WHO ARE YOU? Name: Hayley Kellett
Birthplace: Toronto, ON
Where do you live?: Guelph, ON
Career: Improv Incubator Director at The Making-Box
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU, TO BE A “2018 GUELPH Y WOMEN OF DISTINCTION”?
It is absolutely incredible to be included among the other honorees. All the women I get to surround myself with are inspiring and dedicated to improving their community. If I have the same impact on others as this ground has had on me, I am immensely proud. “IT TAKES A VILLAGE”, is this year’s theme.
Describe who / what your village is like?
My village is my improv family. The practise of improvisation is spreading across the globe, so my village is constantly growing. We are a community of open, happy and productive people who gather together in the spirit of acceptance and joy. When I visualize my village I image a Student Showcase at The Making-Box. A night full of excited students performing their first show for friends and family. My faculty of instructors beaming with pride, our community of supporters in the audience cheering and celebrating us all. It’s a night of group accomplishment – we are all successful together.
WHERE do you find Inspiration?
Inspiration is everywhere. I’m very lucky to be submerged in a field of creative voices. My business partner and co-owner of The Making-Box, Jay Reid is a huge source of inspiration. He is dedicated to the creation of community through comedy and I can always lean on him for support and encouragement. Plus – he invented keg bowling which is a total blast. My family is a source of inspiration. My parents run a business together and seeing them work together and have fun doing it is wonderful. My aunt is also an entrepreneur in Santa Fe, NM working on selling jewelry with a conscious. I love surrounding myself with folks who are passionate about what they’re doing and why they’re doing it.
Favorite quote / and or a favorite person? “If you can’t love yourself, how the hell are you going to love anyone else?” – RuPaul “There is power in looking silly and not caring that you do.” – Amy Poehler “Fail, then figure out what to do on the way down.” – Del Close
WHY did you choose this career, or did it choose you?
I started improvising when I was 14 years old as part of my high school improv club. I immediately fell in love with every aspect of it. I met my tribe. I found incredibly friendships, partners and teammates. Improvisation has an incredible transformative power to make us 2018 Guelph YMCA-YWCA Women of Distinction Questionnaire more open, happy and connected people. I saw this happen to classmates of mine for years and so when the opportunity arose to help foster that power I jumped at the chance. I have been bringing improv professionally to all kinds of communities for 11 years now, and I have been able to witness that transformation have a positive impact every single time I lead a workshop.
Tell us something people usually don’t know about you? When I was growing up, my family spent our summers followed around a band called the Wakami Wailers from campground to campground. They exclusively sang songs about logging and I’m still obsessed with them. WHAT did you want to be as a child? I wanted to be a Marine Biologist to follow in the footsteps of my awesome babysitter who was studying to work with Great White Sharks. Then my third grade teacher tap danced in the class to explain what a noun was and ever since then I wanted to teach.
Where can people find your business/organization
Email Address: hayley@themakingbox.ca
Website: http://www.themakingbox.ca
Phone: 1 (800) 930 – 9892
Join Hayley and 19 other amazing women in our community at this year’s “2018 Guelph Y Women of Distinction Fundraising Gala” The Annual Gala, is taking place this, Thursday, May 3rd at the River Run Centre, proceeds help support the Guelph YMCA/YWCA. For more information and to purchase a ticket, here is the link to this 23rd Annual Event, https://www.guelphy.org/en/community-events-and-programs/women-of-distinction.aspx. Tickets are selling quickly, buy one before they are gone!
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