Sisters Involved in Tippi Toes’ Early Days Now Successful Multi-Unit Owners

Growing up, sisters Kasey Pazdernik and Kelly Keller both loved teaching and being around kids. Kasey went to school for education in Corpus Christi, and Kelly would babysit and teach preschool. While away at college, Kasey began working as a teacher with Tippi Toes dance lesson company and fell in love with the job. 

“She would come home for summers and school breaks and talk about this great job she had and would show me these recital dances that she was learning with Tippi Toes. She was obsessed with it,” said Keller. She explained that watching her sister gloat about the business for many years interested her.

Keller had plenty of connections with preschools and from babysitting, and the two thought that purchasing a Tippi Toes franchise was a great option to be in control of their own destiny. They signed an agreement for the Houston territory in 2013. 

“I was sad about leaving teaching but realized I can touch many more children's lives through Tippi Toes. We're able to impact thousands of children and families. We took the leap, and here we are nine years later,” said Keller.

The sisters then went on in 2015 to purchase the Corpus Christi territory from founder Sarah Nuse, whom Pazdernik had been a teacher under for many years. In 2019, Keller and Pazdernik purchased the Sugarland territory. 

They have seen great success in the years since. When they first hit 100 students enrolled in their first year, the two got matching tattoos of the Tippi Toes logo. They have since hit the 1,000 students marker back in early 2020 and were one of the franchise system’s first owners to have 500 students.  Pazdernik and Keller also won Rookie of the Year their very first year, won Owner of the Year twice, were recognized for having the highest class average, and won a Wisdom Award. 

“Next year, we will sign a new contract for the Houston territory, another 10-year agreement. So that's a big milestone coming up that we're excited about,” said Pazdernik. 

The pair aims to expand their reach with Tippi Toes and are working on building their infrastructure to reach thousands of children in each city. Keller says their goal is to double or triple their impact. 

“There's definitely room for growth within our cities, and we want to have tons of great teachers on our team to mentor and lead,” Keller added.  

The startup costs to open a Tippi Toes Dance Company franchise range from $52,100 to $69,100, including a $35,000 franchise fee. For more information, visit https://www.tippitoesdance.com/franchise/.