Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jordan Castillo. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jordan , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been one of the most interesting investments you’ve made – and did you win or lose? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)

Best investment: The best investment I’ve ever made is dance. Dance has given me back much more than the efforts I have put into the craft.

Backstory: I used to be very big into soccer. I stopped routinely playing soccer when I was about 21. It was then that I made the conscious decision to invest my time and energy into dance. I needed something new to obsess over.

Why I made the decision: I had always felt that dance was something I was naturally drawn to and I was highly inspired by freestyle hip hop dancers I watched on YouTube and TV shows like So You Think You Can Dance. However, when I was younger, I let some of the negative things people said about me trying anything dance related get to me. So, I didn’t allow myself the freedom to explore those interests at a younger age. The type of dance I do is not big where I grew up. But, I decided to stop living in that type of fear and let my work ethic and natural inclination for dance take me to where I am today.

How it has played out: I am 33 years old and still dancing every day. Dance gives me discipline, improved mental clarity and control, fitness, a creativity outlet, community, etc. It virtually improves every aspect of my life and keeps me grounded. It is my passion.

Lessons learned:

1: Nothing comes free. I realized that if I wanted to make my dance/movement visions become a physical reality, I needed to train in other ways outside of just dance. So, I started stretching, mobility training, endurance training, and strength training.

2: Rest is important. If you have efficiency high on the list of priorities like myself, you want to improve as quickly as possible. Having started to dance late in life, I felt the need to ‘play catch up’ if I was going to be capable of moving at a high-level. So, I was training every day for many, many hours. That coupled with my high-intensity work schedule led me to realize that rest is of the upmost importance. Both from a physical and mental perspective.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

How I got into Naval Architecture: I’ve always highly enjoyed learning about science and math, particularly physics. I started my schooling by getting a degree from Louisiana State University in Mechanical Engineering. After that, I went to graduate school at the University of New Orleans (UNO) for Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. I graduated in 2016 from UNO and started working at my current company in 2017.

Problems I solve for clients: I started out working primarily as a Naval Architect. Then, I became a Manager working with a team on specific programs. Now, I am starting a new position in Process Improvements & Learning and Development.

Fundamentally, a Naval Architect works on ship design and engineering. As one can imagine, the process of designing a ship is very complex. Thus, there is a tremendous amount of problem solving that takes place on a daily basis. From an engineering perspective, it can be anything from designing a more efficient propeller to choosing the right engines to fit the powering needs of the ship to go a certain speed. From the design standpoint, examples include developing the hull geometry/shape and properly arranging spaces within said shape.

What sets me apart: Since Naval Architecture is a niche community that inherently sets me apart from a large portion of the population. Where I think I am further set apart is the fact that I am also a completely self-taught freestyle hip hop dancer who executes at a high level in terms of control, technique, and creativity.

What I am most proud of: In my profession, I am most proud of being an integral member of the team working on the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Polar Security Cutter (PSC). It is an icebreaker. I was fortunate enough to represent my company at the ice model tests in Europe, and had the opportunity to converse with some of the leading icebreaking experts in the world. I have a publication with the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME). The publication focuses on one of the key aspects of icebreakers, ice maneuverability. The knowledge for writing this paper was primarily gained through my work on the PSC program. The paper is titled “Multi-Mission Icebreaker Ship Design Factors Influencing Ice Maneuverability.” I am the primary author.

As a dancer, I am most proud of rising to my own challenge of attacking the investment in dance with full intention. Through my hard work and dedication, I’ve been blessed to have some experience in the film industry and get paid for my talents in various ways at a professional level. Most recently, I represented Louisiana at the Salt Lake City Qualifiers for the Red Bull “Dance Your Style” dance competition.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

In my dance journey, a dream of mine was to get casted on the TV show So You Think You Can dance by making it to the judges round. For three years in a row, I had call backs to audition in person after submitting online video submissions. At the in-person auditions, I received another callback to audition again prior to the judges round. However, I was cut and did not make it. Had it not been for COVID, I would have continued to audition to make that dream a reality. Unfortunately, the show was cancelled due to COVID for a few years. When the show came back, I was too old to audition. The cut off is 30 years old.

Coming to terms with not being able to see that dream come to life was a bit tough to come to terms with. But, I didn’t let it deter me from continuing to allow dance to continue to serve me in the countless ways it has since I started. I continue to dance daily and set new goals all the time!

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

My advice would be to focus on understanding the strengths of each individual you manage, and to engage in occasional discussions with them to identify their goals and how you can help them achieve those goals. In those conversations, it is important to make them feel valued, respected, and looked after. Establishing good individual relationships is key to establishing a cohesive team.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @jstill2490

Image Credits

Keone Glover
Maggie Dewitt