Meet Holly Udy-Meekin | Dancer, Coach, & Arthur Murray Franchisee

We had the good fortune of connecting with Holly Udy-Meekin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Holly, as a parent, what have you done for you children that you feel has had the most significant impact?
I definitely identify as a Mom. The unusual thing is that I’ve also thought of myself as having two sets of kids; the ones I gave birth to (Trent and Jade), and the ones I’m “raising” at my dance studio (my staff). I’ve come to realize that my parenting style and my management style are very similar. I try to always come from a place of love and kindness, but I am their parent and therefore need to have the difficult conversations as well. I have never used the phrase “because I said so”. I have always felt that giving explanations for decisions helps foster better understanding and encourages better choices in the future. It’s funny, but I feel that being a parent has made me a better Arthur Murray Franchisee, and my Arthur Murray training has made me a better parent. In many ways my goals are the same in both places: to develop confident, well educated, compassionate individuals who feel that they can accomplish anything with enough effort. Perhaps setting an example with my own hard work has been the most impactful thing I have done.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
After graduating from Duke University with a degree in Education, I decided to move from New Jersey to Arizona. I attended an Arthur Murray Guest Party and fell in love (not with Arthur, he was 86, happily married, and living in Hawaii) but with ballroom dancing. I had always loved dancing, but never thought I could make a career of it. I started off in a training class with Lee Lawless, one of Arthur’s original franchisees in the Southwest, so I received a great foundation. Soon I became an instructor and began competing on the professional circuit. I had success with both my professional and amateur partners in some of the most prestigious competitions in the country. Eventually I became a certified examiner and studio executive. One of the things I love about the Arthur Murray Company is that they are constantly providing training opportunities for dance as well as business skills. Everything I know about the dance business comes from the hundreds (perhaps thousands- I forget how long I’ve been doing this) of meetings with the previous owners (Jacques and Roz DeBeve) as well as local, regional, national, and international trainers. One constant within the culture of our company is the willingness to share knowledge. From the President all the way down to a new teacher, the mentality is to help the people below you become better. Of course the irony of this is that it makes the trainer better as well. We all know that the best way to fully understand something is to teach it to someone else. When it came time for Jacques and Roz to retire, they offered to sell me the Phoenix studio. It scared the heck out of me since I needed to take out a huge loan, but I felt it was the right thing to do. Fortunately my husband Harry (who is not a dancer) was very supportive. I’m sure I could not have weathered the ups and downs of the last 27 years without him.

Here are some of the pearls of wisdom I have learned from my years as a franchisee:
1. “Grow your own”- My best staff by far have been the ones that I have trained from scratch. Often times it’s attractive to hire someone with “experience”, but those folks don’t always share your vision. It takes a lot more time and effort to develop someone with zero knowledge of the dance business, but the results are well worth it.
2. “Read the entire document” -Even though this can make for some really boring reading, make sure you read ALL of it. Especially insurance policies- trust me on this, I know from experience. Even if you think the title of the chapter doesn’t apply to your business, you’d be surprised at where they slip things in. Same applies to leases.
3. “Get a good lawyer”- We all know the phrase “pay me now or pay me later”. It will save you time and money to have a lawyer look over any document you are producing, or planning on signing.
4. If you own your building, or are responsible for maintenance, have a good electrician, plumber, and especially air conditioning repair person on speed dial. Nothing sabotages your day like no air conditioning in July.
5. You set the culture of your business. If you are kind, welcoming, caring, and happy, your staff and your clients will be too. Poop rolls downhill, but so do diamonds. I like to think that my studio is full of diamonds!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My favorite spot in Phoenix is the Different Pointe of View Restaurant at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort. Fabulous food and breathtaking views. I’m also a fan of Rustler’s Rooste at South Mountain Resort. It has a fun Arizona feel complete with rattlesnake and prickly pear fries on the menu. They have live country music with a dance floor, and a beautiful view to boot! To complete the dining with a view trilogy, I also enjoy The Compass with it’s 360 degree revolving floor at the top of the Hyatt Regency downtown, As far as things to do, I always try to make it to the Renaissance Festival. I believe it is one of the best in the country. The Heard Museum and the Phoenix Art Museum are also enjoyable ways to spend an afternoon.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My career as an Arthur Murray ballroom dancer spans over 40 years, so as you might imagine there are many people who have helped me along the way. Initially, my first teacher and professional partner David Woodbury was a tremendous influence. He gave me encouragement along with the occasional kick-in-the-rear just when I needed it. We are lifelong friends. Another dear friend from the beginning is Donald Holt. I feel like we grew up together with the Arthur Murray Company. My greatest support however comes from my husband Harry. He has been with me for the last 33 years of this journey over many mountains and through many deep ravines. He is my touchstone and compass and I know I am a better person because of him.

Website: www.arthurmurrayphoenix.com

Instagram: @ArthurMurrayPHX

Facebook: Facebook.com/ArthurMurrayPHX