How Genevieve Weeks Franchised Ballet, Creating a Business Opportunity for Women Across the U.S.

Women Worldwide with Deirdre Breakenridge

What do you do when your business is experiencing unprecedented and exponential growth? When your business is changing faster than you can follow, sometimes your best bet is to bring in some extra entrepreneurial help through franchising.

Like most little kids, Genevieve Weeks got her start dancing in her parents’ living room, putting on shows for her family. But unlike most little kids, her love of ballet went on to manifest itself in a lifelong business career. While dancing in San Francisco, Genevieve started teaching a local school’s preschool ballet program—and it was love at first twirl. After seeing how frequently the youngest dancers were kept on waiting lists to take classes, she realized there was a need in the community she could serve.

Genevieve went on to start her own dance education program specifically for toddlers and school-age children, Tutu School, which she later franchised. Hear all about how Genevieve made the jump from ballet dancer to business owner, plus everything she’s learned along the way, in this week’s episode of Women Worldwide.

In This Episode

• How seeing an opening in your community can lead to an explosive business opportunity
• The critical difference between licensing and franchising and its effect on a brand’s identity
• What core values Genevieve has found most important for a franchise business model
• How to embrace your “Step on the Stage” moment
• Her number one piece of advice for new business owners

Quotes in This Episode

“I do see a lot of the time that people sort of maybe confuse [franchising] with licensing. They think they are just going to allow someone to use their name or their brand—with franchising you want to give someone a whole business in a box… It’s a lot more than people imagine.”

“We try not to micro-manage, but since we are a very detail-oriented business, we try to make sure we’re creating a culture where all of the owners are taking those details as seriously as we do."

“You think, ‘I can’t wait for expansion,’ and don’t really foresee that expansion comes with its own set of challenges. The trickiest part for us has been pacing the growth.”

“These classes, when they are done with the values we really hold dear, I think they can be incredibly body positive, and that’s certainly one of our main goals.”

Resources

Tutu School

Facebook

Instagram

Taste Buds Kitchen

Barre3