The Cheer Biz Podcast

Are You Paying Coaches the Right Way?

What should you actually pay your coaches, and how do you know if that number makes sense for your gym?

In this episode of the Cheer Biz Podcast, Dan Cotton breaks down coach pay in the cheer industry and explains how gym owners should think about compensation, payroll, profitability, retention, and employee value. He talks through why there is no one-size-fits-all answer, how minimum wage and cost of living affect pay rates, and why gym owners have to look beyond emotion when deciding what a coach is truly worth to the business.

Dan also explains how to measure employee value through time saved and dollars made, why great coaching does not automatically equal great employment, and how staffing costs impact the health of your gym. He covers W2 vs 1099 classification, compensation for competition days, private lessons, benefits like health insurance and retirement, annual reviews, and what it really looks like to take care of good coaches without putting your business upside down.

If you are a cheer gym owner, all star cheer coach, or business leader trying to build a stronger staff and a more profitable gym, this episode offers practical insight on coach pay, employee retention, payroll strategy, and sustainable staffing in the cheerleading industry.

What Small Gym Summit Actually Means

Varsity’s new Small Gym Summit announcement has the all star cheer world talking, and in this episode of the Cheer Biz Podcast, Dan Cotton breaks down what gym owners and coaches need to understand.

Dan shares his perspective on why Varsity likely created the Small Gym Summit, why large brands and franchise locations are still eligible, and what he believes will happen as the event evolves over the next few years. He explains the business strategy behind the timing, the revenue opportunity, the likely impact on D1 and D2 Summit attendance, and why this new end-of-season event may not play out the way many people expect.

If you own an all star cheer gym, coach competitive cheer, or follow changes in the cheerleading industry, this episode will help you think more strategically about Small Gym Summit, Varsity events, gym growth, brand structure, and how competition options may continue to shift. Dan also shares an important reminder for gym owners about how to make the best decision for their athletes, families, and business.

The Truth About Selling a Cheer Gym

Thinking about selling your cheer gym someday? Or buying one instead of starting from scratch?

In this episode of the Cheer Biz Podcast, Dan Cotton sits down with Matt Becker from Gym Lawyers to talk about gym valuation, buying and selling a cheer gym, legal strategy, profitability, seller financing, and what actually makes a gym sellable.

Matt breaks down how gym owners can determine what their business is worth, why profit matters more than revenue, how owner involvement impacts valuation, and why many gym owners wait too long to sell. They also unpack the difference between building a gym and building an asset, what buyers should know before purchasing a cheer gym, and why buying an existing gym may be smarter than opening one from the ground up.

If you own an all star cheer gym, want to improve your business valuation, or want to understand exit strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and gym ownership at a deeper level, this episode is packed with practical insight.

Great Coaches Do THIS Differently

What makes a great youth coach stand out from everyone else?

In this episode of the Cheer Biz Podcast, Dan Cotton breaks down five essential traits the best youth coaches demonstrate every single day. From reteaching skills without frustration to building real relationships with athletes, adapting coaching methods, creating stronger team culture, and balancing accountability with fun, this episode is packed with practical coaching insight for anyone leading kids in all-star cheer or youth sports.

Whether you are a cheer coach, gym owner, or program director, this conversation will help you identify what great coaching actually looks like and how to develop it inside your program. Dan also shares how these coaching habits impact athlete progress, retention, team trust, skill development, and long-term success in a youth sports environment.

If you want to improve your coaching staff, train better coaches, and build stronger teams, this episode gives you a clear framework to start with.

Stop Losing Money on All-Star Cheer

“All-star cheer doesn’t make money.” Gym owners hear it constantly—especially when they’re starting a gym. And in this episode, Dan Cotton calls it what it is: a bold-faced lie.

Dan breaks down why people believe all-star isn’t profitable, why class programs do matter (higher margins, lower barrier to entry, easier enrollment), and the real reason many gyms lose money on all-star: pricing and budgeting mistakes. He explains how pass-through fees, uniforms, events, scholarships, and “adding one more competition” without adjusting costs can quietly turn teams into a financial drain. Then he lays out the bigger truth: all-star can absolutely be a net positive when tuition and assessments are built correctly—and when you understand the long-term value of an all-star athlete’s length of engagement and additional revenue opportunities.

If you’re a cheer gym owner trying to build a profitable all-star program, set tuition correctly, stop bleeding money on teams, and create a system where classes feed into teams the right way, this episode will challenge your assumptions and give you a smarter path forward.

Gym Owners: You’re Not Executing

Most cheer gym owners don’t have a knowledge problem—they have an execution problem.

In this episode of the Cheer Biz Podcast, Dan Cotton breaks down the “execution gap” that keeps gyms from growing, even when owners are listening to podcasts, reading books, and learning constantly. Dan shares the areas where cheer gyms most commonly fail to execute consistently, including your Google Business Profile (photos, hours, reviews, map accuracy), website audits, lead capture opt-ins, and the enrollment process that’s quietly costing you signups.

He also explains why routing new families to iClass, Jackrabbit, and other registration systems too early creates friction and drop-off, how to use SMS marketing and speed-to-lead to increase conversions, and how to write simple, high-performing email marketing that gets opened and drives action. Finally, Dan walks through auditing your customer experience—from onboarding to re-enrollment—so you can reduce friction, improve retention, and increase revenue.

If you want more cheer registrations, better conversions, and a business that runs smoother without adding more chaos, this episode gives you a clear execution checklist to start fixing today.

Directors vs Owners: Who Decides What?

If you’ve ever wondered whether your gym director has too much power—or not enough—this episode will give you a clear framework.

In this Cheer Biz Podcast episode, Dan Cotton breaks down what managers and directors in a cheer gym should actually be responsible for, and where the hard boundaries must be. He explains why true directors should have authority over hiring, training, retraining, retention, and even termination of subordinates—paired with clear KPIs so success is measurable. But he also draws a firm line on what directors should not control, including gym pricing, scholarships, major financial commitments like choreography, uniforms, and music, and decisions that impact profitability like class ratios, scheduling priorities, and overall business strategy.

If you’re a cheer gym owner trying to scale, reduce chaos, improve staff accountability, and protect your margins, this episode will help you set smarter systems—without turning directors into “employees with a title” or giving away the keys to the business.

What Judges Wish Coaches Knew

Cheer judging feels like a black box—until now.

In this episode of the Cheer Biz Podcast, Dan Cotton sits down with international cheerleading judge and educator Judge Mimi. They unpack what judges are actually looking for, why many coaches misunderstand the score sheet, and what judges wish they could say out loud—but can’t put in writing.

You’ll learn why “judging is inconsistent” is often a symptom of misunderstanding the system, how routine creativity really gets rewarded, why pyramid strategy and transitions matter more than most gyms think, and how different scoring systems (rubric vs comparative) change the way routines are built. They also talk about what makes routines feel “busy” versus effective, how to use judging feedback the right way, and what countries outside the U.S. are doing that American programs can learn from.

If you’re a cheer gym owner, all-star coach, choreographer, or program director who wants higher scores, clearer routines, and smarter competitive strategy, this conversation will change how you see judging.

Young Coaches: Stop Doing This

If you’re a newer cheer coach (or you lead a staff full of them), this episode is a must-listen. Dan Cotton breaks down the five most common mistakes young coaches make—and what to do differently so athletes improve faster, teams stay healthier, and your culture gets stronger.

You’ll hear why young coaches take performance personally, how mislabeling athletes as “defiant” can wreck confidence, and why making everything about competitions steals the joy and the development process. Dan also explains the danger of constantly changing routines to chase judges’ comments, plus the long-term damage that happens when coaches hold grudges or give up on athletes too early.

This is a practical coaching leadership episode for all-star cheer coaches and cheer gym owners who want better practices, better athlete development, and a better experience for every kid in the gym.

Why No One Is Registering Yet

Why are tryout signups slow—even when you “posted the link”? In this episode of the Cheer Biz Podcast, Dan Cotton breaks down the most common reasons all-star cheer registration stalls and what to fix right now so you can increase registrations before tryouts.

You’ll learn how to improve your cheer gym marketing so families actually know who you are, how to simplify your registration process so it’s easy for new families (not just current members), and how to use your all-star packet the right way to capture leads instead of giving away information for free. Dan also explains why your packet might be scaring families off, how to use email and SMS nurture to move families from “interested” to “registered,” and why urgency and scarcity (pricing tiers, deadlines, limited spots) matter if you want people to take action now—not later.

If you’re a cheer gym owner trying to grow all-star tryouts, increase registrations, and build a registration system that actually converts, this episode is your playbook.