Charlie Truscott is the director and founder of Treetop Arts in Helensburgh. When she isn’t teaching and working on the school, Charlie performs and runs shows of her own through her performance company Treetops Circus. Plus, she is a mother to two beautiful daughters, Aphyre (2.5 years) and Dottie (11 months).

Charlie kindly took the time to answer our questions about her business and parenting life.

Tell us about your business.

I started Treetop Arts seven years ago. It started as one class and has now grown to 50. It is a dynamic program that caters for multiple disciplines under one roof from tumbling, dance, acrobatics, and gymnastics to parkour, aerials and performing arts. We also train people of all ages and across all skill sets.

It can be challenging at times to find trainers that specialise in all the programs that we offer. However, I’ve found that if you build a strong culture and your people feel valued, you’ll retain talent. Some of our trainers have been with us since we opened.

What made you want to start this business?

I studied at Dell’arte, a clown school in the US. Part of the program was to complete a community-based arts program that saw us go into a town and create a show based on what the community needed and wanted. As I came back to Wollongong, I found that circus classes had a strong response from the locals.

Teaching also gave me the stability to pursue my performing work. I can commit to travelling for shows and have a community to come back to.

I also started the school before I had kids, which now I realise would have been impossible if I was already a mum. The school became a place where my kids and I could be around the community and a place I wouldn’t feel isolated as a mother.

What do you love about your job?

I love the position that I am in now. After seven years and the growth of the school, I no longer teach. My responsibility now is to oversee the culture, curate the end-of-year performances and facilitate opportunities for my high-level students. For example, I am extremely proud to take our Aerial 4 students to the NSW Finals of Bend the Air in Newcastle in September and our Senior Circus Troupe is going to the National Circus Festival to perform at a Big Top. Funnily enough, it’s the same big top tent that I performed my first big circus act in. These are the opportunities that inspire the school, right down to the youngest students.

I have the privilege to create opportunities for events because I have a fantastic team that supports me and helps run the day-to-day, who is even more important then the above.

What's the best advice you were given as a parent?

You can’t do it all. I have learnt a powerful lesson to shed responsibility. Currently, I am creating a role to take over part of my position so I can focus on being a good business owner and mother. It will be a considerable cost to the business but it’s so important for my happiness in the long run and I’ll be a better mum for it.

Treetop Arts is at 338 Cemetery Road, Helensburgh. Visit treetoparts.com