The Formula That Leads to Wild Success- Part 5: Misty Copeland

People who back their ideas and opportunities with hard work, a positive attitude and faith are very successful. They’re the individuals we look up to and admire in society. They follow the unofficial winning formula of humanity, which they put into practice each day.

They have maximized their talent by believing in themselves, having the audacity to put themselves in the spotlight and outworking everyone while never, ever giving up. We choose people like these as role models to look up to and to inspire us. They serve as a baseline- a standard of greatness- for us to study and measure ourselves against.

Today is the fifth profile in my series on individuals, who in their own unique way, followed this formula to overwhelming success. Over the course of the next several weeks, I will showcase five more individuals who have shattered the limits of what many thought was possible- to re-define greatness.

Today, I discuss the qualities that made Misty Copeland’s rise to fame both improbable and remarkable. You can read Part 1 on Michael Jordan here, Part 2 on Oprah Winfrey here, Part 3 on Elon Musk here and Part 4 on Martin Luther King Jr. here. Enjoy!

The Rise of The Ballerina

Success comes in many forms, shapes and sizes. Athletes, leaders, orators, businesswomen and innovators all leave indelible marks on society, giving us models of greatness to behold. Sometimes, when we think we’ve seen it all, a pioneer comes along to raise the bar higher, elevating to a status and platform like which we’ve never seen.

When someone tells you that you cannot accomplish something, that you believe with all of your heart that you can, you tend to want to prove them wrong- by any means possible. No one exemplifies this ethos more than the fifth person I am profiling for this series: the graceful and extremely talented, Misty Copeland.

So, who is Misty Copeland? She is the first African-American principal dancer in the long history of the American Ballet Theatre (ABT). She has performed on Broadway in the show, On The Town, and held the lead role in the ballet, Swan Lake. She is a model, bestselling author, owner of her own dance wear line, children’s advocate and humanitarian.

She’s only 33 years old.

Something from Nothing

Copeland’s story of “something from nothing” is a slice of Americana and a bold tale of overcoming adversity to reach the summit of her professional calling. During her youth, Copeland moved from Kansas City, Missouri to different parts of southern California, before huddling into the Sunset Inn in Gardena, California to live with her five siblings and single mother.

That’s right- the star ballerina we know today lived in poverty in a small motel room, where she dreamed of reaching the bright lights of New York City. There, she would compete to be one of the world’s greatest dancers. There, she would someday grace the main stage at the Metropolitan Opera House. Just how she envisioned it.

At the age of 13, late in the game for an aspiring ballet dancer, Copeland started her dancing career in earnest at the Boys & Girls Club in San Pedro, California. She caught the eye of Cynthia Bradley who was teaching free dance classes at the club. Bradley knew right away that she saw a future sensation.

But not everyone saw a future superstar. Watch this remarkable video to gain some perspective that sometimes, no doesn’t always mean No. As Bruce Lee once said, “We are never defeated until we have accepted defeat as reality.”

Under Bradley’s tutelage- and later living under her roof- Copeland blossomed and learned the ballet dancing craft, growing leaps and bounds before everyone’s eyes, winning competitions and improving. Copeland finished her high schools years, later moving back in with her mother, while diligently practicing her dancing each day.

At the age of 18, she joined the American Ballet Theatre Studio Company. She moved 3,000 miles across the country to New York, leaving the west coast betting that she’d deliver on what she had dreamed of for years. She began her rise to stardom that has led her all the way to the top position in the company- and the top of the dancing and athletic world.

Groundbreaking Success

“Part of my purpose as a ballerina is not only to be a dancer but to be a vessel- to share the stories of other black women.”

Named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time, Copeland has appeared in commercials for Under Armour, danced on stage with the late, great Prince, and she even has her own Barbie doll. Misty Copeland’s star has started to shine, allowing her to reach a whole new audience.

She’s overcome injuries, stress fractures in her leg that nearly robbed her of her promising career, only to come back stronger. She’s a woman of extraordinary courage, a product of a no-frills youth. One that taught her she needed to believe in herself and work hard if she wanted to prove everyone wrong.

Copeland- despite her amazing success- is not yet a household name. However, her accomplishments and success as a ballerina, in a mostly white industry, are allowing her to stand out in a positive way. Her groundbreaking success as the first African- American principal dancer in ABT history is a compliment, often spoken in the same breath as the incredible Jackie Robinson, who broke baseball’s color barrier nearly 70 years ago.

Copeland has helped to build communities by mentoring and teaching children at Boys & Girls Clubs around the country; her way of giving back after benefiting from their services during her youth

“The best piece of advice that I remember probably on a daily basis is to accept everything about me that is different. That is what makes me special.”

The Late Bloomer

Of all the talented, successful people I have profiled so far, I feel Misty Copeland’s story has perhaps the most human appeal. It’s easy to think of people like Michael Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, Elon Musk and Martin Luther King Jr. as being larger than life.

I know people who lived for periods of time in motels growing up due to poverty. I have coached high school boys basketball players who came from families without a father figure, who went to live with foster families and then blossomed into great students and athletes.

One of my closest childhood friends, comedian and entertainer, Amy Schumer, always had a great sense of humor. Though no one, even me and those close to her, could have ever forecast the tremendous success she has experienced. Her success did not happen right away.

It took years of hard work, dedication and grinding it out to reach the pinnacle of the entertainment world.

“You can start late, look different, be uncertain- and still succeed.”

Misty Copeland had the idea at a young age that she could be someone great. She kept dreaming about that idea, practicing on a motel hallway floor, imagining a day where she would be center stage at the New York Metropolitan Opera House.

Copeland’s success is the product of exceptionally hard work; painful, long, arduous hours spent perfecting her ability to be en pointe, when a dancer is able to fully vertically extend her foot to stand. Copeland suffered injuries that nearly derailed and ended her career. On, she persevered. Giving up was never an option.

Her message is one of hope and optimism, a shining, authentic voice that is focused on encouraging and lending a helping hand to a new generation of women. Misty Copeland is the rare superstar that loves to give back to make the world a better place, both in her words and actions.

Please stay tuned for Part 6 in my series on Monday. In the meantime, if you enjoyed reading this, please be so kind as to click on the green heart, and let me know what you have to say! And if you’re really feeling lucky, please consider following me here on Medium! Thank you so very kindly for reading.

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