When I decided to hire a coach, I talked to 5 different coaches but then came upon one—Catherine Wood—who really challenged me with the things she said, the questions she asked, and the way she was. Our first conversation gave me a strong belief that she would be a very valuable ally as I embarked on my journey as a career dancer.

When I went into coaching, I was kind of expecting someone that would challenge all of the decisions that I made and tell me what I should and shouldn’t do. But anyone who knows anything about coaching knows that’s totally not it. My expectation was off, but it turned out to be a lot more helpful than I thought it would be because coaching is all about you (me). I already have everything I need and I just have to manifest that and embody that and believe in myself, and learning that was super important for me.

Being able to believe that you have something to offer and that you’re valuable, that’s where so many people get stuck because you look at everyone else who is already a success and think you’re not good enough. But you can’t compare yourself to professionals as a beginner. We all had to start somewhere, and if you never start then it’s not going to happen. I think coaching helps you get there, and that is really important.

One of the most powerful things I learned during coaching with Cat is that you can’t choose from fear. You must choose from commitment. You have to go much deeper than the words—you must learn how to internalize it and then actually state out loud what choosing from commitment means to you.