Mickela Mallozzi on Dancing with Strangers, Winning 4 Emmys and Experiencing the World One Dance at a Time (Ep 120)

Hear how spending her savings on a pilot, enduring rejection, and honing her craft turned a bold vision into a hit show. ============================ Get the Monday Minute my weekly email with 3 personal recs for travel, culture, and living beyond borders you can read in 60 seconds. ============================ ON THIS EPISODE Mickela Mallozi tells her story of growing up in an Italian immigrant home in NYC, getting into music and dance as a kid, pursuing it professionally, and then having a vision in the middle of the night for her now 4-time Emmy award winning travel show “Bare Feet with Mickela Mallozzi”. She explains her passion for dancing with strangers, and how that magically opens doors when traveling and allows her to meaningfully connect with people when she doesn’t speak their language. She then talks about how she spent her life savings to produce the pilot episode, and shares her subsequent mistakes pitching the show. She explains how she honed her craft of storytelling and continued networking until eventually she struck a deal with PBS to air the show and subsequently won her first Emmy. She then takes us behind the scenes of Season 1, and explains how she got to dance in a professional Tango show on the main stage in Buenos Aires after only a week of learning tango. She then explains how Season 2 showcases the diversity of dance across the various immigrant communities in New York City, and why Bhrangra music had such an important role in her life. Next she talks about Season 3, in which she traveled to countries where she has DNA heritage and shares her experience in Uzbekistan and Morocco. Mickela then announces her brand new two-part special focusing on the Guadaloupe Islands. She also invites people on her “Bare Feet Tours” where you can travel with Mickela and experience the world through dance. Finally, she talks about her 4th Emmy acceptance speech and how continual rejection has inspired her persistence. → Full show notes with direct links to everything discussed are available here. ============================ FIND YOUR NEXT EPISODE Explore The Maverick Show Starter Packs — some of my favorite conversations curated by theme so you can easily find the episodes that match your interests. ============================ FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU See my Top 10 Travel Apps See my Top 10 Books that Shaped the Way I Travel See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that’s not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ============================ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram and DM Matt to continue the conversation Please leave a rating and review — it really helps the show and I read each one personally Support the show by buying me a coffee — espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes!