Why I love being “the dumbest guy in the room”

Jul 19, 2022 admin No Comments 404 Views

Why I love being "the dumbest guy in the room"

. . . and why I think it’s important that you are too!

By Mago Lauritzen

When I talk to other studio owners about the successes we’ve had at our own studios it’s pretty common to get some pushback from them implying that there’s something “special” about my situation or circumstances.

There must be something “special” about my city that makes me more successful. . .

There must be something about the location my studio is in that allows me to charge as much as I do. . .

I must have some kind of personality characteristic that makes it possible for me to do what I do but prevents them from doing the same. . .

The excuses vary a little, but they’re ALL just that, excuses.

I’ve helped so many studios grow their programs and automate their systems now that I know there’s nothing exceptional about me or my area that makes me particularly special.

Or is there?

“It’s a great system and it ensures that the studios that work with us get the most out of our time together.”

I spent some time a little while ago trying to be brutally honest with myself and asked myself if maybe there was something different about me that allowed to be successful so quickly.

Not everybody becomes successful in this industry. There must be something different about me if I ended up with a different result than most studio owners, right?

After all, I wasn’t successful in the dance studio business right away either. Success wasn’t just handed to me. Why did my studio work out when so many others don’t?

I’m a pretty hard worker. But, I know lots of studio owners that are willing to work hard.

I’m a pretty good teacher. But, once again, I know lots of studio owners that are better instructors than me.

It took me a while to figure out what set me apart, but now I think I know the most important difference that launched me quickly to success.

From the beginning I wasn’t afraid to be “the dumbest guy in the room.”

I was willing to admit that I didn’t know everything. . . that I had a lot to learn. . . and that if others knew things that could help me I’d sacrifice and be willing to learn from them.

Still today I spend more money than most studio owners are willing to invest to continue my education.

I pay people to keep me up to date on what’s actually working in the digital marketing world. I pay another guy to train me and my staff on sales techniques that help pre-frame students to be more dedicated. I work with others that are masters at automating systems and training staff.

The point is, I constantly work and invest to make sure I’m surrounded by people that know more about my shortcomings than I do.

I’m convinced this one detail is the reason I’m successful in an industry where so many other studio owners fail or just slide along sideways from one year to the next.

This is also the reason that when we work with studios to grow their programs we’re, of course, doing a lot of one-on-one work, but also have weekly group calls so studios can hear what others in the program are working on; their struggles and successes.

It’s a great system and it ensures that the studios that work with us get the most out of our time together.

Now, we don’t work with every studio. We only work with studios that we believe are positioned to grow dramatically. If you think this might sound like your studio, take a moment and let me know a little about where you’re at and what you’re goals are:

You can do this, and with some one-on-one attention it will happen faster than you can imagine.

Whether we end up working together or not I wish you all the luck in the world. (But the more often you find yourself surrounded by people “smarter” than you about whatever you’re trying to learn, the less luck you’ll need.)