What started as a spontaneous scroll through Facebook quickly turned into a life-changing adventure for Catherine and Saul, the dynamic husband-and-wife duo behind babyballet® East Herts and West Essex. With backgrounds in performance and a passion for working with children, they launched their franchise in 2013 and haven’t looked back since. From their humble beginnings teaching every class themselves, to a recent expansion into a brand-new area in 2025, their journey is full of resilience, and a deep love for what they do.

In this interview, Miss Catherine and Mr Saul share how babyballet has transformed their lives and the joy it brings their family.

Can you describe your earliest experiences with babyballet?

Catherine: So, I was on Facebook one evening, scrolling mindlessly as you do. A friend of mine that I trained with had posted, “A year ago today I made the best decision of my life and signed up with babyballet!” I’m naturally a nosy person and was very interested so did a little snooping.
It all just came along at a great point in our lives. We had just transitioned from working on cruise ships, got married and, as I’m from England and Saul is from Canada, we were deciding on our place to settle. It just fell into our laps really and we fell in love with it!

Saul: We were still thinking about whether we wanted to go back into performing at that point and so this opportunity really made us consider our options.

Catherine: We decided to go from performers to business owners!

Can you remember where you were when you first got in touch about opening the babyballet® franchise?

Catherine: Yes, I remember we were sat in our bedroom when I first found out about babyballet, and I believe it was just the next morning that we sent an email. It was very quick! I was scrolling in the evening and the next morning we were like, “Let’s get in touch with head office and see how we proceed!”

What do you remember from the application process?

Catherine: It wasn’t scary at all. It instantly felt like there was a family feel. It felt so friendly and welcoming. Enquiring to become a franchisee for a brand can be quite daunting as it’s a huge change in lifestyle and you’re trying to open your own business. But I just felt so welcomed and supported all the way.

Saul: We worked closely with a lady called Caroline who worked in Head Office at the time. I think everyone across the network would agree she was, mamma babyballet! She was always there. You could always call her – whatever it was, she would always have such a lovely calming way about her, and she would just know how to help and reassure.

Catherine: We travelled up to Halifax for the open day and I think about that day a lot. It was for the audition and to meet the team – I remember feeling anxious about it. As soon as we walked through the doors, I know it sounds so cliché, but it just felt like home. It was amazing meeting Claire for the first time. Just being surrounded by these incredible and inspirational women, who instantly felt like good friends. That’s what I think makes babyballet so special – it’s the network and Head Office team. Everyone just makes you feel valued and so special.

I imagine your franchisee roles have changed quite a bit since those early days. Can you describe how your roles have changed or evolved overtime?

Catherine: At the very beginning, it was just Saul and me. I was the only teacher, and Mr Saul came along to every single class.

Saul: It was early days for a CRM system, so whilst we used that a little, we created our own systems that worked for us for communicating with people and maintaining our records. We also had the shop set up in every class – we always took everything with us!

Catherine: For around seven or eight years, I really had stepped back from teaching. We just had a great team of teachers working with us and it really allowed us to grow and develop the business. That was a huge change.

Saul: It’s funny because now that we’re opening these brand-new classes, it feels like the dream team is back again! Just the other day we found ourselves back in the car, packed to the brim, heading off to classes together.

Catherine is the reason why we’ve been able to grow so fast – she is just incredible at what she does. She really does have a passion for people – not just the kids, but the grown-ups too. They really attach themselves to her because she’s not only a great teacher, but she’s genuinely interested in them too. At one point, Catherine knew the names of every single child in around 25 classes… that’s 300 children! It’s a talent! She’s an amazing teacher and word of mouth recommendations spread quickly.

As franchisees, you’ve added several expansions over the years to grow your territory. Can you tell me more about your most recent expansion in January 2025?

Catherine: So, we started our franchise back in 2013 and it was by around 2015 that we thought about expanding into the St Alban’s area as we had expanded as far as we could have in the other direction. It was around this time that we had our two children – this was an amazing period of our lives filled with joy.
Unfortunately, my mum then passed away and shortly after my dad had a stroke. It was a difficult time and then Covid happened. Obviously, lockdown wasn’t the right time to start expanding. Once lockdown lifted, we made the decision to put our efforts into building our current areas of East Herts and West Essex back up, ready for a future expansion.

Eventually, we received a gentle push in the right direction! Harry, from the Franchise and Sales team got in touch to let us know that someone else was interested in the St Alban’s area. He wanted to give us first refusal, knowing that this is an area we’ve had our hearts set on for a long time.
It just gave us that push that we needed to think, “Now is the right time to do this!” I don’t know how many times over the last few weeks we’ve both said how great it feels to have finally made the decision to expand. It’s been our goal for years. We’ve done our initial launch but it’s a big area so we’re busy recruiting and training teachers, ready to grow.

What would you say is the most rewarding aspect of being part of babyballet?

Catherine: One of mine is being able to share my love of dance with so many young children. I love the fact that this is our job – it’s such a lovely way to make a living. I never wake up in the morning thinking, “Goodness, I don’t want to go to work today!” I think being part of such a supportive, friendly and welcoming network is also a huge thing for me. What do you think Saul?

Saul: I agree. I always say that I feel very fortunate to be able to do something that is positive in this world. When we get up, we are making a difference in people’s lives. We’re creating a space for joy and happiness where children and grown-ups can go and bond and develop strong family ties and friendships.
Lots of people go to their job and find that they switch off or just can’t really engage with it because it’s not something they are passionate about. But working with babyballet, it’s such a wonderful thing that we do and brings us so much joy.

How do you find the work- life balance of being a babyballet franchisee?

Catherine: The balance for us has been incredible. We have been able to work and raise our children which was so important for us. We can be there for every sports day and assembly – that’s just everything isn’t it?
Before my mum passed away, I could take her to every appointment and be there whilst she was having chemotherapy. Since having a stroke, my dad now lives with us. We can work but also be here to look after him. There are lots of positives.

Saul: There are so many benefits to the work-life balance. Our kids have really become accustomed to the fact that Mommy and Daddy are always around and can always be there at school events, for example volunteering for field trips and clubs. As they’re getting older, they’re starting to realise how privileged we are as a family to be able to be so involved in school life. I know they’re super grateful for that.
The business has afforded us a wonderful lifestyle where we get to put family first and still make enough money to support our family as well.

What are the most challenging aspects of being a babyballet franchisee?

Saul: I’d say most of our frustrations come from the systems side of running a business – managing our social media accounts, Google Ads Manager and Meta Ads Manager. It happens because you’re dealing with websites and computer systems, and they don’t always function the way they’re supposed to.
On the actual business side of things, we’ve been very fortunate, I think. We’ve got a great team! I think one of the benefits of coming from a performing background is that we know what it’s like to be a contract worker and to feel really valued and treated well. We’ve really made a point to invest in our teaching team and make sure that they know how valued they are and how much we appreciate what they do. We’ve got a great team, and they’ve stayed with us for a really long time.

One of the nice things about Head Office is that if there is an issue, or there’s something you don’t understand or agree with, the door is always open for feedback and the team genuinely listen.

Do you have any advice for franchisees in the early stages ages of just starting out and setting up?

Saul: I think it is more challenging to set up in today’s landscape compared to when we did it in 2013. Back then, we were the only pre-school dance classes in our area and there was less competition. So not only did we have the best ballet teacher in the world, Miss Catherine, but there weren’t other people specialising in what we specialised in.
The social media scene has changed so much too. You weren’t required to pay for everything – you could thrive on organic growth. If people like your page, they’d follow it and send it to their friends – simple!
Whilst there is a lot to learn and do, remember that babyballet is the best brand out there for preschool dance in the UK.

Catherine: I would say that it’s important to remember why you bought into a franchise. You’ve bought into a network – use it and be proud of it. Reach out to your fellow franchisees on a friendship level and a support level. I can’t help but think a ‘Miss Catherine’s Dance School’ just wouldn’t have anywhere near the magic of this incredible brand that has been built.
It can really help to find a mentor near your area too. You could meet for a coffee or lunch and talk through anything you’re struggling with. We did this with Miss Jessie who runs babyballet Dartford, Bexley and Bromley. For example, before we started running shows, we asked for advice and went to help at Miss Jessie’s shows. This gave us a great insight, ready for when we launched our first show.

Saul: The other thing I would say is that you have to use social media. You must advertise – it’s the way forward. You can’t be chancy about it! It can feel like a lot of money when you’re first starting your classes but it’s how it works. It’s so important to get your name out there in the local area. When people come to your classes and start loving them, they’ll start tagging you. The algorithms sit-up and notice, “Oh! This place is popular, and they advertise with us!” That’s when it all builds and ties together.

What are you both looking forward to most about the year ahead?

Catherine: For me, it would be continuing to grow a new area. We’d like to get those new classes well established, and then hopefully in September, branch out into Welwyn Garden City and other areas.
I always look forward to our show, which we do every July. It’s just the most magical day! So much work, but on the day, it’s just pure bliss and magic.

Saul: The conference! We call it the ‘pink booster!’ It really boosts the babyballet cup. It’s great getting to meet the network. We have fun, share some laughs and learn new things. Feeling collectively proud of the brand and really flying that pink flag.

If you had to sum up babyballet in just 3 words, what would they be?

Catherine:
1. Joy
2. Inclusive
3. Magical

Saul:
1. Joy
2. Inclusive
3. Family

Catherine and Saul’s story is a shining example of how passion, perseverance, and partnership can create something truly special. From their first babyballet class in 2013 to their exciting expansion in 2025, they’ve built more than just a business. They’ve created a joyful community for children and families to connect, dance and grow together. As they continue their journey, one thing’s for sure: the future is full of babyballet sparkle for this inspiring duo!

Would you like to find out more about becoming a babyballet franchisee? Find out more here and book a call with Kelly, our Franchise Sales Lead.