Studio Startup: Lessons Learned and Remembered

By Julianna Hane

​I made the big move to Colorado to help Rebekah Leach start her new studio, AerialWorks, and to further develop the Born to Fly™ Aerial Teacher Training Program. It has certainly been a busy year! Both of us have had studios in the past, but starting anew eight years has brought back some important lessons.  Here are the highlights:

1. Celebrate the small successes.  When the studio income finally covered rent, it was a huge accomplishment!  We celebrated with a Friday night dinner and hang-out. It’s great to have a support system to help celebrate, and it’s really important to treasure those moments.​
2. Take care of yourself.  Teachers and entrepreneurs tend to fall into the workaholic trap, sacrificing themselves for the sake of others.  Self-care has been really tough this year!  But recognizing when boundaries have been crossed and then structuring my day around those boundaries helps me stay sane and remember why I teach.  Finding a pattern for everything from class schedules to hair appointments makes calendar time quick and painless.  
3. Balance your students’ desires with what you want for your studio.  What are your unique interests and talents in teaching?  What interests your students?  Rebekah loves choreography and offers classes that lead to performances, so that is a staple in her teaching. It’s a constant balancing act, not sacrificing the artistic vision and still selling enough to keep the business going. Real magic happens when a business is strong enough to financially support it’s artistic endeavors. And when students who fit our style find us, it’s exciting.
4. Safety is an ongoing practice. Checking floors, posting appropriate signs, and creating procedures take time and diligence to establish. We have erred on the side of caution starting out, and are gradually giving students some minor responsibilities with equipment setup.  I personally prefer being uptight about safety and have everything go smoothly, rather than becoming over-confident and having something go wrong. Constant vigilance in safety is challenging, but vital.  
5. Invite guest artists to the studio to refresh yourself.  It’s easy to feel like a lone wolf, even when you’re in an aerial rich part of the country.  Bringing in guest artists not only changes it up for students, but enriches teachers as well.  You can get new warm-up techniques, conditioning exercises, and aerial sequences; and best of all, the chance to socialize with another instructor who really “gets” what you go through on a daily basis. Solidarity, sisters and brothers.
6. Develop a solid staff and instructor training process.  Luckily, Rebekah and I train teachers and develop curriculum for a living.  We have proven strategies for training instructors, and yet we are constantly trying out new things to further refine the process.  The daily grind of mentoring teachers is quite different from a week-long intensive training, but it’s so rewarding to see teachers evolve over the long term and to be able to support them is a privilege. Our practicum process is finally happening LIVE at the studio, and I’m learning just as much as our trainees! Our main focus in training teachers is…baby steps.  We begin with small responsibilities like observing classes, spotting, leading warm-up, or teaching one skill. Eventually, with the right guidance and support, that teacher gains the confidence to take on a whole class. If you need assistance with instructor training, please contact us!