this because it's a service it's like a ministry so a lot of us don't even do it because of money or we're getting paid you get what I'm saying like I know a lot of my coach friends who are in like underprivileged communities you get what I'm saying being a coach and so a lot of their parents don't have the funds you know so they're coming out of their pockets that's another thing we we're the bank we're the bank so we come out of pocket for a lot of things and so when I was making this I really was had my coach friends in mind you get what I'm saying so I didn't want to just be knocking nobody over the head because I know that you know everything that it costs to be a coach we're coming out of pocket as well so sweet so sweet of you um I'm coming for the schools next but I'm coming for the schools next yeah because that's what I was about to say I will say that um if it's right now on individual base because there are even some band directors that will invest you know the ones that really try to get in there in the trenches with you they'll say well I'll pay for it you know so and that's cheap enough for them to add it into their budget and be like I got you I'll and then because at least two they can keep their eyes on it and now you know almost like a drive you know I'm saying we can see this I'm logged in you logged in I can see you can see if you're doing attendance in here then I can look then you know I'm saying so that's an advancement it's an advantage it really is so I I love that aspect of it but I guess what I'm wondering is that you know because a lot of programs are seasonal so if my program and it's a subscription monthly subscription so if my program okay I have my audition say in March and then the season ends around October November and then so what I don't pay for it no more until it's time for me to use it again that would be you know that will solely be up to them but it's kind of like what about the off season they have jamborees and fall battle the bands that they have to prepare for and they may need to use the formation generator uh possibly but what I'm saying is you know people love to to you know but they can cancel yeah when it's tough they can look they can cancel and then when is they're ready to do they can just go hit restore purchase okay that's what I was wondering I was wondering if that was a cancel option because it is you know the people be looking people be looking to figure out how they can finale something slide this off take that off let me tell you Apple Apple okay another my app was finished probably about a month ago but Apple and the app store when I tell you they check for every single thing they wouldn't even let the app go in the app store until you know they they had to see that the cancellation worked that the uh restore works all of that so yeah they don't let you come in and and scam like anybody so Apple pretty much controls all of that so okay okay okay well that's good that's good okay so that is so you are open to people being able to cancel and then they can use when they need to I mean while it would be it it would make more sense to just hold on to it so that you can use it when you need it.

Speaker 50:41

Um but you know if you got to cut a coin here and there then right right you know do what you gotta do and come on back. And especially right now while the price is real low I feel like you know it could just be what it is.

Speaker 2 50:57

You can there we're gonna add um so we have the monthly subscription subscription but we're gonna also go and add a yearly one you know so if you want to just do it for the year you can as well which I think will be easier and it'll be just probably a slight uh a little bit less um I guess streamlined you know so you have it for the whole year.

Speaker 51:20

I love that okay so what we're gonna have for y'all we're gonna have a little link down there y'all and going to get y'all's abs listen I will go ahead and get it I wouldn't really wait for the band direct I really wouldn't I will go ahead and get it and then that way you can start messing around with it which also just made me think about I do know in this audition season you've been touring with your staff y'all have been going around to different auditions so um what is the process with that so is that every time someone launches one you guys go or was that just for the pre-launch or what how does it work when you guys come and assist in the process of utilizing the app okay so that was really just um like the pre-lunch and to pretty much catch any bugs um you know or fixes that needed to be updated before we went to the app store but um we were saying we want to we want to do that me and my staff we want to come around and start you know assisting any any team that need help with their paper list auditions if they're using the coach mode app so we are definitely open to traveling um my email is um the info info at the coach mode app dot com so just reach out to us their email or our Instagram at the coach mode app um and we'll get back to you all but yeah we we'll definitely come and assist we'll definitely come and assist okay so before the coach mode app what were some of I know you spoke about all the different things that you've run into but like how were you structuring your team um before you decided to you know launch the app I pretty much had a journal and I had everything I wrote everything down in the journal and I'm gonna tell you where I got that journal idea from I got it from my collegiate coach Miss Yakima Higgs Williams she carries she and she still carries her journal to this day but I write down everything in my journal like an agenda what we're doing for the day um what we're doing at practice um I write I used to draw affirmations in my um in my journal but one thing that I do now that I have okay my journal has turned electronic to my iPad and so this is how structure it now before well after triads I've picked the team I create a document called goal setting and so in my goal setting document I have May written out I have all the days that we're practicing in May I have um who I'm inviting to practice to teach what I'm actually breaking it down into is ex actually how many stands we're learning that day how many parades we're learning that day I'm writing down when payments are due when I'm ordering things in May so that's my May goal setting then I do the same thing for June then I do the same thing for July and then I have my band camp agenda I already have that worked out Rajan and you are on it I need to send you the information but you are definitely in my goal setting band camp agenda okay so I have all of that listed out and guess what I also have listed out now I have all of the uniforms and hairstyles that we're gonna be wearing for each game in August like I have all it's called goal setting a big document big electronic document in my iPad and so because I have to have focus I get off track easily so I have to go ahead and have everything written down but yes I call it goal setting that's how I structure my teams now so everything is already written out in stone I'm gonna be sending this out to the parents um here next week with everything so you can't say I didn't tell you what hairstyle we're wearing because you got on this on this paper with the screenshot a photo of the hairstyle and the uniform that we're wearing it's just that detail like so that's you did you create the goal setting document or was this a template that you found I created it yeah I'm I'm visual now show me because this is this is at the next level here let me get in my y'all see Pluto this is my dog get on my nerves you say you want to be on camera too you just always gotta be in the lot of dog let me see who you're talking to okay only because I am meeting with we have a meeting tomorrow staff meeting with um the band directors so we are going over goals and everything which I really love where I'm at now brashon yeah he's dope I really he is really dope both of them shout out to Marcus Chester and Jimmy Jux they are just awesome okay I'm pulling it up hold on okay now let me show you as you can see I think you gotta do like how to do you gotta um when you should and my nails ain't done do not judge me guys okay wait so hold on let me see so oh you got okay okay in my mind it was like pictures and stuff going on okay no I like it though oh you got a whole schedule right there hold on scoot it back out we can't even see girl we can't see the whole thing oh yes uh huh scroll scroll mm-hmm yeah yeah so I'm working on it's gonna look a little better but that it has like what uniforms they're wearing what's their hairstyle you know so this is pretty much my season this is my season right here it's called go setting okay so yeah but I'm asking did you make did you make that or was that a template that you found no I made it I made it I do I use um Photoshop or I use Adobe Acrobat because I needed this to be a PDF we need that to go on sale too we need that what if I add that in the app we don't need it we don't need it in the app we don't need it in the app that's okay that we need that you can say it's not it's not it's not complete it's not complete because I gotta make this look cuter I gotta make that look cuter no but no it's fine I'm I just like how you've organized it because it forces you to have to think about everything in advance you know what I'm saying so and some people don't think in advance they don't think ahead and they wait until the season start to be like oh I want y'all or they tell them week by week next week y'all wear your hair in the ponytail like girl what you gotta give them now I do know ebony do that she gives the hairstyle for the whole yeah she'll she gives them like a a schedule a hairstyle schedule so to speak um I never did nothing like that because I I didn't get into all the different hairstyles and everything and maybe by the time I stopped coaching was when it first started I think that was kind of when it first started where they get the this that and this and that when it started look at the high school look started to become a little bit more collegiate but for me I just I we had a night we had a straight look and we had well not really straight but we had kind of like a bump curl look and a curly look that was it and so they used to be like can you wear hair straight and my answer was usually no because I want you know curls. I need you to have your take them rollers out and I need your curls to drop type of thing so we can last the whole seat you know the whole game mess around when you come when you show up here straight then it's gonna be stringy when it's time to go and well by the by the time we're gonna feel it's stringy so that's a mess. No can't have no leave out because that's a mess. It's not your hair unless your hair's trained which most of the hair is not so you know it's like they a girl tried me like that one time. She tried me one time she was like it's trained I'm like okay girl by the time you let her go in that field she had an afro I said sit down but as you can see that's why I do sit down girl give me a sleek give me a nice sleek back bun right but I'm saying like I see people doing the buns that's and I mean and that the bun thing is genius because it doesn't require no money just slick it back let's go and then but think about in ballet class you had to have your hair pulled back out your face anyway so yeah let's go back let's go back to dance class yeah I love that show you're really on in my goal setting um journal I'm that serious I'm that serious you gotta tell us that though we need um we need we need that template see I am so serious and because two now I mean for me I am a planner girl right so I can have my stuff mapped out situated everything everybody just doesn't operate like that and think about your first year before you had all your systems in place you know I'm saying we you we you got you developed this system over time through experience these new kids on new kids on the blog man they don't know and they just out here trying to figure it out and they but they are creative you know but we just talked about all the things not just being a creative you also have to be able to run it run the business and they aren't able to efficiently run the business it's just pretty much all over the place so I feel like something like that will be helpful just for them in their personal planning time to kind of like brain dump get everything out that they that they want to do or accomplish that year. Oh this what this was a a brain dump yeah but that's what they need they need something like an organized place to put the dump though and I mean because you can write it on a sheet of paper but it's just jumbled up words on the paper. You know so it's not it's just not as effective. So that's why I'm saying like selling a template or some document like that because people do have planners on their iPads so you know it could be that or it could just be a template like a paper template on Etsy or whatever I don't know but you know for people who want to write but either way people need a way like a document that will allow them to write it all out and do everything and then they can say okay I know I already got this plan like how you just told me I got this plan I got that plan I got this plan I got that plan for new coaches they they're gonna need a blue you know a blueprint for real to kind of like help them lay it out as to what because they can't anticipate they can the new coaches cannot anticipate what will happen during the season for them to be able to do this style of brain dump they don't even know what all they're dumping outside of what stands they're gonna they're gonna create it's gonna everything on their dump is going to be more of the dance skill set choreography stuff it's not gonna be all of what you created they're not gonna even think about that till the season get ready to start and the girls say how we're gonna wear our hair they be like your hair oh yeah what makeup we're gonna wear all the makeup you know and then I'll be like well y'all then the parents gonna be fussing they're gonna the parents gonna be fussing I don't y'all wait to the last minute to tell me this about this hair and all of this right I'm telling you all of this stuff that I've I'm doing now is I've lived through it.

Speaker 2 1:03:07

You get what I'm saying this app was built from experience my goal setting thing was built from experience you know and so like I said this is also called effective communication so these are your goals you get to your band director you get to your parents you get what I'm saying everything is written down on here so that's effective communication which is a part of structure which is also a part of running a good successful team okay a good successful team so yeah this is and I mean also I would also say with you can well people don't realize this is how I used to plan like people be like you actually be doing them lesson plans when you you know teaching at the school and I would create my lesson plans but I'll be dead serious about my plans and if I just be giving them anything well I'm not giving anything because I don't want to do this every year.

Speaker 1:03:54

So next year I just want to clean it up but I don't want to restructure I this curriculum is down give me you give me a new class I might have to preset create something for that course but for this course it's done it's already done I'm just gonna pull everything I already had from last time and then I'm going to you know adjust it to what we got going on this year and I'm keeping it moving if you you just do the work one time again it's gonna be a lot of work you got to put in initially so a lot of people ain't gonna want to sit down and write it out and they think what you've done is so unnecessary but at the end of the day you're gonna be the one scrambling around and I'm gonna just be sitting pretty because I done did the work yeah and but this also helps me be more creative I don't have to worry about other stuff like I really can now just get into my creative bag like my choreography bag like I really can get into that so because I already got all of this stuff planned out yeah I love that oh man yes come on I'll send you the template business lady I'll send you the template yes okay but go ahead and and figure out how you're gonna sell it to us too okay um but yes y'all so we're going to have the link for the coach mode app we're gonna drop it down there y'all gotta make sure you check it out you gotta go ahead and purchase it don't wait on nobody else to get it for you it's cheap enough for you go ahead and get it yourself you ain't gonna miss them eight dollars every month okay you're not gonna miss it you're gonna already have your stuff set up she already says she coming out her her team they're gonna come out you can just get situated you can get situated to have it ready to go you even if your auditions have already taken place what you're gonna use it for all the other things she said because it's a year round app right so you're gonna go ahead and load start loading your pro if you had auditions already you're gonna start loading your profiles and you're gonna get the going right you still gotta order costumes the uniforms you still gotta do you know you still gotta choreograph and do your formations you still gotta do all the rest of the work aside from the audition so go ahead and pay your eight dollars so yeah well it was exciting Item out just chatting with it.

Speaker 2 1:06:03

Thanks for having me. Thanks for having me. I really appreciate it. I I definitely enjoyed it.

Speaker 1:06:10

Yes. Just you know, I all of the things you shared. It's funny because so far, you know, although I've talked to a lot of coaches, nobody's gone in detail as to actually how they're managing their teams. So that's yeah, I mean, you've gone down deep. I mean, even when you took us into the the goal setting, like you had already told us a little something, but now when you don't went into the goal, nobody's nobody's told us all that, and that's what's gonna be helpful for the people that are watching that are just starting, or that they need a restart, or they just need to, you know, they just need a little something to kind of figure out how to pivot in their situation, and oftentimes any of the issues that you're having, it has everything most times to do with the management of the team. It has most times any little bickering or incidents that you have, or the you know, whatever, it usually comes from how you manage the team, and so yeah, you done lay you done laid the law down as to what we need to be doing, and so yeah, everybody be doing it. That's it. That's the blueprint.

Speaker 2 1:07:15

I'm glad I'm glad I can help. I'm glad I can help. And I am here. If anybody has any questions, just reach out to me on Instagram. My personal is @Mallorie _Noelle And then you have @theCoach Mode app. That's the Coach Mode app's Instagram. And you can go to the coachmodeapp.com to get more information about the app. So if you just want to see, you know, see it in action.

Speaker 1:07:42

So, all right, so we have had another episode with Miss Coach Mallorie with the Coach Mode app, and Mallorie has done a wonderful job. Her and her team with the Coach Mode app, it's making all of our lives much easier, and just go ahead and get it already. Okay, go ahead and get it. The link is down below. Make sure you go ahead and just subscribe to the app, keep it year-round. There's so many um features on there that we can use aside from the audition process that you want to go ahead and make sure you put into action. ASAP, all right. Um, band directors, coaches, auxiliary coordinators, auxiliary sponsors, all of you. Somebody on that team, if not everybody, needs to have their hands on this app. Everybody can have access to the same account, and then you guys can share the information that's put into the system. She's just told y'all all the ways that you can get that thing, uh everything rolling, right? Your whole team rolling up in that app. Let's make sure we get it done. Um, and then she told us about the goal setting sheet. Now, I mean, at this point, if you're not managing the team properly, I don't know what to tell y'all. All right, make sure you go and follow the @majorbusiness pod. It's on Instagram and TikTok, and of course, follow us the Instagram, @ChoreOU Dance. I'm your girl Vershion Lee. And peace out.