We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jessica Keller a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jessica, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

I am extremely happy as a business owner. I love the flexibility it allows me to create my own schedule. I work A LOT but I love what I do. I have gotten to the point in my career of business ownership where I don’t feel guilty any more when I am not at the studio. I have made a promise to myself that moving into this next season I would prioritize my family more. I do sometimes think about what it would be like to have a regular 9-5 job where when I leave work I don’t think about it, but then that wouldn’t be me! I probably would hate it! I feel like I really have a purpose and a calling to help educate my dancers not only on how to be great dancers, but how to be great humans. Watching them grow up through the studio over the years to the day they graduate is one of the most rewarding things about my job. I don’t think I am meant to be anything else besides this!

Jessica, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Well, I grew up dancing from the time I was 3 years old into my adult years. I stopped for awhile and felt like something was missing which is how I got into teaching ballet. Fast forward a few years and the previous owner to the studio I now own was ready to move on in her life. We were super close back then and she told me she thought I was her exit strategy. I had to think about it a little bit, but ultimately made the decision to jump in and do it! I had a 2 year old and an almost 1 year old at the time and thought, “why not add to the chaos?” So we started negotiations and here we are, 6 years later about to finish my 6th season. Did I mention all of this happened right before covid!!! Yea- I made it out the other side though and my business is thriving!
Palm Beach Academy of Dance Arts provides excellent dance training for babies through adults! I think what truly sets us apart from other studios is our family atmosphere. We really are a big family here at the studio and you can feel that as you walk through the doors. We really care about our clients and want to make sure they feel that! We strive to provide excellence in all we do and do so through our core values of Excellence, Safety & Modesty, Inclusion & Diversity, Belonging and Legacy. I am extremely proud of what we have built and continue to build at PBADA. It is so much more than dance!

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

When I took over the studio, I inherited a front desk person from the previous studio owner. In the beginning, she felt like my right hand—someone I truly trusted and leaned on as I transitioned into ownership. She helped me navigate those early months, and I was grateful. I even cared deeply for her daughter, who danced at the studio and felt like one of my own.

But as I headed into my third year, the truth came out. A dance mom showed me messages, and one of our dancers confided in me—this person had been spreading rumors and lies about me and the studio since the very beginning. It was heartbreaking and shocking. Just three weeks before our year-end recital, I had no choice but to let her go. I allowed her daughter to stay, hoping to keep the peace for her and the other dancers.

Those final three weeks were some of the hardest of my career. The ex-employee actively tried to pull families away, and her daughter—someone I had once poured into with love—became openly disrespectful and even spread videos of me to clients. Still, the show had to go on.

That same recital was when I had already planned to announce something major: we were changing the name of the studio. What was meant to be a new chapter became the fresh start I didn’t realize I needed. I stood by my staff, held meetings to prepare them for the fallout, and reminded them—and myself—that our truth would speak louder than any lie.

We implemented new policies and systems. I focused on the families who chose to stay and trust me, those who saw my character for what it truly is. Today, PBADA is stronger than ever.

Yes, a part of me still feels sadness. The dancer involved was just a young girl—middle school age—and I still hope that one day she realizes I always cared for her. Maybe one day she’ll see that and find it in her heart to apologize. Regardless, she’s now graduating and moving on in her life, and I sincerely wish her all the best.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

About 2 years ago now, I joined an organization called More Than Just Great Dancing, founded by the Misty Lown. I really had no idea what it was, but a fellow colleague of mine always had that name attached to theirs and I asked if it was something I should be doing. She told me “YES!” and the next day I applied to be a member. It was the best decision of my life. MTJGD is an organization of studio owners across the globe that are there learning, supporting and growing together. I learned so much about how to run my business and how to work more on the business rather than constantly in it. I learned how to properly set prices and track metrics and set which metrics to track. It is a community that is encouraging you to win! MTJGD has endless resources inside itself. I had been doing some of the things naturally before MTJGD, but now I truly have systems and am learning how to make my studio the best it can be! I don’t know if I would be as successful with out More Than Just Great Dancing. They have annual trainings, weekly meetings and a forum with hundreds of studio owners to lean on!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.palmbeachada.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Palmbeachada

Image Credits

Gary Jordan Photography