Hello from NYC! I’m Jenelle, a professional ballerina with New York City Ballet and the founder of Get Golden.
The end of Winter Season at New York City Ballet always feels like the end of a long stretch. We have essentially been going nonstop since the start of the Fall Season (August) into Nutcracker season… and it’s now March. Whether you’ve had a busy performance season or a balanced one with a bunch of cross training, to me this time always feels like you're a vampire coming back to life. But, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Dancing has always been and always will be my first love.
Now that we’re turning the page to Spring, it’s time to launch this newsletter platform I’ve had since last August. I’m excited to welcome you to my little corner of the internet. Starting tomorrow, every other week, you’ll find a roundup of skincare, beauty products, recipes, injury healing hacks, and podcasts that I find helpful.
A little bit about me:
Ever since I was a little girl, I had always dreamed of being a ballet dancer. Four years old dancing around the house… like many young girls, I couldn’t stop. After years of commuting from New Jersey and waking up for the 5:54 am bus, at 16, I got everything I had ever wanted: to dance with New York City Ballet. Life felt blissful until I was sidelined for nearly 2 years with an injury that kicked off a new series of food allergies, immune issues, and more injuries. This led to the darkest time in my life where I spent countless years on and off the sidelines. Crutching into my classes at Fordham and moments staring at the Reebok Sports Club (IYKYK) pool’s clock learning how to walk again, I told myself I would never let these issues win.
With the help of various doctors, healers, remedies, you name it, I came out on the other side. The hardest part was accepting that my career would never fully be the same. I returned to the stage with a newfound identity and mission to forever inspire people to feel like their best selves despite the bumps in the road that we all face. After years of learning from experts and reading countless books and scientific studies, I found myself fully immersed in the world of “wellness”— the good and the not great. I launched a little blog to share my experience, recipes, and dorky facts about medicinal mushrooms. I quickly learned how powerful the response was, particularly among moms and daughters. The messages I received assured me that my curiosity was leading me on the right path. It wasn’t long before I started to go to any free female founder event that existed in NYC to learn all I could. From Rebecca Minkoff’s legal structuring class at her store to Cherry Bombe’s University Weekend, circa 2018, I signed up.
After a year of posting and sharing everything I was making, a dear friend asked me if I would ever consider selling my creations because she would buy them — it was a lightbulb moment for me. By the next day, I got the ball rolling to bring my company, Get Golden, to life. I used the savings I had planned to use on an apartment down payment (thanks to an ex-boyfriend who split rent in my rent stabilized apartment!) and instead hired my first two contract workers and found Get Golden’s first manufacturing plant. From there, I learned how to build my first deck and began the non-stop grind towards launch. We launched what turned out to be the summer of COVID and funny enough, this became a blessing as New York City Ballet would be off for 18 months. I quickly embraced an entirely new identity: being a small business owner. We hit the ground running and haven’t looked back.
Now that we are 3 years old and New York City Ballet has returned to the stage post COVID I live a bit of a double life. I always knew that my path would be kind of unordinary, but never did I think it would lead here. The only thing I knew was that I would always dedicate the rest of my journey as a ballerina and now, as a founder, to helping people thrive. I bring all of this up to further reiterate that sometimes, through the darkest of times, when you can’t find your way, eventually if you persevere, you’ll find clarity and light.
Fast forward to how I got here:
I’ve noticed a consistent pattern this year with friends or followers asking questions about wellness, injuries, training, beauty products, stomach problems, jeans, allergies, skin issues… the list goes on. I usually have an answer! I laugh about it now, but if there’s an injury or allergy issue, it has somehow found me at some point in this life. Yes, one time included me falling into a canal in Venice — a story for another time.
Through the years and my own curiosity, you name the treatment, doctor, beauty product, supplement, remedy, and for better or worse, I’ve probably tried it. I’m excited to share what I’ve learned and take you on the journey with me. I may not be the best writer, but according to many of you, I have good taste ;)
Last thing! A few housekeeping rules:
Be nice. My thoughts and shares are not for everyone, that's life!
Ask away. I want to hear your thoughts and have any topic or share be a starting point for conversation. My inbox here is always open 🙂
See you tomorrow where I’ll be sharing a collagen fudge recipe, favorite podcast highlights, and a fool proof self tanning routine to get you through the rest of winter :)
xxx
Jenelle
So excited for this because I agree you have EXCELLENT taste!