Jaimie Joseph, Founding Chapter - May 2019

Jaimie Joseph from Founding Chapter is our alumnae spotlight sister for May 2019. Read below about Jaimie's inspiring story of changing careers from the corporate world to the dance! Catch Jaimie dancing in Lil Kim's music video for the song Go Awff!

What are you doing today and how did joining Kappa Phi Gamma Sorority, Inc. prepare you for this? My journey to dance was a bit off the beaten path. As first generation Americans, my parents came to the US in hopes to have a better life for their family. Born in the south side of Dallas, Texas I was raised with my head in the books and hobbies coming dead last. Growing up I would watch episodes of Soul Train and dance around the living room trying to learn the latest dance moves. My passion for dance grew from sneaking into parties with my sisters and dancing the night away as often as possible. After getting my Masters in Accounting and working up the corporate ladder, I always found myself daydreaming about dance and yearning more from life. It wasn’t until a good friend knocked some sense into me and asked, “If you knew you couldn’t fail, what would you want to do?”. My gut response was dance and from that moment I never looked back.

What were your biggest challenges and struggles? My biggest challenge switching careers in my late 20's was starting from scratch all over again. I was in a new industry surrounded by women who have been training since they were kids. Starting dance so late in life made me realize I had to work that much harder and smarter to keep up with my peers. The first two years in my training program was definitely the hardest. Mentally I was surrounded by so much self-doubt and physically my body was not ready for the demanding schedule. That experience really made me realize how strong my passion for dance was and how I knew I would not give up that easily.

What is your favorite part of your position/career/field? My favorite part of dance is being able to perform for the audience. The thrill of being on stage is unlike anything I have ever experienced. Some of my happiest moments in life have been on stage performing for my loved ones. It's a single fleeting moment when I feel most alive.

What is your work/life balance? That's a tricky question lol. So one thing about dance is that its All or Nothing, which is one of my favorite quotes in life. I have sacrificed a lot for my passion and I have no regrets about that. The best thing about it is the fact that my family and friends have been along for the ride since day one and give me nothing but love and support.

What do you perceive are the benefits of joining Kappa Phi Gamma Sorority, Inc.? Looking back on my life I have realized my college years were some of the most formative years growing up. I learned so much about myself in college and that has shaped who I am and who I have become. The benefits of joining K Phi G during this time of your life are the relationships that you build and learn from. You are a reflection of the 5 people you spend the most amount of time with. Surrounding yourself by women who are hustling just as hard as you will push you beyond your limits and level up.

What advice do you have for women that are attempting to follow your career path? Dance is more than a career, its a way of life. The journey is a roller coaster filled with ups and downs and constant rejection. But in the end you come out a stronger person because of it and build one of your most important relationships - which is with yourself.

How do you measure your success? In life, I measure success based on the goals I set for myself. Every year I create a vision board and I come back to it every few months. On my vision board I have artists/choreographers I want to work with, fitness goals, places I would like to visit, creative projects and visuals I would like to produce, etc. Having a clear and defined vision of where I would like to go helps me measure how successful I am toward reaching those goals.

Be sure to follow Jaimie on Instagram at Jaimie_Joseph to stay up to date with her career!