We had the good fortune of connecting with Katie Van Note and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katie, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Being a business owner is all about taking risks. It is risky to put yourself out there and do things in unconventional ways. It’s risky to bet on yourself in a culture that promotes playing it safe. It’s risky to jump two feet in and risk failing.

The biggest risk I took was when I signed a contract with my former boss who sold me her wedding dance business. I was tied financially to paying her for the terms of our contract in exchange for her well established wedding dance business in San Diego. It took a lot of mental processing, talking to business coaches and lawyers so I could understand the terms and implications of jumping into the agreement. Ultimately it came down to trusting my instincts, trusting the person I was buying the business from, and moving forward.

I’ve learned to take calculated risk by giving myself time to process and sense into what feels like a good risk and what feels too scary. Learning to sense and trust your instincts in business can go a long way. Like my mom says – “If it’s not a green light, it’s a red light.”

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’d love to!

Music and rhythm pulled me into dancing. Whenever music comes on, I’m dancing, or at least *thinking* of the dance moves I would be doing! Over the past 10+ years I have danced and taught Swing, Salsa, Hustle, West Coast Swing, Rumba, Waltz, and Hip Hop.

About 3 years ago I happened to fall into teaching wedding dance for the company I ended up buying. I was so taken with teaching because I LOVED getting to see complete beginner dancers learn their first dance. It was so fulfilling to me AND I got to have fun along the way. I’d come home and be so stoked to think of the choreography, try it out in the studio and see couples conquering their routines.

What sets me apart from other wedding dance instructors is my ability in both leading and following. A lot of instructors are very skillful in the realm that they have trained in, but not often with both leading AND following. I have been dancing as both a leader and follower for 10 years. What I am able to do in lessons is give very specific instruction to both dancers so that they can learn the correct frame, signals, and ultimately feel more confident in their role as a leader or follower.

I also like to think that I am great with people! My goal in teaching is to create an environment where both people are comfortable, where they can make mistakes and grow as dancers, and ultimately where they are having fun! Couples often tell me that lessons are like a fun date night that help ease the stress of their week and wedding planning. I like to transform the idea of dance from scary or intimidating to totally doable and fun!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well, I love to dance –

Mondays – Mambo Footwork Mondays at Majesty in Motion. They are located in El Cajon. This is my go-to for getting my salsa footwork fix!

Wednesdays – Firehouse Swing in Bankers Hill. This is a friendly weekly swing dance venue that welcomes all ages and ability levels. Ever so often there are killer live bands that play here as well!

Sunday nights – The Madison hosts live jazz. The food is pretty good (I’m not much of a foodie), but the music is great! Anywhere I can listen to live jazz, I’m there.

I also like to surf! My go-to beaches include:
OB – If you’re looking for a chill, hippy vibe
Sunset Cliffs – If you’re looking for less crowds and beautiful scenery
La Jolla Shores – For beginners and fun summer longboard days

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I dedicate my shoutout to my partner, Justin!

Justin has been the best support I could have asked for in venturing into business ownership. He has encouraged me to quit my day job and jump fully into what I love to do – teaching people to dance for their weddings. Not to mention being there for me during all the stressful times and bumps along the way. He’s a keeper.

Website: https://www.thefirstdanceplace.com/

Instagram: @firstdanceplace

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-first-dance-place-san-diego

Youtube: https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCQP_oclAZuoUgTYgQa9oQKQ/videos/upload?filter=%5B%5D&sort=%7B%22columnType%22%3A%22date%22%2C%22sortOrder%22%3A%22DESCENDING%22%7D

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutSocal is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.