Shifting from performer to entrepreneur requires not just passion but also a high tolerance for risk and uncertainty. Without a strong appetite for the unpredictable journey ahead, many dancers shy away from the entrepreneurial path. Yet, those who do take the leap often become the industry's trailblazers, using their vision and tenacity to spark meaningful change.
One such trailblazer is Danny Hindmarsh, an Australian dancer turned business innovator who is already making a global impact. As the CEO and co-founder of Industry Auditions, Danny has developed an online platform that addresses a critical gap in the performing arts: talent sourcing and recruitment. His cutting-edge mobile app offers performers a centralized hub to find auditions that perfectly match their skills and interests.
1. Persistence pays off
In conversations with cultural entrepreneurs, a common theme often emerges: patience is paramount. For dancers, who typically dedicate their entire lives to perfecting their craft — whether performing on stage or otherwise off it — developing additional skill sets that can facilitate a career transition is a rare and often daunting endeavour. This challenge, while significant, is increasingly relevant in today’s fast-evolving world.
Danny understood this challenge from the outset. Recognizing the complexity of building a tech platform, he wisely chose to enlist the expertise of a professional agency to bring his vision to life. This strategic decision allowed the company to handle the technical aspects, including programming the platform and managing the entire marketing campaign from start to finish. By delegating these critical tasks, Danny and his co-founder were free to focus on the overarching vision and strategy for Industry Auditions. The app is simple, user-friendly and customised to the wants and needs of those firmly engaged within dance.
Fast forward a few months, and the results speak for themselves: persistence truly pays off. Building a successful business demands relentless perseverance, patience, and hard work — qualities that Danny had already honed through years of mastering complex choreography as a professional dancer. These attributes seamlessly translated into his entrepreneurial journey. Although the process of developing and launching the app was long and challenging, Danny’s unwavering focus and commitment ensured its successful debut.
His story is a powerful reminder that while transitioning from a dance career to tech entrepreneurship is no small feat, it is entirely achievable with the right mindset, resources, and a strong support team. Danny’s journey not only highlights the importance of patience and persistence but also underscores the value of leveraging professional expertise to turn a visionary idea into a tangible, thriving business.
2. Your audience is everything
While I’ve never been much of a reader, I’ve always cherished conversations as an artist. In the performing arts, the social aspect often surpasses the artistic or even technical elements of the craft. Oftentimes, I’ve found myself more eager to dive into the endless chatter before and after a performance than to actually take the stage — a sentiment that might surprise some. But there’s an intent to all this madness: it’s about acquiring industry knowledge.
Industry knowledge isn’t just about what you learn in school; it’s the nuanced understanding of what’s happening within your specific field, information that can only be gained through years of active participation and keen observation. In regions where media coverage of the arts is sparse, these conversations with peers become invaluable. They provide crucial insights into the scene, introduce you to key players, and even offer glimpses of what’s on the horizon. Most importantly, they help us better understand our audience.
Understanding your audience is everything. The Industry Auditions App, for instance, was specifically designed to connect professional performers with reputable auditions. To achieve success, Danny, a former professional dancer himself, had to deeply understand the needs and desires of his audience. His journey in creating the app was as much about solving his own pain points as it was about addressing the challenges faced by others in the industry. Market research and direct conversations with performers played a pivotal role in the app’s development, ensuring it truly resonated with its users.
In the performing arts, the exchange of ideas and experiences through conversation not only enriches our personal growth but also strengthens our understanding of the industry and its audience. It’s a reminder that while the spotlight may be on the stage, the real magic often happens in the moments we share, off it.
3. Embrace failure
As dancers, whether pursuing the art professionally or simply as a passion, it’s important to remind ourselves of the privileges we enjoy. In many third-world countries like Malaysia, where I come from, the idea of a career in dance is often met with scepticism and outright resistance from parents. The notion of dancing as a viable career is foreign to many, and aspiring dancers often find themselves battling not just societal expectations but also familial pressures. I was fortunate enough to try, fail, and try again — eventually carving out a career by realising a fervent goal and embracing the journey, however tumultuous it was.
The dance industry, like many others, has a complicated relationship with failure. In an environment that often celebrates perfectionism and nurtures a degree of narcissism, failure is typically seen as something to avoid at all costs. These traits, while deeply embedded in our education systems, are also often necessary to survive in such a cut-throat world. However, the problem arises when we equate failure with a lack of success. But what if, instead of fearing failure, we learned to embrace it?
As Danny wisely puts it, failure is a natural part of the entrepreneurial process. In the same way that dancers may stumble through new choreography before perfecting it, entrepreneurs often face setbacks and challenges along the way. Not every idea Danny and his team had was well-received, and like in dance, not every performance is a standing ovation. However, the key lies in learning from these mistakes and using them as stepping stones rather than roadblocks.
Failure teaches resilience, a quality that’s indispensable both on the stage and in business. By staying focused and persistent, even in the face of adversity, we can turn our missteps into opportunities for growth and improvement. Just as in dance, where we must learn to adjust and keep moving despite the occasional stumble, embracing failure in the business world allows us to grow stronger and more capable.
Check out the full episode here
| 04.11.2024 |
