Anna Matuszewski has been following her passion for choreography ever since she was an Olympic-bound teenage ice skater. A knee injury led her to pursue a career in dance and choreography off the ice, and she’s spent the past decade touring the world with Macklemore. Here she shares what she loves about her work -- despite the physical toll of dancing hundreds of shows a year.
Knowing you’ll face both immense challenges and huge rewards as a business owner can help you stay positive, confident and grounded. That’s why we’re sharing some of your favorite and most dreaded aspects of working for yourself in Worst Part/Best Part!
Entrepreneur: Anna Matuszewski
Business: Anna Matuszewski Choreography
Started: 2000
Worst part: Anna says, “The downside of this job is that it’s so hard physically. If you get injured, it’s game over. On tour, there are a lot of personalities, so I try to bring my mothering skills and be nurturing to the younger, less experienced people on the tour. I’m not just dancing -- I’m working and supporting an artist and an ongoing project. I try not to bring my own drama.”
“By the time I come back from tour my body is broken, and my spirit is drained. I give so much of myself when I’m performing, and there’s not much time to refill my well by listening to music, connecting with family and friends and doing other things I love.”
Best part: “I like the energy of it and the way it exposes me to the world. I have friends all over now, and I love walking around new streets with new friends and having coffee. Of course, I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t love performing. I still love skating, too. I still teach, and that makes the best money of everything, believe it or not! People hire me to choreograph their athletes on the ice, and I’ll get hired to come in and do workshops.”
Read Anna’s full story on QuickBooks Community
How do you balance the best and worst aspects of working for yourself?
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