The Cheer Biz Podcast

How to Outperform Every Other Gym

In this episode of the Cheer Biz Podcast, Dan Cotton shares the three things that consistently separate high-performing cheer gyms from everyone else.

While many gym owners spend their time chasing new ideas, new marketing strategies, and new programs, Dan argues that the biggest competitive advantages are often much simpler. The gyms that consistently outperform their competition focus relentlessly on staff development, content creation, and long-term consistency.

Dan breaks down:
Why training your staff may be the most important investment you can make
How quality content helps build trust and attract new families
Why consistency matters more than talent or creativity
The role systems play in long-term success
How successful gym owners stay focused when things get difficult
Why most gyms know what to do but fail to execute consistently

If you are a cheer gym owner, coach, or entrepreneur, this episode will help you identify the habits, systems, and leadership principles that create long-term success and help your gym stand out in a crowded market.

Consistency Beats Creativity

In this episode of the Cheer Biz Podcast, Dan Cotton shares the three things that consistently separate high-performing cheer gyms from everyone else.

While many gym owners spend their time chasing new ideas, new marketing strategies, and new programs, Dan argues that the biggest competitive advantages are often much simpler. The gyms that consistently outperform their competition focus relentlessly on staff development, content creation, and long-term consistency.

Dan breaks down:
Why training your staff may be the most important investment you can make
How quality content helps build trust and attract new families
Why consistency matters more than talent or creativity
The role systems play in long-term success
How successful gym owners stay focused when things get difficult
Why most gyms know what to do but fail to execute consistently

If you are a cheer gym owner, coach, or entrepreneur, this episode will help you identify the habits, systems, and leadership principles that create long-term success and help your gym stand out in a crowded market.

The Hidden Value of Summer Camps

In this episode of the Cheer Biz Podcast, Dan Cotton explains why summer camps remain one of the most valuable tools a cheer gym owner can use to grow enrollment, improve athlete development, increase retention, and generate additional revenue.

While many gym owners view camps as a seasonal activity, Dan argues that summer camps can have a major impact on the long-term success of a cheer program when they are planned and executed strategically.

Dan breaks down:
Why summer camps create opportunities to attract new athletes
How camps help retain current athletes during slower months
The role camps play in athlete development and confidence building
Why camps can generate meaningful revenue for cheer gyms
How camps help develop future coaches and staff members
The biggest mistakes gym owners make when planning summer programs

If you are a cheer gym owner, coach, or program director, this episode will help you maximize the value of your summer camps and use them as a tool for growth throughout the year.

From Startup to Industry Leader

In this episode of the Cheer Biz Podcast, Dan Cotton sits down with Elizabeth Scumaci, Founder and CEO of GlitterStarz, to discuss what it takes to build a brand that lasts in the cheer industry.

What started as a small rhinestone and pro shop business has grown into one of the most recognizable brands in all star cheer. Elizabeth shares the story behind GlitterStarz, the challenges of entrepreneurship, and the lessons she's learned while growing and evolving her company over nearly two decades.

Dan and Elizabeth discuss:
How GlitterStarz got its start
The importance of listening to customers and adapting to their needs
Building a recognizable brand in a competitive industry
Marketing, social media, and staying relevant as the industry evolves
Hiring talented people and creating a strong team
Company culture, leadership, and long-term growth
Why gratitude and giving back have been important parts of the journey

Whether you're a cheer gym owner, entrepreneur, or business leader, this episode is packed with lessons on branding, leadership, innovation, customer service, and building a business that stands the test of time.

Why Your Cheer Gym Isn't Growing

In this episode of the Cheer Biz Podcast, Dan Cotton breaks down the three things every cheer gym owner must master before they can truly scale their business.

Too many gym owners focus on marketing tactics, sales funnels, and growth hacks while ignoring the foundations that actually create sustainable growth. According to Dan, nearly every growth problem can be traced back to one of three areas: systems, accountability, or execution.

Drawing from his experience growing Oregon Dream Teams, Dream Camps, and Next Generation Gym Owners, Dan explains why systems create scalability, why accountability drives consistency, and why execution ultimately determines results.

In this episode, you'll learn:
Why systems are the foundation of growth
How accountability impacts staff performance and consistency
Why execution matters more than ideas
The biggest mistakes gym owners make when trying to scale
How to identify what's actually holding your gym back
Why growth becomes impossible without delegation and structure

If you're a cheer gym owner, program director, or entrepreneur, this episode provides a practical framework for building a business that can grow without depending on you to do everything yourself.

Surviving Team Placement Season

In this episode of the Cheer Biz Podcast, Dan Cotton gets honest about one of the most emotionally exhausting parts of owning a cheer gym: tryouts and team placements.

After wrapping up placements at Oregon Dream Teams, Dan shares the reality gym owners face when athletes quit after being placed, parents question levels, kids are disappointed, and coaches are left trying to rebuild teams around missing pieces. He talks through the stress of balancing athlete happiness, team success, parent expectations, high school cheer conflicts, and the pressure to educate families who may not fully understand how all star cheer placements work.

This episode is a real behind-the-scenes look at the part of cheer gym ownership most families never see. Dan reminds owners that even when the hard conversations feel heavy, there are still dozens of athletes who are excited, grateful, and ready for the season ahead.

If you are a cheer gym owner, coach, or program director, this episode will help you feel less alone during tryout season and remind you why the hard parts of placements are still worth it.

Why We Keep Making the Same Mistakes

In this episode of the Cheer Biz Podcast, Dan Cotton asks an important question:
Why does the cheer industry keep making the same mistakes over and over again?

After more than 25 years in all star cheer, Dan reflects on several trends that continue to cycle through the industry despite years of evidence showing they often create new challenges instead of lasting solutions.

From scholarship programs and free cheer initiatives to the growing popularity of destination events, Dan explores why certain ideas continue to resurface and what gym owners, coaches, and industry leaders can learn from the past.

This episode is not about criticizing innovation or new ideas. It's about recognizing patterns, learning from experience, and avoiding the tendency to repeat decisions that have already produced unintended consequences.

Dan discusses:
Why scholarship-based programs often create challenges for gyms and families
The ongoing debate around free cheer and athlete incentives
The impact of destination events on participation and affordability
Why short-term excitement can overshadow long-term sustainability
How gym owners can make better decisions by learning from industry history

If you're a cheer gym owner, coach, or industry leader, this episode will challenge you to think critically about the trends shaping all star cheer and ask whether we're solving problems—or simply repeating them.

The Dangerous Assumption Coaches Make

In this episode of the Cheer Biz Podcast, Dan Cotton shares one of the biggest coaching mistakes he has seen over 23 years in the cheer industry: putting athletes in a box.

Too often, coaches label athletes as lazy, untalented, weak, difficult, unmotivated, or incapable of reaching the next level. The problem is that those labels create bias, influence coaching decisions, and can prevent athletes from reaching their true potential.

Dan breaks down the common boxes coaches put athletes into, why these labels are often inaccurate, and how some of the most successful athletes he has ever coached were once the athletes nobody believed in. He explains why athletes develop at different rates, why confidence and opportunity matter so much, and how coaches can avoid limiting athletes with their own expectations.

This episode is a powerful reminder for cheer coaches, gym owners, and program directors that athlete development is rarely linear. The athletes who struggle today may become the leaders, world champions, and program-changing athletes of tomorrow.

If you want to become a better coach, develop more athletes, and create a culture where potential is nurtured instead of limited, this episode is for you.

3 Things Gym Owners Must Stop Doing

In this episode of the Cheer Biz Podcast, Dan Cotton gets fired up about three things cheer gym owners need to stop doing immediately if they want to protect their business, their brand, and their long-term profitability.

Dan breaks down why gym owners need to stop relying on untrained AI to create generic graphics and business advice, why overpaying coaches can quietly destroy profit margins, and why predatory financing can put gyms into dangerous financial positions. This episode is direct, practical, and packed with tough love for owners who care deeply about their gyms but may be making decisions that hurt the business.

You’ll learn how to use AI strategically without losing your brand identity, how to evaluate coach pay against actual revenue, and what to do instead of taking high-risk loans or bad financing deals when money gets tight.

If you are a cheer gym owner, director, or entrepreneur, this episode is a must-listen before you make another marketing, payroll, or financial decision.

Stop Hiring the Wrong Coaches

In this episode of the Cheer Biz Podcast, Dan Cotton breaks down the three criteria every cheer gym owner should evaluate before hiring a new coach or staff member.
As your gym grows, you eventually reach the point where you cannot coach every team, teach every class, and manage every athlete yourself. That means hiring becomes one of the most important skills you need to master as a gym owner. But the wrong hire can create drama, hurt your culture, frustrate parents, and cost your business time, money, and trust.
Dan shares what he has learned from years of hiring both great staff members and difficult ones. He explains why skill alone is not enough, why coachability matters more than ego, why communication skills should be tested during the interview process, and why every owner needs to understand a coach’s true motivation before bringing them onto the team.
If you are a cheer gym owner, program director, or coach preparing to hire for summer, tryout season, or next season, this episode will help you build a stronger hiring process, avoid bad hires, and create a staff that actually aligns with your gym’s values.