Today we’d like to introduce you to Tal Kamin.
Hi Tal, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
It all started in a small suburban town in Jerusalem, Israel. Picture an energetic 2-year-old running around the house, parading costumes, choreographing dances, and seating her three college-aged siblings in a perfect row for “show time”. This passion, resilience, and enthusiasm has persisted with me in everything I do. When I moved to NJ at 7 years old speaking no English, dance was my constant. As I trained competitively for 20 hours a week, danced professionally in NYC throughout high school, and pursued a dual degree at the University of Michigan, I recognized the importance of balancing my love for dance with a sustainable career. My fascination with marketing growing up lended itself to various internships at start-ups and evolved into my current position in Business Development at Branding Agency Wolff Olins. Today, I feel fulfilled by my two passions, the intersection of my right and left brain. More so, it is important for me to give back and pave the path for other dancers to pursue multi-hyphenated paths through my founding of We Are Queens, a 501c3 nonprofit empowering college dancers towards sustainable careers with professional development. As I continue growing as an artist, leader, and life-long student, I am excited to remember the sparkle in the eyes of 2-year-old me pursuing anything she put her mind to.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
In my quest to take advantage of every opportunity given my immigration to America, I put 150% in everything I do. The commitment to my craft, the inability to stop until perfect, and the obsession with progress has led to some of my proudest moments as well as harsh realizations of burnout. As I’ve struggled to balance my various passions, I have learned the importance of mental health awareness, time management, and most importantly being human first. Aside from my passions, I am me! We are so used to measuring our value based on our accomplishments when in reality we are human BEings, not human DOings. Reframing my attitude towards my ambitions in this way has allowed me to enjoy the journey, smell the roses, and perceive each day as a new adventure in it of itself.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I have always been passionate about bringing people together. Now, as a recent graduate of the University of Michigan with a dual degree in Dance and Economics, I have learned to focus my passions towards my greater purpose. However, my founding of We Are Queens, a 501c3 women’s empowerment nonprofit committed to redefining the “starving artist” myth for college dancers, was almost coincidental. I had just completed my first year at UM and had been empowered to spread positivity, raise awareness for mental health, and unite women. This simple goal translated to my creation of “Bridging The G-A-P” in August of 2019: a digital 30-day challenge designed for women to pause and reflect on 1 statement of Gratitude, 1 Affirmation, and 1 statement of Pride. This challenge quickly grew to gain the support of 750+ women, including 3 Broadway shows. As the organization has since evolved with a Board of Directors and focused its programming on college campuses through community building, leadership opportunities, and professional development, what has always persisted is our passion and ambition for purpose. We begin all team calls by Bridging The G-A-P and define our success by the increased sense of self-confidence women leave our events with. This commitment to our “why” and celebration of one another every step of the way has allowed We Are Queens to continue growing to presence across 50 college chapters while maintaining truth to who we are and why we do what we do.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
The Israeli in me has taught me to never take “no” for an answer. When my grandparents passed in the Holocaust, my parents instilled in me the resilience, kindness, and ambition needed to keep my heritage alive. I live every day in hopes of making my family proud, and being a positive representation of my nation. In doing this, I’ve learned that the answer is always no if you don’t ask, and even if the door is closed the window is always open. This creativity and enthusiasm have defined the most impactful achievements I’ve had to date: attending my first professional dance audition without an agent, cold messaging my now-current boss inquiring about an internship, and launching a nonprofit at 18 years old. As I continue in my path, I recognize challenges will be inevitable but my persistence to always find a way will allow me to succeed nonetheless.
Contact Info:
- Website: talkamin.com
- Instagram: tal.kamin
