Meet Jessica Fitzgerald | Dance Director and mom of two

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jessica Fitzgerald and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jessica, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My dream has always been to start my own dance studio. When the time actually came to start it was a lot more planning and developing than I had imagined. My thought process was simple to create a place where dancers of all ages could learn the art and craft of technical dance. From a personal stand point my thought process was to start a business so that I could have my hours and family time be on my terms. I wanted to be able to pick my son up from school or go on school field trips and that seemed hard to request when you are an employee and someone is counting on you for their own expectations.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Our business is a competitive and recreational dane studio in Arvada, Colorado. We are set apart by our classical training and family atmosphere. I am most proud of the staff that I have. My lead teacher Michelle has been by my side since the day we opened she is dedicated and so great at what she does. We also have one of the best b-boys I’ve ever seen. Mr. Matt has a talent for teaching boys self discipline and how to use breakdancing in their sports careers. New to our staff is Ms. Lizzy, Ms. Cassandra, Ms. Kat and Ms. Stephanie. I can boast at the fact that each one of them has. a degree in dance and has performed in numerous professional dance showcases and are still alive in their own training. I have spent the last 4 years teaching our students everything I know so the fact that we have an opportunity for other people to grow our dancers technique is huge and excites me. I got where I am today by pushing through the challenges. There are many times that you just don’t know if you can keep doing it. From the stresses of running a business during a global pandemic to trying to please every costumer is at times daunting but every time I walk in our studio and see kids working hard and not giving up themselves it makes me remember why we do what we do . I’ve learned that there will always be times when your product is just not what someone is looking for . It’s the hardest pill to swallow and at times makes you feel like you aren’t good enough but everyone has an idea of what they are looking for and it’s ok if the person down the street has that. I want the world to know that you can do it. Press through the challenge and go for it. I thank God everyday that I did. Running a business is hard but it gets easier every year and you settle in.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh the places we would go. I love to keep my adventures local because Arvada, our city has been so good to me. I would start by going to Jacks at five parks. We would it on their charming patio and toast mimosas while we wait for the best eggs Benedict to come. Then I would take them paddle boarding on Stanley lake or shopping in Olde town at Carly’s boutique, Balefire goods or the Olde town exchange. I’m sure by this point we are getting hungry so we stop over at the most unique, amazing, friendly restaurant in town, The Bluegrass and sip one of the handcrafted and invented cocktails and amazing pizzas. After this we would make sure to stop in and say hello to the Arvada Chamber of Commerce and Welcome center to pick up some flyers of the events happening in Arvada because man our chamber does the best job and bringing the community together. To cap our evening I would take my friends to the relaxing station for hands down the best massage in town and run and grab some dinner at Lot One. The freshest food that is hand grown on a roof top terrace.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I think every business owner would agree that without their friends and family the success of their business would not be as prevalent . For me, my husband was the greatest support system I could ask for. From writing grants and permits to knowing how much we need to save to grow our business he is the backbone behind our studio. I also have the most amazing family that have never doubted my endeavors. They have made the business a family business by being involved in every aspect from cleaning, to painting to running our recitals and competitions. I also feel blessed to have the community of friends that I do. I have about 3 families that are single handily responsible for getting the word out and advertising our business. I never forget that because they trusted me the first time, when we were nothing, that now our company has grown leaps and bounds because of their word of mouth and recommendation.

Website: www.Flatironsdance.com
Instagram: Flatirons Dance
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flatironsdance/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWOVWUmJNrppqMQHMmBHs-g

Image Credits
Picture credits: Jessica Fitzgerald, Lauren Graves