Hillary Parnell on Leadership and Expansion in the Creative Arts

Julie's Big Gorgeous Goals: Official Workbook is here! Order your copy today.Let's talk about the art of transition – moving from doing to overseeing. It's a challenge many entrepreneurs, including Julie's  guest Hillary Parnell, have had to face.Hillary Parnell has been the owner of the Academy for the Performing Arts and Preschool for the Arts in Apex, NC for the past two decades and more recently founded two other dance adjacent companies (Dance Photo Pro and Dancers In Balance).She has taught over 10,000 children, grown her revenue to well over 2M, and coached hundreds of small business owners. Her passion is to help the next generation of entrepreneurs create thriving businesses through leadership, mentorship and making not nearly as many mistakes as she has.Today on Figure Eight, Julie and Hillary discuss how she leveraged her dance studio space for multiple ventures, recognized the pivotal signs that it was time to upscale her business, and built the right mindset and team for success.**Founding and scaling the dance studio and preschool (00:01:51)**Hillary's journey in founding and growing her dance studio and preschool business beyond the industry's expected revenue, how she overcame resistance, and finding work-life balance.**Dance adjacent companies and revenue diversification (00:15:55)**The founding of dance adjacent online businesses, the importance of revenue diversification in the dance industry, and identifying when to level up the business.**Adapting to growth (00:23:16)**Adjusting to the challenges of growth for a brick and mortar business, including software, staffing, and personal financial planning.**Growth and development  (00:32:54)**The importance of learning, personal growth, and passing knowledge onto the next generation.**Business growth and marketing (00:33:25)**Plans for business growth in 2025, including diversification and marketing.**Challenges of leadership and mentorship (00:36:30)**Learning how to manage a team and receive education and mentorship.**Bookkeeping and Business Education (00:40:37)**Discussion about the need for business education in specialized fields like dance and dentistry.**Universal Business Challenges (00:41:12)**Comparison of business challenges across different industries and the benefits of gratitude and reflection.You can connect with Hillary at www.hillaryparnell.comLove the show or want to request a topic? Leave us a message (All submissions are anonymous, so if you'd like a reply, please include your email address!).You can connect with Julie on LinkedIn or Instagram. Find Julie's writing at her blog or by ordering her book Big Gorgeous Goals and the brand new official companion workbook! What did you think of this conversation? We'd love if you'd rate or review our show!