We were lucky to catch up with Khaja J recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Khaja thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
Thank you for having me! Well, my life is a series of risks back to back to back and so it would be difficult to tell you just one risk without linking them all… however, I believe a risk worth diving into for sure would be my move to New York.
I was teaching, choreographing, coaching, and directing in Miami at the time and it seemed I was connected to so many responsibilities it would be impossible to leave. However, typical love story, I fell into a connection that I cared so deeply for and this person resided in New York. Long story short, I visited him in New York a few times within a 3 month period and by the 4th month I made the decision to move there and ultimately start a new foundation. SO MANY CHANGES were needed of course, to make this work and I was very unsure of starting over in unknown territory. I knew one friend outside of my relationship at the time, and that was it; very different from my friend and family life in South Florida.
Moving forward with my plans, I left company and studio jobs, found replacements for in-person clients, I transitioned my dance company into more of a hybrid training experience (as we were already getting a taste of this during Covid times), sold everything that couldn’t travel with me, and went.
How did it turn out?
LOL…Lot’s of anxiety, inner turmoil, and when I got there it took weeks to leave my apartment by myself. To my defense I have never experienced a freezing place like NY and coming from Miami – snow is unheard of. I actually questioned if it really existed haha. Of course, it also takes time to learn public transportation in New York and anywhere new for that matter…
Giving all of the beginner hindrances, I am still SO deeply grateful. Although the initial reason of building foundations with whom I thought was my life partner did not last, my decision in moving to New York was the BEST decision of my life to date.
The amount of COURAGE, resilience, strength, and drive that I now possess is unmatched (I have to capitalize certain things, that’s how y’all know it’s real haha).
I feel the difference within myself every day. I’ve experienced many misfortunes that were blessings in disguise. Amazingly, I’ve also cultivated life-long relationships, expanded my businesses, and found even more of my true self and life purpose through traveling and growing in different atmospheres. I recommend travel or moving as a life hack to absolutely anyone who wants to explore and connect more with themselves and others.
It is through this experience and many others that I state…risk-taking is a SKILL. Calculate it, trust yourself, surpass limiting beliefs, hold fear’s hand, and go for it. Your future self will thank you.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?
Sure. I am a healer, life coach, creative director, choreographer, author, motivational speaker, visionary, curator, behavior analyst, social entrepreneur, human rights advocate, lover, family member, friend, and spirit (and a few more things but you’d have to get to know me better haha).
At the moment my focuses are on creative directing and everything that entails (dancing, managing, choreographing, teaching, mentoring, supervising, curating) and being a life coach (healing, behavior analysis, trauma re-visitation, group/individual coaching, community healing, and motivational speaking).
My passion consists of meeting with creatives in many industries and people in general who want to secure their emotional, physical, mental, creative, and/or business administration needs to cultivate a higher quality of life AND sustain it.
It’s what I do. It’s who I am. I cannot teach others what I haven’t learned, myself. And still learning! If time doesn’t stop, neither does growth right? It’s always up to us.
I started my creative career as a dancer. I cultivated a dance team, later professional dance company, from scratch. First with people that I’m grateful to have crossed paths with, and later directing independently stemming from 2013. Through strength and commitment I trained in and outside of class, studios, and stages to the point where my dancing, choreography and/or presence were featured and requested in places that before then, only resided in my dreams. Myself and Karizma Dancers, what is now an international dance community, have performed with and casted for many artists and performers such as DJ Khaled, Mary J. Blige, Mykal Rose, Shenseea, Kerwin Du Bois, Alkaline, Nacho, Llane, Red Rat, Vybz Kartel, J Perry, Chip, Stefflon Don, Tosh Alexander, Savannah Cristina, Kmetik Nyne and more.
In the internal structure of Karizma, we value truth, integrity, humility, pro-action, respect, and love and we meet monthly for in-house training in the physique, temperament and etiquette of a professional dancer and creative in multiple dance styles and avenues. Through our training we are able to provide opportunities to showcase these cultivated talents as well as a space for each member to grow and express themselves in a judgement-free zone, authentically and artistically.
Amidst my choreography career, I’ve traveled nationally and internationally showcasing the African and Caribbean cultures my heart resides in, performing, teaching classes, privately or publicly, and hosting workshops. I’ve worked with NBC, Telemundo, World of Dance, Bacardi, the Perez Art Museum, and other like brands and entities. I’ve also worked and assisted in the cultivation of many non-profit and not-for profit organizations and similar entities like CCA- Confidence Community Artistry, Horizons, Collabs Across D’ Coast, and Your Time to Shine, whose aim is to provide service and support to underserved communities and underrepresented locations, through the performing arts.
I often incorporate healing and coaching through dance, and so, many students and participants have opened up and healed in areas that weren’t always physically or emotionally accessible. My purpose lives here as well.
In the avenues of behavior analysis and life coaching, I utilized the skills of a behavior analyst and a program manager, working with children and adults, independently contracting for a few companies in South Florida since 2014. I officially took my board exams to become an assistant behavior analyst in 2016 and after I graduated with my masters degree in professional behavior analysis in 2018 I took my 2nd board exams and later became a board certified behavior analyst. In 2019, I noticed, yes, I love creating treatment programs for adolescents and adults with developmental disabilities, emotional and/or behavioral concerns and I’m blessed to watch their positive growth, however, I was even more passionate about the whole world. Outside of specific developmental concerns, how many of us need healing in general?
I personally have experienced physical, emotional, and mental abuse growing up and in many relationships and was taking the time needed to heal that while contributing my life as a creative director, healer, and life coach. How many of us push through our daily lives and passions without healing our past or having the proper tools to do so?
We live every day… but we should thrive! It is through these thought processes that I created the ‘A More Positive You | AMPYOU’ life coaching brand.
I trained myself in coaching programs, healing techniques, and utilized my behavioral educational experiences while collaborating with other health care professionals. I took life coaching head on. My clients, whether we met in group or individual settings, were able to surpass unconscious barriers, address what needed healing in their lives, establish their creative brands, and target behaviors for increase or decrease depending on their ambitions and desires. I love that. I love them.. and I love everyone.
We are all semi-humans doing as best we can with our lives, we already deserve to be so proud of ourselves .
I realize, I am different, yes. What’s discussed above explains me a bit, however, I think what I’m most proud of is my lack of needing to explain myself or prove that I am different…or credible or genuine or true or worthy. My value is unquestionable. Meet me and you will sense that, regardless of the hat I’m wearing when you do. Truly, the crazy experiences I’ve lived and God, have allowed me to ground myself in this knowing.
Above all, I want everyone to know how powerful believing in yourself really is. They say it on Disney all the time, but it’s true, this is not a drill! With passion and compassion for others, a drive that withstands any blockage that comes your way, and trust in the Divine, you already made it!
Everything else follows. I support you all.
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
Yesss. Set your core values, mission statement, and a solid foundation for communication in the beginning!
When organizing a team of individuals, others’ personal wants and needs might filter into the business – which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, however, it may differ from the needs of the actual business. Referring to a solid mission and/or vision statement will help keep a team on track over time.
Also, when there is a bountiful space for respectful and clear communication, misunderstandings are less likely to occur. The presence of core values (the traits and qualities that represent an organization) make a huge difference as well and when they are known and/or written, it creates an efficient way to help all members ground themselves in the purpose and efforts of an organization. With these components ironed out, the confidence, discipline, and heights of a team are limitless.
Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?
You know what? When I was growing up, I wanted to be a singer and an actress. I was told I wasn’t talented enough so I let those ambitions go. (I was told the same for dance ironically, but I continued anyway haha .) At times, I wondered what my life would be like if I pursued all 3, or one over another. I realized with dance I still came into contact with singing a lot, working with artists and meeting in studios at times, and acting came into play with dance so frequently as well depending on the set or show. It was all so interconnected and so I got a lot of all these worlds.
I don’t regret anything in my life because the path I chose, also chose me and I’m proud of who I’ve become. So, I wouldn’t change anything. However, who knows what the future may hold ; )
Contact Info:
- Website: ampyou.co
- Instagram: @khaja.j @amorepositive_you @karizmadancers @khajajchoreography @collabsacrossdcoast @ccadanceproject @dhafroroots
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/
lckhajaj
Image Credits
@khaja.j @karizmadancers
@ccadanceproject @dhafroroots