125: Learning to Say “Yes” — Sonja McCord

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra speaks with Sonja McCord, Chief Executive Officer at</span> <a href="https://thesonjamccordx.com/"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">The Sonja McCord X</span></a><span style= "font-weight: 400;">.</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Sonja — who is based in New York City — has had opportunities to perform with a myriad of top dance companies and boasts 15+ years of agency and in-house marketing experience. Now, Sonja combines both careers at her company, where she coaches dancers to amplify their brand, monetize their art, increase visibility, and put their best foot forward from a marketing perspective.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sonja, whose path to her current destination has been far from linear, is a firm believer in having the right mindset when pursuing goals. And, to Sonja, a key component of pursuing dreams is a willingness to say “yes” to whatever the universe throws at you, all to reach the perfect finish line. On the podcast, Sonja talks about the importance of saying “yes,” while sprinkling in some extremely valuable tips on marketing yourself well, choosing the right field of study, and so much more.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Moving Quotes:</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Saying 'yes' to yourself allows you to really focus 100 percent without guilt and shame. And that mindset shift alone can make or break a dancer."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I empower my students to go 100 percent. I always ask my students, 'What if you said "yes" to your career and to giving 100 percent to your goals? Where do you think you'd be a year from now?' It's really a lightbulb moment for dancers. It's exciting to see them transform over six weeks, once they allow themselves to say 'yes.'"</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"If a casting director or artistic director or choreographer landed on your Instagram page, what information would they need to know about you in order to boo