Live Your Dance Podcast - Molly King

In 2014, after making the leap from ski bum to adventure photographer, and while in Chile on an expedition with a travel partner, Jim Harris broke his back while snow kiting and was soon paralyzed from the sternum down. Life as a photographer and athlete, as he knew it, was about to be drastically changed. He’ll tell you more about it in the episode, but Jim’s had an amazing recovery over the last few years, and it’s ongoing. To that end, he’s been able to return to skiing and biking recently, and his recovery has garnered the attention of many. And earlier this year, he signed an athlete contract with Adidas Terrex. In this episode, I ask Jim more about his “mental” journey during the physical seeming-set backs. How has he reconciled planning with going with the flow? Why do goals even matter? How can we redefine success in a more healthy way? How can we navigate the aftermath of unexpected life-altering events? How can we avoid getting “stuck” when we have big goals (like learning to walk again, or writing a book)? I hope you find our conversation insightful, with a few takeaways to integrate into your day.

As champion west coast swing dancers, and beloved around the world, Jordan Frisbee and Tatiana Mollman took some time out of their crazy travel schedule to share some thoughts on their career path. What I love about this episode is that both Jordan and Tatiana shed light on some of the lesser talked about aspects of the dance and their careers. For example: how does one take a hobby they love and turn it into a career without burning out? As Jordan said, “It’s really about how to keep falling in love with this dance over and over again, on our terms.” Jordan and Tatiana are true pioneers and innovators and have carved a legacy all their own due to their bold choices along the way. In this episode we get to dive into… • The role patience has played in J&T’s journey to success (3:30) • How J&T built their successes on several “failures” (5:00) • J&T tell about their transition from hobby dancers to professional dancers (6:50) • How J&T pioneered a new way to be a “dance professional” within their dance community and with the help of the YouTube generation (8:40) • What are the beliefs that J&T hold that help them keep their work fresh? (11:00) • How they planned to prevent burn out (12:20) • How J&T pioneered their own version of being a “Professional,” and how they’re currently pioneering their own version of being “retired professionals” (13:20) • The difference between being a competitor and being an artist (13:50) • J&T’s biggest pet peeve within the dance, and how they turned it into their greatest source of freedom now (15:48) • How Jordan and Tatiana have both dealt with their biggest challenges along the way (17:00) • Where J&T each go for inspiration - hint: it’s not within the West Coast Swing world (22:35) • Jordan and Tat’s top tips for gathering inspiration on the go (24:00) • Jordan and Tatiana’s #1 rule for creativity (25:00) • How Jordan and Tatiana have found a loophole to clone themselves (27:40) • The role that dance has played in both Tatiana and Jordan’s lives (32:40) • Jordan’s big secret ;) (33:45) • Tatiana’s career revelation (35:20)

s it possible to love the life you have — acknowledging and accepting the conditions of your life exactly as they are — and drop the struggle to make you and your life different? Today’s guest—Roger Housden— sent me a sneak preview of his book, Dropping the Struggle: Seven Ways to Love the Life You Have, which actually came out the day we recorded this! I was so touched by his work; and it resonated with me on many different levels and in various areas of my life—that I thought it’d be an honor to have him come on the show and talk more about it. Roger Housden (whose-den), is the author of Dropping the Struggle and numerous other books, including the best-selling Ten Poems series, which began in 2001 with Ten Poems to Change Your Life and ended with Ten Poems to Say Goodbye in 2012. He offers writing workshops, both live and online, with an emphasis on self-discovery and exploration. Roger wrote Dropping the Struggle from first hand experience as someone who, up until just a few years ago, spent much of his time in a covert struggle with life. Despite his success as the bestselling author of the Ten Poems to Change Your Life series, he often felt that something, which he couldn’t quite put his finger on, was missing. Like many of us, he struggled with the past, the future, relationships, his desire to improve himself, and his own mortality. His inner struggle continued until he got to know himself at a level deep enough that he was able to see how he was making his life needlessly difficult and make a conscious choice to let go. What I love is that he shares lessons from his own experience as he offers readers seven ways to love the life they have by dropping the struggle to be special, dropping the struggle for a perfect life, dropping the struggle for meaning, dropping the struggle for love, dropping the struggle with time, dropping the struggle with change, and dropping the struggle to know. And in our interview here together, Roger talks about the difference between “effort” and “struggle,” how it is that our struggles all tie back to our sense of identity, and how we can use that intel to shape our life choices—including careers, relationships, etc. And he even recounts how he was captured and interrogated for two days in Tehran, and how that experience had a MAJOR impact on him and his view of life. Roger brings so much clear wisdom to the show, and I’m so honored to dive into his story together. Let’s listen in…

Ever since a young age, Tashina made certain to design her life in a way that would ensure she could "live her dance" every day of her life. She knew from a young age she wanted to dance professionally, and now, she and her professional teaching partner travel domestically and internationally teaching, competing and performing a style of dance called West Coast Swing.  Through this journey she has had the honor of working with many people from many walks of life, all the while learning much about herself, and what it means to continue to "live your dance", for herself and for others.  For Tashina, how she "lives her dance" is starting to transform and bloom from dancing full time to assisting others change "self-limiting" beliefs.  Listen in for more of her story here: bit.ly/LiveYourDance-mk In this episode we get to dive into… • How to make a long-distance dance partnership work • How West Coast Swing works as a social dance • Dance as improvisation in a moment • What is Psych-K? And how can we change limiting beliefs that hold us back? • How to use dance as a vehicle to breakthrough other weak areas in our lives • Is it true that the way we do one thing is the way we do everything? • How we’ve become “conditioned” to believe limiting labels about ourselves • How our parents’ attitudes can affect us in utero, and how to reprogram ourselves for success • How to replace limiting beliefs with self-enhancing beliefs • The gift of being able to “update your software” • Tashina’s background in dance, volunteering, and traveling the world since she was young • How Tashina struggled with and ultimately overcame the biggest limiting belief of her life (17:20 + 30:00) • How Tashina found her mission while volunteering in a prison (21:00) • How Tashina’s intuition has guided her from one chapter to the next in life • There was no “Option B” for Tashina, and where she adopted that belief (24:00) • How to believe in yourself + how to know that you deserve greatness • Why Vision + Belief combine to create what we manifest on a daily basis • How to get paid for doing what you love, and not feel bad about it (32:00) • What to do when you feel the need to switch careers (33:00) • Tashina’s best advice for those who want to be doing meaningful work (38:30) • How our views about work are shaped by our parents (for good or bad) • The importance of making and keeping boundaries when it comes to work (43:00) • Tashina’s rule for sustainable work practices (46:00) • The step by step process that Tashina uses to change limiting beliefs (50:00) • How the act of raising your standards for yourself actually helps raise others as well (57:00) • iPhone hacks for more conscious living (59:40)

I had the distinct pleasure of getting to spend some time with the founder of the highly acclaimed “The Day Designer” on this episode of Live Your Dance. What I love about this episode is that not only does Whitney share some very useful tips for many stages of business, but she also shares with us some counter-intuitive advice (i.e. don’t follow your passion, follow your strengths). She’s a quality thinker, and an ever-active doer. And I found out the impetus for all of her success: starting each endeavor with gratitude. We dove deeper into to the subject, and she got real and raw with me as we learned more about her story and some of her challenges along the way. This episode is for anyone on the cusp of starting a business, or anyone looking to improve your “business,” whatever that may be. Tune in, subscribe, leave a review and tell your friends and their friends!

After being rejected as a ballerina, becoming paralyzed in the middle of a contemporary dance class, and now being back on her feet dancing professionally as a ballroom dancer, Marisa Hamamoto has seen a lot in her lifetime. She’s now dedicated to giving back, and has founded America’s first professional wheelchair ballroom dance company, Infinite Flow, for that specific purpose. In our episode together, we dive into the struggles she faced along her path to becoming a professional dancer, and what it took from her to maintain a positive outlook, even when she was paralyzed from the neck down for several months, with no hope of recovery. Tune in to hear more of her incredible story and how she’s using her experience to help others today.

In this episode of Live Your Dance, Lindsay Garrison gives me a backstage pass into her life as a Professional Pianist (+ violinist + singer). Between all the traveling, performing, and competing that she does, she’s able to keep progressing as an artist, as well as stay sane with such a crazy schedule. We dive into what makes her tick, what she loves about music, and how it is that she got on this path in particular. Lindsay is incredibly down-to-earth as well as being extremely wise about the realities of what it takes to be at her level. She dishes on what it takes to be successful, and surprisingly—it’s not as complicated as one might think!

Between our many tangents, the diving in deep and solving all the world’s problems, and a cameo from Indonesian Katie—this is one power-packed episode! The first half was recorded back in October 2015, and we have a bonus check in with Katie in January 2016, where we get to hear all about how drastically her life has changed. But one thing has not changed, and that is that she is consistently living her dance in all that she does. Tune in for a very special episode with my good friend (and model, actress, coach and humanitarian), Katie Walter. In this episode we get to dive into… • Katie’s new perspective after doing international humanitarian work • What it’s like to be a multi-passionate entrepreneur, and how Katie balances it all • How Katie chose to transition away from her acting career (11:30) • What “Leaving no stones left unturned” means for Katie in her life • The power of believing that “Life is happening for us, not to us” (15:00) • The power of our physical reflection on our identities, and what it was like to let that go, even for a week (20:00) • Katie’s “not-proud-of-myself-moment” (21:30) • Molly’s “sad-aha-moment” (25:00) • Imagine the work we could be doing if we thought about ourselves less • The power of seeing community as “common unity” (27:00) • The incredible value of traveling to third world countries and learning from other cultures • How much of our lives and our identities have become all about “stuff” and extrinsic value, rather than defining it from within • Katie’s philosophy on work, and how it boils down to our attitude rather than the paycheck • What we focus on is what we feel, and thus becomes our experience • The power of Gratitude (38:45) • The affect of our “emotional home” on our experience • What is our “work,” really? (42:10) • When in doubt, focus out…whatever you want to receive, give it away • The importance of maintaining our childlikeness (not to be confused with childishness) (49:00) • One Risk overview (50:00) • How to practice perceived risk, in order to break through any challenge in our lives • Part 2 - Recorded with Katie in Indonesia!! How Katie has been living her dance since we first recorded this, and is now exploring SE Asia

Pinna Gallant has traveled from software development to yoga studio owner in the last few years. She brings her insight, wisdom, and humility to the Live Your Dance podcast today as we dive into her story of how she turned her biggest upset into her greatest blessing, and has built a new business from scratch in the process.

In this solo episode, I dive into… • Albert Gray’s article, entitled “The Common Denominator of Success” • How to create (or recreate) effective habits for success • What simple thing truly creates change and success • How to set goals effectively • How I was able to get in shape to be a body builder, but why exactly I lost my momentum immediately afterwards • Not just living your dance, but living your WHOLE dance • How integrity is a muscle we can develop, and how it affects our relationship with ourself • How we erode our character, and why it’s so important to invest in ourselves, rather than wasting our “money” • Step by step instructions to take stock of where you are, and what questions to ask to move you out of a slump (34:30) • The exercise I put myself through which helped me find the ONE TINY thing I could change, which would greatly affect my entire day (positively or negatively) 35:14 • Why achieving goals isn’t the main point, but who we’re becoming in the process it where it gets exciting

In this episode, we get into… • Originally a dancer, started at age 2 • Yale Grad, thought she wanted to be a neurosurgeon • While at Yale, she was selected to be a “Swing” on the first national tour of “Fosse” with Ann Reinking (6:34) • Practical and emotional tips to cope with the lulls in work as an actress (9:22) • Lex tells about life ‘behind the scenes,’ when things aren’t so perfect, and how she works through moments like that (15:35) • The question she asks to get herself back on track (16:23) • Alexis’ big reveal… (17:51) • How to cultivate the practice of being vulnerable, and the practice of “emotional housecleaning” (18:00) • Acting breakdown 202 by Alexis (21:12) • Lex gives us a peak into her upcoming role in ABC’s Recovery Road and how she studied up for her character (23:45) • Her advice for auditioning actors (28:10) • Lex’s fun exercise(s) to create more self-awareness (30:12) • My secret confession (oooh!) and the importance of having solo time (32:55) • Alexis’ questions to ask in order to figure out what it is that you love to do, and what action steps to then take (37:18) • Why it’s important to bring more “soul cultivators” in your own life (44:15) • Lex’s Yoga practice and why it’s an essential aspect of her routine • How to counteract the idea that “there’s not enough time!” (45:16) • An incredible story that Lex discovered just by listening (47:21) • Lex’s unexpected source of inspiration (49:49) • Lex’s explosion of gratitude :) (51:35) • Lex’s beautiful definition of “living your dance” (53:06)

Seeing as this is the 10th(!) Live Your Dance episode, I thought I’d so something special. I’ve dug out of my archives my very first episode of the podcast that I recorded back in 2013*—back when this podcast was more of a dream than a reality. Lewis and I went to the same high school, and he was a surrogate big brother of sorts—since he was a senior when I was a freshman, so it was such a blast to reconnect with him and pick his brain.  *hence why I may sound like a bit of a noob ;) Lewis brought his A-game and got right into sharing some great coaching for anyone who is on the cusp of going after their dream—whether it’s starting your own business, going after a goal, or taking the next big step towards creating the life that you really want to live.  Since the recording (in early 2013), Lewis has made major strides in his own business and life, and was most recently written up in Forbes as a Million-Dollar One-Person business for his success. He’s also the founder of The School of Greatness Podcast and The School of Greatness Academy and many online tools to take your business to the next level. Pretty solid stuff right there.  In this episode, we dive into… • Lewis’ story of how his collegiate and semi-pro sports supported his business mindset • Lewis’ response to people who don’t think they have enough money to go after what they love (5:37) • The first question anyone should ask before they set out to achieve a goal • “Can you let go of your comfort zone to get what you want?” • Nuggets of wisdom from my (Molly’s) 95-year-old grandma to go after the life you want • The process Lewis went through to take stock of his strengths and pursue those • The value of the “soft skills” and how, many times, they can be more valuable than the “hard skill” set (12:25) • The vast difference between the “self” that shows up when we work a mediocre job, vs. the “best self” that can show up in the right arena (15:00) • The top 4 warning signs that you’re in the wrong job (16:15) • How to get through the “transition period” (17:00) • How frustration breeds drive and breakthrough • Lessons in Salsa translated into life lessons in business • The big difference between work that pulls you rather than pushes you (23:43) • A bad job is like a bad relationship—when you know you should go, but you haven’t yet… (25:04) Ha! #sotrue • The ONE question you need to ask yourself before you quit your day job (28:00) • Lewis’ one piece of advice for anyone starting on the path towards their passion (29:07) [for more info on this piece, listen to my episode with Geoff Woods]

Stephanie Trick “has come to practically dominate the stride piano field,” notes reviewer Jack Rummel. Harlem stride piano, which developed in the 1920s and ‘30s, is an orchestral style of two handed piano playing that not only swings, but is also technically demanding and exciting to watch. Louis Mazetier, a respected interpreter of this genre, writes in the Bulletin of the Hot Club of France that she has “won the esteem of specialists in the genre with wonderful interpretations of stride classics.” Stephanie frequently performs with her husband, acclaimed pianist Paolo Alderighi, making arrangements of songs from the Swing Era in a four-hands piano duo. In 2014, they played for the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall at the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival. Stephanie was the 2012 recipient of the prestigious Kobe-Breda Jazz Friendship Award, and has performed in many parts of the United States as well as in Europe in a variety of venues. In this episode: How Steph’s musical serendipitously career started at age 5 How Steph’s career blossomed because of a YouTube connection (5:30) The mechanics of how the stride style works, and how Steph can improvise in that style The role that Stride/Slide piano plays in musical history What it’s really like to have a career that causes Steph to travel about 280 days a year: the rewards and the challenges (12:30) How a piano player practices during plane rides What it’s like to not want to escape your work (15:20) Steph’s focus on being simply a “good human being,” not just a great musician What it is about her career that energizes Steph to do more and keep striving How to transform the idea of competition into a fuel that propels your own improvement in the craft (19:45) How Steph handles criticism like a pro (23:25) How Steph designed an education to include personal visits with the experts in her field How to bring a wider perspective to your work (29:30) How to improvise like a pro—in ANY field (30:37) How to cultivate “Healthy Detachment” in your work, and why it’s so vitally important as a creator to maintain (34:09) Why would you want to change who you are!? How Steph overcomes competition, and how to create your own “brand” (35:17) The real scoop on the challenges that come with a life on the road What it’s like to be married to a fellow professional musician, and the story of how they met while they were both “living their dance” (awwww… 42:53) What keeps Steph going, and the story of one of her favorite moments as a performer (48:58) [Note: I apologize for some short audio interferences towards the end of the podcast. Thanks for listening through them!]

To be honest, it was extremely difficult to name this episode, as Lou came out with so many good stories, lessons, and nuggets to share, both about business and life in general. It’s no surprise to learn too, that at a young age, he learned how fragile life could be (28:00), and since then he’s one who truly “walks his talk.” Lou had a significant career in footwear before starting his own market research company. And in this episode, he juxtaposes the training he got as a talented athlete with how to grow and run a business and a team. This is a solid episode, and we’ll cover the following topics: • Worked in one of Nike’s first retail stores • VP of marketing for several brands, including Asics, and later helped resuscitate the soccer brand, Umbro • “A team is more effective, no matter how good an individual is.” • The importance of teamwork in business, and how to get ego out of the way (7:49) • How Umbro was able to scale from 18 employees to several hundred, and maintain their ability to be nimble and flexible • How to transition from doing, to managing, to leading within a company • How to cultivate a culture of trust and openness that allowed the brand to grow effectively (10:57) • “Practicing what you preach may be short-term expensive, but in the long run it builds trust and respect.” - Lou (15:00) • How Lou trained to beat a 4-minute mile and then how he later used the same training methods to build a sales force and meet their sales goals (16:30) • How Lou has figured out how to make a difference in the world (25:35) • The night that changed Lou’s life forever (28:00) • What contentment sounds like (35:24) • Living life on your terms, begins with understanding yourself first (38:08) • The importance of forming good relationships along the road • Lou’s message for anyone in their 40s (or past their 40s) (49:30) • “The best and hardest thing to do is to spend time looking in the mirror at who you are

Geoff is the host of the Mentee Podcast. And he’s in his journey from employee to entrepreneur, and the reason I brought him on today is because Geoff is an expert at showing you how to surround yourself with heavy-hitting mentors—the people who can rapidly accelerate your success. In this episode we dive deep into the following topics with Geoff: • “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” -Jim Rohn • How to gather and collect powerful mentors yourself • The one question to ask in order to radically shift your business • What am I trading my time for each day? And am I getting the better end of the deal? • How to overcome discouragement when working towards big goals (26:18) • How to start “dating your passions” and monetize them on the side • How to shift from “I have to go to work” to “I choose to go to work” • How to write your own permission slip to your life • How the work that we do affects our loved ones: positively or negatively • When we ask better questions, we get better answers • What question to ask with each new circumstance that comes our way (35:24) • When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change • How challenges can be a gift • What is Geoff’s motivating force? • Geoff’s words of advice for anyone who thinks they aren’t (insert any adjective)___ enough. • How to figure out your unique gift(s) and how to easily increase your income (47:57) • Geoff’s powerful morning routine to create daily momentum towards his goals • How Geoff “stacks the team” for his life (54:30)

Mary Warrington has made the leap into a digital and mobile lifestyle, all thanks to her food blog, The Kitchen Paper. With stunning photos, and accessible recipes so that anyone can become a cook, Mary shows us all how doing what you love and being paid for it are NOT mutually exclusive. While Mary and I went to college together and played volleyball together, she’s since served as a great inspiration for me to also take my work online and be able to live and work wherever I am. So a big thanks to her, her work, and for sharing her stories and perspective with us on the Live Your Dance podcast this week! P.S. I apologize in advance that the audio on this episode is not the best. I’m actively working on improving the audio quality for future episodes. But there’s tons of great content in here, so thanks for hangin in there with us! In this Episode we get into… • Step by step actions Mary took to become a food blogger • What exactly pushed Mary into action to leave her job and blog full time • What are the keys to making a successful transition into doing what you love • The major shift in perspective that has allowed Mary to make more of an impact and more money • The importance of cooking our own food • What it is about food that Mary loves • How Mary gathered the necessary education to build a website, market online, and create a community online • How Mary has overcome challenges, including self-doubt and insecurities along the way • The questions Mary asks herself to take her business to a new level • How this episode created action for both Mary and myself in launching new online programs • The importance of celebration within the process • How Mary has improved her schedule and now manages her time as a solo-entrepreneur • Where Mary goes for inspiration • How to turn around an environment of competition into a supportive atmosphere • How doing something she loves impacts the rest of her life • How Mary has cultivated a deeper sense of self-awareness through her work as well • The shift into owning and taking responsibility for your business and your brand • Mary’s deeper reason behind being a food blogger • How the lack of home cooking is the crux of many of our world’s issues • Cooking as a teacher • How Mary’s most challenging project earned her a publishing deal • How Mary’s book process inspired my book process • What exciting projects Mary is working on…

Founder of Darken the Page, endeavors to answer the question, “Where does great art come from?” Dave Booda, the podcast host, life coach, world traveler, self-proclaimed music geek, and former naval officer tells all about his journey to find himself and create work that he’s proud of. In this episode, we dive into… • The importance of living in the “grind” • Weighs out a “job that pays the bills” vs. doing what you love and making potentially less money • What would I do if I had absolute financial security? • The difference between soul-driven work, vs. paycheck-driven work • Diving into the fact that the “Happiness Factor” isn’t dependent on the job at all • The problem with thinking that there’s a “perfect job” out there for each of us (13:00) • Dave’s method for getting “in flow” each day • How to stretch your comfort zone, since our life stinks or expands, depending on our comfort level • Dave’s perspective on having a Mission Statement • How to transition from the job to doing what you love • The problem with identifying as your job (i.e. a Naval officer) • “Soul cultivators” vs. “soul destroyers” • When to focus on creating and when to focus on monetizing • “Dancing is a choice to make life beautiful” -Dave Booda

Sammy Davis is a light in all that she is and does. As a powerful speaker, writer, and business woman, she navigates her field with grace, confidence, and authenticity—and her life inspires all with whom she connects. We dive into her story, as well as some tough topics: breakups (both in business and in love), finding and defining success, and balancing life and work, among many other ideas. Tune in for your daily dose of realness, laughs, and profundity. That SammyD, she’s a keeper!

Derek has made his way through various careers and has recently found himself location-independant (hence why he’s currently in Bali), running his own coaching practice and hosting his podcast, The Art of Adventure. He has an incredible story, and is driven by an insatiable thirst to learn—and would love nothing more than to help others cultivate their own eagerness to do the same. In this episode, you’ll learn… • How he’s able to live in Bali, travel the world, do what he loves, AND make a living • How he made the jump from being a cyclist, to a researcher (he discovered a new virus!), and is now an entrepreneur and podcast host • How drafting in cycling relates to business and “real life” • How he maintains freshness and excitement within his career and the day-to-day tasks • Tips for bringing projects to completion • How he maintains productivity without a “boss” to report to • The benefits to working on projects he truly cares about, and how it affects the rest of his life • The importance of reading for Derek, and his newest reading goal • What inspires him, and where Derek turns when he’s facing major challenges in life • How Derek had a “brush with death”, and how that inspires and affects his life today • How he’s monitizing his podcast • How he makes money while he travels • What kind of dance has gotten Derek to move and open up more than he has before • Why his definition of “Live Your Dance” moved me to tears

Molly King is a former corporate working girl turned author, dancer, and coach. The Live Your Dance podcast celebrates those individuals who have found their metaphorical “dance,” and endeavors to draw out the insights and lessons from their journey, in order to inspire you to find and live YOUR dance.

Christina Speer took a chance, flew to Europe, landed a spot on a team and has been there ever since. Listen in to see what it took for her to make that leap.