Ep 40. Renee Herendeen: Professional dancer, graceful and centered Marketing Director

I had the pleasure of interviewing a colleague, Renee Herendeen from Arnold Worldwide, on the feisworld podcast. Renee and I work on several of projects together.  We share similar beliefs when it comes to life at work and outside of work.

One morning, Renee said to Carrie (my coworker) and me: "You two should come to my Zumba class on Tuesdays."

"Did you say Z.U.M.B.A?"

Though I teach Taekwondo (a form of Korean martial arts) to adults and children at my dojang once in a while, instructing a crowd of people you've never met to learn how to dance seemed out of my reach. For those of you who aren't familiar with Zumba, it is an aerobic program inspired by a variety of Latin dance movements performed to upbeat, sassy music. It is a fun, relaxing and sweat-dripping workout that engraves a permanent smile on my face.

Some of the dots began to connect for me.  For months I had known Renee, I often wondered why she handles stressful situations with  ease, why she doesn't loses her temper, why she listens (while many other don't). etc. etc. More importantly, the way she carries herself isn't just surface-level, but something much more profound.

I couldn't wait to ask Renee about her "secret origin" stories. What made her into who she is today? What was it like to pursue a life in dancing while her peers followed a traditional path?  What's the difference between a Day in the Life of a Dancer vs. Marketing Director? 

This 40-min podcast is to answer these questions and much more. Such as Renee's experience in taking a Stress Management Course at Mass General Hospital, and her decision in teaching Zumba to women in homeless shelters.

If you are (or if you know someone who is)  fresh out of school, in career transition, I hope you find this episode resonating and insightful. Please share your comments and I look forward to hearing from you.

To learn more about Renee and her Zumba classes, please follow her on Facebook. You can also sign up for her Zumba lessons taught at O'Malley Tae Kwon Do Center this summer (starting Sunday, 6/28)

Show Notes:

 When did you get started with dancing? [1:45]  What are some of the most memorable experiences you’ve had? [3:45]  What was a day in the life of a dancer in NYC? [5:45] So, In addition to Zumba, what do you do to keep your creative engine working? [10:00] What is something that you don’t carry on the surface of yourself? [13:00 ]  What are some of the counterintuitive things they’ve taught you at MGH? [15:15]  I want to hear about your meditation routine (can include link to youtube in comments) [21:15] What is a day in the life of a marketing director at Arnold [23:00] What was it like teaching Zumba to homeless people? [32:30]

---

Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/feisworld/message
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/feisworld/support