August 15, 2025 • 53 mins
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What happens when a 12-year-old decides to stop living a lie and pursue her true passion? For Broadway dancer Valeria Yamin, it was the moment that changed everything.
In this captivating conversation, Valeria takes us on her journey from Venezuela to Broadway, revealing the pivotal moments that shaped her remarkable career. From tearfully confessing to her father that she wanted to be a performer (not an eye doctor), to facing rejection from her dream school only to find her way there through an unexpected encounter – Valeria's story is a masterclass in resilience and authenticity.
Currently performing in the original Broadway cast of "Just In Time" after four seasons as a Radio City Rockette, Valeria speaks candidly about battling impostor syndrome, particularly when transitioning from dance to singing. "I don't have as much singing experience and training as I do with my dancing," she admits. "When I'm singing, I feel a lack of tools." Yet rather than letting this hold her back, she embraced vulnerability and gradual growth, showing how even accomplished performers continue to evolve.
The conversation takes a thoughtful turn as Valeria, now 25, reflects on gaining perspective in her career – moving from being "on the train" of non-stop performing to seeing her life from a "bird's eye view." This shift allows her to appreciate her journey while considering what colors and textures she wants to add next. Her approach to setbacks is equally enlightening: "Not now, maybe not ever, but not now, but maybe someday."
Throughout the episode, Valeria's definition of living in the moment shines through – being "out of your head and in the world." Her story reminds us that authentic living requires courage, resilience, and the willingness to embrace both successes and redirections as part of our growth.
Have you been putting your true passions on hold? Listen to this episode and find the courage to follow your heart, just as Valeria did when she decided to live her truth.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Lisa Hopkins (00:01):
This is the Stop Time Podcast.
I'm your host, Lisa Hopkins,and I'm here to engage you in
thought-provoking, motivationalconversations around practicing
the art of living in the moment.
I'm a certified life coach andI'm excited to dig deep and
offer insights into embracingwho we are and where we are at.
Where we are at.
(00:30):
I am absolutely thrilled towelcome today's guest, someone I
had the great joy of teachingduring her time at Pace
University.
Even back then, she absolutelystood out.
Her determination, her workethic and the way she carried
herself, with positivity, graceand an undeniable light, made it
very clear that she wasdestined for great things, no
(00:51):
matter where she shone her light.
Lucky for us, she's sharing hergifts on the Broadway stage and
beyond.
She's currently part of theoriginal Broadway cast of Just
In Time, which performed at the2025 Tony Awards, Good Morning
America and the Late Show withStephen Colbert.
She's also a four-seasonveteran of the Radio City
Rockettes, with appearances inthe Macy's Thanksgiving Day
(01:14):
Parade, the Rockefeller TreeLighting, the Tonight Show with
Jimmy Fallon, Live with Kellyand Mark, and campaigns for
Lululemon and Google Pixel.
In 2024, she performed as aswing in Moulin Rouge, the
musical on Broadway, and dancedat the VMAs alongside Olivia,
Rodrigo, Katy Perry and Dochi.
A proud 2022 BFA graduate ofPace University, she leads with
(01:40):
love, light and gratitude andcontinues to inspire with her
passion and artistry, and I amso thrilled to have her here
with me today and introduce youto Valeria Yamin.
Welcome to Stop Time, Valeria.
Valera Yamin (01:52):
Oh, my God, thank you for having me.
I'm crying.
Thank you for those kind wordsand sharing your point of view
and having me here today to talk.
Sorry, I'll collect myself, butthat was really beautiful.
Thank you for sharing.
Lisa Hopkins (02:08):
Well, and you know what?
It's sometimes really hard toreceive, isn't it?
Valera Yamin (02:12):
Yeah, I feel like it's super difficult or like a
little embarrassing, but I thinkI'm at a point where I'm trying
to open up, to take in like acompliment and let it fuel me
rather than let it like, let melike hide away from it.
So those are all such beautifulwords, thank you.
(02:33):
I'm going to let it take methrough the day with that.
Lisa Hopkins (02:35):
I love that.
Is that sort of a pattern ofyours.
Is it difficult for you to toreceive praise, to receive?
Valera Yamin (02:44):
I mean, personally , I feel like it's a little bit
like I'm comfy, but I again, I'mlike learning to just be like
others.
See you, see it in you, otherssee it in you, allow it, allow
it to be, allow a compliment tobe a compliment.
And it's funny because I feellike I don't hold back when I
see something I love and I seesomething I love in someone, I'm
(03:06):
the first to say it because I Iwas told by someone or heard
something that if, like, don'thold in a positive thought or a
beautiful thought, like youwould probably want to hear it
too.
So I took that and every time Isee something beautiful or see
something I want to compliment,I don't hold back, I'll say it
and I think everything I saycomes from the heart.
Lisa Hopkins (03:28):
Yeah, that's cool.
It's so true, right?
I mean as a naturally, becauseI am too.
I'm a naturally, you know, Isee things and I say things.
I mean I tend to say what Ithink, and it's not so much an
opinion giving as a compliment,giving Like what I said about
you.
I meant.
So, if I have something toshare that might shine or allow
(03:49):
someone else to receive thewarmth and then shine themselves
and let themselves be them,then hell yeah, I'm all in.
But it's interesting because itsounds like you do that
naturally too.
But even we can not only justnot hold back, but we can
actually go out looking for it,right?
We spend a lot of time in ourlives looking for things that
(04:14):
might get in our way, or lookingfor things that might threaten
us, or looking for things thatmake us feel unsafe, for obvious
reasons, because we'rehardwired for that and we want
to be safe.
But we can also look for thingsthat are good and not instead
of necessarily even.
Valera Yamin (04:29):
But yeah, does that make sense.
Yeah, I think both can exist.
I think you can protectyourself and be safe and then
also share love, light andgratitude at all times.
I feel like there's space forthat to exist, to coexist.
Yeah, yeah, similar with allfeelings.
You can have many feelingsabout the same thing and they
(04:53):
can be different feelings andthey can be opposing feelings.
Yeah, so I I like, really, yeah, I agree with that sense of
like, duality, existing in likeone space yeah, and, and we can
talk, dance for a second, whichis shading and dance, isn't it,
you know?
Lisa Hopkins (05:08):
I mean, you can dance just as powerfully as you
want, right, you can dance inall bright reds, or, or you can,
you can blend in some someyellows and blues and space, and
right, I mean, that was all.
Valera Yamin (05:21):
Yeah.
Lisa Hopkins (05:22):
Yeah, you feel.
Valera Yamin (05:27):
No, yeah, I do, I agree and, like I agree, there's
in dance.
I feel like there's so much toplay with, like there's so much
dynamics, textures, musicalities, levels.
What you were saying about thepowers and the colors, I feel
like is really special.
There's so many ways that youcan paint your own picture and
color your own dance and I feellike you can move through spaces
(05:52):
where maybe sometimes they'renot appreciated, but I think,
like somewhere somehow you'llfind where you fit and I think,
but if you just stick to you, Ithink I think that's like what's
going to drive you forward themost.
Lisa Hopkins (06:09):
Totally.
Hey, if you were a color, whatcolor would you be?
And maybe that's a hard, that'sa hard, it's a hard question
because you know, um, I, Itotally respect that you don't
always feel the same color, butbut what would you say is is
yeah, just off the top.
If you, if you were a color,what would you be?
Valera Yamin (06:27):
That's funny.
You say that because myeveryone asks me what my
favorite color is and I alwaystell them depends on the day.
Lisa Hopkins (06:34):
Yeah, of course.
Valera Yamin (06:35):
By my mood today.
I'm feeling what color woulddescribe me today?
I feel like light, blue.
I feel like I'm connected tolike water today, to the sky,
kind of like this clear, crystalcalm.
(06:55):
It's a Friday for me.
I only have a show at 8 PM, soI'm feeling like and we were
coming off such a big high ofall the fun things that we've
been doing.
So this is like the first coupleof weeks that I'm starting to
find structure and find my ownrhythm and my own routine of
within my life, even though youknow, as artists we're
(07:16):
constantly living a differentlife every single day.
But I do like to have a littlebit of routine and I feel like
today I'm bringing in like alight, blue, calm, clear color
to allow myself to go through myday like a steady, calm pace.
(07:36):
Um, so I can almost like use itas a rest day, without it being
me just laying down all day,like just kind of have my body
and my mind in like a calm statethroughout what I'm moving
through.
Um, even though I'm not like inmy pajamas like watching tv, I
(07:57):
can still rest while like doingother things.
Lisa Hopkins (08:01):
I love that like physical yeah, it's a frequency
kind of too, isn't it?
Yeah, yeah.
Valera Yamin (08:07):
I feel like pretty calm today, which is good.
Lisa Hopkins (08:12):
I thought it was really funny that you said it's
a Friday for me today and in myhead I'm going well, it's a
Friday for everybody.
Valera Yamin (08:17):
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, sorry.
No, that was really cute.
Do you know what I mean?
Because I literally go day byday, day by day and I like
remind myself and it's like,yeah, just day by day.
Lisa Hopkins (08:30):
I love it.
So tell us a bit about yourorigin story.
I don't actually know yourorigin story and I think it'd be
really interesting.
Valera Yamin (08:38):
No one's ever asked me um, well, I guess I was
born in Venezuela, in Caracas,venezuela, and I was there and
my mom was taking care of me andmy brother and being just a
(09:08):
wonderful mom and taking care ofus, which is something I value
so greatly and so deeply withthe both of them and who they've
raised me to be.
When I was four years old, Imoved to South Florida.
I started dancing andperforming, honestly, in the
womb, probably like my mom was.
Like you came out and you weresinging around the house.
(09:30):
You always wanted to put on acostume.
Um, you were always dancing.
I would like play Shakiravideos and like copy her dancing
.
Um, cause my family's uh,portuguese, italian, uh mixed.
And then we're like born.
I was born in Venezuela, so Ihave that culture too.
(09:51):
I have this like ginormous,wonderful identity that I feel
so connected to of all mydifferent like cultures that
I've like been exposed to andbeen raised by just so much
beauty that I feel and connectedto, and music and dance I feel
like is a big part of thosecultures as well.
So, um, at family parties,we're like always turning on
(10:14):
music, doing karaoke, dancingwith each other.
Um, so dance and performing hasalways been a like part of me.
When I was like seven years old,I fell in love with dance, with
the physicality of dance, andthen I was so in love with it.
When I was 12 years old, I sayI had my midlife crisis.
(10:35):
I went to my dad crying.
I remember weeping, saying I'mlying to everyone and I don't
want to lie anymore.
I'm telling everyone.
They asked me what do you wantto be when you grow up?
I they say I say I want to bean eye doctor because I want to
help people who can't see, likeme, because I have I had, like I
have heavy glasses.
(10:56):
I was like I'm lying, I don'twant to do that.
I want to be a performer, Iwant to be a dancer.
And he was like, okay, do it.
And his like response he waslike, if okay, do it.
And his response he was like,if you do it, just go all in.
That kind of opened the doorsfor me to be like oh well, yeah,
the support from my parentsjust really, really, really
(11:17):
helped me, because I value theiropinion a lot.
I have so many doctors in myfamily too, so I was like I
don't know if that's for me, butalso when I realized that they
just wanted us to follow ourdreams and follow our passions
and do what we love.
I realized, oh, that's, it iswhat people are doing, what they
love, it's just their ownrealms.
(11:38):
So then that was like when Iwas like, okay, performance it
is.
I don't know how I'm going toget there, I don't know how I'm
going to get to what I want, butI'm going to be open and I'm
going to do it.
Started training really hard andin my dance studio I went to a
high school American Heritageand Plantation that I went on a
full ride dance scholarshipwhere I was exposed to theater
(11:59):
and singing and acting, and Ifell in love with all that there
, although it was not thepopular thing to do as a dancer
to cross uh, kind of like crossinto the different realms of, um
, the industry, um.
So I kind of was like prettyquiet on my love for these
things and maybe didn't likejump in as headfirst as I
(12:24):
probably wanted to, because Iwas kind of listening more to
the outside noise than I wasreally listening to my heart.
But I'm here today and then Iwas like I really want to pursue
dancing college.
Pace was my number one choice.
From when I was like 15, I uhjust like started doing research
(12:47):
online through social media,which was like a big part of how
I was like looking up peoplewho were going to Pace and what
they were sharing, um, what theywere creating in those rooms.
I was like, oh my god, I wantto be there someday, like
working hard and sweating andcreating dance.
So I auditioned for Pace and Idid early decision and right
(13:09):
before Thanksgiving I got anemail that I was denied.
So that was like a huge blowfor me.
I was like, oh my God, I putall my eggs in this one basket
and then I was like, okay, takea day, you're going to cry.
I cried all day, all day.
I cried all day.
The next day I got up out of mybed and I was like all right,
what's next?
Because, I was like I want to goto college for performing.
(13:31):
It might not be pace and that'sokay, but how am I going to get
there now?
What's my plan B?
What's my next route?
How do I have to redirect?
I applied to I think 10 schoolsin the matter of one week, went
through the audition season.
It was such a big learning andgrowth experience for me because
(13:52):
I got to experience so manydifferent states, so many
different programs, met so manypeople.
I was on a waitlist for aschool, didn't get into that one
that I wanted that was inCalifornia, and ended up signing
on for Point Park University,which I was obsessed with too,
because I was like they have abusiness program that I want to
do along with my dancing, and Ikind of felt like really
(14:15):
motivated to do that.
I was a little bit like OK, Ireally want to be in New York,
though, or I really wanted to bein LA.
I wanted to kind of be in likethe hub of where I thought what
things were happening, and I wasa little tunnel vision on
places I wanted to be, but Ikind of like respect the 18 year
old for feeling that stronglyabout wanting to be in the
(14:37):
places, cause I think I knew Iwould be inspired if I was
around.
What I wanted to become Iwanted to, like, insert myself
and then plant my little seedinto, like the roots of a city,
and I think New York was reallycalling my name.
My dad had a work trip in NewYork.
(14:57):
He was like come with me and Iwas alone at this convention.
I remember walking out of theawards and thinking I don't want
to go the alone route.
I was going to go through theback and hide and just go to my
hotel or wherever I was going.
Next I was like well, let mewalk through the people.
I walk through and I catch eyes, lock eyes with Scott Jovovich
(15:18):
and I'm like oh my God, hi, Iknow you work at Pace.
And then I just started talkingand introducing myself and I'm
like oh my God, hi, I know youwork at Pace.
And then I just started talkingand introducing myself and I'm
like, oh my God, what am I doing?
This is so unlike me, but solike me in a way.
And he was like well, we'll seeyou at Pace in the fall.
And I was like oh no, Iactually Pace was my number one,
just wanted to know, like, canI transfer?
(15:40):
Maybe my sophomore getconnected?
I was like my God, cool.
I left that conversation like,yes, like we get to the next day
and he comes out of nowhere andfinds me and he's like, can you
send me where you got denied?
And I, going through my 500emails sending it to him right
before the audition, we get intothe audition room, I forget
that obviously Pace is going tobe there.
This could be good Sophomoreyear.
(16:01):
I could transfer to New YorkCity, which is what I wanted to
do, and I'm I mean so I'm thelast in the group to go and I'm
like, okay, I have to.
Just this is my time, this isjust my time to open up my heart
and share my passion.
And if they see something in me, then yes.
And if not, it wasn't meant tobe.
And I do my audition combo andI remember feeling like so proud
(16:23):
of myself which hard feeling, Ithink, as a performer, to feel
like satisfied with what you do.
But I I just felt good, I leftmy all out there, I did my, I
did as much as I could.
There's nothing else I could door saying thank you to all the
colleges and schools andteachers.
At the end, and I get a tap onmy shoulder and I turn around
and it's Scott again and he says, if you want, we can make this
(16:45):
happen.
And I knew right away it wasfor this coming year.
And I just crying again and itwas so special.
I remember like calling my dadand he left his the work event
thing that he was at and he ranover to the hotel ballroom and
we were like no, he was like noway, is this real?
Is this this real?
Is this really real?
And then, within up two months,I was packing up and moving my
(17:09):
bags to New York City in 2018for the first time, with my mom
and she was helping me move intomy dorm.
And this is it.
This was where I wanted to be.
This is what I wanted to do.
I needed those four years togrow and COVID to put me back
and close me into one room, onecamera.
(17:31):
Think about the details, thinkabout my health, think about my
mental health, think about who Iwas.
I think COVID helped me stripaway so much of these masks that
I was putting on to pleaseothers and because in that time,
by myself, I was like this iswhere I'm going to grow, at home
(17:52):
in my childhood bedroom, butalso dreaming about my future.
And then, like senior year, Igot a invitation to audition for
the Rockettes and then I bookedthat invitation to audition for
the Rockettes.
And then I booked that and thenI was doing senior year and
Rockettes at the same time andfinishing all these chapters and
all of a sudden it's May 2022.
(18:12):
And I'm like graduated with apace and I'm like whoa, this is
happening.
Like now I'm outside of the realworld.
How am I going to use everythingI've grabbed and put in my
little backpack in my pocket?
And what am I going to useeverything I've grabbed and put
in my little backpack in mypocket and what am I going to do
with it?
And I feel like I just try tobe as open as I could be and try
(18:34):
new things and meet new peopleand could just kind of let I
always say like let the musicmove you.
When I'm like two in my headabout like choreography or
anything, if I don't want toforget, and I feel like I feel
that with my life, like I justlike let the music move you.
I just like let this song takeme through the dance of my life,
like I'm just having so muchfun and I think I continue to
(18:57):
tell myself if I like ever go toan audition and I'm like, oh
yeah, this is the one.
And then I don't get it, like,yeah, it's okay, not now, maybe
not ever, but not now, but maybesomeday yeah not to be like too
hard on myself ever really andI just also try to believe that.
Well, I do believe this fullythat there is space for everyone
(19:18):
in this industry.
I think there really is like aseat for everyone at the table,
and but I also say, if there isno seat at the table, you either
go get your own chair, pull itup, or you go build your own
chair and set a table instead ofchairs to somewhere where you
want to be, like, where you feelloved and where you belong and
(19:40):
all the things.
So, yep, I just do feel likethere's space for everyone.
I feel like it's worse.
Such a beautiful community ofpeople, um, oh yeah.
That everyone is so talented andhas their own strengths and
weaknesses, and seeing everyonelike step into their power is so
(20:04):
inspiring to me.
Lisa Hopkins (20:05):
And yeah, it's a wonderful story.
Thank you for sharing that.
Valera Yamin (20:09):
I feel a lot of value and very deeply about
everything that I do.
I feel like it.
Nothing is more important thanthe other in my brain.
I like to value everything.
I like to give my fullestpercent, a hundred percent, to
what I do.
So I feel like I try not tolook at things as I'm just going
to get through this, eventhough on the hard days you got
to do what you got to do, and Ihave many of those.
(20:32):
But in the overall, when I takemy wide lens and look up, I'm
like that's not just somethingyou needed to get through.
I think of the quote win orlearn.
You never lose.
Like you're always.
You can always get somethingfrom something, even if it was a
bad experience.
You're like oh well, I don'twant to do that, or I don't want
(20:55):
to be like that, or I didn'tenjoy how that happened, but I
learned from that.
Or I love this and I gainedthis, and so I don't know.
I try to walk through my lifewith that perspective, but then
it also can like ouch, hurtreally painfully.
But I try to not take thingslike too personally, like they
don't go my way, or no, 100%.
Lisa Hopkins (21:13):
A couple of things stand out to me.
One is back in your earlyorigin story when you at I think
you said you were 12, maybe youwent to your father and said
I'm a lie, I'm not living mytruth.
How does, how does a 12 yearold first of all say that or
know that?
Valera Yamin (21:32):
I I can't even tell you like why I just like
felt like a burning.
I feel like I'm prettyintuitive, like when I feel
something in my gut that's notright or not what I, that
doesn't align with me.
It rumbles.
It was rumbling for a while andI felt comfortable enough to go
(21:52):
to my father, to go to my dadwho I saw, yeah, and he, I think
, allowed me to come to him in asense, because he went to
school for civil engineering andwas on that route and did that
for a lot of his life andswitched career paths.
(22:13):
He was in the wrong place andthen just was able to rewrite
his story and I felt like thatwas so inspiring and I think at
12, I was like well, you'redoing what you love, so how can
I do what I love?
I'm just going to tell you thatI think I'm lying because I'm
scared that people are going tosay, no, that's not a real
(22:38):
career, cause you know, you hearthat being an artist is not a
job, it's not a career.
You can't sustain yourself,yourself, can't be happy.
And I felt like the fullopposite.
I was like I can, I will and Imust.
I don't know why, but I I justlike felt it so deeply that I
was like you have to share thiswith your dad and and I think
(23:00):
him giving me like the okay Waslike like the door swung open.
That was like really big for meand I that's something I like
will thank my parents forforever and ever and ever Just
allowing me to be me, knowingthat like you start with you and
you end with you, and just likeyou have to find a way to be
(23:22):
like at peace, be happy with youand, just like you have to find
a way to be like, at peace, behappy with you.
Lisa Hopkins (23:28):
Yeah, it's.
It's still amazing to me thatyou're able to articulate it.
I understand feeling it and andlike, even at an early age, but
the fact that you couldarticulate it although I do
understand that it that it wasmodeled for you.
So, yeah, that's the visceralpiece.
You actually could see ithappening.
So, even though you heard inyour head that this isn't a good
thing, what you saw fromsomebody that you respected is
(23:48):
that, no, that that can be done.
So, yay, dad, yay, parents.
No, that's really cool.
You know.
You talked about the joy ofbeing in this industry and
witnessing people stepping intotheir power and their talents,
all of which are diverse.
And I'm curious when you saybeing in their power I know you
mentioned it about yourself.
You said, oh, on the days thatI don't believe in my power, I
(24:12):
can spiral and self-sabotage mymindset.
I'm super curious, if you'recomfortable, to dig into that A.
I'm curious to know what itmeans to you to be in your power
and what it looks like whenyou're not.
Valera Yamin (24:25):
Yeah, I guess like when I'm having a good day, I
believe in myself and I know myworth, I know my work, I trust
in me and my value and my powerPower in my mind, power in my
body, power in like so manydifferent shapes.
And like the days that I'mhaving a bad day or the days
(24:47):
that I get a little bit like offmy center, I feel like it's
always trickles down to themental, even if I'm injured, and
it's a physical thing.
It's the way I'm like reactingto the stressors is how I can
then not be in my power and Ifeel like, as humans, like our
(25:10):
mind is like so powerful is whatI'm like starting to learn is
like my mindset can really likehelp me fly or sink me lower
than I need to.
Instead of just floating on thewater, my mindset can actually
bring me down.
I'm like, why do I want that?
(25:31):
But I don't want that.
It just kind of can happen, andso it's like learning the tools
and things that I need to getout of those moments.
I like to write things down andtake things out of my mind and I
think that will help, like if Isee it visually on paper, if I
love manifesting my best self.
I love visualizing me at my best, closing my eyes and thinking
(25:53):
about I'm going to do it in myhead to my best of my ability
and more, and I feel like thathelps me gain the confidence and
the mental strength to then getinto the room or walk into
wherever I need to be and feelin my power, not letting the
outside stressors get into oh,that wasn't my best.
(26:15):
But how you recover from that orhow you could continue to learn
from that, Yep, that then givesyou the continued success.
I try to think of it as kind oflike a steady, paced forward
(26:39):
motion, like a kinetic energy,that is, you know it's churning.
It's not like a one hit, sortof like sprint.
I believe in my career and Ibelieve in the longevity of it.
I never really see things aslike a loss.
I guess Like it's just aredirect or like a re, and I
(27:02):
allow myself to grieve, though Iwill be crying with some ice
cream and some good TV, but likeof of, like moments that you
know will hurt, like her, youknow a hundred percent, a
hundred percent, a hundredpercent.
And then like the next day.
How am I going to?
Lisa Hopkins (27:17):
you mean, you're human?
Yeah, yeah, you know absolutely, and what you're talking about
is the growth mindset.
You have a growth mindset andthe growth mindset, literally,
is that you can't fail, nomatter what you do, because you
can learn something fromeverything you do, including
failure, and then the successformula that you create through
these, through understandingyour influencers, can help you,
(27:39):
like you can look at your rhythm, your rhythm and become aware
of how you're affected, howthings wane, and then you can
make accommodations for yourself.
I mean, it's like having a techwriter you know for yourself
Things will affect you, but youcan be in your power about how
and what you can do about it.
It's staying open and thenunderstanding what the
(28:03):
detractors might be, and thenyou know, disempowering them
honestly by becoming morefamiliar with them, so when they
arrive they don't take you out.
Valera Yamin (28:13):
Yeah, as yeah, as like.
Yeah, it's not like I felt thisbefore.
I've seen this before.
Lisa Hopkins (28:19):
Yeah it's not gonna kill me.
No, you know, here it is.
And what can I learn from this?
And you know, sorry, wesidebarred a little bit, but no,
and I think it's probablyvaluable too for our listeners.
But I'm curious to know what issomething?
Would you be willing to sharesomething that that threatens to
get in the way of you believingin your power or feeling the
(28:40):
way you know you can feel?
Valera Yamin (28:42):
Imposter for sure, I do not have as much singing
experience and training and oreducation as I do with my
dancing.
So the moments where I feellike I'm dancing, I feel
prepared, I feel calm, I feeleasy, I feel like all my tools
are available at all times and Ican just, I'm like I'm able to
(29:03):
perform in a sense, like withease.
When I'm singing, I feel a lackof tools.
I feel like I'm like, oh my god, how am I doing this?
How is it happening?
When I got to just in time, Ifirst of all couldn't believe I
had booked it.
I also didn't really know whatwe know.
(29:25):
No one really knew what it was.
When we were in the workshop inAugust and I remember that first
day well, the first thing wedid was music and I was like,
okay, here we go and had neverworked on holding my own harmony
in a trio of amazing, amazingsingers and performers and in a
group setting where I was likewith these iconic legends
(29:49):
hearing me sing.
All of a sudden I'm like, oh mygod, do they like know that
I've like never really done this?
That dialogue started in myhead.
I don't know this enough.
I don't have this enough.
They think was like so hurtfulfor me, like they think I can't
they, they think I can't sing,they think I don't know what I'm
doing there.
I'm going to like it was so.
(30:11):
That was like a huge spiralthat day, I remember.
I went home and I was like, oh,I'm not, this is not for me.
I was like, how am I going todo this?
What did they just pick me for,like?
And then it was like many, manyweeks.
It wasn't like a one.
(30:31):
It wasn't like I'm going tofall asleep and wake up the next
day and be an amazing singer.
I was like, wait, how am Igoing to combat these stressors
of like, this imposter syndromeand this like fake narrative
that I was creating like it wasmental, it was all my mental.
Our workshop was in August andthat was a four-week experience
(30:53):
of fun, of stress, but also like, of so much learning, and every
day was just like, little bylittle.
It was so small, it was sohumbling to be new at something
again.
It's really vulnerable to likehear your voice.
Yeah, it comes all the time andI love it.
(31:14):
I feel like I'm not afraid tofeel it anymore and I feel like
it'll for the rest of my lifeI'll be doubting something, but
I feel like that's what keeps memotivated to learn and to grow
and to yeah, I don't think it'sa bad thing.
I think like nervousness andexcitement in my body live in
the same place, and so sometimesI like can get them confused.
Lisa Hopkins (31:36):
That's real.
Valera Yamin (31:38):
It's good, both are good, both is because I care
, both is because I want to growand do better and change and
evolve.
And yeah, yeah, no 100.
They picked you first of all,so they believe in you yes, you
have to believe in you.
I don't want to show, I justwant to share, yeah, and I think
that they're they're, you'redoing the same thing, but the
(32:02):
intention behind it is different, which is what I think has
helped me stay aligned withmyself.
I think about what I'm doing.
It's not showing anyone orimproving anything to anyone.
It's really just sharing me, me.
Lisa Hopkins (32:21):
Yeah, that distinction is powerful, right?
I mean that's, I feel that it'sbeautiful.
Hey, so you're 25 and and areyou affected at?
Valera Yamin (32:35):
all by the quarter life crisis that so many talk
about?
Um, probably, yes, yes, alittle bit, it's happening.
It's happening now I do.
I was on a vacation last weekaway from my show for the first
time.
First time I've taken avacation on a job where I was at
home.
So I went home to Florida,wanted to be in the sun and the
(32:56):
rain and with my dog and myfamily, and also with my
girlfriend and her family, andhave a vacation time.
So it's like really wonderfultime to reconnect that presence
that I was talking about.
I really needed it.
It's like perfect.
I was like on this vacation andI was like, oh, I got this.
Like weird.
Well, first I was like reallyhappy because I was like, oh my
(33:18):
God, I get to come back to NewYork city and I have a job, I
have a roof over my head, I havea beautiful girlfriend, I feel
safe.
I feel so safe right now.
Let me just enjoy.
And I put my phone away andjust felt so present with
everything I was doing.
It felt so nice to feel like Iwasn't missing anything or like
(33:38):
having to do anything.
I need more of this.
I need more of this feeling,even when I am on the hustle
grind.
I need to feel this morebecause I felt like so
re-inspired.
I had a moment where I was likewait, I'm 25.
Like yeah, I did have like aminute.
I think I had my moment lastweek.
I was like I'm 25.
(34:00):
I feel like I'm moving in theright direction, but how can I
tap into more of me?
I don't know.
I had just a lot ofbrainstorming, brain dumping,
fun ideas of like passions andjust goals, and it was kind of
nice to just have it out of myhead.
(34:21):
So, yeah, I feel like I amdealing with that like quarter
life crisis and seeing like myfamily.
Um, you know, all the cousinsare all older, the grandparents
are older, the the family wasjust like really it was really
beautiful to be with them andjust spend time with them and
like it's hard being like awaysometimes and I have a couple
(34:46):
cousins here which is awesomeand like that's why we do have
the beauty of our phones is thatwe can like call and talk and
nothing is like spending timeone-on-one, like touch and
seeing like a person.
So, um, yeah, I think my myquarter life crisis kind of lies
with like missing my family alittle, because I feel so proud
(35:10):
and accomplished and all thethings, and.
But I also know that it'sseasonal.
So this season of my life likeis what it is and I know that at
a time I won't be jumping fromshow to show or from event to
event or thing to thing, I'lljust be, and I I'm excited for
that time too, whatever I'll bethen, but I'm trying to enjoy
(35:34):
this as much and then also likethe family's happening at the
same time.
It's like all these timelineslike moving together but
separate.
So that's just been interesting, yeah, for sure.
Lisa Hopkins (35:50):
For sure, For sure .
Hey, one year from now.
What are we celebrating?
Valera Yamin (35:56):
My physical strength.
I have a torn meniscus and I'vebeen moving through all this
fun physical stuff with cautionbut with like attention and
purpose because of my knee andbecause of how I want my career
(36:17):
to be long and on.
I think I trust in my body andit's a really hard recovery.
It's very slow and I keeptelling everyone around me I'm
like a year from today I'm goingto be stronger than I was.
Lisa Hopkins (36:31):
I love that.
What about five years, 10 years?
Where do you, where do you seeyourself?
Valera Yamin (36:35):
See myself being happy, being aligned with myself
and whatever that may be like.
If in five years I'm still in ashow, that's a slay from five
years and teaching that'samazing.
I definitely want to dabble inkind of those interests that
(36:56):
have been buzzing around.
I want to start to like I thinkin five years I hope I had have
at least followed one of thoselittle buzzes and little like
kind of like exciting newpassion projects do you want to
share one of those buzzes, or do, and you don't have to like,
(37:17):
because sometimes it's nice tohold, like to hold on to them I
kind of want to.
I think I'm going to hold on tothem.
Cool, I think I'm going to holdon to them.
I kind of want to.
I think I'm going to hold on tothem.
Cool, I think I'm going to holdon to them for a little bit
longer and then allow people tocome and share.
I think I want to build on thema little more, but there's a few
.
It's been buzzing.
I just I'm waiting is not theword I'm feeling out my timing.
(37:42):
I like don't want to say likewe were saying, saying yes to
too many things at once.
Yep, like I.
I feel like I'm a little bitfilled to the brim right now and
it's just this these past twoweeks that I've that I've been
on the calm down from like suchI would, I'm gonna say, like
hectic year and a half to almostlike kind of all blended with
(38:03):
like Rockettes into Mulan, intoRockettes again, into a month
break into this rehearsal.
It's kind of felt like this,like I've allowed myself to
literally let the music move meand I'm like this, like yeah,
and I'm enjoying like everysingle thing, but I it's, I feel
(38:25):
like I'm finally allowingmyself to grab the handlebars
and grab like my steering wheela little bit more.
And now I'm like, okay, now,now this is where I want to go.
I think like I've been allowingit to just take me, which is
awesome and I I've loved thatpart, but I'm excited to like
(38:45):
well, it's still taking me tohave like a side quest.
I love learning, I love newperspectives, even if it's like
a dance class and it's like thisteacher saying one thing with
that teacher saying the samething in a different way.
I love that.
I love a second opinion.
I love.
I love to just hear it all.
I'm like more.
Lisa Hopkins (39:05):
Totally, that's my girl.
That's awesome, it's funny.
I'm just going to, just goingto.
You can journal on this if youwant.
What came to me was you whenyou said about this year and a
half that you've just had.
You were on the train, goingreally fast and now I'm curious
do you feel more like you're?
I'm feeling both because youdid say maybe it's because you
(39:28):
suggested the blue today and thesteering.
I was imagining water becauseyou mentioned it also, but then
I thought about a plane with thebird's eye view and I feel like
there's a bit of the water andthe air going on for you that
you're off the train and nowyou're looking at it in a
(39:50):
broader way, right.
Valera Yamin (39:52):
I love that.
I'm like so into the imagery ofthat I love.
Yes, I do yes, and I feel likeI've taken last week on my
vacation like time to.
It's like the first week that Iactually thought about like
even like writing my bio out.
I was like, let me just likewrite it all out.
(40:13):
And then I was reading it backand I was like, oh, my god,
little valeria would be if I wasa stranger.
She'd be like, oh, I want to belike her yeah that's like, that
was like so cool, and like lastweek I felt like I went home and
my family was doing the choreofrom our show and I was like, oh
my God, this is why this is it.
(40:35):
This was so fun to just havethis shared experience with my
family and what I'm doing theyconnect with, they understand,
they care about, and so it feelsgood to feel loved and
supported and to finally feellike I'm taking this bird's eye
view the blue, yeah, like seeing, like, oh yeah, like there's so
(40:58):
much that is around me and somuch beauty or what was going by
really quickly, but from theplane.
And this is why the tears whenI say how I feel about you or
when you talk about your familybecause you're starting to be
able to see it all.
Yeah, yeah, and that's it.
(41:56):
That's a beautiful place to beand it begs that inquiry, like
of when you said what's next,you didn't mean like what show
is next you?
Lisa Hopkins (41:58):
meant what?
Valera Yamin (41:59):
what layer, what, what?
How do I want to texturize this?
Or, yeah, I love that becauseit's not.
It's like, yeah, like, how do Ilike, how do I want to keep
writing my story?
Yeah, how do I want to keep.
Yeah, how do I want to add?
What color is next?
What layers?
Yeah, that's, that's insane.
That was so beautiful.
I do.
I so agree with the planeimagery.
The train is so right Because Iwas just allowing it, like it
started on me taking like buyingthe ticket, getting on the like
doing all that obviouslyExactly, and then I was like
(42:21):
whoa, and then just like out andabout.
Lisa Hopkins (42:25):
And arriving.
Valera Yamin (42:26):
Arriving, arriving and like being like no way.
Lisa Hopkins (42:30):
How did I get?
Valera Yamin (42:31):
here how Like scary arriving and like being
like no way, how did I get here?
How, like scary and like thennot scary, but then like being
on the plane is also scary.
I'm like, oh, my god, I've donethis like so these things and
all.
I'm so grateful and I feel verygood and it's I am.
This is so deep, but I'm afraidof flying.
I don't like flying, I do not donot like planes like and I I
(42:54):
used to not be afraid of flying,but now, as I'm older, I'm
afraid of flying.
I'm like, oh, it's so when I'molder, I'm like more and more
afraid of and this I feel likeis like symbolic.
Sometimes I feel this, but thenI I ground pretty quickly, but
I feel sometimes I'm like, whatif?
(43:14):
Like am I plateauing?
Am I going down and is my planelanding and or not crashing?
Like I feel that and I feellike I can ground myself pretty
easily and easily, and and then,similarly, when I'm on a plane,
I trust in the pilot and theuniverse and the weather and the
(43:40):
technology that we have andpeople that I'm around and the
moment that I'm in that, nomatter what's next, I feel the
trust yep that it's like led meto here.
Lisa Hopkins (43:56):
What's really cool and maybe you can think about
this is that a lot of peoplehave a hard time knowing their
why and a lot of us forget ourwhy.
So a lot of people in ourindustry know their why and
that's why we're in it, but welose track of why.
Right, and it's about gettingback on.
I'm sure you've had thatexperience of you're like well,
why lose track of why?
Right, and it's about gettingback on.
I'm sure you've had thatexperience.
If you're like well, why am Idoing this?
Like it's, you know it's sopainful or whatever, or you just
(44:17):
get caught in the thing andthen it's not fun anymore and
you forget and then youreconnect with yeah right, it's
part of the journey totally.
But.
But you're pretty centered inyour why.
I feel that's loud and clearand and it's beyond the gigs and
so on and so forth.
Um, it's much deeper than that,but it feels to me like you are
in your, you're in your how.
Now you're who and you're how.
(44:38):
I always say, I always sayyou're who, is in your how,
right, meaning who you want tobe in the world while you're
doing what you want to do andwhy you know.
So why is not the big questionfor you?
Um, so it's, it's who and how.
Valera Yamin (44:51):
Ooh, I love that.
Lisa Hopkins (44:53):
That's, that's what I'm, that's, if we're
working together, that's what wewould work on, because it's
it's how you want to be, becauseI think you're totally open to
the notion that that it's up toyou how you want to be, and and
what are those possibilities?
Valera Yamin (45:09):
I'd never thought about like that.
I never thought about it thatway because I feel like a lot of
the my community, we talk aboutour why.
Pretty often, yep, yeah, likeyou said, you get off, you got
thrown off a little bit andyou're like, oh my god, the day
is so long or what's my feethurt?
Or all all things that couldlike kind of be like why am I
doing this?
Like you know, you misssomething and something and you
(45:32):
miss a party, the sacrifices andeverything.
You're like why?
So I always come back to my why, but I never thought about and
that's kind of how I feel aboutthat next layer.
It's like how and who?
Lisa Hopkins (45:47):
That's where you are.
Valera Yamin (45:48):
That's so cool.
Lisa Hopkins (45:49):
I love that we put language.
Valera Yamin (45:50):
You're like I'm feeling that's so cool.
I love that.
We like put language to likefeeling.
I find that too.
I like sometimes feel like I'mjust like yappy, but I kind of
like don't get to the pointsometimes because a lot of me is
like visual or feely.
Lisa Hopkins (46:06):
Yeah, yeah.
Valera Yamin (46:07):
So I love finding ways to articulate my feelings.
So I love finding ways toarticulate my feelings and, like
I always say, like I'm not agood storyteller, I'm not a good
, but I have to fix the languagewith that, but I yeah, finding
words to feelings is like soexciting to me.
(46:29):
Yep exciting to me, yep, and Ifeel like, as I continue to live
, I feel like I find more wordsto express how I'm feeling.
Lisa Hopkins (46:44):
Yeah, but that just helped me so much.
So, thank you.
Oh, you're welcome.
Oh, let's do the rapid fire.
Okay, I'm going to say whatmakes you and you're going to
say the first thing that comesto your mind.
Valera Yamin (46:49):
Okay, Okay, are you ready?
Lisa Hopkins (46:51):
Yeah, here we go.
There's no to your mind.
Valera Yamin (46:52):
Okay, okay, are you ready?
Lisa Hopkins (46:52):
Yeah, here we go.
There's no right or wrong,remember.
Valera Yamin (46:54):
Okay.
Lisa Hopkins (46:55):
Okay.
Valera Yamin (46:58):
What makes you hungry?
What makes me hungry when Idance for too long?
What makes you sad Sometimes?
Lisa Hopkins (47:07):
the book, a book I'm reading, what inspires you
Visual arts.
What frustrates you?
Visual arts.
Valera Yamin (47:18):
What frustrates you Not?
Lisa Hopkins (47:21):
being able to articulate my feelings in words.
What makes?
Valera Yamin (47:22):
you laugh, my girlfriend.
Lisa Hopkins (47:25):
What makes you angry?
Valera Yamin (47:43):
when I like, when I can't, when I feel like closed
, like when I feel suffocated.
I don't like.
That makes me like reallyretaliate, like even if I, if
someone tells me no, I getreally angry in an interesting
way, because then I just like itbuilds a fire in me.
Oh wow, but I get angry first.
What makes you grateful?
My life, life, present momentlike this, my eyes open on a
(48:07):
beautiful day, rainy, cloudy,cloudy, sunny, anything, just
being alive.
Lisa Hopkins (48:16):
You know, I didn't ask you what your definition of
living in the moment is,because you've demonstrated it.
So just, I mean we did it today.
What you just said is that.
So I deliberately didn't askyou that question.
Valera Yamin (48:36):
I felt like that was a really difficult question
to answer, but also not Like itcame so easily when I had read
it.
But I was like I was reallyafraid of the question at first
Interesting oh, it's so deep,like I think.
Like everyone says, like livein the moment.
But no one's ever asked me,like how do you feel like you're
(48:59):
living in the moment?
Lisa Hopkins (49:00):
Yeah, From my point of view, that's how you
operate, but would you like tosay what?
What your definition is?
Valera Yamin (49:07):
I do.
I I feel like that is how Ioperate.
But what I said well, it justties back a little bit to the
show, but I love hearing thewords be here now which is
something we hear on the showand just like being out of your
head and in the world.
I think like that's how I tryto be.
If I'm like two in my head,then I'm not in the moment.
(49:27):
If I'm blocked, like Iliterally my eyes are open but
I'm blocked.
Like I'm blocked, like Iliterally my eyes are open but
I'm blocked.
Like I'm there but I'm notthere.
I hate feeling that way.
I don't like it.
I feel like it's you're notliving your life, the one, the
one life we get to live, and Iwant to be there, I want to be
full, I want to be present, Iwant to be in it what are the
top three things that happenedso far today?
(49:50):
Ooh, today, today, this, this islike I was really excited for
this, having breakfast with mygirlfriend she's an amazing cook
and she made bacon, egg andcheese sandwiches and so
grateful that we got to spendsome time this morning together
(50:11):
calmly in our home and actuallylast night so it was today, it
was within the 24 hour I had areally big, beautiful day
yesterday.
I really felt like so happy toshare that with my community,
because I feel like sometimes Ican like be very like quiet
about my life and about mysuccesses and I felt safe to
(50:37):
share.
Lisa Hopkins (50:39):
What's something you're looking forward to today
and then in the future?
Valera Yamin (50:44):
Today.
I'm looking forward to having acalm day at home, like having a
home day, like if it's likecleaning up or like spending
time just like being at home.
I'm looking forward to my homeIn the future.
I'm looking forward tofollowing one of those little
kind of like gut feelings thatI've been kind of like have been
(51:07):
rumbling within me.
Lisa Hopkins (51:09):
Yeah, I love that, valeria.
Valera Yamin (51:17):
I so appreciate you being here with me today.
Lisa Hopkins (51:18):
It was so much fun and so interesting.
Oh my gosh, it's been such apleasure, truly.
Valera Yamin (51:24):
It's been a pleasure for me too.
I'm like so happy and gratefulfor this experience and this
exchange.
I feel fulfilled, like rightnow.
I don't feel like drained, soI'm like so inspired and like
feel like ready to have keephaving a great day.
Lisa Hopkins (51:41):
Oh, that's amazing .
Valera Yamin (51:43):
And I, like, can't wait to talk more again.
Lisa Hopkins (51:45):
Amazing.
I've been speaking today withValeria Yamin.
I'm Lisa Hopkins.
Thanks so much for listening.
Stay safe and healthy, everyone, and remember to live in the
moment.
In music, stop time is thatbeautiful moment where the band
is suspended in rhythmic unison,supporting the soloist to
(52:07):
express their individuality Inthe moment.
I encourage you to take thattime and create your own rhythm.
Until next time.
I'm Lisa Hopkins.
Thanks for listening.
This is the Stop Time Podcast.
I'm your host, Lisa Hopkins,and I'm here to engage you in
thought-provoking, motivationalconversations around practicing
the art of living in the moment.
I'm a certified life coach andI'm excited to dig deep and
offer insights into embracingwho we are and where we are at.
Where we are at.
(00:30):
I am absolutely thrilled towelcome today's guest, someone I
had the great joy of teachingduring her time at Pace
University.
Even back then, she absolutelystood out.
Her determination, her workethic and the way she carried
herself, with positivity, graceand an undeniable light, made it
very clear that she wasdestined for great things, no
(00:51):
matter where she shone her light.
Lucky for us, she's sharing hergifts on the Broadway stage and
beyond.
She's currently part of theoriginal Broadway cast of Just
In Time, which performed at the2025 Tony Awards, Good Morning
America and the Late Show withStephen Colbert.
She's also a four-seasonveteran of the Radio City
Rockettes, with appearances inthe Macy's Thanksgiving Day
(01:14):
Parade, the Rockefeller TreeLighting, the Tonight Show with
Jimmy Fallon, Live with Kellyand Mark, and campaigns for
Lululemon and Google Pixel.
In 2024, she performed as aswing in Moulin Rouge, the
musical on Broadway, and dancedat the VMAs alongside Olivia,
Rodrigo, Katy Perry and Dochi.
A proud 2022 BFA graduate ofPace University, she leads with
(01:40):
love, light and gratitude andcontinues to inspire with her
passion and artistry, and I amso thrilled to have her here
with me today and introduce youto Valeria Yamin.
Welcome to Stop Time, Valeria.
Valera Yamin (01:52):
Oh, my God, thank you for having me.
I'm crying.
Thank you for those kind wordsand sharing your point of view
and having me here today to talk.
Sorry, I'll collect myself, butthat was really beautiful.
Thank you for sharing.
Lisa Hopkins (02:08):
Well, and you know what?
It's sometimes really hard toreceive, isn't it?
Valera Yamin (02:12):
Yeah, I feel like it's super difficult or like a
little embarrassing, but I thinkI'm at a point where I'm trying
to open up, to take in like acompliment and let it fuel me
rather than let it like, let melike hide away from it.
So those are all such beautifulwords, thank you.
(02:33):
I'm going to let it take methrough the day with that.
Lisa Hopkins (02:35):
I love that.
Is that sort of a pattern ofyours.
Is it difficult for you to toreceive praise, to receive?
Valera Yamin (02:44):
I mean, personally , I feel like it's a little bit
like I'm comfy, but I again, I'mlike learning to just be like
others.
See you, see it in you, otherssee it in you, allow it, allow
it to be, allow a compliment tobe a compliment.
And it's funny because I feellike I don't hold back when I
see something I love and I seesomething I love in someone, I'm
(03:06):
the first to say it because I Iwas told by someone or heard
something that if, like, don'thold in a positive thought or a
beautiful thought, like youwould probably want to hear it
too.
So I took that and every time Isee something beautiful or see
something I want to compliment,I don't hold back, I'll say it
and I think everything I saycomes from the heart.
Lisa Hopkins (03:28):
Yeah, that's cool.
It's so true, right?
I mean as a naturally, becauseI am too.
I'm a naturally, you know, Isee things and I say things.
I mean I tend to say what Ithink, and it's not so much an
opinion giving as a compliment,giving Like what I said about
you.
I meant.
So, if I have something toshare that might shine or allow
(03:49):
someone else to receive thewarmth and then shine themselves
and let themselves be them,then hell yeah, I'm all in.
But it's interesting because itsounds like you do that
naturally too.
But even we can not only justnot hold back, but we can
actually go out looking for it,right?
We spend a lot of time in ourlives looking for things that
(04:14):
might get in our way, or lookingfor things that might threaten
us, or looking for things thatmake us feel unsafe, for obvious
reasons, because we'rehardwired for that and we want
to be safe.
But we can also look for thingsthat are good and not instead
of necessarily even.
Valera Yamin (04:29):
But yeah, does that make sense.
Yeah, I think both can exist.
I think you can protectyourself and be safe and then
also share love, light andgratitude at all times.
I feel like there's space forthat to exist, to coexist.
Yeah, yeah, similar with allfeelings.
You can have many feelingsabout the same thing and they
(04:53):
can be different feelings andthey can be opposing feelings.
Yeah, so I I like, really, yeah, I agree with that sense of
like, duality, existing in likeone space yeah, and, and we can
talk, dance for a second, whichis shading and dance, isn't it,
you know?
Lisa Hopkins (05:08):
I mean, you can dance just as powerfully as you
want, right, you can dance inall bright reds, or, or you can,
you can blend in some someyellows and blues and space, and
right, I mean, that was all.
Valera Yamin (05:21):
Yeah.
Lisa Hopkins (05:22):
Yeah, you feel.
Valera Yamin (05:27):
No, yeah, I do, I agree and, like I agree, there's
in dance.
I feel like there's so much toplay with, like there's so much
dynamics, textures, musicalities, levels.
What you were saying about thepowers and the colors, I feel
like is really special.
There's so many ways that youcan paint your own picture and
color your own dance and I feellike you can move through spaces
(05:52):
where maybe sometimes they'renot appreciated, but I think,
like somewhere somehow you'llfind where you fit and I think,
but if you just stick to you, Ithink I think that's like what's
going to drive you forward themost.
Lisa Hopkins (06:09):
Totally.
Hey, if you were a color, whatcolor would you be?
And maybe that's a hard, that'sa hard, it's a hard question
because you know, um, I, Itotally respect that you don't
always feel the same color, butbut what would you say is is
yeah, just off the top.
If you, if you were a color,what would you be?
Valera Yamin (06:27):
That's funny.
You say that because myeveryone asks me what my
favorite color is and I alwaystell them depends on the day.
Lisa Hopkins (06:34):
Yeah, of course.
Valera Yamin (06:35):
By my mood today.
I'm feeling what color woulddescribe me today?
I feel like light, blue.
I feel like I'm connected tolike water today, to the sky,
kind of like this clear, crystalcalm.
(06:55):
It's a Friday for me.
I only have a show at 8 PM, soI'm feeling like and we were
coming off such a big high ofall the fun things that we've
been doing.
So this is like the first coupleof weeks that I'm starting to
find structure and find my ownrhythm and my own routine of
within my life, even though youknow, as artists we're
(07:16):
constantly living a differentlife every single day.
But I do like to have a littlebit of routine and I feel like
today I'm bringing in like alight, blue, calm, clear color
to allow myself to go through myday like a steady, calm pace.
(07:36):
Um, so I can almost like use itas a rest day, without it being
me just laying down all day,like just kind of have my body
and my mind in like a calm statethroughout what I'm moving
through.
Um, even though I'm not like inmy pajamas like watching tv, I
(07:57):
can still rest while like doingother things.
Lisa Hopkins (08:01):
I love that like physical yeah, it's a frequency
kind of too, isn't it?
Yeah, yeah.
Valera Yamin (08:07):
I feel like pretty calm today, which is good.
Lisa Hopkins (08:12):
I thought it was really funny that you said it's
a Friday for me today and in myhead I'm going well, it's a
Friday for everybody.
Valera Yamin (08:17):
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, sorry.
No, that was really cute.
Do you know what I mean?
Because I literally go day byday, day by day and I like
remind myself and it's like,yeah, just day by day.
Lisa Hopkins (08:30):
I love it.
So tell us a bit about yourorigin story.
I don't actually know yourorigin story and I think it'd be
really interesting.
Valera Yamin (08:38):
No one's ever asked me um, well, I guess I was
born in Venezuela, in Caracas,venezuela, and I was there and
my mom was taking care of me andmy brother and being just a
(09:08):
wonderful mom and taking care ofus, which is something I value
so greatly and so deeply withthe both of them and who they've
raised me to be.
When I was four years old, Imoved to South Florida.
I started dancing andperforming, honestly, in the
womb, probably like my mom was.
Like you came out and you weresinging around the house.
(09:30):
You always wanted to put on acostume.
Um, you were always dancing.
I would like play Shakiravideos and like copy her dancing
.
Um, cause my family's uh,portuguese, italian, uh mixed.
And then we're like born.
I was born in Venezuela, so Ihave that culture too.
(09:51):
I have this like ginormous,wonderful identity that I feel
so connected to of all mydifferent like cultures that
I've like been exposed to andbeen raised by just so much
beauty that I feel and connectedto, and music and dance I feel
like is a big part of thosecultures as well.
So, um, at family parties,we're like always turning on
(10:14):
music, doing karaoke, dancingwith each other.
Um, so dance and performing hasalways been a like part of me.
When I was like seven years old,I fell in love with dance, with
the physicality of dance, andthen I was so in love with it.
When I was 12 years old, I sayI had my midlife crisis.
(10:35):
I went to my dad crying.
I remember weeping, saying I'mlying to everyone and I don't
want to lie anymore.
I'm telling everyone.
They asked me what do you wantto be when you grow up?
I they say I say I want to bean eye doctor because I want to
help people who can't see, likeme, because I have I had, like I
have heavy glasses.
(10:56):
I was like I'm lying, I don'twant to do that.
I want to be a performer, Iwant to be a dancer.
And he was like, okay, do it.
And his like response he waslike, if okay, do it.
And his response he was like,if you do it, just go all in.
That kind of opened the doorsfor me to be like oh well, yeah,
the support from my parentsjust really, really, really
(11:17):
helped me, because I value theiropinion a lot.
I have so many doctors in myfamily too, so I was like I
don't know if that's for me, butalso when I realized that they
just wanted us to follow ourdreams and follow our passions
and do what we love.
I realized, oh, that's, it iswhat people are doing, what they
love, it's just their ownrealms.
(11:38):
So then that was like when Iwas like, okay, performance it
is.
I don't know how I'm going toget there, I don't know how I'm
going to get to what I want, butI'm going to be open and I'm
going to do it.
Started training really hard andin my dance studio I went to a
high school American Heritageand Plantation that I went on a
full ride dance scholarshipwhere I was exposed to theater
(11:59):
and singing and acting, and Ifell in love with all that there
, although it was not thepopular thing to do as a dancer
to cross uh, kind of like crossinto the different realms of, um
, the industry, um.
So I kind of was like prettyquiet on my love for these
things and maybe didn't likejump in as headfirst as I
(12:24):
probably wanted to, because Iwas kind of listening more to
the outside noise than I wasreally listening to my heart.
But I'm here today and then Iwas like I really want to pursue
dancing college.
Pace was my number one choice.
From when I was like 15, I uhjust like started doing research
(12:47):
online through social media,which was like a big part of how
I was like looking up peoplewho were going to Pace and what
they were sharing, um, what theywere creating in those rooms.
I was like, oh my god, I wantto be there someday, like
working hard and sweating andcreating dance.
So I auditioned for Pace and Idid early decision and right
(13:09):
before Thanksgiving I got anemail that I was denied.
So that was like a huge blowfor me.
I was like, oh my God, I putall my eggs in this one basket
and then I was like, okay, takea day, you're going to cry.
I cried all day, all day.
I cried all day.
The next day I got up out of mybed and I was like all right,
what's next?
Because, I was like I want to goto college for performing.
(13:31):
It might not be pace and that'sokay, but how am I going to get
there now?
What's my plan B?
What's my next route?
How do I have to redirect?
I applied to I think 10 schoolsin the matter of one week, went
through the audition season.
It was such a big learning andgrowth experience for me because
(13:52):
I got to experience so manydifferent states, so many
different programs, met so manypeople.
I was on a waitlist for aschool, didn't get into that one
that I wanted that was inCalifornia, and ended up signing
on for Point Park University,which I was obsessed with too,
because I was like they have abusiness program that I want to
do along with my dancing, and Ikind of felt like really
(14:15):
motivated to do that.
I was a little bit like OK, Ireally want to be in New York,
though, or I really wanted to bein LA.
I wanted to kind of be in likethe hub of where I thought what
things were happening, and I wasa little tunnel vision on
places I wanted to be, but Ikind of like respect the 18 year
old for feeling that stronglyabout wanting to be in the
(14:37):
places, cause I think I knew Iwould be inspired if I was
around.
What I wanted to become Iwanted to, like, insert myself
and then plant my little seedinto, like the roots of a city,
and I think New York was reallycalling my name.
My dad had a work trip in NewYork.
(14:57):
He was like come with me and Iwas alone at this convention.
I remember walking out of theawards and thinking I don't want
to go the alone route.
I was going to go through theback and hide and just go to my
hotel or wherever I was going.
Next I was like well, let mewalk through the people.
I walk through and I catch eyes, lock eyes with Scott Jovovich
(15:18):
and I'm like oh my God, hi, Iknow you work at Pace.
And then I just started talkingand introducing myself and I'm
like oh my God, hi, I know youwork at Pace.
And then I just started talkingand introducing myself and I'm
like, oh my God, what am I doing?
This is so unlike me, but solike me in a way.
And he was like well, we'll seeyou at Pace in the fall.
And I was like oh no, Iactually Pace was my number one,
just wanted to know, like, canI transfer?
(15:40):
Maybe my sophomore getconnected?
I was like my God, cool.
I left that conversation like,yes, like we get to the next day
and he comes out of nowhere andfinds me and he's like, can you
send me where you got denied?
And I, going through my 500emails sending it to him right
before the audition, we get intothe audition room, I forget
that obviously Pace is going tobe there.
This could be good Sophomoreyear.
(16:01):
I could transfer to New YorkCity, which is what I wanted to
do, and I'm I mean so I'm thelast in the group to go and I'm
like, okay, I have to.
Just this is my time, this isjust my time to open up my heart
and share my passion.
And if they see something in me, then yes.
And if not, it wasn't meant tobe.
And I do my audition combo andI remember feeling like so proud
(16:23):
of myself which hard feeling, Ithink, as a performer, to feel
like satisfied with what you do.
But I I just felt good, I leftmy all out there, I did my, I
did as much as I could.
There's nothing else I could door saying thank you to all the
colleges and schools andteachers.
At the end, and I get a tap onmy shoulder and I turn around
and it's Scott again and he says, if you want, we can make this
(16:45):
happen.
And I knew right away it wasfor this coming year.
And I just crying again and itwas so special.
I remember like calling my dadand he left his the work event
thing that he was at and he ranover to the hotel ballroom and
we were like no, he was like noway, is this real?
Is this this real?
Is this really real?
And then, within up two months,I was packing up and moving my
(17:09):
bags to New York City in 2018for the first time, with my mom
and she was helping me move intomy dorm.
And this is it.
This was where I wanted to be.
This is what I wanted to do.
I needed those four years togrow and COVID to put me back
and close me into one room, onecamera.
(17:31):
Think about the details, thinkabout my health, think about my
mental health, think about who Iwas.
I think COVID helped me stripaway so much of these masks that
I was putting on to pleaseothers and because in that time,
by myself, I was like this iswhere I'm going to grow, at home
(17:52):
in my childhood bedroom, butalso dreaming about my future.
And then, like senior year, Igot a invitation to audition for
the Rockettes and then I bookedthat invitation to audition for
the Rockettes.
And then I booked that and thenI was doing senior year and
Rockettes at the same time andfinishing all these chapters and
all of a sudden it's May 2022.
(18:12):
And I'm like graduated with apace and I'm like whoa, this is
happening.
Like now I'm outside of the realworld.
How am I going to use everythingI've grabbed and put in my
little backpack in my pocket?
And what am I going to useeverything I've grabbed and put
in my little backpack in mypocket and what am I going to do
with it?
And I feel like I just try tobe as open as I could be and try
(18:34):
new things and meet new peopleand could just kind of let I
always say like let the musicmove you.
When I'm like two in my headabout like choreography or
anything, if I don't want toforget, and I feel like I feel
that with my life, like I justlike let the music move you.
I just like let this song takeme through the dance of my life,
like I'm just having so muchfun and I think I continue to
(18:57):
tell myself if I like ever go toan audition and I'm like, oh
yeah, this is the one.
And then I don't get it, like,yeah, it's okay, not now, maybe
not ever, but not now, but maybesomeday yeah not to be like too
hard on myself ever really andI just also try to believe that.
Well, I do believe this fullythat there is space for everyone
(19:18):
in this industry.
I think there really is like aseat for everyone at the table,
and but I also say, if there isno seat at the table, you either
go get your own chair, pull itup, or you go build your own
chair and set a table instead ofchairs to somewhere where you
want to be, like, where you feelloved and where you belong and
(19:40):
all the things.
So, yep, I just do feel likethere's space for everyone.
I feel like it's worse.
Such a beautiful community ofpeople, um, oh yeah.
That everyone is so talented andhas their own strengths and
weaknesses, and seeing everyonelike step into their power is so
(20:04):
inspiring to me.
Lisa Hopkins (20:05):
And yeah, it's a wonderful story.
Thank you for sharing that.
Valera Yamin (20:09):
I feel a lot of value and very deeply about
everything that I do.
I feel like it.
Nothing is more important thanthe other in my brain.
I like to value everything.
I like to give my fullestpercent, a hundred percent, to
what I do.
So I feel like I try not tolook at things as I'm just going
to get through this, eventhough on the hard days you got
to do what you got to do, and Ihave many of those.
(20:32):
But in the overall, when I takemy wide lens and look up, I'm
like that's not just somethingyou needed to get through.
I think of the quote win orlearn.
You never lose.
Like you're always.
You can always get somethingfrom something, even if it was a
bad experience.
You're like oh well, I don'twant to do that, or I don't want
(20:55):
to be like that, or I didn'tenjoy how that happened, but I
learned from that.
Or I love this and I gainedthis, and so I don't know.
I try to walk through my lifewith that perspective, but then
it also can like ouch, hurtreally painfully.
But I try to not take thingslike too personally, like they
don't go my way, or no, 100%.
Lisa Hopkins (21:13):
A couple of things stand out to me.
One is back in your earlyorigin story when you at I think
you said you were 12, maybe youwent to your father and said
I'm a lie, I'm not living mytruth.
How does, how does a 12 yearold first of all say that or
know that?
Valera Yamin (21:32):
I I can't even tell you like why I just like
felt like a burning.
I feel like I'm prettyintuitive, like when I feel
something in my gut that's notright or not what I, that
doesn't align with me.
It rumbles.
It was rumbling for a while andI felt comfortable enough to go
(21:52):
to my father, to go to my dadwho I saw, yeah, and he, I think
, allowed me to come to him in asense, because he went to
school for civil engineering andwas on that route and did that
for a lot of his life andswitched career paths.
(22:13):
He was in the wrong place andthen just was able to rewrite
his story and I felt like thatwas so inspiring and I think at
12, I was like well, you'redoing what you love, so how can
I do what I love?
I'm just going to tell you thatI think I'm lying because I'm
scared that people are going tosay, no, that's not a real
(22:38):
career, cause you know, you hearthat being an artist is not a
job, it's not a career.
You can't sustain yourself,yourself, can't be happy.
And I felt like the fullopposite.
I was like I can, I will and Imust.
I don't know why, but I I justlike felt it so deeply that I
was like you have to share thiswith your dad and and I think
(23:00):
him giving me like the okay Waslike like the door swung open.
That was like really big for meand I that's something I like
will thank my parents forforever and ever and ever Just
allowing me to be me, knowingthat like you start with you and
you end with you, and just likeyou have to find a way to be
(23:22):
like at peace, be happy with youand, just like you have to find
a way to be like, at peace, behappy with you.
Lisa Hopkins (23:28):
Yeah, it's.
It's still amazing to me thatyou're able to articulate it.
I understand feeling it and andlike, even at an early age, but
the fact that you couldarticulate it although I do
understand that it that it wasmodeled for you.
So, yeah, that's the visceralpiece.
You actually could see ithappening.
So, even though you heard inyour head that this isn't a good
thing, what you saw fromsomebody that you respected is
(23:48):
that, no, that that can be done.
So, yay, dad, yay, parents.
No, that's really cool.
You know.
You talked about the joy ofbeing in this industry and
witnessing people stepping intotheir power and their talents,
all of which are diverse.
And I'm curious when you saybeing in their power I know you
mentioned it about yourself.
You said, oh, on the days thatI don't believe in my power, I
(24:12):
can spiral and self-sabotage mymindset.
I'm super curious, if you'recomfortable, to dig into that A.
I'm curious to know what itmeans to you to be in your power
and what it looks like whenyou're not.
Valera Yamin (24:25):
Yeah, I guess like when I'm having a good day, I
believe in myself and I know myworth, I know my work, I trust
in me and my value and my powerPower in my mind, power in my
body, power in like so manydifferent shapes.
And like the days that I'mhaving a bad day or the days
(24:47):
that I get a little bit like offmy center, I feel like it's
always trickles down to themental, even if I'm injured, and
it's a physical thing.
It's the way I'm like reactingto the stressors is how I can
then not be in my power and Ifeel like, as humans, like our
(25:10):
mind is like so powerful is whatI'm like starting to learn is
like my mindset can really likehelp me fly or sink me lower
than I need to.
Instead of just floating on thewater, my mindset can actually
bring me down.
I'm like, why do I want that?
(25:31):
But I don't want that.
It just kind of can happen, andso it's like learning the tools
and things that I need to getout of those moments.
I like to write things down andtake things out of my mind and I
think that will help, like if Isee it visually on paper, if I
love manifesting my best self.
I love visualizing me at my best, closing my eyes and thinking
(25:53):
about I'm going to do it in myhead to my best of my ability
and more, and I feel like thathelps me gain the confidence and
the mental strength to then getinto the room or walk into
wherever I need to be and feelin my power, not letting the
outside stressors get into oh,that wasn't my best.
(26:15):
But how you recover from that orhow you could continue to learn
from that, Yep, that then givesyou the continued success.
I try to think of it as kind oflike a steady, paced forward
(26:39):
motion, like a kinetic energy,that is, you know it's churning.
It's not like a one hit, sortof like sprint.
I believe in my career and Ibelieve in the longevity of it.
I never really see things aslike a loss.
I guess Like it's just aredirect or like a re, and I
(27:02):
allow myself to grieve, though Iwill be crying with some ice
cream and some good TV, but likeof of, like moments that you
know will hurt, like her, youknow a hundred percent, a
hundred percent, a hundredpercent.
And then like the next day.
How am I going to?
Lisa Hopkins (27:17):
you mean, you're human?
Yeah, yeah, you know absolutely, and what you're talking about
is the growth mindset.
You have a growth mindset andthe growth mindset, literally,
is that you can't fail, nomatter what you do, because you
can learn something fromeverything you do, including
failure, and then the successformula that you create through
these, through understandingyour influencers, can help you,
(27:39):
like you can look at your rhythm, your rhythm and become aware
of how you're affected, howthings wane, and then you can
make accommodations for yourself.
I mean, it's like having a techwriter you know for yourself
Things will affect you, but youcan be in your power about how
and what you can do about it.
It's staying open and thenunderstanding what the
(28:03):
detractors might be, and thenyou know, disempowering them
honestly by becoming morefamiliar with them, so when they
arrive they don't take you out.
Valera Yamin (28:13):
Yeah, as yeah, as like.
Yeah, it's not like I felt thisbefore.
I've seen this before.
Lisa Hopkins (28:19):
Yeah it's not gonna kill me.
No, you know, here it is.
And what can I learn from this?
And you know, sorry, wesidebarred a little bit, but no,
and I think it's probablyvaluable too for our listeners.
But I'm curious to know what issomething?
Would you be willing to sharesomething that that threatens to
get in the way of you believingin your power or feeling the
(28:40):
way you know you can feel?
Valera Yamin (28:42):
Imposter for sure, I do not have as much singing
experience and training and oreducation as I do with my
dancing.
So the moments where I feellike I'm dancing, I feel
prepared, I feel calm, I feeleasy, I feel like all my tools
are available at all times and Ican just, I'm like I'm able to
(29:03):
perform in a sense, like withease.
When I'm singing, I feel a lackof tools.
I feel like I'm like, oh my god, how am I doing this?
How is it happening?
When I got to just in time, Ifirst of all couldn't believe I
had booked it.
I also didn't really know whatwe know.
(29:25):
No one really knew what it was.
When we were in the workshop inAugust and I remember that first
day well, the first thing wedid was music and I was like,
okay, here we go and had neverworked on holding my own harmony
in a trio of amazing, amazingsingers and performers and in a
group setting where I was likewith these iconic legends
(29:49):
hearing me sing.
All of a sudden I'm like, oh mygod, do they like know that
I've like never really done this?
That dialogue started in myhead.
I don't know this enough.
I don't have this enough.
They think was like so hurtfulfor me, like they think I can't
they, they think I can't sing,they think I don't know what I'm
doing there.
I'm going to like it was so.
(30:11):
That was like a huge spiralthat day, I remember.
I went home and I was like, oh,I'm not, this is not for me.
I was like, how am I going todo this?
What did they just pick me for,like?
And then it was like many, manyweeks.
It wasn't like a one.
(30:31):
It wasn't like I'm going tofall asleep and wake up the next
day and be an amazing singer.
I was like, wait, how am Igoing to combat these stressors
of like, this imposter syndromeand this like fake narrative
that I was creating like it wasmental, it was all my mental.
Our workshop was in August andthat was a four-week experience
(30:53):
of fun, of stress, but also like, of so much learning, and every
day was just like, little bylittle.
It was so small, it was sohumbling to be new at something
again.
It's really vulnerable to likehear your voice.
Yeah, it comes all the time andI love it.
(31:14):
I feel like I'm not afraid tofeel it anymore and I feel like
it'll for the rest of my lifeI'll be doubting something, but
I feel like that's what keeps memotivated to learn and to grow
and to yeah, I don't think it'sa bad thing.
I think like nervousness andexcitement in my body live in
the same place, and so sometimesI like can get them confused.
Lisa Hopkins (31:36):
That's real.
Valera Yamin (31:38):
It's good, both are good, both is because I care
, both is because I want to growand do better and change and
evolve.
And yeah, yeah, no 100.
They picked you first of all,so they believe in you yes, you
have to believe in you.
I don't want to show, I justwant to share, yeah, and I think
that they're they're, you'redoing the same thing, but the
(32:02):
intention behind it is different, which is what I think has
helped me stay aligned withmyself.
I think about what I'm doing.
It's not showing anyone orimproving anything to anyone.
It's really just sharing me, me.
Lisa Hopkins (32:21):
Yeah, that distinction is powerful, right?
I mean that's, I feel that it'sbeautiful.
Hey, so you're 25 and and areyou affected at?
Valera Yamin (32:35):
all by the quarter life crisis that so many talk
about?
Um, probably, yes, yes, alittle bit, it's happening.
It's happening now I do.
I was on a vacation last weekaway from my show for the first
time.
First time I've taken avacation on a job where I was at
home.
So I went home to Florida,wanted to be in the sun and the
(32:56):
rain and with my dog and myfamily, and also with my
girlfriend and her family, andhave a vacation time.
So it's like really wonderfultime to reconnect that presence
that I was talking about.
I really needed it.
It's like perfect.
I was like on this vacation andI was like, oh, I got this.
Like weird.
Well, first I was like reallyhappy because I was like, oh my
(33:18):
God, I get to come back to NewYork city and I have a job, I
have a roof over my head, I havea beautiful girlfriend, I feel
safe.
I feel so safe right now.
Let me just enjoy.
And I put my phone away andjust felt so present with
everything I was doing.
It felt so nice to feel like Iwasn't missing anything or like
(33:38):
having to do anything.
I need more of this.
I need more of this feeling,even when I am on the hustle
grind.
I need to feel this morebecause I felt like so
re-inspired.
I had a moment where I was likewait, I'm 25.
Like yeah, I did have like aminute.
I think I had my moment lastweek.
I was like I'm 25.
(34:00):
I feel like I'm moving in theright direction, but how can I
tap into more of me?
I don't know.
I had just a lot ofbrainstorming, brain dumping,
fun ideas of like passions andjust goals, and it was kind of
nice to just have it out of myhead.
(34:21):
So, yeah, I feel like I amdealing with that like quarter
life crisis and seeing like myfamily.
Um, you know, all the cousinsare all older, the grandparents
are older, the the family wasjust like really it was really
beautiful to be with them andjust spend time with them and
like it's hard being like awaysometimes and I have a couple
(34:46):
cousins here which is awesomeand like that's why we do have
the beauty of our phones is thatwe can like call and talk and
nothing is like spending timeone-on-one, like touch and
seeing like a person.
So, um, yeah, I think my myquarter life crisis kind of lies
with like missing my family alittle, because I feel so proud
(35:10):
and accomplished and all thethings, and.
But I also know that it'sseasonal.
So this season of my life likeis what it is and I know that at
a time I won't be jumping fromshow to show or from event to
event or thing to thing, I'lljust be, and I I'm excited for
that time too, whatever I'll bethen, but I'm trying to enjoy
(35:34):
this as much and then also likethe family's happening at the
same time.
It's like all these timelineslike moving together but
separate.
So that's just been interesting, yeah, for sure.
Lisa Hopkins (35:50):
For sure, For sure .
Hey, one year from now.
What are we celebrating?
Valera Yamin (35:56):
My physical strength.
I have a torn meniscus and I'vebeen moving through all this
fun physical stuff with cautionbut with like attention and
purpose because of my knee andbecause of how I want my career
(36:17):
to be long and on.
I think I trust in my body andit's a really hard recovery.
It's very slow and I keeptelling everyone around me I'm
like a year from today I'm goingto be stronger than I was.
Lisa Hopkins (36:31):
I love that.
What about five years, 10 years?
Where do you, where do you seeyourself?
Valera Yamin (36:35):
See myself being happy, being aligned with myself
and whatever that may be like.
If in five years I'm still in ashow, that's a slay from five
years and teaching that'samazing.
I definitely want to dabble inkind of those interests that
(36:56):
have been buzzing around.
I want to start to like I thinkin five years I hope I had have
at least followed one of thoselittle buzzes and little like
kind of like exciting newpassion projects do you want to
share one of those buzzes, or do, and you don't have to like,
(37:17):
because sometimes it's nice tohold, like to hold on to them I
kind of want to.
I think I'm going to hold on tothem.
Cool, I think I'm going to holdon to them.
I kind of want to.
I think I'm going to hold on tothem.
Cool, I think I'm going to holdon to them for a little bit
longer and then allow people tocome and share.
I think I want to build on thema little more, but there's a few
.
It's been buzzing.
I just I'm waiting is not theword I'm feeling out my timing.
(37:42):
I like don't want to say likewe were saying, saying yes to
too many things at once.
Yep, like I.
I feel like I'm a little bitfilled to the brim right now and
it's just this these past twoweeks that I've that I've been
on the calm down from like suchI would, I'm gonna say, like
hectic year and a half to almostlike kind of all blended with
(38:03):
like Rockettes into Mulan, intoRockettes again, into a month
break into this rehearsal.
It's kind of felt like this,like I've allowed myself to
literally let the music move meand I'm like this, like yeah,
and I'm enjoying like everysingle thing, but I it's, I feel
(38:25):
like I'm finally allowingmyself to grab the handlebars
and grab like my steering wheela little bit more.
And now I'm like, okay, now,now this is where I want to go.
I think like I've been allowingit to just take me, which is
awesome and I I've loved thatpart, but I'm excited to like
(38:45):
well, it's still taking me tohave like a side quest.
I love learning, I love newperspectives, even if it's like
a dance class and it's like thisteacher saying one thing with
that teacher saying the samething in a different way.
I love that.
I love a second opinion.
I love.
I love to just hear it all.
I'm like more.
Lisa Hopkins (39:05):
Totally, that's my girl.
That's awesome, it's funny.
I'm just going to, just goingto.
You can journal on this if youwant.
What came to me was you whenyou said about this year and a
half that you've just had.
You were on the train, goingreally fast and now I'm curious
do you feel more like you're?
I'm feeling both because youdid say maybe it's because you
(39:28):
suggested the blue today and thesteering.
I was imagining water becauseyou mentioned it also, but then
I thought about a plane with thebird's eye view and I feel like
there's a bit of the water andthe air going on for you that
you're off the train and nowyou're looking at it in a
(39:50):
broader way, right.
Valera Yamin (39:52):
I love that.
I'm like so into the imagery ofthat I love.
Yes, I do yes, and I feel likeI've taken last week on my
vacation like time to.
It's like the first week that Iactually thought about like
even like writing my bio out.
I was like, let me just likewrite it all out.
(40:13):
And then I was reading it backand I was like, oh, my god,
little valeria would be if I wasa stranger.
She'd be like, oh, I want to belike her yeah that's like, that
was like so cool, and like lastweek I felt like I went home and
my family was doing the choreofrom our show and I was like, oh
my God, this is why this is it.
(40:35):
This was so fun to just havethis shared experience with my
family and what I'm doing theyconnect with, they understand,
they care about, and so it feelsgood to feel loved and
supported and to finally feellike I'm taking this bird's eye
view the blue, yeah, like seeing, like, oh yeah, like there's so
(40:58):
much that is around me and somuch beauty or what was going by
really quickly, but from theplane.
And this is why the tears whenI say how I feel about you or
when you talk about your familybecause you're starting to be
able to see it all.
Yeah, yeah, and that's it.
(41:56):
That's a beautiful place to beand it begs that inquiry, like
of when you said what's next,you didn't mean like what show
is next you?
Lisa Hopkins (41:58):
meant what?
Valera Yamin (41:59):
what layer, what, what?
How do I want to texturize this?
Or, yeah, I love that becauseit's not.
It's like, yeah, like, how do Ilike, how do I want to keep
writing my story?
Yeah, how do I want to keep.
Yeah, how do I want to add?
What color is next?
What layers?
Yeah, that's, that's insane.
That was so beautiful.
I do.
I so agree with the planeimagery.
The train is so right Because Iwas just allowing it, like it
started on me taking like buyingthe ticket, getting on the like
doing all that obviouslyExactly, and then I was like
(42:21):
whoa, and then just like out andabout.
Lisa Hopkins (42:25):
And arriving.
Valera Yamin (42:26):
Arriving, arriving and like being like no way.
Lisa Hopkins (42:30):
How did I get?
Valera Yamin (42:31):
here how Like scary arriving and like being
like no way, how did I get here?
How, like scary and like thennot scary, but then like being
on the plane is also scary.
I'm like, oh, my god, I've donethis like so these things and
all.
I'm so grateful and I feel verygood and it's I am.
This is so deep, but I'm afraidof flying.
I don't like flying, I do not donot like planes like and I I
(42:54):
used to not be afraid of flying,but now, as I'm older, I'm
afraid of flying.
I'm like, oh, it's so when I'molder, I'm like more and more
afraid of and this I feel likeis like symbolic.
Sometimes I feel this, but thenI I ground pretty quickly, but
I feel sometimes I'm like, whatif?
(43:14):
Like am I plateauing?
Am I going down and is my planelanding and or not crashing?
Like I feel that and I feellike I can ground myself pretty
easily and easily, and and then,similarly, when I'm on a plane,
I trust in the pilot and theuniverse and the weather and the
(43:40):
technology that we have andpeople that I'm around and the
moment that I'm in that, nomatter what's next, I feel the
trust yep that it's like led meto here.
Lisa Hopkins (43:56):
What's really cool and maybe you can think about
this is that a lot of peoplehave a hard time knowing their
why and a lot of us forget ourwhy.
So a lot of people in ourindustry know their why and
that's why we're in it, but welose track of why.
Right, and it's about gettingback on.
I'm sure you've had thatexperience of you're like well,
why lose track of why?
Right, and it's about gettingback on.
I'm sure you've had thatexperience.
If you're like well, why am Idoing this?
Like it's, you know it's sopainful or whatever, or you just
(44:17):
get caught in the thing andthen it's not fun anymore and
you forget and then youreconnect with yeah right, it's
part of the journey totally.
But.
But you're pretty centered inyour why.
I feel that's loud and clearand and it's beyond the gigs and
so on and so forth.
Um, it's much deeper than that,but it feels to me like you are
in your, you're in your how.
Now you're who and you're how.
(44:38):
I always say, I always sayyou're who, is in your how,
right, meaning who you want tobe in the world while you're
doing what you want to do andwhy you know.
So why is not the big questionfor you?
Um, so it's, it's who and how.
Valera Yamin (44:51):
Ooh, I love that.
Lisa Hopkins (44:53):
That's, that's what I'm, that's, if we're
working together, that's what wewould work on, because it's
it's how you want to be, becauseI think you're totally open to
the notion that that it's up toyou how you want to be, and and
what are those possibilities?
Valera Yamin (45:09):
I'd never thought about like that.
I never thought about it thatway because I feel like a lot of
the my community, we talk aboutour why.
Pretty often, yep, yeah, likeyou said, you get off, you got
thrown off a little bit andyou're like, oh my god, the day
is so long or what's my feethurt?
Or all all things that couldlike kind of be like why am I
doing this?
Like you know, you misssomething and something and you
(45:32):
miss a party, the sacrifices andeverything.
You're like why?
So I always come back to my why, but I never thought about and
that's kind of how I feel aboutthat next layer.
It's like how and who?
Lisa Hopkins (45:47):
That's where you are.
Valera Yamin (45:48):
That's so cool.
Lisa Hopkins (45:49):
I love that we put language.
Valera Yamin (45:50):
You're like I'm feeling that's so cool.
I love that.
We like put language to likefeeling.
I find that too.
I like sometimes feel like I'mjust like yappy, but I kind of
like don't get to the pointsometimes because a lot of me is
like visual or feely.
Lisa Hopkins (46:06):
Yeah, yeah.
Valera Yamin (46:07):
So I love finding ways to articulate my feelings.
So I love finding ways toarticulate my feelings and, like
I always say, like I'm not agood storyteller, I'm not a good
, but I have to fix the languagewith that, but I yeah, finding
words to feelings is like soexciting to me.
(46:29):
Yep exciting to me, yep, and Ifeel like, as I continue to live
, I feel like I find more wordsto express how I'm feeling.
Lisa Hopkins (46:44):
Yeah, but that just helped me so much.
So, thank you.
Oh, you're welcome.
Oh, let's do the rapid fire.
Okay, I'm going to say whatmakes you and you're going to
say the first thing that comesto your mind.
Valera Yamin (46:49):
Okay, Okay, are you ready?
Lisa Hopkins (46:51):
Yeah, here we go.
There's no to your mind.
Valera Yamin (46:52):
Okay, okay, are you ready?
Lisa Hopkins (46:52):
Yeah, here we go.
There's no right or wrong,remember.
Valera Yamin (46:54):
Okay.
Lisa Hopkins (46:55):
Okay.
Valera Yamin (46:58):
What makes you hungry?
What makes me hungry when Idance for too long?
What makes you sad Sometimes?
Lisa Hopkins (47:07):
the book, a book I'm reading, what inspires you
Visual arts.
What frustrates you?
Visual arts.
Valera Yamin (47:18):
What frustrates you Not?
Lisa Hopkins (47:21):
being able to articulate my feelings in words.
What makes?
Valera Yamin (47:22):
you laugh, my girlfriend.
Lisa Hopkins (47:25):
What makes you angry?
Valera Yamin (47:43):
when I like, when I can't, when I feel like closed
, like when I feel suffocated.
I don't like.
That makes me like reallyretaliate, like even if I, if
someone tells me no, I getreally angry in an interesting
way, because then I just like itbuilds a fire in me.
Oh wow, but I get angry first.
What makes you grateful?
My life, life, present momentlike this, my eyes open on a
(48:07):
beautiful day, rainy, cloudy,cloudy, sunny, anything, just
being alive.
Lisa Hopkins (48:16):
You know, I didn't ask you what your definition of
living in the moment is,because you've demonstrated it.
So just, I mean we did it today.
What you just said is that.
So I deliberately didn't askyou that question.
Valera Yamin (48:36):
I felt like that was a really difficult question
to answer, but also not Like itcame so easily when I had read
it.
But I was like I was reallyafraid of the question at first
Interesting oh, it's so deep,like I think.
Like everyone says, like livein the moment.
But no one's ever asked me,like how do you feel like you're
(48:59):
living in the moment?
Lisa Hopkins (49:00):
Yeah, From my point of view, that's how you
operate, but would you like tosay what?
What your definition is?
Valera Yamin (49:07):
I do.
I I feel like that is how Ioperate.
But what I said well, it justties back a little bit to the
show, but I love hearing thewords be here now which is
something we hear on the showand just like being out of your
head and in the world.
I think like that's how I tryto be.
If I'm like two in my head,then I'm not in the moment.
(49:27):
If I'm blocked, like Iliterally my eyes are open but
I'm blocked.
Like I'm blocked, like Iliterally my eyes are open but
I'm blocked.
Like I'm there but I'm notthere.
I hate feeling that way.
I don't like it.
I feel like it's you're notliving your life, the one, the
one life we get to live, and Iwant to be there, I want to be
full, I want to be present, Iwant to be in it what are the
top three things that happenedso far today?
(49:50):
Ooh, today, today, this, this islike I was really excited for
this, having breakfast with mygirlfriend she's an amazing cook
and she made bacon, egg andcheese sandwiches and so
grateful that we got to spendsome time this morning together
(50:11):
calmly in our home and actuallylast night so it was today, it
was within the 24 hour I had areally big, beautiful day
yesterday.
I really felt like so happy toshare that with my community,
because I feel like sometimes Ican like be very like quiet
about my life and about mysuccesses and I felt safe to
(50:37):
share.
Lisa Hopkins (50:39):
What's something you're looking forward to today
and then in the future?
Valera Yamin (50:44):
Today.
I'm looking forward to having acalm day at home, like having a
home day, like if it's likecleaning up or like spending
time just like being at home.
I'm looking forward to my homeIn the future.
I'm looking forward tofollowing one of those little
kind of like gut feelings thatI've been kind of like have been
(51:07):
rumbling within me.
Lisa Hopkins (51:09):
Yeah, I love that, valeria.
Valera Yamin (51:17):
I so appreciate you being here with me today.
Lisa Hopkins (51:18):
It was so much fun and so interesting.
Oh my gosh, it's been such apleasure, truly.
Valera Yamin (51:24):
It's been a pleasure for me too.
I'm like so happy and gratefulfor this experience and this
exchange.
I feel fulfilled, like rightnow.
I don't feel like drained, soI'm like so inspired and like
feel like ready to have keephaving a great day.
Lisa Hopkins (51:41):
Oh, that's amazing .
Valera Yamin (51:43):
And I, like, can't wait to talk more again.
Lisa Hopkins (51:45):
Amazing.
I've been speaking today withValeria Yamin.
I'm Lisa Hopkins.
Thanks so much for listening.
Stay safe and healthy, everyone, and remember to live in the
moment.
In music, stop time is thatbeautiful moment where the band
is suspended in rhythmic unison,supporting the soloist to
(52:07):
express their individuality Inthe moment.
I encourage you to take thattime and create your own rhythm.
Until next time.
I'm Lisa Hopkins.
Thanks for listening.
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