Why ‘It’s Not Personal, It’s Business’ Might Save Your Studio

In this empowering and refreshingly honest episode of the Transform My Dance Studio Podcast, Olivia Mode-Cater sits down with Inner Circle mentor Nadine Selinger to talk about a topic many studio owners would rather avoid: their numbers. 

Nadine shares her journey from “QuickBooks was like poking me in the eyeballs” to celebrating her Financial Fridays, proving that mastering your finances isn’t about being a math person. It’s actually about about confidence, systems, and clarity. 

Together, Olivia and Nadine unpack how studio owners can move from financial avoidance to financial control, and why profitability doesn’t make you less passionate, it makes your purpose sustainable. 

Whether you’re terrified to open QuickBooks or already tracking every dollar, this conversation will help you face your numbers, strengthen your team, and build a studio that serves you, not the other way around. 

You will learn: 

• Why most studio owners avoid their finances — and how to break the cycle 

• The four financial habits that shift you from chaos to control 

• How to make budgeting as creative as choreography 

• The mindset shift that turns “bad news” into better decisions 

• How to calculate your profit margins — and what 20% really looks like 

• Why “it’s not personal, it’s business” is a form of leadership, not coldness 

• Practical ideas for getting your team invested in revenue goals 

• How to gamify finances to motivate staff and celebrate wins 

• The ultimate reason to get your money right: freedom for your family and your future

Whether you’re terrified to open QuickBooks or already tracking every dollar, this conversation will help you face your numbers, strengthen your team, and build a studio that serves you, not the other way around.