Erin Pride is a personal dance education coach and she’s also the host of the Dance Boss podcast. We had a good conversation about her career as a dancer and dance instructor, but also we share some resources of different books and podcasts that you may be interested in as a creative entrepreneur.
https://www.erindpride.com/
Diane Foy 0:04
Welcome to Sing Dance Act Thrive, featuring conversations with performing artists and industry influencers on what it takes to succeed in the arts. I am your host Diane Foy and I believe that you really can make a living from your creative talents. As a publicist, podcaster and coach, my mission is to educate, motivate and empower you to thrive with authenticity, creativity, and purpose. Hello, and welcome to Episode 34 of Sing, Dance Act Thrive. Today’s guest is Erin Pride, she is a personal dance education coach and she’s also the host of the Dance Boss Podcast. We had a good conversation about her career as a dancer and dance instructor, but also we share some resources of different books and podcasts that you may be interested in. And I hope you enjoy it.
Erin Pride 1:18
My name is Erin Pride. I’m a Jersey girl I grew up here born and raised and I love Jersey. I have been a dance educator in high school, so I run a high school dance program and I’ve been doing it for 14 years. It’s the high school that I graduated from and I always like to say it chose me, I didn’t choose it because in my head after getting my undergrad in dance, I was like I’m going to perform full time, this is what my life is going to look like. And as you probably know with other experiences in life, it doesn’t always turn out the way you said it was going to.
Diane Foy 1:51
Right.
Erin Pride 1:52
Through that journey, I did perform. I did land two big companies. One company I danced with for about four to five years, and I toured internationally with them, and then when I was 34 years old, I was like, I have always wanted to dance for Pilobolus. Like that has been my dream company since I was in college. And I saw that they were having an open call, and I was 34 years old. And I was like, Okay, I am, I’m going to audition. And I went, and I got it. So my job is really supportive in the way that I was able to miss work and balance that. And then I just, you know, dove more into teaching and I got burnt out and I was like, there’s something missing. I’m not sharing something like I felt like there were gifts that I had that were not being tapped into. So like you, I started a podcast and just started talking about dance education and dance entrepreneurship. And then I started answering questions that people had about dance education, but it wasn’t like, what can you give me a lesson plan? Can you do this it was more like how to define your teaching voice and how to make a class based on your values and how to really tap into what’s meaningful to you as an educator, and then create a way to share that with your students. Because that’s what was lacking for me. And I found that like that was lacking for a lot of dance educators. So I’m kind of shifting into this role now. I still teach full time but I see myself transitioning more into a dance education coach for high school, dance teachers and teenage age dance teachers, because that’s my zone of genius.
Diane Foy 3:26
Right.
Erin Pride 3:26
And I podcast and I public speak. So that is where I’m at in my journey. And that’s and I’m really happy to be in this place.
Diane Foy 3:34
Cool. So what was it when you’re young like that drew you to dance?
Erin Pride 3:40
So I grew up in an Inner-city, where are you from Diane?
Diane Foy 3:43
Toronto.
Erin Pride 3:44
Okay, so I’m from New Jersey, and I grew up in the inner city of Paterson. My parents are both educators but we lived in the hood, basically, like I lived in the nice part of the hood.
Diane Foy 3:53
Right.
Erin Pride 3:53
Down the street was like not, so there was one high school in my town that didn’t have like, gang violence and that, you know, was a public school but it was private in the fact that you had to audition. So since I was little about four, my mom groomed me to get into this high school, it was a performing arts high school, and she wanted me to go for dance. Well, the minute she put me on stage, like many little girls, I fell in love with it. And, you know, when I was in high school, it just made sense. I went through a lot of body image, a lot of things about not being accepted because people would make fun of the way I talked. My mom was an English teacher and she would have nothing to do with like slang.
Diane Foy 4:30
Right.
Erin Pride 4:30
So when I went to school, I got made fun of a lot and beat up a lot. So dance was like my outlet and I kind of just latched on to that. And it kind of it kind of saved my life. It kind of made me feel like I was accepted.
Diane Foy 4:45
Cool. Was there certain types of dance that you liked more, more than others?
Erin Pride 4:50
Whoa, I mean, I tell you like I seriously get mad at my parents. I’m like, Why couldn’t you put me in vocal lessons because I swear to Diane, if I had if I knew how to sing I would be a musical theater-like yeah, Bro, I feel it in my bones but I can’t sing or lick of me. So I love I love like like jazz and modern. Well not modern back in the day but like jazz.
Diane Foy 5:16
Yeah,
Erin Pride 5:16
That’s really my thing. I love jazz.
Diane Foy 5:20
Yeah, I love musical theater. It’s like I always say that I’m a gay man inside. I love all the singing divas and I wish I could sing like Celine you know?
Erin Pride 5:35
Oh my gosh, right?
Diane Foy 5:36
And dance like Janet.
Erin Pride 5:39
I sing like Selena in my car though. I swear I’m Celine.
Diane Foy 5:42
Oh yeah. When no one else hears me, that’s fantastic.
Erin Pride 5:47
Yeah, exactly.
Diane Foy 5:50
Yeah, so was there a dancer or a show that you saw that just made you that inspired you, you’re like, Oh my god, I want to do that.
Erin Pride 6:02
Well, when I was in college, I got a scholarship to go study at Jacob’s Pillow for free and Chet Walker, I took his training under him, and it just changed my life. I was like, this is what I want to do. And to be completely honest with you. I know I had potential because I got a scholarship and it’s a really competitive program. But when I got in the program, I was like, the worst of the best, if that makes sense.
Diane Foy 6:29
Yeah.
Erin Pride 6:29
So I had a lot of breakdowns in the classes. I felt like I wasn’t good enough. But the way he approached me and approach just like including me, and just the whole experience made me feel like okay, I have a place here. I’m not always going to be the best, but I still have a place and I just really connected to his teaching style.
Diane Foy 6:49
Right. And so what did you do after school?
Erin Pride 6:54
So after I graduated from school, my undergrad, I did like the grind. I was going on my Cattle Call Broadway auditions and I was like, wait, I can’t sing and this is not really what I want to do. So I started to go to concert dance auditions and I landed a gig with the [ Sea ] Dance Theater. And it’s like this Afro centric, modern funk house company, and I’m totally not that girl like, I’m totally, I’m black. But I have none of that in me. I feel like in my life, I was the underdog. And I kept getting these breaks and it’s beautiful. So I trained at that company. That’s the company I was with for four years. And while I was with them, that’s what I was doing. I was taking class in the city, and just training and touring with them. I had the privilege of touring Europe with them, which was amazing. That’s like, it was like a dream come true. So that’s what I did immediately after that and while working a high school job. And then I went back for my masters in dance education. I love school and I just want to learn more about the educational aspect of dance and just learn how to show up and teach my students more than just dance at the time. That’s what I was looking for. But looking back now what I really wanted to teach them was like human development and learn how to structure my classes so that I can like really systemized, systematized their growth and things like that.
Diane Foy 8:18
Right and what drew you to that? Like what? So you wanted to be a dancer as your career. Is it just that you realize that’s not really what you want and you actually prefer teaching or how did that transition happen?
Erin Pride 8:34
Oh, that’s a great question. Okay. So the teacher the high school because remember the job I have now is the job, the high school I used to go to. So my mom called me and said the teacher has left. You need to apply for the job. We can’t support you anymore. So that’s how I got into teaching. I didn’t want it I just had no other way it was like, bye we’re not going to pay your bills. You need to get a job. And I was like, okay, so I got the job. And then the first day I walked in, I remember the kids and I fell in love with them, like teaching them and I was like, What is going on? Because I’m the girl who couldn’t stand it. Like taking the education classes, the dance ed classes and undergrad.
Diane Foy 9:18
Yeah.
Erin Pride 9:19
So I like totally fell in love with them. And it just filled my soul. And I was like, Okay, I’ll be here for a while in a while is 14 years later.
Diane Foy 9:27
Right, and what do you teach? What do you teach? They’re just certain styles of dancing or is it you teach them you were saying you want to teach them other things besides dance as well.
Erin Pride 9:39
So it’s a program to prepare them to get into college. It’s extremely rigorous. I rebuilt the program modeled after my undergrad. So they take ballet, modern jazz, dance history, dance entrepreneurship, they take composition. They take all of those classes now, I’ve come from the book where like, I don’t think one teacher can teach everything.
Diane Foy 9:59
Right.
Erin Pride 9:59
So we have grant partnerships with people. We have a ballet residency that comes in. We have a modern residency that comes in my strong the classes, I enjoy teaching our modern jazz, and composition. And then for everything else, I teach it when I have to, but we bring in other people to support me doing that.
Diane Foy 10:17
Yeah. Well, it’s great that they add entrepreneurship as one of the classes because a lot of art schools, it’s all about the art. And then they get a school and have no idea how to make a living at it.
Erin Pride 10:30
Well you want to know something funny that happened. I was standing in my class, I was totally bored. This was 10 years, and I was like, I don’t want to show up every day and just freakin teach technique. I was like, there’s more to it. And I really got clear on what was interesting to me. And this is like, when I started to pursue my own entrepreneurial journey, so I said, I’m gonna freaking make it a class for them, so that I can share what I’m learning. And once you share what you’re learning, that means you really have a grasp of it, and then I can inspire them hopefully to know that if they don’t want to pursue performing or teaching, or choreographing, that there’s other routes that they can go.
Diane Foy 11:06
Yeah to always be around it.
Erin Pride 11:09
Yeah, I think too often were told, well, I went to college in the early the late 90s. So that was a time when it was like you teach dance, you choreograph, or you’re in a company, period. There was like nothing else and now there’s so many different avenues that they can go. So I don’t ever want a child to feel like they don’t have a place in dance. I want them to know that they can always contribute to the dance community in some way if they feel it leaning on their heart.
Diane Foy 11:38
Yeah, yeah. And what are some important things for performing artist to learn about entrepreneurship? Making it in the arts basically.
Erin Pride 11:49
Entrepreneurship making in the arts, like every every idea, like every, I guess that anything is possible and I don’t mean to say that like Disney kind of anything is possible, but there’s so many different ways to contribute to the arts. Like, for one, like making a Polish shocks, they have this whole shock system, this whole shoe sock. They It was just an idea. Because I spoke to them, it was like it was just an idea or how you’re coaching. And you have a podcast is just from an idea.
Diane Foy 12:21
Right.
Erin Pride 12:21
The arts needs so many things that I feel like, we have to educate people to understand that they can still do those things. So what do they need to know? They need to know that they need to just try it if it’s leaning on their heart, maybe that means you’re supposed to do it. Because there’s too many ideas that don’t get made.
Diane Foy 12:42
Yeah.
Erin Pride 12:44
And that it’ll be hard and it’ll be messy. But all you have to do is put one foot in front of the other and try like every single thing that has led me up to this point. I really had no idea what I would do, was doing like even the podcast even when I showed up in front of high school kids I had never really taught in my life or even when I went to go audition for Pilobolus when I was 34. I put one foot in front of the other, they said no to me. At first I sent them an email, they invited me to go train with them over the summer, and then they hired me. So it’s just about having that, like, I don’t know, that like, fighting mentality. And I don’t mean like hustle where you have to bring yourself out just like figuring out the way for you.
Diane Foy 13:27
Right. And it’s interesting, the way you approach it, it sounds like because usually, if I want to be a musician, I want to be a dancer, I want to be an actor. There’s just that one, one train vision that you’re like, either will make it or I’ll be a failure. Whereas I think what you’re coming at it as there’s so many different things that can make up a career in the arts. And so, if you it’s not necessarily having a fallback path plan but you know, maybe if being in a company is your ultimate goal? Great. But there’s so many other things as well that you could create a career out of.
Erin Pride 14:13
Oh, for sure, but please know, I felt like a failure a lot.
Diane Foy 14:17
Yeah.
Erin Pride 14:18
When I was auditioning and not getting some of the work that I thought in my head was the make it kind of work because right to make it kind of work is different. We all put it on that pedestal. So I felt like a failure. But then when I got that gig with Pilobolus, and I was like, Oh, I have arrived, I realized, no I haven’t something is still missing in my life.
Diane Foy 14:36
Yeah.
Erin Pride 14:36
You know, so it’s just like, there’s never this moment when we arrive. That’s what I think we say like when I get this company when I do this thing, but we’re always evolving. And I and now I know that I’m open to evolving and knowing that nothing is like the holy grail, I guess.
Diane Foy 14:53
Yeah. What advice do you give your students?
Erin Pride 14:57
Oh my gosh, my high school kids. They are so dramatic. Like they’re so dramatic. So we’re doing like I created this whole curriculum for them. I’m actually building the curriculum as I’m doing it, like, I guess it’s called a college bound curriculum. And we’re using the book Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo as the textbook, so I’m just trying to guide them in a process of making their own decisions for what’s right for them. And helping them accept the fact like a lot of like, what if I don’t get in this college, this college I want to go to and helping them accept the fact that life is going to play out how it’s supposed to and you’re not in control of the outcome. All you’re in control of is the effort.
Diane Foy 15:42
Right.
Erin Pride 15:43
So there’s a lot of activity around that like, we talked about it, they read about it, they they do assignments about it. Yeah, and it’s good. This is the first time I ever integrated this, but I also see them talking openly about their feelings and starting to think about their choices and starting to accept, and starting to brought in their ideas, because they’re not just so bent on like, this is the way life has to go.
Diane Foy 16:08
Right. And what is that book? Everything is Figureoutable?
Erin Pride 16:11
Yeah, by Marie Forleo. Yeah, I like her a lot. She’s great. She’s like this life business coach.
Diane Foy 16:18
it’s like, just the title. I’m like, Oh my god, I think that’s my life philosophy. I do everything myself. And it’s like, well, how’d you learn to do that? I figured it out.
Erin Pride 16:32
Right.
Diane Foy 16:33
You can figure it out. It might take a lot of hours. But everything is figureoutable.
Erin Pride 16:39
Right. Like when they come to me Miss Pride, like they’ll be like with their college applications. I can’t figure out how to do this or I don’t know when the audition days and I’ll literally sit down with them. I’ll say take out your phone and Google it.
Diane Foy 16:52
Yeah.
Erin Pride 16:52
Because sometimes they want somebody to hold their hands.
Diane Foy 16:55
Yeah.
Erin Pride 16:56
Right like that, and that’s this generation. They kind of want to give it to them right away, and I have to just remind them, no, that’s not how life works, you’re going to do the work. But I’ll sit here and make sure you do it for now.
Diane Foy 17:06
Yeah, that’s kind of the coaching too, because like everything I coach on, you could figure that out, you could go find this information. But I think there’s a lot of people that do need that guidance and step by step and, and I’ve learned it too by having a coach because then you can only get so far trying to figure it out yourself. And it’s going to take you a lot longer trying to figure it out yourself. So that the coaching is definitely a benefit. And so, you know, I do have a coach coaches that I learned from as well, that guide me step by step to get where I want to go. So it’s a really great resource.
Erin Pride 17:45
Yeah, I do too. I have a coach too. And I think what I might overall thing for them is like, yeah, okay, this is how you do it. But now do it because as you know, as you know, as a coach, we can coach people for days and give them everything, but it’s actually the people that sit down and do the work that we give them or do whatever we suggest to them that are going to see the growth.
Diane Foy 18:06
Yeah, yeah. You have to be committed to follow through.
Erin Pride 18:10
Yeah.
Diane Foy 18:11
Yeah. Cool. And so then you started a podcast. And so is your podcast and your company separate from your day job as a teacher in high school?
Erin Pride 18:25
Yeah, I like to call myself a dance teacher by day and dance education coach slash podcaster by night. My life goes, you know, but I have the privilege. My students are my playground. Like, I get to try new things out and share it with my clients, share it with my community on Instagram, Facebook, the podcast, whatever. So I’m definitely in a really good position right now where I get to actually have hands on experience and try things and then share it with them. But they’re completely separate and I must be honest, the balance is not easy, but I think that I’m getting better at it.
Diane Foy 19:05
Yeah, I find a lot of people that want a career in the arts, they have a full time day job. And they kind of say, well, there’s only so many hours in the day, but I think if you want it bad enough, you’ll find the time you’ll find the dedication. And yeah, I’ve been in times where I’ve had a full time job. And this you know, what I really am I on the side and, and it all kind of, it works out if you if you’re willing to put the work in.
Erin Pride 19:33
It really does. And I learned a really big thing, like a lesson that I needed to learn like outsourcing for me is key, because I cannot like I need to outsource and get support. So that while I’m at work, tasks are getting done, because there’s no way I can do all the things that I need to do after like 3:30.
Diane Foy 19:51
Yeah.
Erin Pride 19:51
So I spend the money to get support so that I can you know, build a business that can one day support me fully.
Diane Foy 19:59
Yeah, I’ve had a coach say that before too, like, why are you doing like $10 an hour work? You know, when you could hire someone to do that $10 an hour work and free yourself up to do the bigger work.
Erin Pride 20:13
Right. Yeah. But it’s it’s a process of learning, right? Letting go of that $10 an hour work and actually paying that money is not as easily said. It’s hard to come off with that money. But yeah.
Diane Foy 20:25
Yeah. I’ve only just kind of started poking my finger into outsourcing. And it’s like, but it’s gonna take me longer to teach them how to do it.
Erin Pride 20:35
Right.
Diane Foy 20:36
I’ve let go. And I do have someone that transcribes my podcasts. And that’s my little, you know, putting my toe in and I’ll work my way up to releasing more work to others.
Erin Pride 20:48
Yeah, I think that’s great. And it and I started slow to, you know, and it’s all a journey and one day I’d love to outsource most things and just get to show up and you know, share what I love. Well, you, you asked me about the podcast and the coaching. I am I got into it because I feel like my season of teaching is coming to an end physically with my body.
Diane Foy 21:10
Right.
Erin Pride 21:11
I don’t, I don’t want to be in the classroom forever. I do not want to teach well into my 50s and 60s. I know that about myself. So I, and I don’t want to be a college professor. I like the online. I love everything about social media. I love everything about technology. I love everything about editing, like I am totally a techie. And I love being creative. And this is another way I get to bring the creativity from dance into my life. Like I’m still creative. And I was like, how can I do this? What How can I be creative? That’s in a way that’s going to make me feel full as I age. And I answer and everybody’s answers different. And that’s okay.
Diane Foy 21:53
Yeah, there’s a lot you can do online now and in different ways that you can share your knowledge and experience.
Erin Pride 22:01
Yeah.
Diane Foy 22:01
The podcast is part of it too. You could share your knowledge and experience out there. For your podcasts Like what? Who have been some of your favorite guests?
Erin Pride 22:10
Oh my gosh, that’s a great question. You got me nervous. Okay.
Diane Foy 22:14
They we’re all fantastic.
Erin Pride 22:18
They were all amazing. Wow. Okay, so my one of my favorite was Lauren Ritchie, she does The Dance Podcast.
Diane Foy 22:26
Yeah, I love her podcast.
Erin Pride 22:29
Oh my gosh, me too. And I actually heard hers and I was that’s the first podcast I ever heard in my life. I was like, this exists. And then I assigned it to my students as a listening assignment. And then I was like, I feel like I have something to say. So she kind of she was the catalyst that inspired me to start one.
Diane Foy 22:46
Oh, cool. That’s funny because like when I first started getting into podcast too, I knew I wanted to combine acting, dancing music, and so I’d find the different podcasts and she would be my dance resort. And then there’d be another actor doing an acting podcast and then a music. Not a lot of music ones out there actually. And so I kind of got inspiration from her as well. That’s a great dance podcast. She kind of interviews everyone who’s anyone in the dance industry.
Erin Pride 23:16
No, she really does. It’s really, it’s really cool. I really enjoy her. So she was one. Another one was this woman named [ Sabba q dad ]. She wasn’t a dance educator and she wasn’t the she was the first non dance educator I had. But she brought this concept of like design thinking in dance education, on the podcast, and it totally rocked my mind about just creating for my students creating connection, creating class culture, creating assignments. So that was really cool. Yeah, that’s all I have. I’m getting nervous.
Diane Foy 23:53
What are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned since going either the podcasting or in your other side gigs? What are some of the lessons you’ve learned?
Erin Pride 24:02
Well, when I was 34, and got the gig with Pilobolus, I learned humility. I’ll never forget this one incident, we were doing something a movement, and they were all young dancers, like, for real young, I was like, Are you serious? And, you know, I was like, Oh my gosh, they had to be in their 20s. And a dancer was like, No, you don’t do it like that. And, you know, my ego jumped in. So one of my biggest lessons that I learned is like to keep my ego at bay, like I’m always a student. And another lesson I learned then is that I was too old for myself to tour I don’t want to do that. Like and, and that was breaking up with dance at that moment that was breaking up with performing and my heart, like broke and I was depressed. But from that, I learned that there are other ways to express myself and other ways to use my gifts. And that was a long journey of acceptance. But it finally happened and I got to exhale. I’m like now I’m finally okay with like, not performing even though I take class here in there, but that was a big lesson. And then, as far as starting the business, to keep my blinders on, like, there’s so many people, especially when your business is very heavy relies very heavily on social media and connecting. There’s so many people out there, doing similar things posting, I have to keep my blinders on to really remember that I was gifted certain things. And that’s where I need to share from, I don’t need to worry about what anybody else is doing with how many of her followers how many of her likes, I need to keep my blinders on and focus on me and focus on the gifts that I have and focus on the people that will come to me because of my gifts and not worry about what other people yeah, that is the biggest lesson.
Diane Foy 25:48
Yeah. I kind of teach that in like my coaching in the sense and it’s been a lesson for me too that. Yes, there’s lots of competition out there, but nobody’s gonna do it the same way you do it. You know, you’re unique in figuring out what’s unique about you and being more open, like opening yourself up and really sharing who you really are, that attracts people.
Erin Pride 26:14
Yeah, and I, and I love that you said that sharing who you are. And it like the art of storytelling that people connect to a story.
Diane Foy 26:21
Yeah.
Erin Pride 26:23
You know, and so just learning how to tell your story, in a way is a challenge and a big learning curve in itself. I love that. And my last one, though, I have one more, the finances of my business like that one is a huge like, biggest lesson because I feel like you cannot be successful in business unless you understand your numbers and I thought, like my creativity, my charisma, all the things can carry me but at the end of the day, if you can’t balance your books or you can’t take care of your taxes, and you can’t really get a system down to make money then it’s like how what’s going to support the way you live?
Diane Foy 27:05
Right? I know artists want to run away from it I want to run away from it.
Erin Pride 27:10
I do too, I hate it. I made it my goal to not hate it this year I was like you’re not gonna hate it.
Diane Foy 27:15
When you were just talking, I had a last episode with someone about there’s that right brained business plan book, where she has you kind of do a vision board for every part of your your business plan. And it’s because creators and artists like they want to run away from having a business plan. So she tries to embrace your creativity and do a little vision board for each section of the the business plan.
Erin Pride 27:46
That sounds cool.
Diane Foy 27:47
It is actually called The Right-Brain Business Plann by Jennifer Lee.
Erin Pride 27:51
Okay cool. I want to look that up.
Diane Foy 27:56
Her company is Artizan Coaching.
Erin Pride 27:59
Okay.
Diane Foy 27:59
And I think she just teaches a lot of right brain business type stuff.
Erin Pride 28:03
I love that.
Diane Foy 28:04
Or as crazy creatives that don’t want to deal with it.
Erin Pride 28:08
It’s annoying. I’m like.
Diane Foy 28:11
I actually just saw that she has a course on Creative Live for the Right-Brain Business Plan. And I think it’s coming up like, tomorrow.
Erin Pride 28:21
I’m gonna check it out.
Diane Foy 28:23
Yeah, because you know, I don’t know. Do you know about Creative Live?
Erin Pride 28:26
Yes.
Diane Foy 28:27
So it runs for 24 hours for free. Or you could just buy it. It actually, I think it was only like 25 bucks anyways, so I might just buy it. But yeah, I think it’s coming up tomorrow or the next day where it’s the right brain business plan course.
Erin Pride 28:43
Oh, I’m gonna check it out.
Diane Foy 28:45
Yeah, I think I’m gonna buy it and then I’ll do it when I come back from vacation.
Erin Pride 28:50
Yes.
Diane Foy 28:52
Good way to end the year, start off the new year. At least you know, start thinking about your business plan. Even if you don’t need a, you know, a left brain version.
Erin Pride 29:03
Yeah, just think about it, visualize it.
Diane Foy 29:06
Yeah. So how what is your relationship with social media do you love it? Hate it?
Erin Pride 29:11
Oh my gosh, I’m going to social media break right now from that took off on Monday and I’m going to go back after the New Year.
Diane Foy 29:19
Oh, wow, you’re going to take that long off? Wow.
Erin Pride 29:21
Yeah. I mean,
Diane Foy 29:24
You just need a break.
Erin Pride 29:25
Well, let me be honest with you. I’m the type of person like I don’t have boundaries with it. So I have to kind of disconnect and reestablish the kind of relationship I want to have with it.
Diane Foy 29:34
Right.
Erin Pride 29:34
Because always being on my phone is not going to work for me.
Diane Foy 29:38
Yeah.
Erin Pride 29:39
It was kind of it was depressing. And then I was like, What am I valuing? Like, what why do I care about helping people or do I care about if I got like some thought, like, when I started to get about that in my brain, I was just like, Oh, no, this has to take a pause. I have to disconnect right now.
Diane Foy 29:54
Right, right. That’s cool. You got to reevaluate and come back to it. But when you are thinking about it for business, like do you have any strategies or tips that you find work?
Erin Pride 30:10
Totally like, I’m a really open person. You know, I believe that anything I’m healed from, I’m willing to share if it’s still a sore point, like, if it pains me to talk about, I probably wouldn’t share it with anybody. So I share pretty openly I love storytelling. I love storytelling. I love taking the reader through a journey. You know, I’ve been listened to a lot of I forget what the name of the podcast is. I’ll have to email it to you. It’s so good. She talks about just looking at your social media posts and seeing how many times you write like you. Like no, write me, I did this. It’s about me and replacing it with like you so that you can feel like you’re pulling the reader in.
Diane Foy 30:55
Right.
Erin Pride 30:56
And making it about them. Yeah, and I just consistent, consistency like my following grew, my connections grew. That’s where I get most of my clients because I show up consistently. I’m on Facebook Lives twice a week sharing about dance education for longer than 18 minutes because that’s when the algorithm will start to boost you after 18 minutes.
Diane Foy 31:19
Right.
Erin Pride 31:22
I post twice a day on Facebook on Instagram, I post once a day and I’m in my stories. I try to give value all the time. I yeah, that’s it. I’m still figuring it out. But I feel okay where I’m actually going to thinking about [ Johnnie Tyler McCall’s ] fan to what is it followed a fan society? I’ve been thinking about that.
Diane Foy 31:42
Okay, I’ll check it out. Yeah, you’re pretty consistent. That’s really good for social media. So you deserve a break. I need to be more consistent I and I think it’s just it’s all about having systems and plans in place. I think if you don’t have a system or plan in place, then it just kind of gets away from you. And you either get sucked in or you don’t post enough so I think I got to set myself up with a bit of a plan and and you know be more open put myself out there more do I haven’t made it to video lives yet but that’ll be my new thing. And yeah, yeah be consistent with it.
Erin Pride 32:26
Yeah, but I think what works for you like people say on Instagram they post every day I post Monday through Friday because I’m like, I’m not about to give up my weekend for Instagram.
Diane Foy 32:34
Right.
Erin Pride 32:35
So like that’s how that’s how I you know, show up and then tailwind is pretty cool. Like they tell you like you’re posting time then like they remind you to post so that’s it. I got to figure out social media too, though because I don’t really like it. Like, I don’t like like the way it makes me feel sometimes, but I like the [ actual ] connecting of it.
Diane Foy 32:58
Yeah. I liked what you said I think when you first start talking about it is when you get absorbed into thinking about how many likes you have, as opposed to are you contributing? I like that kind of thought process of like, approaching social media in a way that okay, am I serving my audience? Am I giving value? Not just how many likes do I have.
Erin Pride 33:24
Right, and then I have to, like physically detached from, like, mentally detached from their lives, right? Why do I want them? What does it make me feel like and it’s all tied back to dance, like everything is like, Why do I have to be, ike, it’s so crazy how things repeat themselves, and they come back in a total different like way.
Diane Foy 33:43
Yeah. Cool so where can we find you online in social media? When you’re back? What are your What are your URLs?
Erin Pride 33:53
Yeah, so my podcast I hang out on The Dance Boss Podcast every Thursday, coming at you with like dance education tips, interviews with bands, entrepreneurs and specialists, so you could check that out, and then my website is ErinDpride.com. And you can find me on Instagram at ErinPride and the website has links to everything so you can just go there.
Diane Foy 34:19
Perfect. Okay, wonderful. And what’s your favorite podcast? That’s not about dance, go?
Erin Pride 34:26
Oh my gosh. Rise by Rachel Hollis.
Diane Foy 34:30
Rise. Okay, I’ve heard of it.
Erin Pride 34:32
I like, I girl crush on her heart.
Diane Foy 34:35
Oh, yeah?
Erin Pride 34:35
Yeah.
Diane Foy 34:37
I like the I’m loving The Dax Shepard one.
Erin Pride 34:40
Everybody’s talking about that. I haven’t listened to it.
Diane Foy 34:43
Yeah, at first I was like, why is it two hours or like, you know, he might talk to the person for an hour and a half and then they do an after show for like a half hour and at first I was like, so not into it. Now. I’m like, obsessed. I need to hear every detail.
Erin Pride 34:57
Are you serious? wait two hours. Okay. I don’t think I’m scared. I’m gonna do it.
Diane Foy 35:01
Well, like he has this co host. He calls his soulmate. And she does fact checking. So after they do the interview, she does a fact check to see if everything he said and everything the guests said was right. Usually it’s just them talking about nothing for half hour and at first that’s what you think like, why am I listening to this? And now I’m like, I do need to hear about the TV shows that they watched last night together. I need to know.
Erin Pride 35:33
I can’t wait. Okay, I’m gonna put that in.
Diane Foy 35:36
Armchair Expert.
Erin Pride 35:38
Armchair. Yes. Yes. Oh, the one I was going to tell you about that. I’m loving right now also is the Angie Lee Show. I’m loving her. I don’t know how I found her but I love her.
Diane Foy 35:48
Angie Lee.
Erin Pride 35:50
Yes, she’s all about social media with a fresh like twist and she talks about storytelling and connecting. I like her.
Diane Foy 35:58
Okay, cool. So I’ll include links to all of us that were talking about in the show notes, and thank you so much for your time.
Erin Pride 36:05
Thank you too, and I’m gonna have Emily send you the link because I’m going to stalk you until you have time to be on my podcast.
Diane Foy 36:11
Yeah, yes, I can do that.
Erin Pride 36:14
Its like our pleasure to speak with you today.
