From teacher to laid off to performing at the FIFA World Cup ⚽
✨ Sometimes the opportunity that changes your life is the one you never saw coming.
In this episode of There She Goes, I sit down with my friend Grace Somers, an actress and performer whose life completely changed after receiving a Facebook message from a stranger.
What started as one performance in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade turned into performing at the FIFA World Cup Opening Ceremony, appearing in a music video alongside Lisa (BLACKPINK), traveling internationally with Pop Mart, and preparing to perform at both the World Cup semifinals and finals.
But what I love most about Grace’s story isn’t the FIFA stage.
It’s everything that happened before it.
We talk about layoffs, losing your identity through your career, trusting the process, releasing control, and why sometimes the moment you stop chasing a dream is the moment it finally finds you.
If you’ve ever questioned whether your hard work is leading anywhere, this episode is for you. 💖
In this episode
⚽ Grace’s journey from Disney performer to teacher to the FIFA World Cup
🎭 How COVID unexpectedly ended her Disney on Ice career
🍎 Losing her teaching job and the identity crisis that followed
🎈 Performing in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
🎵 Filming the official FIFA x Pop Mart music video
🧸 Everything you need to know about Labubu and the Pop Mart universe.
🌎 Performing in front of nearly 90,000 fans in Mexico City
💖 Why letting go of control completely changed her life
✨ The power of trusting the process
Connect with Grace on Instagram
Songs Mentioned 🎵
“Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” – Shakira
This podcast is inspired by the songs that shape our stories. 💖
Check out my growing There She Goes Spotify Playlist, featuring songs mentioned throughout the podcast and songs that remind me of each guest’s story.
Timestamps
02:58 Performing at the FIFA World Cup Opening Ceremony
04:01 From Disney World to Disney on Ice
06:26 A Facebook message changed everything
08:10 Can anyone do 100 burpees?
09:00 Performing in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
09:39 The FIFA opportunity
10:06 Being laid off from teaching
10:53 Losing one job and starting another the very next day
12:08 Why layoffs don’t define your future
13:53 Untangling your identity from your career
16:06 Trusting opportunities that find you
16:52 Welcome to the world of Labubu
22:10 Behind the scenes of the FIFA music video
24:18 Meeting celebrities from around the world
25:15 The moment she stopped chasing entertainment… and it found her
26:13 A professor told me I wouldn’t make it
28:42 When you’re doing what your soul knows is right
30:00 Opening for Shakira at the World Cup
31:45 The importance of supportive relationships
36:55 The electric energy inside the stadium
38:02 Performing while battling food poisoning
41:11 Mexico’s first goal shook the stadium
44:19 Why she’ll never forget that night
47:14 What’s next after the World Cup?
49:24 Grace’s biggest takeaway: Trust the process
50:53 Where to follow Grace
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