Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Emily Chandra. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Emily, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
To embody confidence, truly, is to get comfortable with and embrace all of who you are; your mistakes, your human-ness, and even your pain. A common misconception when people see videos from my dance studio or peek at my instagram, is that I am feeling myself 100% of the time- and that’s what it means to be confident. In actuality, I feel like a bad b!tch on some days, and other days I don’t- but on those days, I give myself grace and compassion and choose for myself what I need and how best to take care of myself. And I own that choice. That feels like confidence to me.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
Emily Chandra is the founder of Seacoast Stilettos, her inclusive movement focused on helping people reclaim their power through dance. With her signature Seacoast Stilettos dance classes, Emily serves empowerment and community along with hype at her home studio in Peabody, Massachusetts, as well as studios, nightclubs, and other locales across the country.
Thousands of people leave Seacoast Stilettos feeling sexy, confident, and magnetic — often for the first time in their lives. No matter the venue, students take a newfound sense of self-love and support with them, and that radiates into the rest of their lives.
Emily has a BA in dance from Dean College and studied under the Ailey School in New York City. She has danced & performed professionally in New York and Boston in modern, jazz, contemporary, heels dance and more. Emily is also a trauma informed, E-YRT and has led yoga retreats & movement workshops globally. Her work has been featured through Big Night Entertainment Group and on NBC Boston.
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?
Having a small business was never something I set out to do. It grew from following my joy and listening to my own healing, and turned into something I really couldn’t ever have imagined.
The past few years have been a whirlwind, I’ve learned to wear many hats. Some of those hats include, customer service, studio manager, social media, marketing, content creator, team management, scheduling, choreographer, director, dance teacher, studio owner. Although I never went to school for business, marketing or anything like that, I have learned a lot along the way. May this be of some benefit, whether you have a small biz baby, or not:
⚡️Stay connected to what excites you the most. The class, the promotion, the product. If you’re energy is backing it, it’s something that truly fires you up, that’s what’s going to hit home for most people too.
⚡️It can quickly turn into a 24/7. I’m still learning to try to mindfully take nights off, ask for support, delegate. If you have a team that is in it with you, offers to help and support, take them up on it.
⚡️Boundaries! Learning to say no, taking the time off, holding your price point and your ground. Some people will slip away when you set boundaries. Let them, let them, let them.
⚡️ Try not to be so rigid, that you can’t adapt or go with the flow. Your role may change a lot, there’s so much to love about that. And at the end of the day, your clients, your community, breathes life into the business- send love back and stay connected. Get inspired by their stories, learn about them.
This list could go on and on because I never stop learning. Grateful for the opportunity to do so. @seacoaststilettos Started as my baby, but it has grown into a place that quite literally changes lives. I’m not gonna downplay how special this place has become. Or how full my heart is as I take time to recognize the journey!
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
Honestly, shout out to anyone who’s out here doing their own thing
It seems so simple, and I talk about dropping into feminine energy, and softening often— but make no mistake— you need some tough skin sometimes. The more you put yourself out there, the more opinions people will have of you. If you’re doing something unconventional, get ready for a lot of closeted insecurities to get projected onto you. And if you’re successful on top of it, buckle up!
Sometimes it doesn’t matter if you’re having a good day, bad day, sick day, sad day— you gotta take your own insecurities out of it and handle it. With grace, with class, with intention, and with a whole lot of strength. If you’re out here manifesting dreams that make others question their entire way of thinking- or a part of themselves that they’ve rejected and suppressed- best believe something’s stirring inside that’s gonna make them wanna hate you or make you wrong to validate their feelings. What you have to offer might not be for everyone- actually, chances are it can’t be. You cannot be for everyone and that’s a lesson I wish sunk in a little earlier when I started my own business- but lessons tend come at the right and perfect time, don’t they?
Anyways, don’t let other’s projected insecurities stop you from manifesting your dreams. Wipe your tears, but dont look down for too long because it’s beneath you for a reason.
And you’re only going up babe.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://seacoaststilettos.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seacoaststilettos/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@emilychandrawiswell7888
