Latest / Daily Influence / 664. Dancing for Good: How Energy, Accountability, and EQ Create Lasting Influence

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664. Dancing for Good: How Energy, Accountability, and EQ Create Lasting Influence · Daily Influence

• 0:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to Daily Influence, your daily dose of positive influence.
• 0:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm Brian Smith founder of IA Business Advisors and co-author of the Iain team series.
• 0:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: Each day we share stories and insights to help you find be and build your influence in a positive and responsible way.
• 0:27
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I'm Greg Clino, partner at IE Business Advisors, and co-host of Daily Influence.
• 0:32
  [SPEAKER_02]: Be sure to follow, subscribe, and share Daily Influence with someone who could use a little extra positivity today.
• 0:39
  [SPEAKER_02]: And make us part of your Daily routine, whether it's during your commute on a walk or an quiet moment just for you, because you're influenced matters.
• 0:48
  [SPEAKER_02]: Welcome to Daily Influence, I'm Greg Lino.
• 0:51
  [SPEAKER_02]: Today, I'm joined by someone who brings energy, creativity, and authentic leadership into everything he touches.
• 0:58
  [SPEAKER_02]: Chris Starkey is a partner at Mojo Maker, a media and marketing force known for lifting brands, building community in creating meaningful connections.
• 1:09
  [SPEAKER_02]: But he's also well known for the fun.
• 1:11
  [SPEAKER_02]: influential personality behind dance dad TV where he shares joy, humor, and behind the scenes moments from the world of competitive dance.
• 1:23
  [SPEAKER_02]: Building a community of families who feel supported, seen, and entertained.
• 1:29
  [SPEAKER_02]: Chris embodies positive and responsible influence, showing how passion, storytelling, and genuine human connection can shape lives in
• 1:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: still happy to be here.
• 1:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thanks for having me.
• 1:43
  [SPEAKER_02]: Chris, let's start with your story.
• 1:45
  [SPEAKER_02]: Could you share a bit about your background and what led you to where you are today?
• 1:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: Absolutely.
• 1:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: So, I, in, in my first life, I'm the right page of 56 right now.
• 1:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: But in my first life, I was a singer dancer in New York and had a massive passion for doing that from there.
• 2:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: I went to, to be home more with, with, with my wife and my son.
• 2:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: I moved to Orlando, Florida, where I was a singer-dance Rick Disney World and then ultimately came into that producer and started my own event company, roughly around 2000, moved to Denver, Colorado.
• 2:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: started having a family, but during that time period, one of my oldest daughter, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor at five months old, and so it changed my whole perspective of how I pro-to-life, you know, so many of us.
• 2:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: And obviously for myself, I think a very kind of selfish approach to, you know, how I was living my life.
• 2:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, it was for me even a lot of family, wife, all the above.
• 2:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: But when you are influenced by someone who has special needs, like my daughter, your whole perspective changes.
• 3:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: And it changed to really create a purpose.
• 3:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: for her, you know, a giving mentality, and ever since has happened, that's kind of how I live my life.
• 3:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: So every decision I make is for her, every decision, any person that is influenced is my life.
• 3:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: life is based on how can it not only help her but the community that she lives in as well.
• 3:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: I was fortunate in during COVID that I had several viral videos that I was creating with both my daughters take off through dancing as you referenced a little bit earlier.
• 3:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: Ever since that I have had a large audience of, well, I've had millions of views, but I have about 130,000 people to follow me between my soul rules.
• 3:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I create these dance videos where I incorporate special needs community.
• 3:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: I call it getting down for good.
• 3:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: I do, we do it once a week, and every week we highlight, it's free, anyone can come, I provide t-shirts and food and whatever,
• 4:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: specifically dedicated to the Special News community and suppliers and vendors that support that community.
• 4:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: And we just re-appositive vibe and mojo for two hours every single week where, you know, it's funny in my high school days.
• 4:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: I was one of those guys that, you know, didn't want to be surrounded by the Special News community.
• 4:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: I didn't know how to interact with them all the above.
• 4:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: They are one hundred percent my tribe now because I took the time to understand the difficulties and But the biggest thing is the love that they represent and I'm a huge believer in karma as well And the more I give the more I get back and I can tell you I've been blessed beyond beyond my years by The people around me that have given me so much In those interactions, so
• 4:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: To make a long story short, the vibe is always been about, I call it, dancing for grandma.
• 5:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, I try to value up opportunities through just positive energy and fun and happiness.
• 5:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: And hopefully it helps someone around me in their perspective every day.
• 5:20
  [SPEAKER_02]: Thank you for sharing that you are so aligned with our I&T series and positive and responsible influence.
• 5:27
  [SPEAKER_02]: It sounds like not only are you having the positive influence on all these individuals, but they are truly having a strong positive influence on you.
• 5:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, it's way more about what they've given to me than anything I've given to them.
• 5:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: It fills my
• 5:50
  [SPEAKER_02]: your work in spaces where energy and human connection matter deeply.
• 5:54
  [SPEAKER_02]: How do you define responsible influence and how does it show up in the way you lead, create, or collaborate?
• 6:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's difficult because you ultimately, when you're
• 6:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: You call yourself an influencer, especially in this community, there's so many different needs out there and so many different journeys that we need to understand.
• 6:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I learn every time I post something that may affect someone positively or negatively.
• 6:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: But the number one rule that I've learned is that take accountability, take accountability.
• 6:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: for maybe mistakes or better ways of communicating take the ego out of it and when you take accountability and take the ego out of it you become more authentic in your messaging and your communication and people will also show you grace when you do make mistakes.
• 6:50
  [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, influence often comes alive through those real-life moments.
• 6:54
  [SPEAKER_02]: Can you tell us about a moment where you realize you made a positive impact on someone's life, whether through Mojo Maker, Dan Stead TV, or simply just being you?
• 7:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, when I reference that, you know, is that the karma you put out there, you know, absolutely comes back to you.
• 7:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm not the hard time talking about what I've given people because it's not about what I give.
• 7:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, it's basically, you know, the energy the universe provides when you are giving.
• 7:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: But,
• 7:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: I can tell you that internally with my own daughter, or my own family, you know, what she, her name is Sammy, what she's been able to accomplish by me making her my purpose and by giving her the influence that I provided for her is that I never thought she'd go to college, you know, she doesn't have access to her right hand, she has a seizure disorder, has a spinal fusion,
• 7:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: And the fact that from the age of five months old, the progress worth, I don't, you know, she's gonna be living at our home forever.
• 8:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: The fact that she's now 20 years old, she goes to Regeth University in the Global Inclusive Program and, you know, she finds her own, who she can't drive, she finds her own Uber to go to Internship where she's basically,
• 8:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, putting meat, you see calls it putting meat and bags, but she's so grateful for it, you know, and that experience of her being grateful based on anything that I've been able to provide financially or just through making for my purpose.
• 8:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: has given me all the motivation I will ever need to continue to be a positive influence for her and to her friends.
• 8:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I hate to keep a more family oriented but see whatever influence I provided her she's given back to me tenfold but just what she's been able to accomplish in such a short period
• 9:01
  [SPEAKER_02]: That's a beautiful story.
• 9:03
  [SPEAKER_02]: Thank you for sharing that.
• 9:04
  [SPEAKER_02]: I love how you terms a challenging situation and such a positive to you and so many others.
• 9:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's a blessing.
• 9:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: I keep on seeing it's a blessing, but it really is.
• 9:14
  [SPEAKER_02]: And Dan's dad, TV has built a loyal community.
• 9:18
  [SPEAKER_02]: How do you stay intentional about the influence you have on parents, dancers, families, and followers who look to you for encouragement and entertainment?
• 9:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: Well, I'm not the greatest dancer in the world.
• 9:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm not the worst dancer in the world, but there's one thing I'm really good at.
• 9:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm really good at hyping it up.
• 9:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: So, you know, the biggest comment I was gives, wow, you have a lot of energy.
• 9:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: Even at the age of 56, I love hyping a crowd.
• 9:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: Um, and you know, again, pushing out that positive energy and seeing where it lands and and because of that, you know, I don't have young people following me.
• 9:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: I have, you know, people, you know, moms and dads and their 40s and their 50s and the 60s and their 70s who potentially.
• 10:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, would want to live through some of the things that I'm doing on camera or dancing or whatever it is.
• 10:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I think that's what it is.
• 10:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's basically, I didn't know 56 year old could still, you know, flip his hat backwards and hype up a crowd and go crazy.
• 10:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I think that's why they're following me.
• 10:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: They love the hype.
• 10:24
  [SPEAKER_02]: Well, your energy is contagious and I've watched many of your videos.
• 10:28
  [SPEAKER_02]: And you can literally feel the energy coming through the platform that you're watching it on.
• 10:34
  [SPEAKER_02]: And you can see the enjoyment in all the individuals that are in those videos with you.
• 10:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, we all love it.
• 10:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: We all love it.
• 10:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you, Thuffette.
• 10:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you for watching, though.
• 10:44
  [SPEAKER_02]: I appreciate it.
• 10:46
  [SPEAKER_02]: And influence also requires personal responsibility and leadership often means modeling that responsibility.
• 10:53
  [SPEAKER_02]: What practices or mindsets help you stay grounded, creative, and true to your values while juggling business, family life, and all the content creation.
• 11:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: Super easy.
• 11:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: Everything I'm morning at 5 a.m.
• 11:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: I get up.
• 11:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: I do affirmations.
• 11:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: I listen to at least 30 minutes of affirmations meditation of just being a good person, feeling my life with joy, listening,
• 11:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: Again, I hate talking from an ego perspective, but I have several businesses that I own.
• 11:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: And after that, I spend a couple hours just filling my mind up mentally with new ways of looking at business, how to interact with people, how to communicate with people.
• 11:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: Again, I'm 56 years of age, but I have a lot of employees that are in their 20s and 30s.
• 11:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: And, you know,
• 11:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: Again, I kind of build being accountable.
• 11:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm a terrible manager.
• 11:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: So by me, continuing to try to be better every single day, hopefully I'm I'm learning.
• 12:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm learning how to be a better person every day, even at 56 and I'll continue to do that for the rest of my life because again.
• 12:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm the greater some of the five people I surround myself with.
• 12:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: I truly take that to heart and the more that I can surround myself with positive individuals like yourself or being on this podcast, the more it lifts me up as well.
• 12:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: So again, I'm the greater some of the five people I surround myself with and that's the leadership that I like to represent every day as well.
• 12:28
  [SPEAKER_02]: That's great advice and so true.
• 12:31
  [SPEAKER_02]: The affirmations that you listen to, do you have any sources where you get those from that you'd like to share?
• 12:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, the goat, of course, thinking, grow red, you know, but the affirmation is like,
• 12:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: if you're out, if you're going to social media and you start looking for positive affirmations stuff, the algorithms will start following you and trust me, there's thousands and thousands of amazing things that people have to say from Nell Robbins to, uh, I mean, even Gary V, some great things to share as well, just disregard the F-bombs he drops.
• 13:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: type it in your cursor, you know, on social media, Instagram, whatever it is, and the algos will start following you, even actors, Denzel Washington, and Jim Carrey, and I mean, as a favorite actress, they'll impart some amazing words for you to take to heart.
• 13:34
  [SPEAKER_02]: Thank you for sharing that.
• 13:35
  [SPEAKER_02]: And for our listeners who want to grow in their own leadership and influence, what message are words of encouragement?
• 13:40
  [SPEAKER_02]: Would you like to share with them who is
• 13:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: develop your EQ.
• 13:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: Everyone talks about their IQ and I'm sure people want to think about their EQ, but really develop it and listen and listen and listen and
• 14:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: Don't talk so much and I'm talking a lot right now on this podcast, you know, listen to what people have to say, everyone's journey is different, but always ask yourself every single day, how can I look for opportunities to assist.
• 14:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: and look for those opportunities, you know, the movie, the yes, manager, I'm Kerry, even though I reference them right now, it's all about the yes, right?
• 14:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: And it's very, it's a very important to say no, believe me, it's very important to say no, but when you open yourself up to those opportunities and genuinely use your EQ to support those opportunities, it's amazing the doors that start opening for you, you know,
• 14:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: might think that we're just giving, giving, giving, giving, but every single time you give trust me, what you get back, hardly ever comes back from the person or the organization or whatever that you're giving to, but the universe has no choice but to give it back to you.
• 15:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: So just continue to keep your mind open with a strong EQ and look for the opportunities to give, and you'll get back
• 15:19
  [SPEAKER_02]: that is so true.
• 15:20
  [SPEAKER_02]: Chris, thank you for sharing your journey, your energy, and the influence you bring to the world.
• 15:26
  [SPEAKER_02]: Your stories are a reminder that influence isn't about a title.
• 15:31
  [SPEAKER_02]: It's about how we show up, who we support, and the moments we create for others.
• 15:36
  [SPEAKER_02]: If our listeners want to get in touch with you, what's the best way to do so?
• 15:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: You can go to my personal website, kristarky.com, or you can follow me on good Instagram for dance, dad, starkey, or Facebook, it's kristarky.
• 15:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: I am always, I have a strong sense of urgency, so I'll always respond in kind quickly and make sure that I'm interacting with you.
• 15:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: I would love you to be a part of my community and support us, and I promise I'll support your endeavors as well.
• 16:05
  [SPEAKER_02]: You know, thank you for sharing that.
• 16:06
  [SPEAKER_02]: We'll make sure to put that in the show notes and I highly recommend for those listening to definitely follow you.
• 16:12
  [SPEAKER_02]: Your videos are very entertaining and they will uplift you even on your darkest days.
• 16:17
  [SPEAKER_02]: Thank you so much for joining us and sharing your stories and advice.
• 16:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: We appreciate you putting this platform out for to create a change in people as well.
• 16:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: So thank you for all the work you do as well.
• 16:28
  [SPEAKER_02]: You're welcome.
• 16:29
  [SPEAKER_02]: Into everyone listening, let Chris's path encourage you to embrace your passions
• 16:34
  [SPEAKER_02]: lean into connection and use your influence with attention.
• 16:38
  [SPEAKER_02]: Even small actions, a kind word, a shared laugh, a creative idea, can spark something meaningful.
• 16:45
  [SPEAKER_02]: I hope today's conversation brought you inside an inspiration.
• 16:48
  [SPEAKER_02]: If it spoke to you, share with someone who could use a little positivity today.
• 16:52
  [SPEAKER_02]: Thank you for tuning in to Daily Influence.
• 16:54
  [SPEAKER_02]: Remember small actions, create big impact.
• 16:56
  [SPEAKER_02]: Keep showing up, leading and growing one day to time.
• 17:00
  [SPEAKER_02]: Until next time, continue leading with responsibility, positivity, and purpose.
• 17:06
  [SPEAKER_02]: Bye-bye.