We recently connected with Lindsey Dinneen and have shared our conversation below.

Lindsey, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

I love this question because I believe it doesn’t have to be an either/or scenario. In my career so far, I have had seasons of being a full-time performing and teaching artist, and seasons of being both a part-time artist and having a part-time “regular job,” and more recently, focusing mostly on my regular job and not doing as much artistically. I am absolutely happier when dance is a regular part of my life–whether that is taking classes, performing, teaching, rehearsing, or choreographing. I have known for a long time that dance always needed to be a priority for me because it’s what inspires my soul. Along with that, though, I went through seasons where my full-time performing and teaching career barely paid my bills, and I had a lot of anxiety about money. Any unexpected expense was a big problem to solve. So I believe in the and/both philosophy of figuring out the situation that works best for you, that truly fulfills your need to be creative but that also ensures your livelihood. For me, I finally found that balance when I included a regular job in the mix. I’m so happy and grateful to do both, and to have found a regular job I truly love in addition to my first love of dance!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I grew up in Northern Virginia, the middle child in a family of five. I started dancing at the age of four after my mom showed me a video of “The Nutcracker,” fell completely in love with classical ballet, and haven’t stopped dancing since. Simultaneously, I have had a passion for business since I was quite young. I was that nerdy kid who was so excited to receive gifts of office supplies for Christmas one year so I could pretend that I owned my own business. I then combined my loves of dance and business by playing that I owned a dance studio. I joke that I’ve been training to be a business owner since I was a child, and that “hard play” really paid off for me! After high school, I obtained my BA in Dance with minors in Hotel & Restaurant Management and Religious Studies. I graduated with a Master of Science in Management & Leadership in December and am starting on an MBA program in March. I’ve always been interested in a wide variety of subjects and am a lifelong learner, so I relish opportunities to continue growing my knowledge and skills.

I’ve had an interesting career path. After college, I started dancing professionally in the Kansas City area and performed for two companies over five years. I also taught dance classes for local studios and a community college, worked at a bed and breakfast, and was Vice President of an inventory services company during those years. I had always had a dream of starting my own professional dance company and studio. In 2015, I launched VidaDance Company, and in 2016, I launched VidaDance Studio. My goal for both the company and the studio was to share joy through dance. I used to say that we take our art seriously, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously. Becoming an Artistic Director and getting to work with some of my very favorite people was definitely a dream come true. There have been so many times when I’ve had to pinch myself because the unique and precious feeling of doing what I love the most with the people that I love the most is not something I’ll ever take for granted.

I shut the studio down in 2020 due to both the pandemic and the realization that I needed to make a major change in my life. I had gotten to a point where I didn’t even recognize the person in the mirror because I was so exhausted from doing so much. After shutting down the main location, I still worked with a select few students up until my husband and I moved away from Kansas City in December 2021. Watching people learn and change and experience joy through dance is one of my favorite things to witness, and something that I feel privileged to be a part of.

Since becoming digital nomads in December 2021, my husband and I have had the opportunity to travel to six countries and eighteen states. I take ballet classes at local studios everywhere I can, and I choreograph and perform (via video) for a professional ballet company in Columbia, Missouri. I attend live dance or other fine arts performances about once a month, and I still find ways to express my creativity through writing, cooking, and exploring local art.

In addition to my regular job, I am the Community Director for the Virtual/Remote Chapter of Be in the Room, an organization for smart, ambitious women leaders who are looking for connection, community, collaboration, and celebration.

I am also a lifestyle coach through my brand Life, But Better. I share stories, recipes, artwork, my podcast about people’s true, meaningful encounters with art (Artfully Told), naturopathic doctor-formulated supplements, and my online dance and wellness courses. I am passionate about helping people live their most healthy, inspired, and empowered lives.

Getting to continue to touch people through my online courses is a source of joy and inspiration because students have often told me they wouldn’t have had the courage to enroll in a live class until they had gone through my introductory courses. I love that I can inspire confidence in my students, most of whom I’ll probably never get to meet in person. I am beyond grateful for the life I lead and for the role that art has played throughout my life.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

After spending several weeks building the sprung dance floor for our brand-new studio space, my husband and I were ready to host our Grand Opening open house event. We had invited hundreds of people to attend, prepared lots of food, and ensured the studio was looking its shiniest. The morning of the event, I arrived a few minutes before Kevin did since he was picking up bags of ice. The studio flooring (made from a laminate material) which had been perfectly laid the night before had somehow developed large bubbles. I stood there in disbelief, staring at the ruined floor. When Kevin came in, he quickly assessed the situation and placed the bags of ice on the bubbles, discovering that the heat from the morning sunlight had overheated the flooring, causing the bubbles. With that unexpected disaster behind us, we finished setting up the goodies and were ready for a successful grand opening. We waited all day — and only one family friend stopped by to say hello. It was the most Un-Grand Grand Opening imaginable. We learned two important things that day. One, make sure to test your handiwork way before it needs to be used. Two, it’s a myth that “if you build it, they will come.” More marketing and outreach would have been needed to make that event a success. Even though that one event was a failure, we still chuckle about that day years later — and it was one of the formative events that helped me to become free from the fear of failure and build my resilience.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Yes, there are so many great resources on management and entrepreneurship, but I’ll name a few that have stood out for me on my journey to becoming a better leader and entrepreneur. I found Dominick Quartuccio’s book, “On Purpose Leadership: Master the Art of Leading Yourself to Inspire and Impact Others,” to be particularly insightful because it first addresses the need to lead yourself before you’re able and equipped to best lead others. John Lee Dumas’ “Entrepreneurs on Fire” podcast is brilliant. JLD interviews entrepreneurs who are rocking it to learn about their journeys and provide actionable insight and advice for others. “Nuts! Southwest Airlines’ Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success” by Kevin and Jackie Frieberg was an entertaining and thought-provoking read into creating a company culture that sets a business up for success. “Building a StoryBrand” by Donald Miller delivers excellent and practical approaches to transform your marketing efforts and build a loyal customer base.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lifebutbetter.org | www.vidadancecompany.com  | www.beintheroom.org/virtual
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/lindseydinneenofficial
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/lindseydinneenofficial
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsey-d-6b798034/

Image Credits
Meraki Artistry, Isaac Alongi, Jamie Wooten, Kevin Dinneen