School of Rock COO Stacey Ryan on Navigating Crises, Change, Leadership, and Empowerment

Empowering Leadership and Innovation with Stacey Ryan of School of Rock

In this episode of Between Two COOs, host Michael Koenig interviews Stacey Ryan, the COO of School of Rock, a global music school franchise. Despite common beliefs, the School of Rock predated its namesake 2003 film, with Stacey clarifying that the film was, in fact, inspired by the school’s real-life operations. Stacey discusses the significant impact of the global pandemic on the business, highlighting the shift to remote music lessons as a major innovation that the School has retained post-pandemic. She emphasizes the importance of community and mental health support for students, demonstrating how challenges like COVID-19 spurred innovation and team cohesion within School of Rock. Additionally, Stacey delves into operational challenges, the franchise model, and strategic international expansion. She also speaks on her personal journey, shedding light on creating frontwoman.org, a nonprofit focused on empowering women leaders across industries. Throughout the episode, Stacey shares insights on leadership, the value of community, and the transformative power of music education.

00:00 Welcome to Between Two COOs: Meet Stacey Ryan
00:28 The Real School of Rock: Beyond the Movie
00:52 Empowering Women Leaders: The Mission of frontwoman.org
02:10 Navigating Challenges: The Pandemic's Impact on School of Rock
05:27 Innovating Through Crisis: Adapting to a Pandemic World
08:58 Building a Community: The Power of Music and Belonging
12:49 Operational Excellence: Stacey's Approach to Efficiency
22:28 Expanding Horizons: International Growth and Master Franchising
31:25 Empowering Future Leaders: The Vision Behind frontwoman.org
40:40 Closing Thoughts and Future Directions