Fortitude: The Podcast: Recent Episodes
Bettina Mahoney
The founder of Fortitude, Bettina Mahoney sits down to speak with everyone from entrepreneurs to the most sought out people in our entertainment industry to chat about mental health.
Today we sit down with twin Rockettes Katie and Sarah Daniel to chat about growing up dancing, to making an impact as an artist, self care rituals, and of course getting that call when they booked Rockettes.
Katie was born and raised in Michigan where she trained in the performing arts for 16 years. She has performed as a Rockette for three seasons which has included over 200 performances and opportunities to perform and speak on platforms like NBC News and Good Morning America. She is signed with The Movement Talent Agency in New York City and has recently started acting with credits including CBS’s FBI and a new Netflix unreleased series entitled “Untitled Art Project.” Performing and creating are her biggest passions, and she is humbled to pass her experiences on to young, aspiring performers. You can follow Katie on instagram @katieanndaniel.
Sarah currently resides in Michigan and grew up dancing in the metro Detroit area. She trained in all styles of dance for 16 years before beginning her professional career. Sarah has performed at Radio City Music Hall in the Christmas Spectacular as a Rockette for three seasons. Alongside events such as, The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and Good Morning America. She has trained in New York City, and is signed with The Movement Talent Agency. You can follow Sarah on instagram @sarahmariedaniel.
Many of you know Michael from his work in the dance competition industry since 2001. What many people in the dance industry do not know is that Michael runs the NYC-based coaching and consulting company, “The Legacy of You.” A born nurturer, Michael was attracted to the Dance industry because of his passion for helping creative people pursue meaningful work. In his vision, dance & arts training geared to younger generations hold tremendous potential to serve as a vehicle for personal growth. Ideally, when effective leadership is implemented, the dance & arts environment can even be the perfect petri-dish environment to allow young evolving leaders to cultivate real-life skills, beyond the bounds of traditional education: to create, to communicate, to regulate emotions, and to self-reflect.
As a professional executive coach, Michael’s core clients are corporate managers who have not yet learned to trust their instincts as a leader. As an overly empathic person with a ton of ambition, he frequently found himself in leadership roles before he felt ready. Now, he works to help others who are experiencing their own growing pains, making it easier for them to thrive in the business world and in their personal lives—and to save them valuable time in the process. Current & recent coaching clients include: Bed Bath & Beyond, Madison Square Garden, Epic Games & Fortnite, Word Economic Forum, Sesame Workshop, Discovery Network & Buy Buy Baby. In addition to his former years as an executive board member at StarQuest, Michael now supplies leadership training for multiple other companies in the competition circuit and the Association of Dance Competitions And Conventions. Michael’s expertise in leading large teams of people stems from his experience as a Tour Manager of 130-city bus and truck tours for Broadway shows such as Thoroughly Modern Millie, Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Fiddler on The Roof. Through his experience on the road he has cultivated an expert skillset behind scalability & leadership through nearly every angle: sales, customer experience, staffing, and production.
For more Michael content follow The Gratitude Slam on Facebook:
https://m.facebook.com/groups/265683947289384?group_view_referrer=search
Erik is an independent consultant, based in New York, serving large and mid-market clients. In May 2020, Bloomsbury published his debut book, "Un-American: A Soldier's Reckoning of Our Longest War." The New York Times said, "There have been several excellent memoirs by veterans of our current wars, but this is the first one that reminded me of the disillusioned writings of British veterans after World War I..." It is sold online and at major international bookstores including Target, Barnes & Noble (US), Blackwell's (UK), and Dymocks (Australia), amongst others.
Erik earned an MBA and MSc in Environmental Change and Management from the University of Oxford. In 2013, Erik was selected as an Oxford Business School Fellow and represents the University as one of its five Australasia ambassadors. Erik received a Bachelor of Science from The United States Military Academy (West Point) where he was on the Dean’s List every semester for all four years.
Production Credit: Andrew Xenos
Today we sit down with Kathryn Boland to talk about the positive mental health benefits of dance, and her transition from dancer to dance writer.
Kathryn Boland, MA, RYT-200, R-DMT, is a dancer, movement educator and writer/journalist. She holds a BA in Dance from The George Washington University (2011) and an MA In Expressive Therapies: Dance/Movement Therapy from Lesley University (2015). Kathryn has taught yoga and dance -- with students of all ages and in various contexts -- since 2011. She firmly believes in the potential of movement for healing, empowerment, community building, social change, and so much more.Kathryn also writes regularly for Dance Informa, Dance Plug, and YogaU Online, and has contributed to DIYDancer, Dance Studio Life, Dance Dispatches, Dance Magazine, and Dance Teacher Magazine.
Bettina Mahoney sits down with the founder of We Are Queens, Tal Kamin to chat about her proud identification of being Israeli, how that heritage resulted in her grit and courage. We also unpack what it is like growing up as dancers and navigating mental health as young female entrepreneurs.
Tal Ayala Kamin is a 21-year old artist and entrepreneur, committed to empowering herself and others to celebrate life. Born in Israel, she moved to New Jersey at 7 years old and spent her teen years training at Broadway Dance Center's Children and Teen Program alongside intensives with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Paul Taylor Dance Company, The Rockettes, and Batsheva Dance. At 15, she began dancing professionally with freelance modern companies and leading the marketing teams of start-up firms. She is currently a Senior at the University of Michigan, pursuing a dual degree in Dance and Economics. In 2019, Tal founded We Are Queens, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization focused on empowering college-aged dancers on 20+ campus chapters towards sustainable trajectories through community-building, leadership training, and professional development. She is ecstatic to intersect her passions for art and business to spark change, bring people together, and spread positivity.