We had the good fortune of connecting with Noah Lands and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Noah, what do you attribute your success to?
The most important factor behind our success is a combination of three key elements. First, we’ve always maintained a strong sense of family and loyalty within the company. This culture creates an environment where everyone feels valued and motivated to contribute their best. Second, we embrace our 10 core values, which not only drive innovation and change but also encourage us to take calculated risks—an essential aspect of growth. Our main goal and Core Value #1 is to always “Deliver ‘WOW’ through service.” Finally, the value of philanthropy and giving back is at the heart of what we do. We believe that success is not just about what we achieve, but also about how we can make a positive impact on the world around us. These guiding principles help us stay grounded while continually striving for excellence.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am the Founder, Owner, and CEO of KAR Productions, a powerhouse in the competitive dance industry. With over four decades of experience, I have grown as a leader, innovator, and philanthropist. Under my leadership, KAR Productions has grown to encompass a family of esteemed brands, including Kids Artistic Revue (KAR), Rainbow Dance Competition, Ultra Dance Competition, KAR Dance Conventions, Rainbow Dance Conventions, KAR Live, Refresh Dance Conventions, Industry Dance Awards, Dancers Against Cancer (DAC), Hollywood Dance Experience, and New York City Dance Experience. Together, these brands host over 170 live events annually, inspiring hundreds of thousands of dancers across the United States and beyond. We have warehouses and headquarters around the country from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and, of course, Atlanta. Never in my wildest dreams did I think we would be operating nationwide.

What sets us apart is our family-oriented spirit. We want everyone that attends our events to feel like family. From our staff to our judges to all of the dance teachers, we take pride in truly building a wholesome family culture. We have always done our best to remain cutting-edge and on the cusp of the most user-friendly technology. It makes our clients and the families that we serve much happier with our product because we truly do our best to make sure things are simple and easy-to-function for them.

Building a business is never easy. But it is easier when you truly enjoy your mission and move with your grand purpose in mind. They say, you have to love what you. I stand by that, and I love who I do this with. There will always be ups and downs, but you have to love and trust the people around you who are building it with you.

My biggest challenge which is also the best challenge to have is the fact that the company has grown exponentially since the days when I was out touring and physically at all of our events. When it really started growing, it started growing quickly. It began to get more difficult to stay in touch and really build strong relationships with all of my clients. As I’ve stated, I’ve always been close with my clients and made sure they felt like family. So once we started truly growing, I had a hard time with not being able to truly connect with all of my clients like I used to. However, this is why I created the Dance Teachers’ Summit where I invite all of my clients, dance studio owners – no matter how small or large your studio or how long you’ve been in business. This is a safe space where I’m able to hear their honest feedback and get their opinion on their experiences at our events. So even though I am not on tour seeing them at our dance competitions, I’m now able to meet them face-to-face and have a weekend focused on this niche community where we are able to connect on a deeper level.

What I want the world to know about me is that I am and will always be a litte boy from Ohio. I’ll always be that same little Ohio with big dreams. I never forget where I came from. If I can build what I’ve built, so can you. Anything is possible.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
There are many incredible spots that I would take a friend to have the best time ever! Atlanta is full of culture, great sightseeing, cool historical spots, and of course – delicious food!

I love strolling, sightseeing and shopping, so our first stop is Buckhead and Piedmont Park. It’s beautiful scenery in the middle of a major city. I love Broadway, so it would be fun to catch a show at the historic Fox Theater.
Coca-Cola is my guilty pleasure, therefore, I would take my guest to The World Of Coca-Cola. That’s iconic.
There are incredible hole in the wall restaurants and amazing chains like The Varsity that are a must-try.
Learning the history of a city is always important, so it would be great to check out the Atlanta Cyclorama.
I even enjoy landmarks with great stories, even if its a little bit spooky. Murder Kroger is a longtime Atlanta lore.
For me, shopping and eating a local spots is my favorite thing is so many different neighborhoods of Atlanta.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I must give credit to my entire team! From the executive team – our VP’s of Production Adrian Ruiz and Michelle Keefe to our administrative customer service team to our fantastic team of Competition Directors and our hard-working road warriors. And of course, I cannot forget out talented and top-notch judges. I am always so grateful for their dedication to create the best dance competition experience in the industry. This company has been something that my entire family has been involved in since day one. The story of KAR could not be written without them. I have been very lucky to see this team grow from just a few room full of people to hundreds of staff that can fill an entire theater. Thank you to the entire KAR Productions family!

Website: imadanceragainstcancer.com ; dancekar.com

Instagram: @imadanceragainstcancer ; @dancekar

Facebook: https://facebook.com/dancekar

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dancekar

Other: ultradancetour.com
rainbowdance.com

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