Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabby Roberts.
Hi Gabby, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Like many young girls, I was in my first dance class when I was 3 years old and now have identified as a “dancer” ever since. I grew up in the Chicago suburbs and went onto college at Western Michigan University – really embracing my midwest roots through my early 20s! I had a dream of becoming a Radio City Rockette and took a bet on myself a few years post grad to move to NYC to make my dream my reality. Through a ton of hard work, determination + belief in myself, I not only made that dream come true but also met my husband and some of my best friends along the way! After my 2nd season as a Rockette, we moved to Houston, where my husband grew up, into our first home we were able to design together. We have absolutely loved getting to slow life down a little bit; hosting at our home, traveling and now raising our new puppy! “Dancer” will always be a part of my identity, but with this transition I’ve continued to teach fitness as well as create content for my personal brand. I full heartedly believe in going all in on yourself and trusting your gut to lead you to exactly where you are meant to be!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My road has been filled with a ton of struggles + obstacles, but it makes me even more proud of where I am today. Especially in the dance world, getting “nos” is really the norm. I dealt with a lot of self doubt in my late teens/early 20s always comparing myself to others. In college I felt extremely out of place, I was never picked to be in pieces, barely performed and even got denied two times from the BFA program. I auditioned for the Rockettes multiple times (as well as other performance companies/opportunities) before booking the job. Through it all I’ve learned that failure is all apart of it. Without failure, you don’t learn how to grow and get better. You can either let things knock you down and stay down, or you can pick yourself back up and keep fighting. It took years, but once I could switch my mindset from “is this going to ever happen for me?” to “why wouldn’t it happen for me?” I started noticing changes and things started happening!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Movement has always been such a huge part of my life! I have been a Pure Barre Teacher for over 7 years and have been a Lead Teacher in 3 different states, one of those being New York City. I currently have some private virtual clients for fitness and dance, as well as teaching at a Pure Barre studio and different dance master classes/conventions.
I am also a content creator and am extremely passionate about inspiring others to go after their dream life in a balanced, healthy way! Dreams can look so different for everyone, I believe we should all go after whatever sets our hearts on fire no matter how big or small a dream may seem.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
All of the things I have accomplished so far are due to taking risks, so I’m a huge advocate for them. My biggest risk so far has been the move to NYC in hopes to book a job that over 1,000 people audition for each year. I moved not knowing more than a couple people, no solid job and no physical support system in sight. It sounds cliche, but the saying “no risk, no reward” resonates so much with me. The hardest part for most goals in life is actually just committing to it and taking the first step towards it. I am a huge advocate of mindset and self-talk, I truly believe it is the key to creating success and actually taking the risks. If you don’t believe in yourself, why would anyone else believe in you? I know I want to live my life with no regret and no page left unturned, and I have yet to look back on a risk I took and regret it – even the ones that didn’t turn out quite the way I was hoping. To anyone afraid to take a risk, remember that you were given that desire/dream/goal for a reason. Sometimes you have to take 2 steps backward to get 5 steps forward, trust yourself that you can persevere through whatever challenges come with the risk!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/potentiallygabby/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@potentiallygabby
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@potentiallygabby
