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TRANSCRIPTION WITH SPEAKERS
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[00:00] SPEAKER_01: It's Calgary's podcast on the Canada's podcast network.
[00:19] SPEAKER_01: Hello, this is Von Nielge coming to you today with Calgary's podcast, a member of the Canada's
[00:24] SPEAKER_01: podcast network, where we talk to the entrepreneurs who are making it happen here in the city of Calgary, Alberta.
[00:32] SPEAKER_01: Nicola Cosmic Jones is the owner of the Executive Director of Pure Motion Dance Company,
[00:37] SPEAKER_01: one of Calgary's largest and most successful commercial dance companies, which she started at the age
[00:43] SPEAKER_01: of 21. Both Nicola and Pure Motion have won several awards, including the 2017 Chamber of Commerce's
[00:51] SPEAKER_01: Customer Service Award. In addition to her role as a studio owner, Nicola is a business coach
[00:57] SPEAKER_01: for dance industry professionals across North America. So welcome to the show, Nicola, we're really
[01:04] SPEAKER_01: happy that you're here. Thanks for taking the time to be here for all our listeners.
[01:08] SPEAKER_00: Absolutely, thank you so much for the invitation and I'm honored to be here today.
[01:14] SPEAKER_01: Can we start things off with you telling us a little bit more about yourself and how you
[01:19] SPEAKER_00: started Pure Motion Dance Company? Sure, so I grew up dancing here in Calgary. So I'm a Calgary
[01:27] SPEAKER_00: and born and raised. I am a third generation Calgary in which I find we are a rarebree here in the
[01:32] SPEAKER_00: city these days and I started dancing when I was six years old at a young age and fell in love with it
[01:39] SPEAKER_00: and each year growing up through the dance studio, I added more and more classes and just became
[01:45] SPEAKER_00: super passionate about it and really fell in love with the dance arts. So when I headed off to
[01:51] SPEAKER_00: university, I knew that I was interested in business and still had this passion for dance and
[01:57] SPEAKER_00: found out that a great enterprise for me would be to open a dance studio where I could really marry
[02:02] SPEAKER_00: the two together and really from a young age I have always been passionate about opening a business
[02:09] SPEAKER_00: of some sort. I was always starting little clubs when I was younger and getting kids in the community
[02:15] SPEAKER_00: and I was never had involved in different projects I was always doing and little
[02:19] SPEAKER_00: raised companies I was starting so from a young age I always had a business aspect going on so
[02:26] SPEAKER_01: yeah that's kind of how pure motion came about. Well you were only 21 when you started Pure Motion.
[02:32] SPEAKER_01: So how did you go about financing the company to start and what was your business model in terms
[02:39] SPEAKER_01: of financing and and how you make money today because that's often a really big challenge for
[02:46] SPEAKER_01: entrepreneurs is to set up the right financial model in order to be successful. Absolutely so it
[02:52] SPEAKER_00: definitely was a challenge I was only 21 really 20 at the time when I was starting the the work
[02:58] SPEAKER_00: of building pure motion and I was still living at home at the time I had zero assets and really
[03:05] SPEAKER_00: nothing that a bank would even look at for giving a loan so it was challenging at the beginning
[03:11] SPEAKER_00: and I was able to find a personal investor thankfully I still had an interest rate that was
[03:18] SPEAKER_00: comparable to what a bank would have given me so I I was lucky enough to get a startup loan from
[03:23] SPEAKER_00: an investor to really start the studio because I I did have a lot that I wanted to put into building
[03:30] SPEAKER_00: a studio it was a very very expensive build out putting all the proper pouring in and and the bars
[03:37] SPEAKER_00: that was a very expensive startup cost so I am so thankful that I did have an investor to get things
[03:43] SPEAKER_01: going. What are your plans now for the company do you have plans to expand or what is your long-term
[03:50] SPEAKER_00: vision? Yeah so we are always looking to grow and expand up pure motion we did just expand into
[03:57] SPEAKER_00: a second location a few years ago down in South Calgary so two of our locations are down south
[04:02] SPEAKER_00: and we are looking to expand and open up some more locations around the city it's definitely
[04:07] SPEAKER_00: something that is of interest to us not in the next year or two but definitely down the road
[04:14] SPEAKER_00: we just loved it so much we want to want to bring it to all the youth and dancers here in Calgary.
[04:19] SPEAKER_01: So you mentioned that you are a rare breed in that you're born and raised Calgary in and actually
[04:26] SPEAKER_01: that goes back three generations for your family so you have a really good perspective on what it's
[04:32] SPEAKER_01: like to be an entrepreneur here in our city and what makes it unique so can you tell us what are
[04:37] SPEAKER_01: some of the biggest benefits for you being an entrepreneur and having a business here?
[04:42] SPEAKER_00: I think Calgary is a really awesome city it just has that small town vibe to it it's been really
[04:49] SPEAKER_00: cool to see it grow from a city of under a million to now well over that and it's been fascinating
[04:54] SPEAKER_00: to watch the different businesses here open and set up shop and I think Calgary has a really great
[05:01] SPEAKER_00: vibe with lots of entrepreneurs here it just has that vibrancy and I think that even with like
[05:07] SPEAKER_00: the city's chamber of commerce then there's so many places around and even banks and stuff that are
[05:12] SPEAKER_00: just so supportive of small businesses here in Calgary and just having that network of fellow
[05:17] SPEAKER_00: entrepreneurs and small business owners for everyone to kind of reach out to and that home
[05:22] SPEAKER_00: network here is just it's so awesome and I love following all the the local businesses on social
[05:27] SPEAKER_00: media and they're just so great and I feel really lucky to be here having this business in the city
[05:33] SPEAKER_01: if we would have flipped that around what have been some of the challenges to about having a
[05:38] SPEAKER_01: business here and it's no secret that we've struggled from an economic perspective over the last
[05:44] SPEAKER_01: few years so how does that impact you as a small business owner? Yeah it definitely has had an
[05:51] SPEAKER_00: impact and I do remember when we started up pure motion back in 2008 there was a bit of an
[05:57] SPEAKER_00: economic struggle at that time too but nothing quite like it has been today I would have to say that
[06:03] SPEAKER_00: we honestly really didn't see a huge impact probably until the last year or two so it trickled
[06:08] SPEAKER_00: down to us slowly because I think the last thing parents really wanted was to take away any sort of
[06:14] SPEAKER_00: sense of normalcy for their kids but really nowadays I think people are so cautious about their
[06:21] SPEAKER_00: discretionary income and where they're spending that money so people are really not consuming as
[06:25] SPEAKER_00: many extracurricular activities for their kid they had been in the past and that's been a
[06:30] SPEAKER_00: struggle for us especially with our elite teams where kids do have to be training so many hours per
[06:36] SPEAKER_00: week to be involved at a higher level but even just like the recreational side with kids that only
[06:40] SPEAKER_00: come once or twice a week it really it has had an impact and we really just started seeing that
[06:46] SPEAKER_00: hit us two years ago and not even just that but in industry specifics Calgary because it is such
[06:53] SPEAKER_00: an awesome place to start a business Calgary has the highest studio rate per capita in Canada
[07:00] SPEAKER_00: for dance studios so while we're also dealing with an economic downturn we're dealing with a huge
[07:06] SPEAKER_00: saturation in the market for our specific industry and that's been really challenging as the
[07:11] SPEAKER_00: the economy is kind of shrinking in that sense and the market saturated so it definitely has had
[07:17] SPEAKER_00: some challenges and we've had to be unique on some different programming and offerings that we're
[07:23] SPEAKER_00: giving out to our customers so that has been our biggest challenge at the same time.
[07:27] SPEAKER_01: Well it sounds like you're finding ways to deal with it though and I guess that's what we do when
[07:32] SPEAKER_01: when we have those challenges right is find ways to adapt and keep our business unique.
[07:39] SPEAKER_00: It's true I do believe that the biggest part of being a business owner in an entrepreneur is
[07:45] SPEAKER_00: to solve problems for our customers and and the market and what's out there that's really
[07:51] SPEAKER_00: it's fun at the same time because it allows you to be innovative and come up with new strategies
[07:56] SPEAKER_00: to keep your business alive and thriving and I think as an entrepreneur that's definitely
[08:01] SPEAKER_00: something that sets my heart on fire and and keeps me going and plugging away at it every day.
[08:05] SPEAKER_01: Well, Nicole, we do some of our best work outside of the traditional office setting and I'm curious
[08:12] SPEAKER_01: is there a place that you like to go in Calgary where you like to just get away and recharge or
[08:18] SPEAKER_01: get inspired with some new ideas or even just to pause and really think about your business and
[08:24] SPEAKER_00: what that next step is. Absolutely so I really enjoy the outdoors and being outside with the trees
[08:33] SPEAKER_00: and just all of the beautiful views that we get here in Calgary of the mountains so I actually
[08:38] SPEAKER_00: love Blanmore Park and I do drive through it almost every single morning on my way into the studio.
[08:44] SPEAKER_00: It's sometimes I even pull over and park and I'll I'll write up my to-do list or just take a few
[08:50] SPEAKER_00: minutes outside I just love being outdoors and just being alone in the nature and having some
[08:56] SPEAKER_00: quiet time to reflect even to still for a walk or pick up some lunch and sit and eat it.
[09:01] SPEAKER_00: Obviously it's not so nice in the winter but I do sit in my car still and just look at the views
[09:06] SPEAKER_00: because it's pretty still with all the snow on the tree but I just love being outdoors so that's
[09:12] SPEAKER_00: my favorite place to kind of go and reconnect and recharge. And I'm also curious what does the first
[09:17] SPEAKER_01: hour of the day look like for you so when you get up in the morning do you have a specific routine
[09:22] SPEAKER_00: or ritual that helps you get ready for the day? So I'm a firm believer that the morning is where
[09:28] SPEAKER_00: your day is truly set up for success and I do struggle with this sometimes because I am in night
[09:34] SPEAKER_00: owl and I have been a little cranky sometimes in the morning just getting your day going however
[09:41] SPEAKER_00: right now things are a little different because I have an eight-month-old baby at home some my
[09:45] SPEAKER_00: morning schedule and routines have been rocked a bit but usually I just love to get up and I
[09:50] SPEAKER_00: would have some quiet time listening to some podcasts and I would try to pick those out like
[09:55] SPEAKER_00: the night before just while I'm getting ready I'm listening to podcasts and learning right off
[09:59] SPEAKER_00: the get go and then I spent some time scheduling my day just making sure that everything's gonna flow
[10:05] SPEAKER_00: and I know what's happening through the day I don't even check emails until the afternoon because
[10:10] SPEAKER_00: that really gets you off track so I spend the first half of my day focused on being productive and
[10:15] SPEAKER_00: setting things in motion and then the second half of my day is really spent being reactive and
[10:20] SPEAKER_01: dealing with customers or things at that time and do you have any books that you're reading right
[10:26] SPEAKER_01: now or or maybe a favorite podcast that you'd recommend or listen so I love listening to podcasts I
[10:34] SPEAKER_00: actually listen to them in my car every time that I'm driving I don't listen to music very often
[10:38] SPEAKER_00: and part of that is because I with from teaching dance I find myself choreographing and in my head
[10:43] SPEAKER_00: too much in the car so I just love to listen to podcasts um I love the Brendan show with
[10:49] SPEAKER_00: Brendan Bershard I love him he has such great business advice I also love Jenna Kutcher's
[10:55] SPEAKER_00: the Goldigar podcast and right now I'm a huge Rachel Hollis Fangirl so I love her rise podcast
[11:03] SPEAKER_00: and her rise together podcast that she has with her husband those are definitely my top four
[11:09] SPEAKER_00: and yeah I started listening to this podcast too so this has been really great to see and listen
[11:13] SPEAKER_00: to entrepreneurs from all across Canada to get their perspective and insights and as for books
[11:19] SPEAKER_00: I think my absolute favorite and one that I've gone through a few copies of just highlighting
[11:24] SPEAKER_00: and making notes is the compound effect by Darren Hardy it really has a great message the
[11:30] SPEAKER_00: compound effect is nothing new we've all heard about it before but it's just a really great reminder
[11:35] SPEAKER_00: that your daily habits every day are either going to set you up for success or be your detriment so
[11:42] SPEAKER_00: there's just such great nuggets in that book and I love rereading it all the time I think it made
[11:47] SPEAKER_01: some great suggestions there and and certainly the podcast you mentioned are my favorites as well
[11:53] SPEAKER_01: they're really really um great learning tools yeah I'm sure yeah so I'm curious I mean you talked
[12:00] SPEAKER_01: about you have this love of dance that goes way back to your early childhood but if you weren't
[12:05] SPEAKER_01: doing what you do now what would you do for a profession I always love and hate this question
[12:11] SPEAKER_00: at the same time because I feel I think about this often whenever anyone asks me and I really
[12:17] SPEAKER_00: honestly I would really rather be doing nothing else than what I'm doing right now I I love what I do
[12:24] SPEAKER_00: it sets my like soul on fire I get excited about coming to work every day and while there's
[12:29] SPEAKER_00: definitely challenges and hard times I just I love working with kids and I guess if I wasn't doing
[12:35] SPEAKER_00: this I would probably be maybe a school teacher but at the same time I wouldn't have the freedom to
[12:41] SPEAKER_00: be an entrepreneur and come up with new innovative business strategy so I really I feel so
[12:48] SPEAKER_00: lucky because I feel like I'm living out my purpose and my why by doing what I'm doing and I just
[12:53] SPEAKER_00: I love it so much I don't want to do anything else is there anything that you absolutely know you
[12:58] SPEAKER_01: would never be cut out to do is there just a job you know that it's not suitable for personality
[13:05] SPEAKER_00: and skill set yes if I were to be doing a nine to five job stuck in the cubicle somewhere I think
[13:13] SPEAKER_00: my soul would die I I need to be out and have freedom and flexibility and definitely I don't think
[13:21] SPEAKER_00: I'm very good at working for other people or for anyone else so I like to to kind of run the ship
[13:27] SPEAKER_00: and we always have a joke here at the studio which I've heard from actually one of my mentors
[13:33] SPEAKER_00: I just I feel like I'm flying high like on the kite and I just have so many great ideas and
[13:38] SPEAKER_00: life can take you in so many different directions so I just love to have that freedom so if I
[13:42] SPEAKER_00: was stuck somewhere from nine to five in a cubicle I think that would be the worst thing ever
[13:47] SPEAKER_01: In Christmas Nicola what is your favorite quote or sentence or do you have kind of a phrase or
[13:54] SPEAKER_00: word that is your touch point that keeps you grounded? I do I guess my the word would be instinct
[14:01] SPEAKER_00: so trust your instinct I think probably 100% of the time that I haven't really listened to my instincts
[14:09] SPEAKER_00: and I do think I have a pretty good natural basic business instinct and every time I've
[14:15] SPEAKER_00: steered away from it and I haven't gone with my guts and it just feels wrong something's always
[14:20] SPEAKER_00: happened and it turns around and has bitten me so I think my advice or something that always
[14:26] SPEAKER_00: has stuck with me is just to really really really hone into your guts and what it's telling you
[14:30] SPEAKER_00: and we have those instincts there for a reason and just follow it it will lead you in the right
[14:36] SPEAKER_01: direction and what about at least favorite word or sentence do you have one of those as well?
[14:42] SPEAKER_00: Yes I really don't like the word lucky I think when people tell you oh you're so lucky or
[14:50] SPEAKER_00: that's lucky that that happened to you I think luck is not a word I think everything happens
[14:56] SPEAKER_00: in life for a reason and we've worked hard or we pass out to get somewhere so when people
[15:01] SPEAKER_00: always say oh you're so lucky that that just drives me bonkers because we put so much effort and
[15:06] SPEAKER_00: work especially entrepreneurs and to to grinding things out and and getting to where we need to be
[15:12] SPEAKER_01: so that would be my least favorite word. Well one more word question for you how would you describe
[15:17] SPEAKER_00: yourself? I would describe myself as passionate and innovative those are the two words I think
[15:26] SPEAKER_00: that's the most for me I'm just passionate about everything I do and putting 100% into everything
[15:34] SPEAKER_00: it's also my downfall if I know that I can't put 100% in I often don't do it which sets me back
[15:40] SPEAKER_00: but passion and innovation are definitely my two characteristics that describe me.
[15:46] SPEAKER_01: Well and such great characteristics to have to be an entrepreneur. Thank you.
[15:51] SPEAKER_01: So what keeps you up at night if anything are there things that you worry about?
[15:56] SPEAKER_00: Yes so I think the biggest thing other than my eight-month build keeping me up at night is when I
[16:05] SPEAKER_00: have failed on delivering something to our customers at the studio or we've had a particularly
[16:15] SPEAKER_00: maybe negative experience with something in the classroom which doesn't happen often but if
[16:19] SPEAKER_00: we fall short and I know that we haven't delivered on something that keeps me up at night kind of
[16:24] SPEAKER_00: trying to figure out how we can make things right and what we can do to move forward and make sure
[16:29] SPEAKER_01: it doesn't happen again. Would you be able to share with us the top three things that are on your
[16:35] SPEAKER_01: inspired lifeless so these could be personal or professional goals that you have for yourself
[16:40] SPEAKER_01: or things that you just really hope to do and achieve someday? I think the top of my list of
[16:47] SPEAKER_00: something that I know a lot of people do have travel on their list though that's definitely
[16:52] SPEAKER_00: my number one. I haven't really traveled very much with my husband outside of Canada or North
[16:57] SPEAKER_00: America so we definitely want to head over to Europe. His parents are from there. They live in Canada
[17:03] SPEAKER_00: now but they're both from that part of the world and we just really want to travel around Europe and
[17:08] SPEAKER_00: see the different places so that's my biggest thing is to travel and get out more. I guess the other
[17:15] SPEAKER_00: thing I just I really would love to be in a space where I could meet Oprah. I'm gonna let
[17:24] SPEAKER_00: sound silly. She's one of my favorite people ever and actually do love her podcast to sweets or
[17:29] SPEAKER_00: super souls. I love Oprah and if there's anywhere that I could be just to even see her or soak in
[17:35] SPEAKER_00: some wisdom. I don't know how that would happen but that's another thing on my bucket list.
[17:40] SPEAKER_00: And then the third thing I think just building a dance empire. I don't know what that looks like if
[17:46] SPEAKER_00: it's just restricted to Calgary or somewhere across Canada. I just dances such a great tool to teach
[17:52] SPEAKER_00: life lessons and not just dance technique in the classroom. There's so many skills that these kids
[17:57] SPEAKER_00: are getting outside of it that's gonna create some great human beings in the future in the world
[18:02] SPEAKER_00: and I just want to take that message across Canada or worldwide if I could.
[18:08] SPEAKER_01: Well and you have an opportunity right now to share a worldwide message because we do have a lot
[18:13] SPEAKER_01: of international distance to the show. So I'm wondering if you could answer this next question
[18:19] SPEAKER_01: with them in mind. If you were to start all over again and you just need to Calgary but this time
[18:25] SPEAKER_01: you really didn't know anyone what would you do and how would you start over again here as an entrepreneur?
[18:32] SPEAKER_00: I think the biggest thing would be to find yourself a mentor or someone in Calgary that has a
[18:40] SPEAKER_00: bit of a business background or is savvy or is connected to a bigger network here. I'm lucky enough
[18:47] SPEAKER_00: to have some great mentors in my life and they definitely were huge and inspiring me to open
[18:55] SPEAKER_00: the studio or even just with their their tips and knowledge about Calgary or just different
[19:03] SPEAKER_00: demographics within the city. So I definitely think that finding a mentor here would be the biggest
[19:09] SPEAKER_01: and most beneficial first step. Thinking back to your relationship with your mentor,
[19:15] SPEAKER_01: did you receive any advice that you would like to pass on to aspiring entrepreneurs here in Calgary
[19:21] SPEAKER_00: today? I think yes. One of them is knowing your core values personally when you're the leader
[19:30] SPEAKER_00: of your company and an entrepreneur, you have your own core values which gives your brand
[19:36] SPEAKER_00: and your business your own distinct flavor which is what makes you so separate from your competitors
[19:41] SPEAKER_00: and I really think that if you hone in on that message and what your core is to you and that kind of
[19:49] SPEAKER_00: reflects out in ripples throughout your employees and then down into your customers. So really
[19:55] SPEAKER_00: just being true to your core and what your culture is within your business is really what's
[20:02] SPEAKER_00: going to set you up for success and set you apart from all of your competitors.
[20:06] SPEAKER_01: Well that's great advice. Thank you for sharing that. So to wrap things up today,
[20:11] SPEAKER_01: I'd like to ask you a hypothetical question that we ask all of our guests. If you can imagine that
[20:18] SPEAKER_01: there is a small tropical island just up a 3G and it has one foam booth but there's no internet.
[20:26] SPEAKER_01: So we're going to drop you off there and you won't have a device, you won't have a computer,
[20:31] SPEAKER_01: a smartphone or tablet and you can use the phone whenever you want to call and a boat will come and
[20:37] SPEAKER_01: pick you up. How long do you think you would last before you move that call and what would you do
[20:42] SPEAKER_00: while you're there? I think I would only last probably like three days because as much as it's
[20:49] SPEAKER_00: nice to kind of recharge and be compressed, if I was on this island alone, I would struggle because
[20:57] SPEAKER_00: I'm a people person and I need to be talking to people all the time, even though I'm a little more
[21:01] SPEAKER_00: quiet and introverted, I still need that connection with people. I'm also weirdly terrified of
[21:08] SPEAKER_00: the ocean so swimming and going in the water would freak me out. I like it to a point but probably not
[21:14] SPEAKER_00: more than three days and I just, I like to be busy all the time and I get uncomfortable when I
[21:22] SPEAKER_00: forced to kind of relax so I probably would have a three day expiry date on this Fiji trip.
[21:28] SPEAKER_01: I think that's the shortest time that we've heard so far.
[21:33] SPEAKER_01: Oh, well, Nikola, how can our listeners connect with you on social media? Where can they find you?
[21:39] SPEAKER_00: For sure. So we are on social media with Pure Motion Dance Company at Pure Motion Dance Company
[21:46] SPEAKER_00: or I'm on there as well as Miss Nikola Cosmic Jones or you could also reach me at Nikola and I
[21:53] SPEAKER_01: see OLA at PureMotionDance.ca. Awesome. Is there anything else that you'd like to add before we
[22:00] SPEAKER_00: sign off today? I guess I just, I think that being an entrepreneur for those of the listeners out
[22:09] SPEAKER_00: here or if they are entrepreneurs or wanting to become entrepreneurs, I think really it's the most
[22:14] SPEAKER_00: exciting and rewarding thing in life and I'm a true believer that in this life we really get one
[22:21] SPEAKER_00: shot at making an impact on this planet and being an entrepreneur and having your own vision
[22:27] SPEAKER_00: to be able to share with others and make a positive difference in the world is such an amazing
[22:34] SPEAKER_00: gift. So go out there and yeah, we can impact. Well, thank you, Nikola, for being a guest today.
[22:40] SPEAKER_01: I learned a lot from you. It was really nice to have this chat and I'm sure the listeners did as well.
[22:47] SPEAKER_01: Thanks, Bonnie. It was awesome to be here. Hey there, it's Bonnie LG. Thanks for taking the time
[22:52] SPEAKER_01: today to listen to Calgary's podcast on the Canada's podcast network. We hope you enjoyed the show.
[22:59] SPEAKER_01: Make sure you sign up for our newsletters and if you have a minute, please write us a review on
[23:04] SPEAKER_01: iTunes. You can connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn at Canada's podcast.
[23:10] SPEAKER_01: You can also check out what other entrepreneurs are doing across the country. See you next time.
