The MTS TapRoom: the Multi-Teacher Studio Program for the rest of us

What do we want from a TapRoom?

  • A refreshing answer to the high-priced-low-touch mega brews that masquerade as local brewhouses.
  • We want true microbrews – from a custom Root Beer to a slightly too sweet Sassparilla to a mighty fine high grade citrusy but not too bitter East Coast IPA, we want an experience that truly cares about the craft.
  • And that’s how we at SECO feel about multi-teacher studios. We want a place that truly cares about every. Single. Customer. And. Teacher.
  • We want the answer to the studio growth industry machine that insists that bigger is always better and that edging up against employment law is ethical.
  • We want a BRAVE and KIND space to ask the questions that we “should already to know the answer to”.
    And we want it to be as gritty and genuine as the vision we’ve been brewing since day one.

Welcome to The MTS TapRoom:

a six-module program where fiercely devoted studio owners (ummm, you) level up their leadership skills and business savvy as they design sustainable, ethical organizations for their teams and clients.

MTS TapRoom headline 2

If you’re an MTS (multi-teacher studio) owner and you are a member of SECO, you’ve already experienced the empowerment and support that SECO is known for.

 

  • Specific answers to hiring questions.
  • Building meaningful offers as an MTS instead of a solo studio.
  • Learning what it means to take budgeting more seriously.
  • Language for difficult conversations with team members.

 

It seems like the learning never ends, though.

After all, once we choose to create a team, a company, a new layer of shenanigans emerges.

If you’re an MTS owner, thoughts like this creep across your mind:

“My dream is to empower and mentor other teachers. How can I do this legally, ethically, and with strong leadership skills?”

“We always seem to have money in the bank, but my reports say we’re losing money. I don’t understand. I know I’m supposed to know something about “financials” but spreadsheets scare the bejeezus outta me…”

“I love to teach. I don’t want to give it up, but something’s gotta give. Am I still doing right by my business if I stay in the teacher role? How do I even begin to transition out when so much of the revenue comes from… me?”

“Ooooooffff. How do I build my student base and help my teachers earn more without resorting to sleazy sales tactics? I don’t WANT the churn and burn! I believe in retention and relationship!”

“What does it really mean to be a CEO? Like, really? Because some days I feel like I’m drowning and somedays I feel like a rockstar. Do any of the other MTS owners feel like I do??”

Whether you’re a beginning brewster or you’re a brewmaster, you need this studio thing to make you some money, consistently, sustainably, with way-the-heck less strain than it’s creating now.

You’ve chosen this whole new can of squiggly, messy, stinky, potentially profitable and life-giving worms.

And we’re just giddy that we get to help you manage the wiggles.

In the The MTS TapRoom, together we will:

  • Cultivate your leadership and management skills so that your wisdom shines through before your reactions do.
  • Pinpoint the specific knowledge gaps in your business’s acumen so that you are actually planning for the future and not just duct-taping solutions to get you through next month.
  • Teach you to CFO like a BeastyBoss so that budgeting and cash flow become your BFF’s instead of your frenemies, and you actually know the difference between a balance sheet and a cash flow statement.
  • Confidently and powerfully continue to re-brand and market your studio culture so that your personal brand no longer has the burden of driving the business’s success.
  • Oh, and finally sit down and write those $^%&# ORG charts, Job Descriptions, and SOPs so that you can hire (and keep!) incredible team members, and quit playing hide and seek with email templates, team handbooks, teacher scheduling, and client onboarding processes.

The MTS TapRoom is a beta program that we want YOU to help build.

As an early adopter of The MTS TapRoom, you will enjoy:

  • A totally separate SLACK workspace (not just a channel), curated with channels around things like systems, human resources, customer service, management, and finances.
  • Live it Up on the MTS TapRoom member-only Zoom sessions the first and third Wednesday of the month – one focused on training, and one focused on masterminding/group coach. These trainings will be created with the MTS owner in mind – things like how to write an effective interview process and determine payroll options.
  • Have access to an exclusive area in your SECO member Dashboard where you will be able to watch replays of said trainings
  • Access to SECO’s newest MTS-centered team members – coaches Liz Jackson Hearns and Jen Blanton – to book 1:1 sessions about MTS-specific issues.

As with all new programs in SECO, The MTS TapRoom is opening as a limited availability case study beta program.

The MTS TapRoom is overseen by Michelle Markwart Deveaux and facilitated by Jen Blanton and Liz Jackson Hearns.

Jen Blanton

Jen Blanton

Michelle Markwart Deveaux

Michelle Markwart Deveaux

Liz Jackson Hearns

Liz Jackson Hearns

The MTS TapRoom program takes you through these six modules:

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The Financials Brew:

Learn how MTS’s use money differently than independent studios. Finally understand Profit and Loss, cash flow, balance sheet, and budget!

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The Marketing Brew:

Market research and reaching your target audience, understanding your return on investment for sales, and how to shift your brand to your company (rather than yourself!).

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The Worker’s Brew:

Whether you operate as an agency or a company, discover the ins and outs of hiring, training, and even offboarding your magical workers. Become a leader AND a manager, and classify your workers ethically and legally.

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The Location Brew:

Commercial spaces? Virtual spaces? We’ve got you. Learn how to look for, negotiate, and financially consider team-based locations.

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The Customer Service Brew:

Take care of customers by taking care of your sales process and your team. Learn about customer acquisition, onboarding, support processes and philosophy of care.

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The SOPs Brew:

Get your SOPS HOPS cookin’ by learning the hows and whys of team manuals, systems that work for a team-based business, and how standard operating procedures reduce effort and increase impact.

It is a six module program that takes place from July 25, 2022 through January 31, 2023.

 

We will meet on the first and third Wednesdays of the month from 7am-9am Pacific.

We will open our new Slack workspace on July 25, 2022.

We want you to start digging in, asking questions, and getting to know one another right away!

Our first Zoom meeting will be on August 3, 2022 at 7am pacific.

Other important dates:

Training Sessions:
8/3
9/7
10/5
11/2
12/7
1/4

Group Coaching Sessions:
8/17
9/21
10/19
11/16
12/21
1/25 (4th Wed)

The Investment

Participating in The MTS TapRoom is a 4-part investment.

There’s the investment of time you’re making for yourself and your business. Participating in sessions by attending and/or watching all trainings, sharing support, giving constructive input, being brave in discussion in our private Slack Workspace, and holding yourself accountable for the outcomes of breakouts and group coaching and planning sessions.

There’s the relational investment you’re making in the others in the group. You’ll get the best results from the MTS TapRoom when you set the intention to not just show up for yourself but to show up for others too. A rising tide raises all ships.

There’s the feedback investment you’ll give to FaithCultureKiss. Since we are offering this as a beta program, we are pricing this at the minimum cost to deliver it. You’ll be offering feedback throughout the program so that we are meeting your needs and can continue to build for future success. If you enjoy being part of creating great things, this is definitely for you.

And then, of course, there’s the financial investment.

The MTS TapRoom is beta priced at $1500.

Payment plans:

Pay in full
6 months of $250
3 months of $500

*Please reach out to Michelle if none of these work for you. As with all our higher-ticket programs, we are more concerned with accessible pricing plans than upfront payments. If this is for you, we will find a way.

Getting Started

 

  1. Click the button and pick your payment option or email Michelle.
  2. We will invite you to the Slack Workspace. All your onboarding will be done in SLACK.
  3. Fill out the “get to know you” form so that we have an idea of where you are starting this business from and what changes you expect you’ll need to make.*
  4. We have our first meeting on August 3.

*If we review your form and it is obvious that this is not a good fit for you, we will refund your purchase price minus the fees. We encourage any and all questions so you can be sure you know what you’re signing up for!

Please read this Important information about Our Etiquette (click to expand)

In order to make the most of our collective amazingness, we come to the The MTS TapRoom in the same way that we do in all FaithCultureKiss Studio offerings – with a framework that leads our conversations.

Discussions in The MTS TapRoom are based on individuals sharing their personal observations and experiences – not full of “should-based” advice or coaching without consent.

We honor and embrace that we all come to the The MTS TapRoom with many varied experiences, stories, and powerful sets of skills and expertise. Your knowledge is coveted here, and we know that you bring savvy, spunk, and wisdom to the table. Sometimes, with so many powerful humans in one space, it can get tricky to navigate the conversation and to feel we are contributing in a beneficial and healthy way– a way that respects others’ mental and emotional boundaries.

You have a TON to share and teach us and you want to create a culture that values collaboration and agency.

With this in mind, toggle here to learn our framework:

This is always invited to be part of the conversation:

  • Your own experiences as a human, creator, and business owner: we value your transparency, vulnerability, and cleverness
  • Your own experience working with customers or clients: we value the examples of problem-solving and execution you can offer
  • Your observations of the market: we value seeing things through your eyes and the patterns that you’re noticing
  • Your experiences and observations as a consumer: we value your life-long experience as someone who buys stuff!
  • Your questions: we value your curiosity

This is okay to add with explicit consent (i.e. just ask!):

  • Your expertise: sometimes it’s absolutely appropriate to share your knowledge and skills once you’ve asked the person who will receive it if that’s the kind of feedback or support they’re open to.
  • Your monologue-ing: The MTS TapRoom isn’t the type of group that is here to listen to everything you’ve already figured out for yourself. We are here to get messy and muddy.

Never okay:

  • Centering: Centering ourselves in a conversation isn’t the best way to let others know that they are heard. There is a fine line between offering “what works for me” and “I’m making this about me”.
  • Passive Aggression: While we don’t imagine hurtful things to occur between members, if an offense occurs, we expect members to speak with one another kindly and directly with honesty, humility, and the expectation of resolution.
  • Solicitation: while we totally support our members doing business with each other, it’s never okay to approach another member to sell them your services without first being invited to… and no DMing proposals or links to services or offers.
  • Harassment or bullying: while it might seem obvious, it’s worth saying explicitly that harassment & bullying is never tolerated.

The Fck Team works hard to create inclusive offers at all levels of the company. This membership is no different. We honor our differences and invite all group members to bring their full identities to the table.

We expect every group member to contribute to creating an environment that empowers everyone to participate, values our different experiences and backgrounds, works to combat colonization and harmful cultural conditioning, and improves our overall wellbeing as individuals. We expect there to be moments of discomfort and we expect each member to be responsive instead of reactive when discomfort occurs.

My friend Tara said it best, so I will share a quote from her:

“While explicit rules like this can feel awkward at first, we’ve found that they help create a more inclusive, dynamic, and—ultimately—effective conversation that we can all learn and grow from.”

Indeed.

Michelle, Jen, and Liz are extraordinarily thrilled to be able to host The MTS Taproom for existing SECO members.
We are ready to change an industry, take on the toxic systems that Multi-Teacher Studios are encouraged to use, and teach studio owners to take seriously their essential role in the continuing education of the independent voice teacher.

SOLD OUT!

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