133: From the Ballet to the Board Room — Joanna Wozniak

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra speaks with Joanna Wozniak, Senior Consultant at HBR Consulting and former ballerina with the Joffrey Ballet. Joanna, whose run with the Joffrey started as a seasonal artist in 2001, went on to enjoy a two-decades-long career with the esteemed Chicago dance company.</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2009,</span> <em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Point Magazine</span></em> <span style="font-weight: 400;">named one of her performances as one of their “12 favorite performances of 2009,” and she can also be seen as a dancer in the feature film</span> <em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Save the Last Dance.</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Outside of dance, Wozniak holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Northwestern University and a master’s degree in business analytics from the University of Chicago — two of the world’s top universities. Having held accomplished careers both on and off the stage, Joanna holds a unique perspective on the value of the “Plan B” and how to navigate the pursuit of education, while juggling the responsibilities of professional dance. On the podcast, Joanna discusses all of this and more as she recounts her journey from the ballet to the board room.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Moving Quotes:</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Having additional passions and drives and not becoming siloed in dance is extremely critical... All of these things are only going to inspire you to be a better dancer."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Don't dump a lot of money into education for an area that you don't actually want to go into... And I don't think a person is the same at 20 as they are at 35. You must be in line with what it is you're passionate about."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Going to school while dancing is a huge transition... Your first few years in a company, you may just want to wait and adapt before going to school... Education today is a