Do it While You’re Scared

The Truth About Passion and Entrepreneurship

I had the amazing privilege of speaking on a panel at a community Black History Month event in February. The panel discussion was about the arts and entrepreneurship and featured two additional leaders in the arts community alongside myself.

Navigating the Highs and Lows of Passion

Throughout the discussion we shared our experiences, insights and the ups and downs of various sectors of the dance and music industries. One theme began to arise from the questions - what inspired you to start, what keeps you motivated, how do you keep the passion alive when you have monetized your art and now shift from creating art as enjoyment to using it for your livelihood. What folks wanted to know more than anything was the “how.” They wanted to know how to start, grow and stay the course - and rightly so - about 1 in 4 U.S. businesses fail within their first year of operation, according to the 2024 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

My answer to the crowd of eagerly cautious and curious onlookers was this  - first, you don’t know how to do something until you do it. That is to say, if you wait to learn how to do something and become an expert, you’ll be waiting for many years, valuable years that you could have followed your dreams. Crippling fear of failure can lead us down the road of excuses, what if’s and self doubt. Next, I answered the woman in the crowd brave enough to step to the microphone. She asked about how we maintain our passion - now that we’ve wrapped up our livelihood with our craft.

To that I said, “you won’t always have the passion, you won’t always be excited and its completely normal to have highs and lows. I admitted to the crowd, some of whom were my customers, students, neighbors and friends that when I faced personal challenges in 2016 - I almost closed my studio. I was done. Enrollment was down, I had loads of staffing issues, my personal world was falling apart, and I just wanted to crawl into a dark hole and hide from it all. It took a coach and a friend to help me see the way forward.

Fear Doesn’t Have to Stop You

Through careful consideration of the impact that my studio had made on my community, and remembering that there’s still more shows to create and students to nurture, I decided to remain in business. There were times back then when I was scared, I didn’t know how to turn things around, but I learned something: you can do it while you’re scared. You can start a new business when you’re scared. You can take a massive risk and try something that no one else believes in when you’re scared. You can take the next step in the direction of your dreams - all while being scared.

What are the things that scare you? What are you scared to implement in your studio? What are you scared to eliminate within your business? What risk are you too afraid to take? My friend - I challenge you to move forward and do it while you’re scared.

You’re Not Alone: A Community That Supports You

Entrepreneurship can feel isolating, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. If you’re looking for guidance, support, and inspiration, the DanceLife Teacher Conference is an invaluable resource. This event brings together studio owners and educators to share strategies, overcome challenges, and reignite their passion for dance education. When you surround yourself with people who understand your journey, moving forward—fear and all—becomes a little easier.