Valentin Chmerkovskiy: The Art of Dance, Success and Pursuing Your Dreams

So often in American society, we revere and talk about athletes, artists, and entrepreneurs -- but not as often do we acknowledge dancers in the same way.
Especially male ballroom dancers.
However, with the rise of popularity of the hit show, Dancing with the Stars, this sport has become much more popular in the U.S.
And a part of that rise to popularity and appreciation is today's guest, Valentin Chmerkovskiy.
If you've seen him on the show (winning twice and competing at the top multiple times), you already know what a brilliant dancer and artist he is.
But you might not know the rest of his story and perspectives.

Val and I met through social media a few months back, but I didn't realize how cool he was until we met in person.
Not only does Val have the hard-earned wisdom of a long-term elite athlete (he's been winning championships since he was a teenager), he also is a successful entrepreneur, social media influencer, coach, and now an author.
But what I really loved talking to Val about was how he has developed an incredible level of confidence in doing what he loves -- even before it was popular.
Val's humility and focus shows up in all his work. As we discussed what dance has taught him about being a good partner, human being, and man, I was really inspired to keep pushing myself to be better.
And of course, we made plans to go salsa dancing as a result.
I'm excited and proud to bring you this insightful conversation about what is possible when you go for your dreams because YOU believe in them in Episode 590.

Some questions I ask:

What has dance taught you about being a great human being? (15:44)
What are the key elements to create an explosive, captivating performance? (19:20)
How do you get to a place of confidence if you don't feel comfortable with yourself? (21:04)
How do you approach connecting with a new partner to get the best performance out of them? (23:36)

In this episode you will learn:

Why Val is still proud of the titles he won as a teenager (1:03)
How ballroom dancing is viewed differently in Eastern Europe versus the U.S. (4:50)
The story of how Val got into ballroom dance as a kid (7:45)
The secret skill you probably didn't know Val has (trained for 16 years!) (13:08)
How partner dances teach you to be an excellent communicator (17:58)
How I got over my fear of dancing and learned salsa (26:30)
The best way to deal with bullying (31:30)
The difference between giving 100% and giving 99% (39:15)
Val's perspective on being an immigrant and why it's so motivating (48:45)
Plus much more...