Secrets of Success Interview

The lovely Suzanne at DanceStudioOwner.com interviewed me last week about my typical day as a dance educator of young dancers. It’s a members only interview but she was kind enough to let me share it with my readers too! I loved chatting with her! I hope you enjoy reading it! xo

Maria Hanley Dance Educator and Studio Owner of Maria’s Movers in New York, NY Shares Her Secrets of Success

DSO: Good morning, everyone. This is Suzanne Blank Gerety, from DanceStudioOwner.com. I’m really excited because today we are talking to Maria Hanley, and she has a wonderful story to share with us.

I’m very excited you’re here, Maria. Thanks.

Maria Hanley: Thank you so much.

DSO: Let’s see. We met through social media. I don’t know if it’s been a full year, but we met on social media somehow, through your blog and through our mutual dance friends online.

I just love your story because I’m truly passionate about dance education for young people, and clearly, that’s your background. We’re looking forward to hearing about it. So, tell us: How did you get into all of this stuff with dance?

Maria: I live in New York City. I moved here in 2005 to go to grad school. I was going to grad school, setting up to be a dance teacher in the K-12 public school system.

After graduation and that summer, there were problems with my certification. So, for that fall, I couldn’t be a dance teacher in the schools, and I was totally crushed. That was what I was set up to do, and I had no other plan.

So I just started applying for jobs with young kids, early childhood. I discovered that that’s really where my love for dance education is. I just really, really love teaching the little ones. So, it all worked out in the end. It’s really great that that worked out the way it did.

DSO: Sometimes the things that feel like unfortunate, crushing circumstances turn out to be the gift we need to move into what our true calling is. So, that’s good. That’s good to hear.

Maria: Right. It was surprising to me, but it all worked out in the end.

DSO: Good. So, you live in Manhattan. Obviously, you have a graduate degree from New York University. You did your undergrad at Slippery Rock. That’s clearly a solid background in dance.

So you started your own thing. Today, what’s a typical day like for you? It seems like you do travel all around the city. Tell us a little bit about a day for you.

Maria: Usually, in one day, I’m in three different places. Just a couple of days ago, I bought a backpack on wheels so I can carry around all of my props and all of my rosters and everything because I basically keep everything in my apartment. I don’t have anywhere to store it, so I basically run my studio out of my apartment.

DSO: That’s what I love about it. When I talked about this, you said, “I’m not a traditional studio owner.”

I said, “That’s what makes this great. You represent so many of us who don’t have the traditional studio model.”

You’re an example. You’re the traveling studio owner. As you said, you have to manage your props. I think that’s really great.

Maria: I have a huge master calendar, just like people in their studios have. I have that, and I just write where I am each day. That’s how I do my schedule. It’s a little different because I don’t have a car, so I ride the trains.

The way that I have to schedule it is that I have to give time in between because sometimes I’m traveling an hour to Brooklyn and then back into Manhattan.

About three years ago, I was doing crazy things like going to Brooklyn, coming back into Manhattan, and going back to Brooklyn. I don’t do that anymore because I found that that’s really intense. I try to schedule it so I’m going to Brooklyn and then all the way back up to home.

DSO: How do you find your students? Where are you finding places to teach? Are they soliciting you, or are you going to them?

Maria: Honestly, it’s just been word of mouth. I’ve met a lot of moms. I know we talked about this before. The moms are the ones who are on your side. They’re your biggest fans. They tell other moms, and they get you in. They just create a class with mostly all their friends. That’s how I get the classes.

DSO: It’s like you said, the moms have a lot of power and pull. About how many students do you reach on a monthly basis, would you say?

Maria: On a monthly basis, I would say 150.

DSO: That’s awesome. It’s so cool to hear your setup. I like that. As you got started here, what has been the greatest obstacle you’ve had to overcome in your time, both as a teacher and a studio owner on wheels?

Maria: I think, honestly, the biggest obstacle was getting to this point. I’ve done so many things to get here. I’ve scooped ice cream. I’ve done kids’ birthday parties. I’ve taught kids cooking classes. I’ve done babysitting. I’ve done everything just to get to be able to teach dance every single day.

At the time when I was doing all that, I didn’t realize that it was really the building blocks to being able to be well known in Manhattan. There are so many places in Manhattan to send your kids to dance. There are so many places — and famous places — so I feel really honored that moms want to sign their kids up with me.

Basically, my biggest obstacle has been getting through all of that extra scooping ice cream and everything like that. It’s just all the extra things you have to do to get to the next step.

DSO: That’s just a great example of your determination and, obviously, your passion. I love that about where you are now.

Everybody says, “You’re an overnight success.”

I say, “No.”

That’s sort of how many, many talented, famous people become. I scooped ice cream at one point in between college and grad school. I didn’t finish grad school. I also started in education and thought I was going to be in a traditional classroom, and I said, “No, this isn’t for me.”

Sometimes, you have to go through those places to turn around and come back. That’s good advice. Has there been one person or a piece of advice that has made the biggest impact on you so far?

Maria: Really, the biggest piece of advice is to have a network. I think it’s really important to have mentors, friends, and advocates; people you can go to if you need help or people who come, watch your classes, and give you feedback on them. I think that’s really the biggest piece of advice. Have a network. Have people you can go to.

Also, I think, growing up, a lot of our mindset is that to be successful, you have to do it by yourself. That’s how I thought about somebody being a successful person: you have to do it all alone. That’s really not the case. I think that the more people you surround yourself with, the more successful you are.

DSO: I couldn’t agree more. I think we are told, “Do it yourself.” It’s the mantra.

However, that’s not how I got to where I am. The harder I try to do things myself, the harder I work and the fewer results I produce. I think that’s great advice.

Maria: I have friends, too, who talk to me about my blog. They say, “Aren’t you afraid of putting those ideas out there; that people are going to take your ideas and do exactly what you’re doing?”

I’m not afraid of that. I think that it’s good if I share them. That’s the way people learn.

DSO: That’s awesome. I love that. You’re very generous with your sharing. I think that’s great.

That leads me to my next question. I have a three-and-a-half year old and a five-and-a-half year old. I share my moments, and we’ve chitchatted about that. Where do you draw artistic inspiration from on a daily basis to teach the young population?

Maria: I take some dance classes. I teach tap, as well, so I like to take tap class so I can stay up on what’s coming up in tap. I also have a membership to the National Dance Education Organization, and I try to go to their conferences.

Also, this summer, I’m going to the Dance Teachers Summit. I hope to go to some of their seminars on young people, and stay up on the up-and-coming things there.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I got selected to be on Dance NYC Youth Advisory Board. I think that’s really going to be great. I can meet other people in the dance world, they can get to know me, and I can build a network that way.

DSO: Definitely. Like you said, you’re leveraging your network to keep you inspired; also with ongoing education. That’s wonderful. I love it.

I ask this question because I’m a bit of a content consumption freak. I read too many blogs and books. You’re a blogger, obviously. Has there been a book, or maybe a blog or something that’s had a big impact on you running your business? This is more of a business question.

Maria: Have you ever heard of the book Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi?

DSO: I have, actually. I saw him speak last year live. That’s cool.

Maria: That’s really the book that I’ve loved. It’s really taught me to build a network and how to do it. He’s come out with another book, Who’s Got Your Back? I haven’t had a chance to read it yet, but I hope to read it this summer.

DSO: That is a great book, Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi. I couldn’t agree more. His story is actually really compelling. I don’t know if he tells it in his book. That’s a good one, though, and no one’s mentioned that yet. I love the theme, here, of networking, Maria. That’s awesome.

Maria: Thank you.

DSO: What do you love most about owning and operating your business right now?

Maria: I really love the kids. The moms come in and they tell me that every day the kids wake up in the morning and ask, “Is it Miss Maria’s day?” That’s my favorite, when I get to hear about those stories.

I walk down the Upper West Side, and I almost feel like a celebrity. All the kids go, “Miss Maria!”

They go crazy! It’s really great that they have someone to look up to, as sort of a role model. That’s kind of one of my goals because I never had that when I was that little.

DSO: That’s awesome. I love that.

Maria: One of the moms, just yesterday, came in and said, “Can you write down the song that you sing? Halle keeps asking me to sing it, and I have no idea what the words are.”

I wrote down the words for her because I think those little things help the moms and the kids stay with you. That’s one of my favorite parts about it.

DSO: Definitely. You’re making an impact with the kids. That’s great. The flip side to this is “What do you like least about your situation right now?”

Maria: I think least is managing all of the money part and taking out my own taxes.

DSO: Nobody likes to do that.

Maria: I know. Honestly, that’s the part that I could think of; the first thing that came to my mind about the least.

DSO: The cash flow part of it is the hard part. I can relate to that so well. For my husband and I, and my whole life — my whole family, my mom, the studio — there are months where you have an incredible amount of money in your bank account, and you think, “Wow. Look at all the money!”

Then you have months where there’s barely any. I don’t believe there’s ever consistency. There isn’t, so it’s trying to work around that. I couldn’t agree more. That’s good insight for people listening.

We struggle with that whether you’re small and just starting, or even up to the really large studios. I think that’s one of the biggest challenges. Good point.

Maria: Yeah. It’s hard when the kids are on vacation or there’s a holiday or something, and your class falls on that day. It’s hard. You don’t get paid.

DSO: Exactly. Do you do any performance opportunities for your students?

Maria: I don’t do recitals only because they’re so young, but I do Parents’ Days. I feel that those are equally as challenging. It’s almost like a performance for me. The parents are watching me as much as they’re watching the kids.

On most Parents’ Days, the kids are angels, and I get through all the material in the first 20 minutes because they don’t talk. Then I think, “What am I going to do now?”

I’ve learned, over the last three years, how to get those Parents’ Days to go smoothly. I’ve learned a lot. So, I do the Parents’ Days, and not the recitals.

DSO: That makes sense. It’s such a different setup with you being in Manhattan and the whole bit. That’s why I’m so glad we’re having this conversation. Not every studio is the performance/competition model. They just aren’t.

That’s what so great about our members, spanning the globe. In those in-studio days that you produce, probably the parents get to take pictures, I’m sure; and they probably appreciate that so much.

Maria: Yeah, and I think they get to see me in action, and get to see how their kids interact with me. I think that’s really important, too. Not all parents get to see that because the babysitters bring them; or whatever it is. I think it’s a great opportunity for them.

DSO: Absolutely. We talked a little bit about your ideas and where you draw inspiration. Are you following more of a creative dance program, or are you following a set curriculum? Do you make it up and have your own system? What do you do?

Maria: Yeah, I’ve designed it. It’s basically just been trial and error; just trying things out, seeing what works and what doesn’t work. I’ve designed it that way. A lot of my ideas I get from other teachers and also classroom management ideas, as well. I think it’s so great to be able to observe other teachers and what their models and visions are, and just see what they’re doing with their kids.

DSO: Do your dancers follow a progressive program, or are they in more sessions? How do you set up your schedule?

Maria: It’s more of sessions. The kids who have followed me since they’ve been two are now turning four, so I think I have to get the kids who have followed me into one class, and start the new classes up. Because of the way that I’m all over the place, it’s kind of hard to do that.

DSO: Have you been in a situation where you have to then advise a student to take their dance training further? Have you had to come into that yet?

Maria: Not yet; but only because they’re just turning four. One of the places I teach is called The Young Families, so when they turn four, they age out of the program. The moms are just beside themselves. They just don’t know what they’re going to do.

DSO: Maybe you’ll meet some other teacher at the Summit, and you guys can create some sort of sibling-student swap or something.

Maria: Yeah. I just said, “It’s really like preschool. Your kids can’t take their preschool teachers with them to kindergarten. I can’t go with them. Sorry!”

DSO: As you said, you have a very niched population, doing it in a neat setup. Those are good problems to have. Kids have stuck with you through their whole early childhood program. Then what? Some don’t go on, some stay with it, and some take it really seriously. It’s all of that. That’s interesting.

I have two more questions for you. What is the greatest challenge that you face today; looking ahead at the big picture? It doesn’t have to be a bad thing. It could be a good problem, like growth. What’s the biggest thing you’re tackling?

Maria: Right now, for the fall, I’m trying to get my fall schedule together. It’s the time. Because the kids are so young, they only have so much time in a day. I don’t know if this happens in the rest of the country, but in Manhattan, the kids go to school at two years old.

DSO: At two? They have preschool programs?

Maria: At two or two-and-a-half, yes. They go to school three days a week, then they have naps, and then they have lunch; so they can’t really do anything until after 4:00. I only have so many afternoons free from 4:30 to 5:15. I only have so many of those timeslots.

So, my challenge right now is trying to fit all of the classes in and work with all the moms who want classes, and all their friends; and find space, too. Space is really challenging here.

DSO: I’ll bet. Those are interesting. Finding the schedule that works, whether you’re in your situation or even here where we are, there’s always the conflict of soccer and music lessons. Then you get the preschoolers, and some go in the morning and some go in the afternoon. It’s all of that.

We had one class we ran this year. The parents asked for it. They wanted a class at 1:00 in the afternoon for a bunch of three-year-olds. Every week, this teacher would come out with her eyes crossed, saying, “This is the worst time of day for these kids.”

The moms wanted it, though. You can’t force a kid to be at their best at the worst time of day. You just can’t. Sometimes we moms just want to fit it all in. I can imagine that’s challenging.

Granted, you’re sort of freshly new into this in the whole scheme of things. With what you’ve seen, though, do you have some advice for other members listening in, or people who might be reading this interview? If you had to start all over again today, what would you say; your advice?

Maria: I think that the biggest part is just to have an open mind and always keep learning. Try not to come out as “I know it all already.” Yeah, I’m good at what I do, but I’m always trying to learn new things and make things better.

I think another piece of advice I have is to remember to take a step back, sometimes; to take the overview and see what you’ve done. I always feel like I do that, and I surprise myself every time: “Wow. I did that.” Sometimes I think we forget to do that. That would be my advice.

DSO: Good advice, Maria. That’s great. We certainly appreciate all your insights. I just really want to acknowledge you for every day that you get up and teach the young kids.

In your students that you touch, you might have one who will always remember dance with you, or you might have one that could go on to be famous. You’ve got to cross that whole spectrum, so thanks for doing what you do every day. It’s a gift.

Maria: Thank you so much.