If you've been through a situation where you weren't paid for your work (like many of us have), the bad news is that you lost out on money that you were counting on and, in fact, earned.  The good news, however, is that you learned a valuable lesson on how brutal the business can be.

Whether you've experienced this or not, continue reading to discover 5 ways you can protect your pockets from this type of misfortune. 

If you've been at your career hustle long enough, I'm sure you've heard the term "trust the process" a time or two.  Although ideas like this are intended to encourage us when we're feeling defeated, it can be hard to understand what that phrase really means.  Keep reading to find out what it means to trust the process and how to handle all the rejection your career pursuit will throw your way. 

So often dancers lack the professionalism that warrants the next job offer, and many times it's simply because they've never been taught what it means to be professional.  If you want to set your dance students up for success, here are four ways you can help them develop a great work ethic. 

If you’re looking for a great way to take matters into your own hands, to give YOURSELF a break, and to launch (or relaunch) your professional career and personal life, then grad school might just be the next step for you.  Check out three of the most important things I learned during grad school and how you can use them to give your dance career an immediate boost.  

When it comes to auditioning and self-submitting, your materials can be the key to you getting the job or not.  A great headshot and resume are a necessity to being a professional dancer, but why not go the extra mile?  Keep reading to find out why it's so important for you to have your own website too. 

If you're already certain that pursuing a professional dance life is the right move for you, you may want to consider planning your transition now.  Here are five ways you can start preparing for dance life after graduation.

Any one of us can be in business simply by filling a need.  That's what Erin Carpenter, founder of Nude Barre, did.  According to her feature in Dance Spirit, Erin turned one of her biggest dance problems into a successful business.  

Conferences are often viewed as a bit lofty for lesser known companies or independent choreographers, and I never attended them because of this image.  However, I recently put my big girl leggings on and attended a big dance industry conference for the first time.  

Here’s a behind-the-scenes look on how I built new connections and gained new career insight at a dance conference. 

What you believe about any given situation will always trump your actions surrounding it. In fact, limiting beliefs are one of the biggest obstacles you may face, and they get you nowhere fast.

If you truly want to reach your goals, financial or otherwise, it’s critical that you align your thoughts with your actions. Here are a few tips to help you level up your mindset, which will, in turn, help you level up your money too.  

Traditionally, dancers have just figured things out along the way. But instead of fumbling through your journey until you find something that works, you should approach your dance career like the business that it is from the very beginning. Here are five things that every dancer should do when building their career.

A lot of artists have the same problem. They work like mad, and yet they can’t survive those lean months between jobs. They live paycheck to paycheck, and are absolutely desperate for that next job because they don’t know if they’ll survive until it comes along.  Fortunately, I now know how to staunch the flow. Now I’m positively thriving, and I didn’t need more cash to do it.

So what finally worked? What do I now teach my money mindset clients?  Budgeting. I don’t care if you’ve heard it or tried it before. This one actually works. 

Once you've been working for a bit, getting work becomes about more than just how well you move.  At a certain point, people will begin to talk about your talent AND your work ethic and attitude.  Keeping some basic guidelines in mind will get you far, but here's the secret that will get you even further.