We were lucky to catch up with McKenna Flores recently and have shared our conversation below.

McKenna, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think it takes to be successful?

I started my dance studio when I was just 16 years old in my parents basement. This initial dream was sparked from seeing my mom and aunt run successful dance studios while being involved mothers. Through my own journey of going to college and dancing for BYU, becoming a National champion clogger, being inducted into the hall of fame, being awarded director of the year 4 different times, and seeing the accomplishments of my students, I have learned what it takes to be successful. I have also learned what it means to persevere and time manage as I have grown my business while having 4 kids in a 5 year span. Managing everything is not easy, but I have learned a lot through trial and error about what it really means to have success in all aspects of your life.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is McKenna Flores and I started dancing at just 18 months old. My mom was my first dance teacher and helped me develop a love for the arts. My family is all involved in clogging, starting with my Grandpa, all the way down to my youngest cousins. As I grew up, my mom stopped her studio to pursue a career in education and I went to dance with my Aunt and Uncles clogging studio. We toured each summer to places like Disneyland, Branson Missouri, New York, San Francisco, and more. I saw from a young age that these incredible women around me were running businesses and being involved mothers, and I knew one day I wanted to do the same.

When I was 16 years old, I asked my dad to help me make a small dance studio in my basement of my home. He helped me put up mirrors get flooring, and make it the cutest little space for dancers. I got a few neighbors to join my program, and Stomp it Out was born.

I have always wanted to make my program a place where anyone could come to feel loved, included, valued, and know that they could do anything when they set goals, and put their mind to something.

In 2014 I was Miss Wasatch County and competed in Miss Utah with the platform that preached this very message. Youth are capable at accomplishing anything they set their mind to, when they set goals and have an environment to succeed.

In my studio we have affirmations we repeat that are on the wall of our Studio. They read, I am brave, I am strong, I can do hard things, I can do anything I set my mind to, I am awesome, I am a Stomp it Out Dancer!

I know that success comes from the inside, and will reflect on the outside if teachers, the environment, and the curriculum taught, all cultivate a positive outcome.

My studio has toured to Disneyland, Disneyworld, The Bahamas on a cruise ship, Branson Missouri, and this Summer we head to New York! I am passionate about providing incredible opportunities to youth and helping them grow on the inside, so it will reflect on the outside.

Do you have any stories of times when you almost missed payroll or any other near death experiences for your business?

Covid 19 and a dance studio did not mix. Everyone in Utah was sent a letter by the Governor saying if they had any gatherings over 10 people we could be fined up to $10,000. While we couldn’t gather for dance, I still needed to pay my rent, because that wasn’t going away. I needed to pay my teachers as that was their income too.

We got creative and switched to online dance lessons. We taught dance over zoom. got very creative with the curriculum, sent home dance ideas for home, sent home dance flooring with our dancers, and more.

Though we tried our best to keep the studio moving, over half of my dancers withdrew from my program due to the uncertainty of Covid.

I was grateful that I had put away savings each month, because with the loss of students, discounted online tuition, the inability to teach private lessons or in person classes from march -May, I was losing money on the business. I was prepared, and with the help of the money I put away that year I was able to keep the dance studio afloat. Barely.

We held and incredible in studio recital that year, and a virtual Christmas Recital at the end of the year. While they weren’t what we are normally used to, I was so proud of what I had been able to accomplish despite the adversity that 2020 threw at my small business, and small businesses everywhere.

That was a scary uncertain time, and over the last 3 years we have been re-building our brand, and we are doing better than ever before.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Four kids in five years. Yes. You read that right. I was pregnant and nursing for about 6 years non stop and on top of it all I finished my degree and continued to take my dance studio on tour and continue to grow our brand.

I only ever took 2 weeks of maternity leave with each of my babies, then I went right back to teaching in the dance studio. My babies came with me to work for their first years of their lives. I would wear them in a carrier while teaching, then nurse them when needed and continue to teach dance.

There was a time after I had my fourth baby, Sophia, when I was completely overwhelmed and exhausted. My husband travels for work and a month after I had my baby he left for a week long trip. While I went to work that week, I knew I couldn’t keep teaching this many classes ( I was teaching all but one class in the studio), handle the entire business myself, be a mom, serve in my church callings, and still take care of myself mentally. I just couldn’t do it. While driving home that week on my 30 minute commute, I called my mom and told her I had to close the studio, I just couldn’t do it. I was too deep in overwhelm to survive. She responded that she would support whatever decision I made, but I needed to be sure it was the right thing to do.

I prayed a lot that week for guidance on what to do, and I felt at peace with whatever decision I would make. While teaching one Thursday night, I saw my dancers laughing, having fun, and creating movement in this positive environment I had worked so hard to develop. I knew then that I wasn’t done with my mission of my program, but I knew I needed to change how I was doing things. I needed to hire staff to help be grow my program, and get a better software to help me run the business side of things, and get a social media team to take over that part of the marketing.

Over the past two years I have done just that. I have hired the most incredible staff, had. a fantastic social media team that helped me really represent my brand, got an incredible new software set up, set boundaries on the hours I work at home, and make sure I spend time every day to focus on myself with exercise, prayer, and meditation.

If I had not hit rock bottom with my business through Covid and having a 4th baby and hitting a literal brick wall, I would not have been able to open my mind and heart to give the studio what it needs today to flourish.

Contact Info:

• Website: stompitoutdancestudio.com
• Instagram: stompitout.dancestudio
• Facebook: Stomp it Out Dance Studio
• Youtube: Stomp it Out Cloggers

Image Credits
Aubrey Willis Photography and Ika Social