We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Laia Giralt Cortada a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Laia, we are so happy that our community is going to have a chance to learn more about you, your story and hopefully even take in some of the lessons you’ve learned along the way. Let’s start with self-care – what do you do for self-care and has it had any impact on your effectiveness?
I believe self-care is extremely important and I try my best to cultivate it at many levels. For starters, I always make sure I get 7-8 hours of sleep so that my body and brain are well rested for the day ahead. I keep a healthy and nutritious diet so that my body can feel good, energized and perform at its best. I incorporate yoga to my daily routine in order to feel calm and balanced, as well as keeping myself strong, fit and flexible. I hike or take walks while listening to music or audiobooks when I need to decompress, and that allows me to connect with nature and feel aligned. If I ever feel distressed, anxious or low, I meditate, and that brings me relief.
I find that all these habits have a huge positive impact on my wellbeing and mental health, which I think are fundamental for my own happiness. They say the energy you put out in this world eventually comes back to you, and I really believe that. The better, more aligned and positive you feel, the higher will be your chances of succeeding.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’m originally from a small town south of Barcelona called Vilanova I la Geltrú. I was born and raised there until I decided to leave at 18, so that I could pursue my dance career. I moved to London right after finishing my exams, leaving all my family and friends behind. It was tough to start over in a new and foreign place, especially having to go through the process of learning English. However, I never once doubted my decision and was always convinced and determined to follow my dreams. Once in London I found myself side hustle jobs while I trained my *ss off at the best dance studios. I also took multiple trips to LA to be able to train intensively with the best in the business. Thankfully, I always had my parents’ support, who helped me in everything they could. After a lot of auditioning, taking class, networking, finding my style and my look, I finally booked my first job at the age of 21. During my 6.5 years in London I was able to work with some of the best British and International artists (Nicki Minaj, Rosalia, French Montana, Little Mix, Robbie Williams, Cheryl Cole, Fleur East, etc) and in the most popular TV shows (X Factor, The Voice, Britain’s Got Talent and Let’s Sing and Dance). Eventually, I felt that I had accomplished everything that I wanted there and I craved a new challenge. That’s when I decided to apply for my visa so that I could move to the US to pursue my even wilder dreams. Needless to say it wasn’t an easy process and starting from zero (yet again) on the other side of the world was a huge challenge in itself. I was now in an even more foreign place and even more far away from my family. Adapting to my new life took some getting used to, but eventually I made LA my home. We even went through a whole pandemic and came out stronger on the other side. During the past 5 years I have been lucky enough to dance alongside the likes of Pharrell, The Weeknd, JLo, Lil Baby, Bad Bunny, Ricky Martin, J Balvin and Zara Larsson, amongst others, and in productions as big as the Oscars, the Grammy’s, the Latin Grammy’s, many US festivals and even a World Tour. My younger self could not believe how far we’ve come. Following my passion wasn’t an easy path, it was surely full of the highest ups and the lowest downs. In my line of work you are constantly being compared to, having to deal with rejection, having to battle feelings of insecurity, unworthiness, doubt and fear of failure, but they never broke me. In the end it was all worth it. The lessons were invaluable and have made me the person I am today. I am now turning 30 and I can confidently say that I am very proud of my journey, my growth and everything that I have been able to accomplish.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Good work ethic, always striving to be the best. Perseverance, never giving up on my dreams no matter how many rejections I had to go through. Determination and confidence, never doubting even for a second that I was capable of accomplishing anything I put my mind to.
My advice would be to just keep going, keep training, keep learning, keep believing. If you never give up you will end up succeeding.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
They raised me in a loving home. They instilled in me the best values. They gave me the tools for critical thinking. They allowed me to do what I loved the most. They always gave me enough freedom to learn things on my own. They supported me psychologically and financially when times were tough. They’ve always been there when I’ve needed them, no matter how far away I was.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @laiagcortada
