#awinewith Symantha Parr
MEET Symantha, founder of Albany Contemporary Dance.
You can find them here:
Transcript
Danielle Lewis (00:07):
Sam, welcome to Spark tv. I'm so excited to have you here.
Symantha Parr (00:11):
Thank you.
Danielle Lewis (00:12):
Very, very good. We had a catch up earlier this week, so it was so lovely to have a pre-chat, and I'm excited to share your story with everyone.
Symantha Parr (00:23):
Yes, it's exciting to be here to talk to you.
Danielle Lewis (00:27):
Thank you. So let's start there. Who are you and what do you do?
Symantha Parr (00:33):
So my name's Sim pa and I run a dance school. I'm a dance teacher. Choreographer make costumes and I can sort of run events. And so I'm sort of quite experienced in the whole performance performing arts type area. I started dancing when I was really young and just kept going, and I really loved it. And then when you start, you get to that point where you're like, oh, what am I going to do with my life? I wanted to keep being involved in dance, but knowing that it's so hard to be a top baller or a top dancer. So I still pursued that, but I started learning how to teach. I knew that that would be a way to keep involved, and I really liked it. Anyway, so I started learning by assisting my own dance teacher, and then I've just been teaching ever since. Really? Yeah.
Danielle Lewis (01:34):
Wow. I love this. It's really interesting. So right. So I went to school with a girl who ended up in the Australian ballet, but you're right, it's like one in a million and it's all consuming. It's like she went to a whole other school on top of our school. It was full on. Yeah.
Symantha Parr (01:57):
Yeah. I mean, I did do that when you hit teenage years and you need to amp up your study and your work ethic and you need to keep dancing. So I did do that. I went to a full-time dance school. I kept studying all these years whilst working and teaching, and I did eventually do a bachelor of dance at university in Melbourne, so that was really good. So yeah, I kept up all that, but it's almost impossible really to get, yeah, you've got to be super talented and really, really driven.
Danielle Lewis (02:37):
I feel like that's a lot of the creative arts, like dancing, acting, being a painting artist, it's really, really hard being in a creative field and making a career out of it.
Symantha Parr (02:53):
Yeah, yeah. I mean, I always sort of say you can be an average accountant or an average retail assistant, but if you're an average dancer, you're not going to get a job in the Australian ballet company. So yeah, it's basically, it's that or there's not really any inbetweens.
Danielle Lewis (03:11):
Yeah, that's what I was just thinking when you were talking. I was like, yeah, it's either you are the best in the world or you do it as a hobby or you start a business like you did.
Symantha Parr (03:23):
That's right. Yeah. So I always just had that thought in the back of my head because it's a way to keep involved in the industry, which I really wanted to do. So yeah, so I mean, I've been teaching since I was 18, and basically that's having a business because that's the way dance teaching works. You just invoice for your time. You're just a casual, you're never employed. As I was thinking about this podcast, I was like, yeah, you don't own super. It's a bit of an interesting industry. You have to be, I should have been putting my own super in, but that's just another step too hard when you're
Danielle Lewis (04:07):
18, you never think of that. That's literally the last thing on your mind.
Symantha Parr (04:11):
Yeah, exactly. So it's one of those industries, which is a bit tricky, but I kept going with the teaching and I really like it as a career because it's so satisfying and I've really got a passion for helping other people get their love of dance and find their path through their movement and creativity, expression, all that sort of stuff. So does that
Danielle Lewis (04:43):
Mean that if you've been teaching since essentially you'd finished school, that this is it, you've never had another corporate career or something? It's been like dance has been your life?
Symantha Parr (04:57):
It has, although as I was thinking about it again, I have done other stuff. I did get a job in it for a while.
Danielle Lewis (05:04):
Oh my God, that's like chalk and cheese.
Symantha Parr (05:06):
I know. It was just because I could get a job easily and they needed workers, that sort of thing. And then I was with that company for quite a while, and you work up the system and I was actually employed for a while and I didn't mind it, but there was never at any point that this will be my career. There was no interest in it like I did. It was a job, it was fine. But yeah. So yeah, I did hospitality, but everybody does hospitality, so yeah. Yeah, there's been a few sort of things, but most of my job has been dancing. Yeah.
Danielle Lewis (05:46):
That's so cool. I love it. And so how was the transition from being a teacher and invoicing, say the dance school for your time to actually opening your own dance school and being the boss lady?
Symantha Parr (06:04):
Lots of responsibility. Yeah. I did actually have a little bit of a go with running a dance school in Sydney before I, so that was when I'd finished my degree and an opportunity came up to buy one. It was only very little. And you know what it's like to run a business, all these things that you just don't think about, especially since I had been just teaching dance for a long time. So obviously I was capable and experienced in the bit that mattered, but all the other bits, yeah, it's a very big learning curve. But I suppose that one, well, I think I sold it actually in the end and I went traveling and stuff, but so then now that I'm in Albany in wa, I thought, oh, time again. Actually, I didn't think about doing a dance school this time. I just started by teaching one class at my kids' primary school. I think there was three kids in it.
Danielle Lewis (07:05):
Wow.
Symantha Parr (07:06):
I don't think I really had it that I'll start a business. It was like, I'll just do this for a bit of fun. Yeah.
Danielle Lewis (07:15):
Isn't it funny, I was literally just talking to somebody else today, and that's exactly how their business started. They're in the, I'm going to butcher the description of it, but they help kids in all stages of life. And if your kids are struggling with basically anything, she comes in and points you in the right direction, affiliated with NDIS, all that kind of stuff. And that's exactly her story. So she was a pediatric nurse and then she was just helping people. She just, a friend needs help, she'll go over, give them some advice, and then it was someone's phone call that said, oh my God, you should make a business out of this. Oh, okay. And so it's funny, when you're so passionate about something, you're just like, I would just do this. I just want to be involved. I just want to do it. And then it starts building a building and building.
Symantha Parr (08:06):
Yeah, that's right. Because the primary school also invited me to teach some of the kids. So I was sort of hiring their hall just to run my little class, but then they also asked me to come in during school and teach some of their kids as well. So yeah, I sort of had started off like that. And then it just got more and more because more people wanted to come and then different ages and then different, oh, do you teach contemporary or do you teach ballet, or what about this or that. So yeah, it just built up. And then eventually I couldn't find a venue to hire. I had too many classes. So that's when I was like, okay, I need my own venue. That's when the real business starts, I suppose, because you've got all the overheads and
Danielle Lewis (08:59):
I also got goosebumps. I'm like, oh, that's the risky bit.
Symantha Parr (09:03):
Definitely. Yeah. Yeah, it was definitely a risk. It was actually really stressful. Just before we were ready to start the new year, I thought I had organized a hall to hire, but they pulled out at the last minute and they said they didn't want me to because they want us to have so many hours in the hall, they wanted to still have it available for other people. So it was last minute. I had to just grab a venue that I thought would suit and you just hope that I could afford it. But I think it proved good. It went down well, and we afforded it, and everybody loved having our own dance school rather than walking up to the school hall or the CW hall.
Danielle Lewis (09:52):
Yeah. Isn't it funny though, there is something about having your own place, which is crazy in this time of digital age and remote work and all those things to think like that. But I remember when I had an office at one stage, it was like, oh, people walk past, you're like, legit.
Symantha Parr (10:11):
Yes.
Danielle Lewis (10:12):
So I can imagine having the name, the dance school name after everyone's like, oh, this is an established business. And you're like, we were already like that.
Symantha Parr (10:23):
Yeah, yeah, definitely. It does definitely give a sense of legitimacy. Yeah. Yeah. You've got your own place, you've got your signs up, you run it how you need it and invite people to come and yeah, it certainly does. So that leads us to the point where I'm at now where the venue is not really so good. It's actually sort of crumbling down around areas. It's very old and we need to move on. I've found a place, but yeah, there's this whole risk. It's more expensive, it's bigger. We need to do a setup. We need to fit it out with the flooring and the bars and the mirrors to make it look professional. Really good. So yeah, it's pretty exciting, but it's scary. Yeah.
Danielle Lewis (11:25):
And isn't it interesting, you never get to a point where things are done.
Symantha Parr (11:29):
It's
Danielle Lewis (11:30):
Like every level is then this, and now we are too big for that, and now we're doing this, and I feel like there's these moments in business where you are stretching. You are having to take that leap of faith or that risk, however you want to look at it. It's super scary.
Symantha Parr (11:51):
And we've got all these plans for the new venue that we can't really do where we currently are. So that's exciting. And we think that will be good financially and bringing in more customers. But you don't know. We're in this limbo where we can't do it now to see, we got to wait until we're in the new place, which is going to be a little bit of time, I think. And yeah, so there's all these ideas. Is it going to work?
Danielle Lewis (12:21):
Do you have a strategy to make yourself feel better about taking those risks?
Symantha Parr (12:29):
Yeah, that was really interesting because it was a few months ago now, I was thinking a place appeared that was good and it would work, and I had to make a decision whether I was going to take it on. And I started freaking out. I was like, I'd be
Danielle Lewis (12:46):
Freaking out.
Symantha Parr (12:47):
I woke up in the middle of the night going, I can't afford this financial ruin, and the dance school will fall apart. World
Danielle Lewis (12:54):
Is ending.
Symantha Parr (12:56):
And then I think it took a couple of weeks where I tried meditation. No, I just thought it through and just tried to be realistic with myself, but also I gave myself a bit of a pet talk, I think because I'm a person who doesn't naturally take risks, and I'm really try, usually try and just take it steady. And I was like, no, why can't I take this risk? Maybe I should step up and look. The world's not going to fall in if something doesn't go. I just sort of felt like I should back myself and step up and go for it. And I've got supporters and my other dance teachers are really supportive and the students are. And yeah, I just sort of took a couple of weeks to think it through and then I'm like, no, I'm going to do it and I think it'll be okay.
Danielle Lewis (14:08):
I love it. And I just love, sometimes we do bloody need to back ourselves. We,
Symantha Parr (14:15):
Because often I don't. Yeah, often I don't at all. I'm really like, oh, I can't do that, or I lose my confidence, or I'll just hang back or whatever. But yeah, I'm like, I've got to do it sometime. Why not now?
Danielle Lewis (14:32):
Oh, I love it so much. I'm so impressed. And it's so hilarious too, because this has been your life. You have done this before. You've gone from a hole to a place already before. You've kind of taken that leap. You've built up a customer, you've done all the things. There's all of the evidence to show that you can do it and you will be a success. But still you go, oh, why do I do this to ourselves?
Symantha Parr (14:59):
Yeah, definitely. I think, I don't know, it's like your upbringing in your background and maybe even being a woman, isn't it? Because look, you see a world of men out there, businessmen, white businessmen
Danielle Lewis (15:15):
Doing
Symantha Parr (15:16):
All these things, and you're like, that's just every day in the news. This person did this and this, and then they became bankrupt or whatever. It's not really, this woman stepped up and did this amazing thing. I mean, they do, but yeah, I think it's not enough seeing women out there doing stuff, isn't it? Yeah.
Danielle Lewis (15:44):
And I also think to your point, we are all on different journeys and the level at which we want to step up might not be the same as the dude in the blue suit doing his thing. We go, we just want to go from here to here.
Symantha Parr (16:00):
Who's
Danielle Lewis (16:00):
Doing that stuff?
Symantha Parr (16:03):
Yeah, that's true. Because I think a lot of the time I see a new business opening town and I'm like, how do they afford that rent? How did they afford to do that fit out? Where did they get all their money from? I've never seen that business before in Albany. What's happening? Yeah, they must have taken a huge risk.
Danielle Lewis (16:22):
Totally. I know. And sometimes they only last for a few months and you're like, oh god, I feel for them so much. Yeah, you
Symantha Parr (16:30):
Feel so sad sometimes when you see the business close. Yeah,
Danielle Lewis (16:33):
Yeah. Well, and I think for us, because we know it, we live and breathe it, so we know exactly what they went through. Exactly. The stress and go, oh God, it's not good. So how did you grow? So I'm always interested in people's journeys. So going from three kids to maxing out the hall, then maxing out the current space. How have you grown over the years? Have there been any particular things that have worked well for you?
Symantha Parr (17:05):
That's a good question. I think because we started at the primary school where my own kids were going. We sort of got our name there and maybe a couple of the friends of my kids came. And then it was probably word of mouth more than anything. I put flyers in the score newsletter and on the notice boards, and then we started using Facebook eventually and put it out that way. And that sort of got people in Albany. But I think first of all, it was mainly the kids from that school. Then when I ventured out of that hall, it wasn't suitable. So more then I started getting kids from other schools.
(17:53):
I would advertise when I could, but I didn't really have a big marketing budget or anything. So it was just as we did things often, I would run a holiday workshop and that would be something where I'd say to people or come and try it. It's just a one hour workshop in the school holidays. If your kid likes it, then you can come next term. So just little things like that. And then we started doing classes for adults, which is quite a big part of our clientele now. So I think I started one class and I actually persevered with that class for quite some time. So I sort of had three regulars and then one person would be sick, but I kept going because my sort of philosophy at that time was, it was good for me as well. I would be dancing along with the class. And so that was good for my own fitness and wellbeing, and we all just had fun together. And then eventually we were attracted more people. So it was a bit of a hard slog sometimes, but I just kept thinking about the benefits to me. Or if it was just a small class, we still had fun. And that's just keeping it going so then someone else can come along and see that fun and want to join in. So yeah,
Danielle Lewis (19:21):
I do love that. I mean, it's really interesting on a couple of levels. I feel like us oldies are getting back into dance. A lot of it's really funny. A girl that works at my other business, scrunch, she's in her thirties and has just gone back to dance. My mom who's in her sixties, who was an amazing ballerina back in the day, she's just gone back.
Symantha Parr (19:47):
Excellent.
Danielle Lewis (19:48):
It's so cool. And she loves it. And she's also just exactly what you said, having fun, that connection, that community, they all go out for coffee after class and all of that kind of stuff. It's so cool. And I feel like it's hard today to factor in exercise. We're all sitting behind our desk working from home, having something exciting to go to
Symantha Parr (20:15):
Is Yeah. Well, our adults are really keen. We've got ballet for adults and then we've just started point work because we did get people interested in doing that. So some of 'em have got that background. They did dance when they were kids, but others haven't. So it's a slow process, but they're excited and they're keen to try it out. And we're like, okay, we can facilitate that. So yeah.
Danielle Lewis (20:40):
That's so good. And I love what you said as well about also doing it for you a little bit. How nice is it when our businesses actually facilitate joy in our own lives?
Symantha Parr (20:52):
Yes. I was actually thinking about this a couple of weeks ago when I was starting. I had this sort of anxiety about the new venue. I spent the whole day feeling quite anxious and just trying to work. And then I had to teach my classes. And so then I got into my class teaching away, and then by the end I was like, oh, I feel better now. The exercise good for you, helping your anxiety. And I'm like a walking advertisement.
Danielle Lewis (21:28):
It's so true though. When you are having those days where it's like everything's overwhelming, it's too much. I dunno what to do. It's almost like sitting in your own space doesn't help. You're just contracting the issue. You got to get out there and let the juices flow sometimes.
Symantha Parr (21:43):
Yeah, and it was good. I mean, teaching is good anyway because you're focusing on someone else. You get out of your own head. But then there's that added benefit of the actual physical exercise and getting a bit puffed and getting your heart beat up and yeah, I felt so much better. So good.
Danielle Lewis (22:04):
How many classes do you do? How is this possible? I always think about this with exercise class, like aerobics, instructors and dance teachers. How do you keep going all day?
Symantha Parr (22:15):
Yeah, it's before I actually have, I think I mentioned when we spoke last time, I pretty much had the whole of last year off with long covid. I couldn't teach at all. I had the chronic fatigue and the brain fog type stuff, so I'm only just getting back into it. But before that, I was probably teaching. I mean, we sort of run about 14 classes a week and I was probably teaching 10 of them or something.
Danielle Lewis (22:45):
Holy wow.
Symantha Parr (22:47):
It's like three, some afternoons I teach four classes in a row and stuff like that. So yeah, pretty full on, but I'm not doing that now.
Danielle Lewis (22:56):
Good.
Symantha Parr (22:58):
Taking it easy.
Danielle Lewis (22:59):
How did you go? So that's a really interesting one. So as a business owner, having to step back from the doing and I guess trust your team to pick up all of that, what was that like?
Symantha Parr (23:12):
It was really hard. I kept wanting to do it, which wasn't helping my recovery. I was just basically told rest, that's it. You have to just rest. And I was like, my God, I've got all this work to do. But in the end I just had to, there's no way about it. And my teachers just picked up the pieces and did as best they could with what we had. We did lose students. And I put that down to running a service business as opposed to a product. People get connected to the teacher. And because I was teaching so many of those classes because I couldn't anymore, and I had to try and find other teachers, which is also a hard thing in Albany, the kids were like, oh. But they'd say, I don't like the new teacher. I want sim. And so we actually did lose quite a few students, so that was really hard. But I had to just accept that and we've just got to move on. Now my teachers, because they've been teaching now for a lot of classes for the whole year, now the kids are like, yeah, no, we love her. We love that new teacher had the experience with them now. Yeah. But it is a bit tricky in terms of it's personality based really with a service business.
Danielle Lewis (24:39):
It's so true. And especially in the early days with you doing everything. I even feel that in my marketing business when I'm the sales person telling everyone how exciting it is, come work with me. And they're like, so will you be the one that I deal with? I'm like, ah, well, no, I'm the hype girl. I'm giving it to someone else, but I'll still be here. So right. People get connected to us, and I feel like we as the business owners, are the most excited about what we do. So that rubs off on everybody a little bit.
Symantha Parr (25:12):
Yeah, I think you're right there. I too tend to get quite excited about my new great plan and this new class I want to trial. Yeah, but you're right. I'm the one that's most excited. Everybody else is like, yeah, that's a great idea, but it's not their idea, is it? Yeah. Yeah.
Danielle Lewis (25:30):
Oh, it's so good. I love it. Now let's wrap this one. So reflecting on your time in business, I always like to leave our Spark community with one last piece of advice that you would offer up to another woman in business that's going through this journey.
Symantha Parr (25:50):
Well, as I said before, I came up with a few things.
Danielle Lewis (25:54):
I love it. I'm ready for it. I'm here.
Symantha Parr (26:00):
I suppose the first thing is we've already talked about the back yourself and be confident. That's something I've learned this year, and I don't think you're going to get very far. If you don't, you can. I mean, all these years I've one foot in front of the other, but I haven't really, really stood up and backed myself. So I think that's something to really think about. And maybe as women, we are not so inclined to do that. So I think that's an important one. I love it.
Danielle Lewis (26:35):
That is awesome.
Symantha Parr (26:36):
Do I keep going?
Danielle Lewis (26:38):
Do it. Let's do it. If you've got them.
Symantha Parr (26:45):
If I could have right at the beginning, I would've paid someone to do the stuff that I can't. So being a dance teacher, for example, I'm not an accountant, I'm not a bookkeeper. So if I'd had the money right back then I would've paid someone to do that because it just used to drive me crazy and it's not my thing. So now that I've got a bookkeeper,
Danielle Lewis (27:11):
I reckon a bookkeeper has got to be one of those jobs that every business owner hates.
Symantha Parr (27:17):
Yes.
Danielle Lewis (27:17):
It's so soul destroying sometimes sitting there reconciling your zero account
Symantha Parr (27:24):
And doing invoices and whatever else.
(27:28):
For sure. So that leads me to making sure I do the stuff I enjoy because it was a bit soul destroying when I was trying to do everything and I felt like I didn't have time to do my creative passion filled stuff that I really wanted to do. And then I think what happened is I was actually approaching burnout because I was just too much and that was just not good. So enforce your downtime. Yes. Oh, I've got a couple of hours here set aside for myself. Oh no, I better do my invoices. Yeah, so I think that's super important to make sure, hang on with dear life, to your own time and what do they call it?
Danielle Lewis (28:18):
Boundaries. Set boundaries. Yes.
Symantha Parr (28:21):
Yeah, definitely boundaries and just setting aside time for yourself to wind down. Otherwise you don't want to get to where I got to.
Danielle Lewis (28:30):
Yeah, and it is interesting. I think like that we're just learning about nervous system regulation and if you are always in, got to do this, got to do this task, task, task, and you don't actually have that downtime, I feel like it does actually impact your physical body and you do get sick and you do or are more susceptible to getting sick or lasting longer when you do have a sickness. Yeah. But it is hard. It's so hard. I feel guilty every time I do something for myself. I am like, I really love reading. I just want to read books all day. I open a book and I'm like just thinking about work the whole time. Come on, what is wrong with me?
Symantha Parr (29:14):
Yeah, no, I'm the same because I'm really super getting into my downtime because I know it's so good. But even if I am just sitting and reading a book or a magazine, yeah, I feel a little bit guilty. I'm like, no, this is good for me. I'm doing this. This is important.
Danielle Lewis (29:36):
There's only one of you. We do have to look after the bodies. We're in the brains. We have the mental state. Otherwise we won't be able to show up for our business.
Symantha Parr (29:50):
Yes,
Danielle Lewis (29:53):
I love it. Is that all you got for me? I don't want to cut you off.
Symantha Parr (29:57):
I think that's it. That's
Danielle Lewis (29:59):
Fantastic. I could not agree with you anymore. They are stellar. I know that all of the women in business listening in will have some great nuggets of wisdom to take away, so that is awesome. Oh, good sim, you are the best. Thank you so much for being on the Spark Podcast. It was an absolute pleasure.
Symantha Parr (30:22):
Thanks for having me.
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