Looking Back to Empower Your Future

Wouldn’t it be great every once in a while, to have someone remind you how far you have come.  The hurdles you have jumped.  The creativity you have implemented.  Someone to remind you how much you have grown as a person, teacher, business owner, mentor and leader.   We all have that person.  You!    Take out a notebook from a seminar or a conference you have attended.  You know, the ones where you made copious notes. 

Spend some time reading through your notes and you will be surprised by what you have accomplished.  Check off things that you have done.  Cross off things that maybe weren’t the best ideas.  Highlight things that worked great.  Circle things you completely forgot about but would be great to get going.  I keep all those notebooks with scribbles of ideas, sketches and charts and at least twice a year I pull them out and spend some time reminding myself how far I have come.  I find it amazing the number of things that have been implemented from a note I took that I forgot all about.  I can not say that every note I ever took has been put to work, definitely not.  But there are many notes that I can say “yes, we did that”! 

Looking back:

This is from one page of one notebook from April 2021 from a Gold Alliance Virtual Retreat. 

What will it take to make next season our best?  Lots of happy students, full classes, fun events, fresh programming, team leadership, communication, community and events.

Results #1 Fresh programming– We added a Spring on Stage Program in the spring of 2022.  It was a huge success generating new

revenue.  In the end, we had almost a 50% retention rate of students that became full year students!  We are running it again this spring and adding a 3 and possible 4^th class. 

Results #2 Fresh programming/events – We added Mini Camps to our programming.  We ran 4 camps in our 21/22 season and they were all successful and generated new revenue. This 22/23 season we are offering 5 mini camps.  They will all be profitable and they fill 90% with existing students.

Results #3 Community/Events - We implemented a Parent Appreciation Week and a Customer Appreciation Week.  There is no revenue generated but it builds good will with our families.  Parents get a nice hot cup of coffee or hot chocolate and a snack when they come to the studio.  At the end of the year, we do it all for the students.  Cookies, juice, water and spin the wheel for prizes.  Everyone leaves feeling appreciated.

Results #4 Community/Events – December 2021 we hosted our first Christmas Market.  Vendors rented a “booth”, came in, set up, sold their goods, packed up and went home. It runs 5 hours on a Sunday.  Our first year the revenue was small, but, December 2022 we increased the “booth” rental and made a little over $2000 for a days work.  It does take admin time to set up but the more we do it the more streamlined it becomes.

All from one page of notes taken in the spring of 2021.  There is a sense of pride when you look back and realize those notes were the template for actions.

 Get yourself a notebook.  It doesn’t have to be fancy (although it is nice to have a pretty notebook and a great pen). Put a start date on the front cover and when you finish the last entry add the end date to the cover.  Bring that notebook to your next online seminar or in person conference.  I even keep it with me during staff meetings.  Open discussions with staff spark great ideas!  Keep adding to it through the months.  You get the idea.

Now go get an old notebook and remind yourself how far you have come!