From West End To Business Owner: Building a Business That Fits Your Life
This week on the Work It Like a Mum podcast, Elizabeth chats with Lucy Holloway, Founder of Dance Shack, about her journey from West End performer to entrepreneur — and how a dance school that started with just seven children grew to around 850 pupils.
Now, after 20 years of building Dance Shack, Lucy is taking the business in a new direction: franchising.
What we cover:
- Leaving behind a successful performing career
- Starting Dance Shack with just seven pupils
- How motherhood changed Lucy’s career priorities
- Growing from one small school to around 850 students
- Why Dance Shack is now expanding through franchises
- Whether you actually need a dance background to run one
- The support, training and business know-how franchisees receive
- Why Lucy believes entrepreneurship gives her something a traditional job couldn’t: freedom
Key takeaways:
💜 Careers can evolve. You don’t have to stick with the career you once thought you’d have forever.
💜 You don’t have to start from scratch. A franchise can offer the freedom of building something of your own with an established business behind you.
💜 Your experience could become your next opportunity. Dance Shack is looking beyond professional performers, with support available around teachers, marketing, classes and growing the business.
Why listen:
If you’ve ever thought “I’d love something of my own, but where would I even start?”, this one’s for you.
It’s an honest conversation about career change, motherhood, entrepreneurship and turning something you love into a business that fits your life.
And who knows? Your next career move might not be another job at all. 💗
Show Links:
Connect with Elizabeth Willetts on LinkedIn here
Explore the Dance Shack franchise opportunity on Investing in Women