Culture First, Banners Later

In this episode of the Cheer Biz Podcast, Dan Cotton sits down with Ashley Newberry, gym director at Dream Extreme All-Stars in Vacaville, CA—Miss California, children’s book author, and culture-builder behind one of NorCal’s fastest-growing programs. Ashley shares how a single private lesson snowballed into camps, classes, and a full program; how her team moved from a shared gymnastics space into a cheer-focused facility; and why putting safety, belonging, and communication first created explosive, sustainable growth.

You’ll learn:

The Novice-3 “bridge year” strategy that helped a Junior 2 group confidently step into Level 3—without burning them out.

Practical ways to educate parents on attendance, stunting math, and score sheet realities to protect team opportunity.

How a cheer sister program and all-gym “pink practice” build cross-team community and retention.

Systems for monthly newsletters, read-tracking, and message consistency across platforms.

Why “confidence and character over trophies” is a winning business strategy.

If you’re a cheer gym owner, program director, or coach, this conversation gives you a playbook to level up divisions, communicate like a pro, and grow a gym families trust.