5.6.7.EIGHT

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra interviews Christopher Fairbank, motivational speaker and business leadership strategist. Christopher is truly a Renaissance man.

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra chats with Harriet Ross and Mark Gomez, who both play vital roles in running Chicago Dance United's Dance for Life event. Dance for Life is a fundraiser performance featuring a united front of dance companies from across Chicago, raising money for "The Dancers' Fund." This fund, which was founded in 1994 by Ross, makes direct grants to individuals in the dance world suffering from debilitating injuries or illnesses. Since Dance for Life launched in 1994, over $6 million has been raised in support of the dance community.

Ross, Co-Founder of Dance for Life, and Gomez, Co-Chair of Dance for Life, spend the podcast giving a deep-dive on the history of the event, how the event has evolved over the years, and where the event is headed in the future. Harriet also briefly provides some commentary on her career, including how it felt to be named 2007 Chicagoan of the Year and some highlights on her run as General Manager of The Joffrey Ballet. Gomez and Ross are passionate about the craft of dance and the good of dancers, and that passion permeates this conversation, revolving around this incredible fundraising event.

Moving Quotes:

"We discovered dancers are powerful people, which we didn't know and we now know. It's a rather exciting thing to see people who thought they didn't have a voice because they don't speak find out we do have quite a voice."

"I don't recognize failure. I always think I'm going to find something good coming out of it. If you ask me about a failure, I can't even tell you about one. Because, to me, it was going to be good in the end. That's how a dancer has to be."

"Everybody just gives. Everybody gives their art, their talent. And they're fairly ego-less, for what you would assume would be an ego-driven art form. But it's not."

"There's always going to be opportunity to show you what's going on in the world [through dance] and to express yourself and to bring questions. I feel like that's what art does. It's supposed to get you thinking about [questions like] — What was that about? What does that mean? How do I relate to that?"

"If [performers] can't earn a living as dancers because of an injury of some kind, we are there for them. We will help them through that time… You send your bills. We pay your bills."

"[Dance for Life] is such a great mission… And the dance community is so behind it. The dancers love being a part of it and being together, and if you were backstage, you'd see all of the dancers on the side, watching the other people dance. It's very exciting… So I wanted to keep that going and growing."

Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:

4:05: Harriet and Mark share about the creation of Dance for Life and how this immensely successful event has driven camaraderie among dance companies across Chicago.

10:19: Harriet discusses how much money is typically raised during an event like Dance for Life, and Mark highlights any new changes taking place this year.

14:33: Harriet briefly describes the thrill of being chosen as 2007 Chicagoan of the Year by Chicago Magazine.

15:43: Harriet and Mark discuss their goals for Dance for Life and take some time to lay out the mission of the event.

19:06: Harriet and Mark quote the Chicago Dancers United mission statement and mention some other events that are conducted by the organization.

22:11: Harriet discusses how dancers must view failure differently than many other people.

23:48: Harriet shares what she was most proud of during her stint as General Manager of The Joffrey Ballet.

25:56: Harriet and Mark weigh in on the importance of dance for younger generations and the desire for dance to be more visible and recognized.

27:46: Harriet and Mark speak to the importance of emerging technology when it comes to awareness around the art of dance — particularly social media.

30:12: Mark casts some vision for Dance for Life, and Harriet describes what's next for her in her life journey.

Bullet List of Resources –

Harriet Ross

• LinkedIn

Mark Gomez

• Twitter

Dance for Life

• Website (with ticket information)
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra chats with Harriet Ross and Mark Gomez, who both play vital roles in running Chicago Dance United’s Dance for Life event.

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra chats with Maria Shclover, President and Producer at Maestro Artist Management (MAM) — a full-service production, touring, and promotion company that focuses on presenting international artists in various genres. Maria is also the Founder of the Russian Film Week in New York City and is the Co-Founder and CEO of the Cherry Orchard Festival Foundation, which runs a multi-day, multi-cultural, multidisciplinary celebration of international arts in New York City. Prior to MAM, Maria was classically-trained as a musician and graduated from the renown NYU Stern School of Business.

On the podcast, Maria walks through her journey from the USSR to America and from classical musician to entrepreneurship. Throughout the conversation, Maria is more than willing to openly share about the pains, uncertainties, and challenges of owning your own business yet doubles down on knowing that she made the right decision to pursue entrepreneurship. While she spends some time specifically speaking to those pursuing an artist management career, her wisdom and takeaways are for people from all walks of life.

Moving Quotes:

"The show must go on. Sometimes you have programs that aren't delivered. Sometimes the bus is late. Somebody didn't get their visa. But, it's a working moment. We find a solution. Don't stress out. We need to work through that and find a solution quickly. I think that's the secret."

"[If you want a career in artist management,] you must be willing to wear a lot of hats. This is how you get successful."

"[In order to deal with uncertainty,] you have to be sure of yourself. You have to be sure of why you're doing this."

"My personal [entrepreneurial] challenge is that it's hard to delegate. Many times I try to delegate, I find out the hard way that I delegated something that's not being done or it's not being done correctly."

"Don't be afraid to follow your dream. The most important thing is to fulfill your calling — your potential."

"There are certain things you can't control — like weather, like government — but you can do your best to mitigate problems."

"[As an entrepreneur,] you need to grow all the time. And not just financially — you need to acquire new skills."

"Don't be lazy and keep learning. Don't ever say, 'Oh I know everything.' Because every day, something new will come up in your industry, whatever it is."

Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:

2:33: Maria discusses her journey from being a classically-trained musician in the USSR to the founding of her own company in America.

6:31: Maria reflects on the risks of leaving a secure corporate job to start her own company and looks back at the events that led to her company's inception.

11:10: Shclover shares some details about her current company — Maestro Artist Management — and various events it sponsors, including Russian Film Week in New York City.

13:07: Maria shares her perspective on some of the most challenging things about owning your own business, including the necessity of ongoing learning.

15:39: Shclover mentions some funny stories from her company's history and explains the importance of being flexible and "rolling with the punches" when working with artists.

19:56: Maria gives some great advice around dealing with uncertainty — a component of entrepreneurship that is unavoidable.

23:44: Maria encourages current and aspiring entrepreneurs to follow their dreams, whatever the cost.

25:31: Shclover discusses the types of skills necessary for someone who is looking to take on a career in artist management.

28:35: Maria speaks on the future of her company, which hopefully involves more shows in more cities.

Bullet List of Resources –

Maria Schlover

• LinkedIn

Maestro Artist Management

• Company Website
• Facebook
• Instagram

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra chats with Maria Shclover, President and Producer at Maestro Artist Management (MAM) — a full-service production, touring, and promotion company that focuses on presenting international artists in various genres.

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra interviews Josephine Lee, Founder at The Pointe Shop. The evolution of Lee's company is remarkable. What started in 2011 as a simple brick-and-mortar retail store now has gained notoriety for its "mobile store" component, which takes pointe shoe fitting on the road to customers and, selfishly, allows Josephine to fulfill one of her favorite pastimes — road tripping. Josephine is also well-known for placing third in the 2016 Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking — a competition featuring 35,000 contestants across 142 countries.

On the podcast, Josephine deep dives on the events that drove her into the retail space and the thoughts behind the transition from simple brick-and-mortar to pointe shoe fitting on wheels. Along the way, Lee provides some advice on "going the extra mile" in the early stages of a company, the importance of having a firm support system, being patient in business, and much more. Through Lee's story, inspiration abounds for all listeners.

Moving Quotes:

"[My favorite part of being an entrepreneur] is having the freedom to create whatever I want to create. There is really no ceiling when it comes to being an entrepreneur. It can be as big or as small as you want… I have an idea of something that I want to do in my life, and I can manifest it through my business."

[On setting goals] "I need to give myself 30 days — a very short term — so that I can finish a goal and then move on to the next thing. And when I finish a goal, it gives me motivation to look for the next one. And I so I keep building and building on top of my little goals until, one day, I look back, and I see everything that has happened."

[On starting a business] "Give more value than you take at the beginning. Give as much as you can… You have to give so much value that people almost feel obligated to come to you."

"I do well with short term goals because I'm very good at sprinting. I'm not very good at marathons."

"You don't know the direct return on investment for social media marketing techniques, but you might see it 5 years down the line — 10 years down the line — because people feel like they know you. They've had interactions with you. It's great to have that rapport."

"It's really nice to have a peer mentoring group rather than someone who has already made it because we're all going through it at the same time. We're discovering new apps and products and ways of doing things. And we share our difficulties, our wins and losses — all of that."

[In entrepreneurship] "If you don't have a partner or somebody to rely on, it's very difficult to get somebody to understand where you are."

Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:

2:03: Josephine gives a brief history of her journey, from amateur dancer to dance retail store owner.

5:50: Josephine lays out the events that led to the opening of her retail store and reflects on the benefit of knowing very little about starting a business.

8:04: Lee discusses the evolution of her retail store, including the 2014 opening of her "mobile store" and her infamous long-term road trips where she proactively takes pointe shoe fitting to customers.

11:57: Josephine discusses her favorite and least favorite aspects of entrepreneurship.

15:24: Lee speaks on her goal-setting routine and her difficulty in setting long-term goals.

16:46: Lee takes some time reflecting on someone she takes a lot of pride in — her very own mother.

18:53: Josephine discusses how the role models in her life take a different form than most traditional ideas of having a role model.

21:00: Josephine shares some advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, centered around "going the extra mile" when you first launch your business.

23:29: Josephine describes the public speaking competition where she placed third overall — a competition involving 34,000 people across 142 different countries.

26:48: Lee reflects on a time when she failed, why she considers that experience a failure, and how she learned from this mistake.

30:00: Lee discusses the future for her retail store, which including expansion of brick-and-mortar stores.

Bullet List of Resources –

Josephine Lee

• LinkedIn

The Pointe Shop

• Company Website
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Pinterest
• Instagram
• YouTube

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra interviews Josephine Lee, Founder at The Pointe Shop.

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra chats with Meredith Harrill, professional dancer at Visceral Dance Chicago. Meredith received dance training at the Central Florida Ballet Academy, before studying on scholarship at the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, D.C. Harrill was a trainee with Joffrey Ballet Chicago and BalletMet Columbus, where she also performed in several productions, and performed as a soloist for State Street Ballet of Santa Barbara, CA. Meredith has received numerous accolades, including awards from both the Youth America Grand Prix and World Ballet Competition.

Meredith's journey is a unique one, having not started ballet until the age of 12. On the podcast, Meredith reflects on having to learn dance fundamentals at a late age but discusses the grit and determination that she had to find within herself to push through the frustrations and succeed. Harrill touches on a wide variety of topics, including the advantages and disadvantages of curating a social media following and the nature of accepting rejection and moving on with life.

Moving Quotes:

"Don't put yourself in a box… You grow up having these ideas or goals for yourself, but don't be afraid to alter them along the way… It's not just about getting a dream job; it's about creating yourself as an artist as well. Maybe the place you thought you wanted to be isn't right for you, and it's somewhere else. You need to be open to that."

"The hardest thing [about being a dancer] is realizing that it is your life. There is no point where you clock out… You don't ever get to forget about it. Everything you do is related back to dance."

"I think I'm most proud of my ability to push through. No matter what happens, I'm not giving up."

"Even if [dance] is not something you see yourself pursuing as a career, it's not a reason to stop doing it. It teaches you not only discipline and group involvement, but it's great for your body and good for your soul, too. To be able to have this outlet of movement to express yourself."

"I also knew that one of the best qualities a dancer could have is your performance. And I really enjoy performing. I love being able to immerse myself in a role… The joy of movement makes me come alive."

"I love social media. I try not to get too attached to it because I still want to be present in the outside world. I don't want to get too concerned with comparing myself with other people… But for dancers and artists, it's a great platform to show your work and show who you are and represent yourself in the way you want to be represented."

"[My first ballet coach] told me right away, 'You're going to have a really hard time finding a job, but once you find a job, you're going to keep it.' Just because I was so determined to make this work and also just being able to bring out something from inside that translated onto stage."

"[Social media] is almost like a virtual resume for yourself."

Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:

2:03: Meredith recounts her journey of dance, including the decision to transition from competitive gymnastics to ballet at the late age of 12.

7:38: Meredith reflects on her experiences in dance boarding school and how this life stage prepared her for professional dance.

9:23: Harrill walks through both her typical days and her performance days as a professional dancer.

12:13: Meredith discusses a time in her dance journey when she pushed through hardship because she was determined to make dance work.

14:03: Meredith remembers the difficulty of being at the bottom of her dance class and having to learn simple dance fundamentals at the age of 12.

16:22: Harrill speaks on her favorite type of ballet and why she enjoys being a versatile ballet dancer, knowing many different styles of dance.

18:35: Meredith discusses the person that influenced her dance life the most and how their relationship has continued from an early age until now.

20:04: Meredith chats about her vibrant social media presence and the pros and cons of curating a social media following.

22:31: Meredith gives some incredible advice around how to face rejection well — good advice for both dancers and non-dancers.

28:09: Harrill discusses what's next for her career and reflects on the most difficult part of being a professional dancer.

Bullet List of Resources –

Meredith Harrill

• Instagram
• Facebook

Visceral Dance Chicago

• Company Website
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra chats with Meredith Harrill, professional dancer at Visceral Dance Chicago.

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra chats with Rachel Hamrick, Founder and CEO at Flexistretcher LLC. Hamrick's company is built around her namesake product, the Flexistretcher — an elastic resistance band that simulates dance-specific or sport-specific movement patterns, focused on building flexibility and strength. Hamrick has also developed a training method and certification program, whereby she educates other teachers and coaches on effective use of her proven device. Prior to entrepreneurship, Hamrick received classical ballet training from The Kirov Academy of Ballet of Washington, D.C. and has danced professionally for a number of ballet companies.

Hamrick's story is the oft-heard entrepreneurial story of one door shutting and another door opening. On the podcast, Rachel walks through her journey, which primarily consisted of professional dance until an injury forced her to move her career in another direction. Through her injury, Hamrick realized the importance of flexibility and strength training and leveraged her new obsession with anatomy, physiology, and kinesiology to build the Flexistretcher brand. Hamrick's story is not only motivational but educational, for aspiring dancers and entrepreneurs alike.