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🌟 Meet Taylor Rae Almonte-Roman, Athlete-Activist redefining wellness and justice

Taylor Rae Almonte-Roman is a Brooklyn-based host, creator, athlete, and activist. As the co-founder of ACTIV-ISM, she empowers marginalized communities and educates allies on anti-racism in fitness. With nearly a decade of experience as a professional boxing and strength trainer, she has led DEI trainings for top wellness brands and leveraging her platform to drive impactful social campaigns. Currently an FP Movement Ambassador, Taylor has presented for the Reebok Human Rights Awards, been featured on the cover of SELF magazine and co-authored ACTIV-ATING: Your Vocabulary, a book on having tough conversations about race and racism. While pursuing her master’s at Columbia University, she researches access to outdoor recreation for women of color in correctional facilities and teaches incarcerated individuals through the Justice-in-Education Initiative.Through her advocacy, education, and storytelling, Taylor is refining the intersection of justice and wellness.

💬 What does women's empowerment mean to you? Why is it important?

Taylor Rae Almonte-Roman: My life, work and research center around empowering women, especially those most marginalized by our prison system. Empowering others goes beyond advocating for or speaking on behalf of others, but is firmly rooted in the desire to support others with the tools, confidence and trust to advocate for themselves.

💬 What advice would you give to other women looking to succeed in your industry? What qualities are the most important and what skills should they focus on developing?

Taylor Rae Almonte-Roman: As someone whose work spans so many different industries, the greatest gift and challenge of being a multi-hyphenate is only truly giving time, effort, and intention to each project and area to bring your best to each opportunity, impeccable organization, accountability, and communication are crucial to managing projects across different areas. Folks should focus on developing time management, getting comfortable with a platform like Notion or Asana to manage tasks across the board and bravely putting themselves out there to seek new opportunities. Her trust in me has allowed me to grow within Just Ideas, make a larger impact, and build my experience.

💬 Tell us about a woman who has influenced your career and how their guidance has impacted your professional growth.

Taylor Rae Almonte-Roman: My mentor at Columbia University, Christia Mercer, the Gustave M. Berne Professor of Philosophy, first tenured female professor in the Philosophy department and creator of Just Ideas has impacted me so much. She promoted me to the Assistant Director role of Just Ideas at Columbia, taught me how to engage with our incarcerated students with dignity, humanity, courage and compassion and continues to guide me on how we can make the greatest impact on our students inside.

💬 How do you handle work-related stress and pressure, and what techniques or practices do you use to maintain your well-being while pursuing a successful career?

Taylor Rae Almonte-Roman: I sign off by 6:30PM every single day. I rarely spend time online during the weekend unless I'm reading for grad school. Creating those firm boundaries allows me to find the necessary time to take care of myself and rest.

💬 Can you share any lessons or insights you have gained from failures or setbacks in your career, and how you have turned them into opportunities for growth and learning?

Taylor Rae Almonte-Roman: I was extremely disappointed with how I was treated in my first social impact role. I left the company after not feeling valued and eventually this led me to pursue my Masters at Columbia University to ensure I would have the credentials to move far beyond that position. Research has shown that women, and especially women of color, tend to pursue advanced degrees and certifications to constantly prove their value and validate their experience, so going back to school might not be the answer to every setback, but for me, it opened up an incredible world of opportunity.

💬 Can you share any strategies or tips for building a successful network and fostering meaningful professional relationships that have helped you in your career?

Taylor Rae Almonte-Roman: I send follow up emails after every event, panel, meeting, networking event or influencer event to individuals that I think could be good contacts or friends in the future. I also keep a personal log of those I reach out to in a spreadsheet with their contacts, how and where I met them, and something I remember about meeting them.

💬 What strategies or tactics do you use for setting and achieving your career goals, and how do you stay motivated and focused on your objectives?

Taylor Rae Almonte-Roman: I do quarterly check ins with myself based off of goals I set at the top of the year. I also try to look at my list of goals at least once a day so they're part of my morning routine and also the wallpaper on my laptop.

💬 What motivated you to choose your current career field, and what do you find most fulfilling about your work?

Taylor Rae Almonte-Roman: I am lucky to do so many unique things and love each and every one of them.

💬 What advice do you have for individuals who are starting their careers or looking to make a career change, based on your own experiences and lessons learned?

Taylor Rae Almonte-Roman: Making career changes is kind of my speciality at this point and I encourage individuals to go for it. Taking the leap will never feel safe or comfortable but the joy and fulfillment that comes from doing something purposeful is incomparable.

💬 How do you approach professional development and continuous learning to enhance your skills and stay relevant in your industry?

Taylor Rae Almonte-Roman: Continued education has always been important to me. As a trainer, I hold 5 certifications and am constantly making sure to re-certify. As an athlete, I train up to 3 times a week at the boxing gym and never miss a week, to ensure my skills are improving. Through grad school I build my research for my thesis and grow my community.

💬 Can you discuss any significant achievements or accomplishments in your career that you are particularly proud of and what you learned from those experiences?

Taylor Rae Almonte-Roman: Spending several years as a sponsored athlete has been tremendously impactful and given me great stability and confidence. I was sponsored by Reebok and able to be featured by The Boston Globe as their front page story for Black History Month and make connections to incredible opportunities like doing an IG takeover for Victoria Beckham and accessing her network of millions. I also was a host for the Reebok Human Rights Awards through that partnership. Today, I'm working with to FP Movement and have an amazing community that I engage with both in person for monthly runs and events and online. Bringing together fitness and social impact seemed strange to some at first, but building community through the intersection of these causes and the fundamental elements of all that I do helps every element of my work feel authentic and genuine.The experience has profoundly taught me that with hard work, dedication, and a willingness to leverage one's unique voice, it's possible to break through traditional barriers and make a significant difference. It reinforced my belief in the power of determination and the impact of using one's platform to educate and inspire others. This recognition not only marks a personal achievement but also underscores the importance of diverse perspectives in financial education—highlighting that anyone, regardless of their background, has the power to influence and educate on matters of financial literacy.

💬 Are there any specific books, podcasts, email newsletters, thought leaders/influencers, or training courses/programs that you would recommend for personal or professional growth?

Taylor Rae Almonte-Roman: Listen to my podcast, On the Outside, where over 30 episodes are available now, everywhere you get your podcasts. On The Outside is the podcast where we talk about all of the ways we’ve been made to feel left out. Whether it was on the playground or at a party or in a recent Supreme Court ruling — there are ways both big and small that we are made to feel like outsiders, all of us.

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