We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rachel Handren a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Rachel, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
Based on my conversations with many other business owners, it seems very common that a business is created out of a perceived necessity to help serve the community more effectively in a specific area or create unique opportunities for the people living in it. My journey was so similar to countless others; I discovered my talents in working with youth and creating visual art pieces and learned that what I can curate is unique enough compared to other local dance studios that I should give it a shot! This gave me a purpose to pursue what my heart really strives to fulfill: giving back to those who need it. I am a strong believer in the ‘village mentality,’ that children need multiple mentors in their life to give them a rich worldview and experience in order to help them become more successful and adventurous adults. My purpose at my dance studio is to create a community center feel, give children and adults alike a chance to feel seen, heard and respected, as well as educate our student body in how simple community outreach can be and how it can go hand in hand with dance training. On the days I feel like giving up, I do my best to take a look at all that we have accomplished together and remind myself that we are creating a more beautiful future TOGETHER!
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?
360 Dance Center has now entered it’s fourth year of business and we are finally back to normal! Starting in the middle of a pandemic definitely has its challenges, but we are grateful for the opportunity to start small and grow slowly. Upon our opening, we began with just a handful of competitive teams as an off-shoot of a program that previously ran under the St. Paul Parks & Recreation wing. Now, we have seven Competitive Dance Teams, 10 Competitive Special Groups and four Recreation Dance Teams! We love that we are able to create classes and events specially suited for our student body without any pandemic restrictions whilst also keeping the safety of the student in mind.
Our most exciting venture is how much we’ve been able to give back to our communities around us. We host an annual Food & Clothing Drive that, to date, has raised over 5,000 items donated to local shelters! Our goal for this upcoming Drive is to beat our goal from last year, which was 2,500 items. We’d love your help in collecting non-perishable food items and/or gently used or new clothing! Reach out to us and we would love to help you.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
There are SO many things that come along with being a full-time business owner that most people are not aware of. While I was aware of a good amount of these hats I would come to wear, I found it so helpful to take a business class to ensure that my business stays healthy so that I can stay healthy. Proper knowledge and preparation is essential to starting a business.
Secondly, I would say that having a passionate spirit and unquenchable drive is so important to nurture. All business owners start a business based on their passion and drive, but it is so easy to lose that flame as the stress of business ownership becomes apparent. I make it a point to set aside time yearly for a Director Retreat where I sit alone and journal for HOURS to stay on top of this passion and drive so it can continue to take me to places I never imagined I could reach.
Lastly, an eagerness to be perpetually curious attached to the desire to learn is what I think will continue to make any business owner, especially one centered in the arts, successful. You will grow stagnant and plateau in talents and abilities if you do not continuously push yourself to new elements and opportunities and I find that this has caused me to win the numerous Choreography Awards and Judges Choice Awards. I dare to play with things that others might not and it pays off!
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
At 360 Dance Center, I am currently the only staff member, aside from my accountant and bookkeeper, which means that I am teaching every class as well as keeping up with the business. I also place teamwork and community connection very high on my list of priorities. In order to ensure that the decisions I make are truly worth the time, I have set up a network of fellow business owners that I meet with on a quarterly basis (at the very least) and have a mentor that I can set up meetings with. It is so important to have someone to bounce ideas off of, to vent about a particularly difficult struggle with someone who will understand and can give advice, and to ensure you’re up to date with community affairs.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.360dancecenter.com
- Instagram: 360dancecenter
- Facebook: 360 Dance Center
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@360dancecenter?si=SaBZcFdS33YWQIqL
