73 - ballet, bravery, and figuring it out: a dancer's journey through life and motherhood

In this week’s episode, I’m joined by Rachel Butler-Otto, the now Huntsville Ballet School Director* who has spent her life learning to figure it out as she goes—both in the world of dance and in motherhood. Leaving home at 16 to pursue a professional ballet career, she faced challenges from a surprise pregnancy to balancing the demands of family and dance.

I often talk about the fact that we can learn from one another, no matter how different our stories may look. As a little girl, my closet was full of jerseys and cleats, rather than tutus and pointe shoes, so my exposure to ballet was minimal. And yet, I took away so much wisdom from this conversation that resonates with any mama out there. We discuss the bravery it takes to navigate unexpected challenges, the importance of showing our kids that it's okay to figure things out along the way, and the reassuring truth that we’re all doing fine—even when it doesn’t feel like it.

Whether you're a dancer or not, I think you'll find this conversation both comforting and inspiring. Grab your coffee and push play!

And don't forget to follow us over on Instagram- @successfulmamapodcast

*In the intro for the episode, I share that Rachel is the Ballet Mistress for the Huntsville Ballet School. After finishing the episode, I realized that I misread, as this is her title associated with the Huntsville Ballet Company, and she is the Director for the school. I did mention in the episode that I had no idea what a Ballet Mistress was... I'll get Rachel to explain it to me next time.