Meet Siobhan George

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Siobhan George. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Siobhan, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

I believe my work ethic comes from my childhood. My parents divorced when I was quite young and we moved around quite a bit so I don’t have any memories of a childhood home or this safe comfy place I knew I could always go to until I was much older in life. I also discovered quite young that my mother suffered from Bipolar disorder and as long as I can remember, I have been managing how to take care of myself when she may not be present mentally or physically. So while my mother’s diagnosis may have brought so much pain to myself, I also know it is a driving force and making me strong and who I am. I learned to fight/advocate for myself and knew that if I didn’t work hard, I wouldn’t have what I needed in life let alone what I wanted.

When I started college, I dropped out sooner after in order to make money for myself and make sure I was there for my younger brother. My very first job was McDonald’s and if you can’t learn to hustle there, you can’t learn anywhere! Years later, I began working for a high-producing real estate agent and soon got my license all while still being their assistance. Real estate definitely provided support in my hustle foundation because if you don’t give it your all, you simply won’t make money. Growing up the way I did, it was quite hard to not have some consistency and a steady pay check but I know now that making this pivot in my career definitely helped strengthen my confidence in myself but also my business mindset.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Ever since I can remember, I have been surrounded by Irish culture – specifically Irish Dance. I remember being quite young at the Milwaukee Irish Fest seeing the Irish dancers and knowing “I want that to be me”. My parents enrolled me in the world renowned Trinity Academy of Irish Dance. They were the absolute best Milwaukee had to offer.

As life changed, and my parents divorced, I had to find a new school in MN. At the time, there were only 3 schools in town and my dad knew the owner of the Scoil na d’tri Irish dancers and I continued my dance career there. While I was happy dancing there, I knew I wanted more and I was not the only one. One family in particular was searching for a school to come to MN to help the few of us who wanted more become more competitive with our Irish Dance careers. Soon the Anam Mor school opened a MN branch and my love for Irish dance forever changed. The school was run and owned by one of my very first teachers, Amy Campbell Moran. My admiration for her has never left my soul and I will forever be grateful for what she taught me. A few years later, she passed on the school to the leaders here in MN. I was devastated. She had changed me and my soul and now she wouldn’t be around. Unfortunately for me, the owners of the new school did not want to keep around a kid who had a mom with a mental illness. Receiving a letter that I was no longer welcome at the school because I was “unhappy” after returning from nationals broke my heart and changed me. I didn’t have school friends because all I did was move around. Dance was my life and I felt at the time, that my life with dance was over.

I would go to the Irish Fair of MN every summer and watch dance. I would sob in the audience watching my old school. I felt like I was watching my heart on stage and I couldn’t grab it. One year I had decided to stay a little longer and I am SO thankful I did because Rince na Chroi, owned by Katie Stephens, was next. I had never seen a performance quite like theirs. Every single person was up there dancing their hearts out and it wasn’t for a trophy or recognition, it was because they loved to dance and they wanted to share that with their audience. Most of all, everyone seemed to be having fun on stage. I knew I needed to know more. It took me a while to reach out because I was so set on “needing to compete” but when I did, my life truly changed in ways I didn’t know it could or that I needed.

I joined the Rince na Chroi Irish dancers in the spring of 2010 and have been there ever since. I was moved to the top level by the fall of 2010 and joining the teaching staff in the fall of 2011. I learned not only to dance from my heart, but I also began my passion for teaching. All of this wouldn’t even be a morsel of a possibility without Katie. She started this school when she was 23 years old. Can you imagine?! She took me under her wing and soon became my best friend. She taught me what it is to be resilient, to never stay complacent, to lead with heart and caring and not only be about money. To treat people with kindness while also being a strong woman and not letting people walk all over you simply BECAUSE you are a woman. She was committed to always being bigger and better and making sure the school remained true to what it was, but also changing to adapt to our school size and new requirements that come along with change. Being the right hand to Katie was the honor and privilege of my life.

We lost Katie in January 2023 to cancer and to say I lost a part of me would be an understatement. I was forever changed. Our whole community was changed! I lost my best friend and the owner of my second home. What would be next? The school was about to turn 20. I remember hunkering down for those few weeks leading up to our annual show and not letting myself feel the loss but as soon as the show began, I completely broke down.

In the fall of 2023, my husband, Derwin, and I took over the school. I feel like when that happened, I started to become who I was meant to be. I was leading an Irish Dance school (a childhood dream of mine), but also carrying on the legacy of my best friend. I was in control. I was the one who would make the changes to continue what she made, continue on our dreams for the school, but also making decision to forever honor her memory.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Working hard and thinking outside of the box. I definitely learned that from working in real estate esp. during difficult markets. I think it is so easy to get complacent in what has worked and accepting results, when it takes courage and strength to want more. I try and work with our staff of 13 women to not always do what has worked but find creative ways to get more out of our goals. To not be afraid to put yourself out there. I think I have even surprised myself what can be done when you jump out of your comfort box and reach for more. We have gotten bigger gigs, our branding has improved, we have implemented technology for our families and best yet, our school is bigger than it ever has been.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

I think taking on a business of any size can be overwhelming. You are only going to be as successful as what you put into your business. But taking on a school with well over 200 dancers and their families, can be quite overwhelming. You want to make sure every single family feels seen and heard but there is only so much time in a day. I try and give myself a little grace during these moments of overwhelm and remember what I DO do right and what I have to be thankful for. This is something my husband and I do often as we both have very “go, go, GO” schedules and there isn’t much time to reflect and pause. We remind ourselves that we have a healthy son, we have a home, and we have a community of support around us who will support us when we need a little extra help.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rincenachroi.com
• Instagram: @RincenaChroi
• Facebook: @RincenaChroi
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@RincenaChroi

Image Credits

Haley Friesen Photography