How I Partnered With Dance Organizations To Grow Reach A Larger Audience
This is a follow up story for The Girl with the Tree Tattoo. If you're interested in reading how they got started, published over 5 years ago, check it out here.
Hello again! Remind us who you are and what business you started.
Hi everyone! My name is Katie, but in the ballroom dance world, I’m better known as The Girl with the Tree Tattoo. On the side of a full-time career in the environmental sciences, I run a blog under the same name and have self-published three books and two journals, all focused on enabling my fellow competitive adult ballroom dancers to show up as their best selves on the dance floor.
My most popular and best-selling book is The Solo Practice Guide for Ballroom Dancing, which was written as a guide to help people who had full-time lives outside of their dance passion design a solo practice schedule that best fit their lives while still providing the greatest value. I’m proud to say that multiple dancers have won competitions, including myself, thanks to the practice routines they developed out of the Solo Practice Guide.
Tell us about what you’ve been up to! Has the business been growing?
Since last checking in with Starter Story, I’ve gone through some major shifts in Life! In the latter half of 2020, I was able to resume my dance training as pandemic restrictions eased. I performed in two showcases (i.e. dance recitals), playing a scarecrow in a number from the Wizard of Oz and “Pop” in a group number done to Cell Block Tango from Chicago. These performances were a fun re-entry into dance.
While I was a serious competitor in ballroom dance, the pandemic had given me time to reflect and realize that simply training for the next competition wasn’t fulfilling enough. I needed to find a greater purpose for my dancing. I had also been struggling with my next book, and I knew the two were connected. If I wanted to continue my path as a dance writer, I needed to figure out where I was going as a dancer. Searching for that next level led me to make a huge decision - I was leaving Orange County, CA, and moving to the opposite corner of the country: Maine!
I started the process of finding and buying a home in December 2020 and finally moved into a beautiful 120-year old house on 60 acres of fields and forest in July 2021. During this time, I was expanding my writing practice by publishing on Medium as well as my blog. Medium brings in only a few dollars a month (I did have one $11 a month!), but I only publish once or twice a month. Earnings there will increase with more frequent publishing.
Book sales have primarily come from partnerships, including my dance shop partner in Tennessee and the local chapter of a dance organization in Florida. Quality partnerships like these have always been successful in increasing sales and reaching wider audiences, though sales have not reached their pre-pandemic levels yet. Having a full-time job negated any pressure to produce more sellable content while I was going through a major Life transition. I know from experience that anything I create out of pressure, desperation, or just the feeling that I “have to” never turns out as good as when I create out of a space of inspiration and a desire to help others on their dance journeys.
Something unexpected happened in the month before I left California, which reminded me that you don’t always know when your efforts will yield results. Shortly before the pandemic, I started a campaign to connect with more local dance studios and schools. I sent out flyers about the Choreography Journal. This journal is a great tool for student dancers preparing for competitions where they perform in multiple numbers. I intended to follow up with each studio personally, but the pandemic shutdowns came first. I figured I just had to move on and filed the idea away in my mental “nice try” drawer. Flash forward about 15 months and I get a phone call from a local college bookstore looking to place an order. I had mailed a flyer to their dance department. One of the instructors selected the Solo Practice Guide for several of their courses!
What have been your biggest lessons learned in the last year?
The biggest lesson came from that phone call from the college bookstore. After the pandemic screwed up my flyer campaign plans, I figured every flyer I sent out had been tossed in the trash. I assumed I made zero impact from my efforts. But I was wrong! I reached someone, but I didn’t find out about it until 15 months later. It taught me to not dismiss my efforts just because they didn’t bear fruit in the timeframe I expected. It also encouraged me to try a similar campaign in my new area.
You don’t need to have all of the answers. None of us have all of the answers, no matter how long we’ve been on this planet. But trust yourself enough to know what the next step is, whether that’s taking action, asking for help, or taking a break.
On a personal note, I learned over the past year to trust my instincts more. I’ve spent so much of my life doubting myself, but through a lot of personal development work, I’ve learned to quiet those doubts and trust myself. The latest result of that is I’m writing to you from my new home in Maine, where I’m happy to wake up every morning. When I take my dogs outside for a walk, I inhale the morning air and can’t help but smile because I get to live here!
What’s in the plans for the upcoming year, and the next 5 years?
The initial plan is to get settled in my new-to-me house (being 120 years old, there are a few projects!) and get to know my new area. I’m working the same full-time job remotely now, so there is luckily no pressure to publish new books or produce additional content to grow my business right away. Before I moved, I reached out to the few ballroom studios that exist in Maine and I plan to reconnect with all of them. Hopefully, the COVID case numbers will stay low enough that I can go out social dancing and connect with other local dancers that way. The good thing about being a writer is any major Life transition is pure fodder for blog articles or even future books. I won’t be short on ideas for content on The Girl with the Tree Tattoo blog or Medium.
Within the next 5 years, I have bigger and more exciting plans. My new home came with a stable and I plan to renovate it and turn it into a dance space. The possibilities for this future space are many, particularly for my business. One step at a time though. That’s something else I’ve learned - I tend to get ahead of myself and then feel overwhelmed. So I practice taking things just one step at a time.
Have you read any good books in the last year?
I’ve been reading a book called Salt in My Soul: An Unfinished Life by Mallory Smith. Mallory was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when she was very young. This book is a collection of her diary entries from her teens to 20s before she ultimately lost her battle and passed away. It’s sad and heartwarming, and an important reminder about practicing gratitude and making the most out of your life.
Advice for other entrepreneurs who might be struggling to grow their business?
Life is still weird right now with COVID variants wreaking havoc on parts of the world, not to mention the fires and floods! Now is a time to be clear on your priorities. Who do you want to be? How do you want to show up in the world? Are you taking care of yourself while you’re pursuing your entrepreneurial dreams and goals?
I invite you to take some time to pause and listen to that voice inside you. You don’t need to have all of the answers. None of us have all of the answers, no matter how long we’ve been on this planet. But trust yourself enough to know what the next step is, whether that’s taking action, asking for help, or taking a break.
Where can we go to learn more?
If you have any questions or comments, drop a comment below!
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
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