Today we’d like to introduce you to Mady Richmond.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Mady. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Starting my own dance studio was my heart’s desire since I was a kid. There were so many business obstacles that made the start so far away, almost too far to grasp. Finding the love of my life and marrying my husband at the end of 2014, lead me to find a business partner, along with my best friend for life. Who you do business with and the people that make the organization are one of the keys to being successful that I have learned. We started the dance company with only 3 students and have grown it to over 250 today.
Has it been a smooth road?
A huge life interruption that took place when we first opened our doors in 2015, took my life in a drastic unexpected direction. During one of my dance rehearsals, I fell doing a jump and tore my ACL and meniscus. This could have stopped the business completely and I could have shut the doors with the impression that I had failed. Instead, as my husband encouraged me to continue to build the company and the brand, we ended up expanding in personnel, classes offered and had many more involvements in local events. Focusing on the business, gave me the time that I now had recovering from surgery to perfect the brand. After a year of physical therapy and recovery, I got back on the dance floor and now enjoy teaching dance again. Last year, I was thrilled to have Lynn Martinez from Deco Drive come to film an episode of my adult women’s dance fitness class, called Slay Fitness. I am also honored to have been invited to many TV network production sets as a lead choreographer. Both Nickelodeon and MTV are consistent clients that I am happy to work for.
Advice that I give to other young women starting their journey is to enjoy the challenges in life because they are what define you. A life interruption that could break you, may just help you get to the next level if you change your perspective.
We’d love to hear more about Mady’s Dance Factory.
Mady’s Dance Factory is a performance-based dance studio located in Miami, in the MiMo district by Iron Side pizza. We perform in all sorts of events from local parades to non-profit fundraising events to professional sport team events. Events such as the Susan G Koman Breast Cancer walk, Disney performances and Miami Heat halftime shows are exciting for us to continue to do year after year. Many types of dance for kids and adults to include Ballet, Jazz, hip-hop, Acro, Contemporary and Tap are offered at our dance center of over 3,500 sf. I serve as the Creative Director and lead choreographer for our performances, shows, events, and competitions. Leading a team of almost 20 staff and instructors is no small feat.
We find ourselves building up esteem and self-confidence in many young women’s lives. The influence that we have on shaping lives is invaluable. Developing and investing in girls and young women is something I will always do, and the dance studio is the perfect place. So many stories of abuse, emotional disorders, learning disabilities and family tragedies fall into my path on a daily basis. I love to encourage, lead and most importantly offer the safe place where women can feel comfortable about who they are and confident in who they can become. We are most proud of the non-profit work we do in offering scholarships to underprivileged dancers who want to have dance in their lives but do not have the means.
So much of the media coverage is focused on the challenges facing women today, but what about the opportunities? Do you feel there are any opportunities that women are particularly well positioned for?
There are always opportunities is what I believe, the question is “do we see them?”. In my life, despite losing my parents at a young age, I worked hard at a young age, always hustling for the next job. I was able to put myself through school without any help from anyone, achieving masters and a specialist degree. As a young minority woman, have a teaching career and a sustainable independent life was quite an accomplishment with the adversities I faced. My work ethic and responsibility attribute to the life I have today. Being the owner of Mady’s Dance Factory allows me to provide new opportunities and growth for young woman everyday. Women can do anything they put their minds to with enough hard work and perseverance. Perspective and faith will allow you to achieve the impossible in this life journey.
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Brickstone Media
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