Dancing her way to business success

Ali Goldfield, mother of two dancers, was inspired to create an online consignment shop where parents can buy and sell outgrown dance costumes

Ali Goldfield is quite the busybody.

The Ottawa mom offers psychological advice through her online blog, works as a part-time psychotherapist, coaches clients through her social media company, ADR, and now runs an online dancewear consignment boutique – all on top of being a parent.

One might wonder how the mother of two manages to spend time with her kids while keeping several businesses afloat. For Goldfield, it’s a matter of prioritizing.

“There’s always something

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that has to be done,” says Goldfield, 42. “You have to say there’s no way [that] in one day you’re going to get everything done, so what’s the most important?”

Her first concern is always her girls, who are budding dancers. Rachel, 10, takes jazz, tap, hip-hop and ballet, and Diana, 12, takes jazz, ballet and lyrical.

And Goldfield’s newest business, Second Act Dance Wear, launched last April, was born of her daughters’ passions, inspired by a common problem among parents with children enrolled in dance classes: what to do with expensive, outgrown costumes?

Goldfield’s website (secondactdancewear.com) is an online consignment shop – meaning Goldfield sells the used goods for owners at a lower cost than new – where parents can buy and sell dance gear, including costumes, leotards, shoes, and more. Gymnastics and figure skating equipment is also available.

As all parents of dancers know, says Goldfield, costumes can cost hundreds of dollars, but buying and selling them through her online shop offers the chance to save a few precious dollars or to recycle costumes no longer needed.

In the few months since the launch, business has steadily increased and really picked up over the summer, says Goldfield. Although for now, the business is largely community-based, it remains a priority for her.

The benefits of running her own business, Goldfield says, include expanding her social network and meeting other entrepreneurial moms.

“There’s a whole network of [entrepreneur moms] out there,” says Goldfield. “Moms helping out other moms and entrepreneurs. That’s actually been pretty cool.”

The full plate Goldfield carries may seem overwhelming, but she keeps her hectic life in perspective.

The girls’ busy dance schedule means the family does a lot of travelling to and from classes and competitions, but when at home, it is strictly family time and that means cell phones are put away.

“For me, the hardest thing is putting away my iPhone,” explains Goldfield. “Diana and I have a deal: there are no phones at the dinner table and when we’re together, I try as hard as I can to put it away.”

One important parenting lesson that translates to her business: “You come up with these plans, but you just don’t [get them done] sometimes. It’s OK, because you have tomorrow and then you’ll try your best again.”

Facebook.com/SecondActConsignmentDancewear

Twitter.com/@2ndActDancewear

Photo: Courtesy of Ali Goldfield