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What if the thing you started for fun after work turned into a national business?

Jami Stigliano, founder of DivaDance, joins me to talk about how a frustrating experience in a competitive New York dance class led her to create something entirely different. She originally started teaching classes because she wanted a space that felt welcoming, social, and confidence-building rather than intimidating. Over time, what began as a casual side project (what she jokingly calls her “manicure money”) evolved into a growing company and a franchise business with dozens of locations.

Jami shares how listening to customers from other cities helped her realize the concept could scale, and how franchising allowed the brand to expand using other people’s investment rather than opening every location herself.

We dive into the practical side of entrepreneurship, including questioning limiting beliefs about growth, implementing EOS business systems to create accountability, and thinking about health the same way you think about running a company by paying attention to the data.

Along the way, Jami shares the personal rituals that keep her grounded: dancing regularly, teaching classes she loves, and holding onto the joy that started the journey in the first place.

You’ll Learn:

[00:00] Introduction

[04:44] Renting spaces instead of owning, the asset-light model born from necessity, not strategy

[06:40] Why Jami chose franchising, how it actually works, and the two DivaDance franchise paths

[14:13] Three near-breaking moments and the delusional confidence required to push through them

[21:53] Having kids at 41 and 43, building systems that enabled maternity leave, and reframing working-parent guilt

[28:55] Running physical health like a business: blood panels, KPIs, and what her parents' opposite trajectories taught her

[34:26] Discovering EOS/Traction at 50 franchises, right-people-right-seats restructuring, and the hardest year in DivaDance history

[40:15] Paying yourself fairly, outsourcing home tasks, and questioning whether you actually need that employee

[47:15] Jami's daily reset: diet Coke, teaching class, and doom-scrolling her own camera roll

Resources Mentioned:

Traction by Gino Wickman | Book

Entrepreneur Operating System (EOS) | Website

Burn Boot Camp | Website

DivaDance Franchise Opportunities | Website

Find more from Jami:

DivaDance | Website

DivaDance | Instagram

Jami Stigliano | Instagram

Find more from Emily:

Success, Rewritten | Website

Success, Rewritten | Instagram

Bipolar Brought Balance | Website

Bipolar Brought Balance | Instagram

Emily LoMenzo Washcovick | Instagram

If you’re ready to redefine success in a way that supports both achievement and well-being, subscribe to my YouTube channel, follow me on Instagram, and join us at Success, Rewritten.

What happens when a manic episode interrupts a high-achieving life that looks successful on paper?

Welcome to Success, Rewritten. I’m your host, Emily, and from the outside, my corporate career in tech was accelerating. I had moved across the country to work at Yelp, built a reputation supporting small business owners, and hosted more than 200 interviews with entrepreneurs. Ambition, achievement, and professional identity had always defined me.

In my late twenties, a manic episode led to a bipolar disorder diagnosis. Years later, an adult ADHD diagnosis forced me to examine the relationship between mental health and high performance. I began asking a question many driven professionals wrestle with: Is the version of success we’re chasing sustainable for our well-being?

In this first episode, I’m joined by my friend Shelby, a grief coach, three-time author, and podcast host, who helps guide the conversation and unpack the foundation behind this show.

Today, I speak openly about bipolar disorder, mania, ADHD, burnout, resilience, and the pressure of ambition in corporate and entrepreneurial spaces. I’m committed to redefining success so it supports both achievement and mental health, and creating space for more honest conversations about identity and the courage to choose a different path.

You’ll Learn:

[00:00] Introduction

[07:05] The risky move to a big city that might actually have been hypomania

[14:50] Building and hosting a 200+ episode podcast and tying identity to achievement

[25:10] What mania actually feels like from the inside

[29:50] A mental health crisis and hospitalization that forced everything to stop

[33:12] The hidden mental health patterns that can shape major life decisions

[37:01] When doctors warned her dream job might not support bipolar instability

[39:25] The surprising performance boost from sleep, boundaries, and no multitasking

[52:58] Losing career stability and discovering the freedom to bet on yourself

[56:00] The promise behind this show and why other people’s stories can reshape your own

Resources Mentioned:

Rogers Behavioral Health | Website

Find more from Emily:

Success, Rewritten | Website

Success, Rewritten | Instagram

Bipolar Brought Balance | Website

Bipolar Brought Balance | Instagram

Emily LoMenzo Washcovick | Instagram