Diandra Hofer’s journey is one of resilience, faith, and personal growth. After facing profound personal losses and stepping into the unknown of business ownership, she found herself at a crossroads—choosing to move forward despite exhaustion, doubts, and an overwhelming learning curve. Through it all, Diandra has remained steadfast, guided by her faith and a strong support network. Her story is a testament to the power of embracing discomfort, seeking help when needed, and finding balance in the midst of chaos. Diandra’s ability to reflect, adapt, and continue pursuing her passion for dance and community is truly inspiring.
What specific challenges did you face in balancing your physical and mental well-being with
your career?
When the opportunity to start our business came up, I had just come out of a solid year of
grief and recovery in losing a family member to a fast cancer battle, as well as losing a pregnancy well
into the 2nd trimester. I still felt like I was “reeling” and physically was still recovering from the loss of
our baby. At the same time, the strong sense of calling to this new thing lit a new fire and hope within me. It’s been difficult to balance both continued healing and the added new stresses of business ownership, but I’m learning to focus on what I can do each day, or sometimes each moment to help both my mind and body re-set and be more resilient to the challenges and stressors. I am also a homeschool mom, and it’s been a crazy learning curve to figure out how to be present. It’s hard not to feel guilty when you’re with your kids that you’re not working, or vise versa.
Can you describe a pivotal moment when you decided to rebuild and move forward with renewed strength?
I really can’t give credit to anything else other than praying and feeling 100% confident that God was
asking me to step into something new. When you are asked to do something, He provides the strength to follow it through, and while I might doubt myself and my abilities, I don’t doubt His.
How did you handle the exhaustion and doubts during your transition?
Sometimes not very well, if we’re being honest! There were many tears and down days where I gave
into the doubts and wasn’t sure how to move forward. “Am I actually qualified to do this?” “I really just
wanted a quiet life and this feels like the opposite” “I’m too tired for this. I can’t maintain this”
Ultimately I needed to remind myself of truth. That I was equipped. That while it may not be a quiet life, I can choose to create space and quiet amidst outter chaos. That while this is tiring, it’s all worth it if what I’m doing can have a positive impact.
What practices or strategies helped you regain confidence in your calling?
At the beginning it was just so obvious that it was the right thing to do. I had many confirmations
through the people around me and just myself KNOWING this was right. That doesn’t mean everyone
was behind me, but people I trusted were. I had to intentionally remind myself to go back to the
beginning. Remembering those words, remembering the initial inspiration, recalling the way that it felt,
and probably asking God way too many times “Is this really what you said to do” and always
experiencing peace in the answer. I also made sure to talk with people who would encourage me and build me up in times of questioning.
Can you share an example of how embracing discomfort led to personal growth?
Oh man. So many things have been wildly uncomfortable in this process. My skills are in program
formation, directing programming, artistic skills like choreography, teaching, and forming relationships
with students. Pretty much all things business have been outside my comfort zone. Having to step up and be confident that I can still learn new things has brought a lot of growth in doing things scared, and being okay not knowing how to do everything right away. It’s also been a growth process to learn when it’s okay to let an expert take care of something that does not come naturally to me.
How did you navigate the process of transitioning into business ownership?
I had a great foundation of the core dance programming that had been laid out by the previous studio
owner of 40 years. Making sure to glean from all of her processes and what she had learned, while still
making sure to venture out in new areas and make updates, was very important.
What role did self-evaluation play in your journey of transformation?
I wouldn’t have made it had I not been solid in knowing where my identity lies. It’s not in dance, in being a dancer or dance teacher or business owner. My identity is that I am a child of God. There’s so much protection in knowing that. You can get shaken pretty hard if your identity is wrapped up in the job title or thing that you do. I know that all of this could fall away, and I’m still that most important thing. I’m still a child who is protected and loved by her Father.
How do you maintain balance between your personal well-being and your professional responsibilities?
There were definitely times in the last year or two that I got caught up in the task list and missed out on sleep, good food, relaxation etc. Usually our body is pretty good at putting out the warning signal that it’stime to slow down, so I’ve been practicing listening to those cues and making sure I take a few minutes, half a day, whatever is needed to intentionally rest and give my body what it needs. Acknowledging that everything will be okay if you take a step back for a moment is hard, but it’s a lie we tell ourselves that you have to constantly go-go-go or it will all fall apart… even though I can relate to feeling that way!
Can you discuss a time when you felt stuck and how you managed to overcome it?
At some point after we opened, the adrenaline wore off. The beginnings are so wild with constant “new” and movement, and it’s exciting! After settling in I hit such a wall of exhaustion and discouragement knowing that I literally could not continue at the same pace I had started with. I did feel stuck wearing all the hats of a business and not knowing where to start to fix it. I think it took me a while to realize how miserable I was feeling, but acknowledging that is in fact how overwhelmed I was, was important. I had my meltdown, cried to my husband, and prayed for help. I scheduled a meeting with an organization that helps women in business, as well as another mentor who had been running a large non profit for years. It was amazing to have outside eyes look at myself and my business and say “hey, it sounds like these are the areas you should be handling, and these are things you should find a way to hand off”. In a way I needed that confirmation that I wasn’t crazy for feeling so overwhelmed.
What advice would you give to someone who feels overwhelmed by their current situation?
Take a step back, quiet the noise for a bit, and take an evaluation of what is working well. Sometimes we pass over what we are doing right as we sit in overwhelm. Then be honest with yourself look at what is feeling chaotic and what’s not working. Get someone else involved, a friend, a mentor, somebody who can see things differently than you and give you some different perspective and direction. We really don’t have to be alone! In my case, that has been all that I’ve needed to be able to take a deep breath with new perspective and keep moving.
How do you stay motivated and passionate about your work amidst challenges?
I have to remind myself to play! I work in the arts, and if I get to bogged down by the business side
of our operation, I feel so drained. Even if you’re not in the arts, every sector has some aspect of
creativity. Take time to explore and have fun (in my case, just to dance without any plan or direction). It
reminds you why you love the area you’re in. Another thing I can do is just take a second to really look at the kids/people I work with. Man, I love them! That’s all the motivation I need!
What is one key lesson you’ve learned from owning your dance studio?
That I cannot act like I’m superhuman… that I can’t do it alone. I’m so thankful for my foundation in God and knowing that he will supply my every need, as well as for the strong community of people around me. It’s okay to ask for help, it’s okay to be vulnerable. I’ve also had to learn that perfectionistic standards are going to get me nowhere! There is so much value in learning to let go, to let things not be perfect.
How do you support your own mental health while managing multiple projects?
Brain shut-downs (in a healthy way) are a must. Getting out in nature, taking a nap, playing with my
family, exercise, a bath. It doesn’t have to be complicated, but giving yourself permission to NOT
multi-task, turn off all tasks in your head, and just BE in a rejuvenating activity helps me re-set.
Sometimes you don’t feel like you have time when you’re spinning so many plates, but if you have 10
minutes to check out, you’re going to go back to the to do list stronger and feeling more sane.
What impact has your dance studio had on the community and yourself?
I grew up in the studio that I currently own, and can honestly say I do not know what my life would have looked like without it. Dance itself has been such an important outlet for me, and the relationships and opportunities that have come from this studio community have been huge blessings. I think our studio is unique in that have a small family feel, and we are more focused on the arts and community. We love the art of dance and the way it communicates, and have been able to take that to churches, schools, parks, wherever there’s opportunity to share. We have so many alumni that come back because the studio was a place that felt like a safe home, and they’re drawn to visit again. That’s actually where our new studio name came from. “Haven”. We want to create a space where students can come be loved on, mentored, and express themselves through dance.
How do you envision the future of your dance studio and other creative projects?
I just see a place full of joy and creativity! When I took over ownership, we knew that we wanted this to
be a “Collective”, a community. We started with piano lessons alongside our dance program, and now we just opened a full music and podcast production studio and will also have guitar lessons. I foresee other arts coming alongside our current programming in the years to come! Dance will always be our center, but I’m just so excited to see our beautiful space become a hub for all things artistic.
IG: @havenartscollective
W: https://www.havenartscollective.com/
