One Year In: Building Marketing Movez

May 2026 marks one year since Marketing Movez came to life. What started as a simple idea between two dancers slowly took shape through long conversations, late nights, and a shared desire to stay connected to the community that raised us.

This past year came with uncertainty, small wins, and a handful of moments that made everything click. From the first time Stew and I crossed paths to finding our way back to each other years later to build something real, this is a look at how it all came together, and where we’re heading next.

When Marc Met Stew

The first time I saw Stew was around 2001. He was in the middle of a club circle, completely in control. The kind of presence you don’t question. You just watch. I remember standing on the outside, impressed, but too quiet to step in and introduce myself.

A couple of years later, I found myself performing at a club night that barely had a crowd. Eleven people in the room, including staff. I remember standing in the washroom before going on, looking at myself in the mirror, questioning everything. It felt like one of those moments where you either shrink or decide who you are.

Stew was one of those eleven people. I didn’t know it then, but that was the beginning.

Years later, as I stepped into directing my first dance company, Stew kept showing up. Supporting. Watching. Occasionally stepping in and sharing the stage. His presence carried weight in the community, and being connected to that gave me a level of credibility I hadn’t earned yet on my own.

In 2006, he invited me to join his crew, Over the Influence. That moment shifted everything. For the first time, I had someone guiding my energy, helping me shape raw drive into something more intentional. We represented Canada at the World Hip Hop Championships that year. By 2007, we were travelling across the country, performing and teaching. By 2008, we had built a name in the Vancouver street dance scene.

Then in 2009, it ended. The crew disbanded, and we went our separate ways. Stew continued building his presence, eventually becoming a founding member of The Faculty. I went deeper into directing, creating with Sick Stylz Symphony and producing stage shows and dance films.

For the next 15 years, we stayed connected. Not through business, but through respect. Through friendship. Through a shared understanding of what dance gave us.

Marc and Stew celebrating his 30th birthday

The Shift That Led to Marketing Movez

By 2016, I had stepped deeper into the film industry, building a career as an assistant director. It pushed my creative instincts in a new way. Structure. Timing. Precision. Story at scale. Then in 2023, everything slowed down.

The industry strikes forced a pause that a lot of us weren’t prepared for. Work became uncertain, and it pushed me to think differently about stability, about ownership, and about how I wanted to spend my time moving forward.

I kept coming back to dance. Not just teaching, but the community. The studios. The people trying to build something meaningful without the time or support to share it properly. I had spent years developing skills outside of dance. Design. Video. Storytelling. Communication. It started to feel like all of it was pointing somewhere.

At the same time, Stew was still deeply connected to the scene. He understood the culture in real time. What studios were doing. What they needed. Where things felt stuck. When you put those pieces together, the idea became clear.

Marketing Movez wasn’t just about offering services. It was about building something that could support dance studios in a way that actually made sense. Content that reflects their culture. Systems that keep them visible. Communication that keeps families connected.

I brought the idea to Stew.

After everything we had been through over the years, there wasn’t much convincing needed. He saw it right away. And just like that, we were back in a new chapter. Learning as we went. Shaping the identity. Figuring out what this could become. In May 2025, Marketing Movez was officially introduced.

What Year One Really Looked Like

Year one didn’t come with a big launch moment. It came in pieces. Conversations that turned into small projects. Small projects that turned into trust. And slowly, that trust turned into real partnerships.

We had the chance to work with studios and brands like PULSE Studios, Caulfield School of Dance, Dance Xpressions, Trotman Auto Group, and 3M Dance Studios. Each one gave us a clearer understanding of what studios are actually dealing with behind the scenes. It wasn’t just about getting new students. It was about staying visible during busy seasons. Keeping families informed without overwhelming them. Showing the heart of the studio in a way that felt organized and intentional. 

That’s where our focus started to lock in. Marketing shouldn’t feel like extra work for a studio. It should feel like a natural extension of how they already operate.

Social media that doesn’t feel chaotic. Video that captures real moments instead of staged ones. Websites that reflect the quality of the studio. Communication that keeps everything connected. Because Stew and I were still working in dance and film, we had the space to grow this the right way. No rush to scale too fast. No pressure to take on work that didn’t align. Instead, we focused on building systems. Repeatable workflows. A small team of creatives who understand both the technical side and the culture behind it.

By the end of the year, we weren’t just experimenting anymore. We were building something that works.

Marc and Stew performing with Over the Influence for their 10 year anniversary in 2012

Stepping Into Year Two

Year one gave us clarity. Not everything moved fast, and that turned out to be a good thing. It gave us time to understand how studios actually grow, how families stay connected, and how marketing fits into that rhythm in a way that feels natural instead of forced.

Now, moving into year two, the focus is simple. Keep building. Keep refining. Keep supporting studios in a way that feels aligned with how they already operate. As your season starts to wind down and you begin thinking about what’s next, this is usually where decisions start forming. Fall registration, visibility, how your studio shows up online. It all builds over time.

That’s where we come in. Through social media, video, websites, and communication, our goal is to help your studio stay present in a way that feels organized, intentional, and true to your culture.

If that’s something you’ve been thinking about, we’re here when the timing feels right. Let’s keep building through dance, through community, and through the stories that bring it all together.