Headshot of Chasta Hamilton wearing a rainbow cheetah print dress while sitting on a wooden bench.

Meet Chasta Hamilton

COACH ✦ SPEAKER ✦ AUTHOR

Orphaned as a child, Chasta found comfort in the creativity, play, and catharsis of the performing arts. This led to a life as an arts entrepreneur where she believes that everyone has the power to reach their fullest potential and disrupt the status quo in an empowering and inspiring way.

She is personally doing that through her entrepreneurial endeavors, writing and motivational speaking. This niche in change management has developed through a variety of personal and professional challenges that have forced her to find optimism in her quest for success, happiness, and impact.

Stage Door Dance Logo

Stage Door Dance Productions is the heart of her work. The dance studios, located in Raleigh, NC are redefining the youth extracurricular space through their focus on technique, performance, community, and character.

“Being bold will rarely feel easy.”

In 2015, the studios notoriously left the toxicity of the competitive dance space to focus on the development of the whole child. By reconsidering the concept of the “win”, they discovered the possibility of deeper, more meaningful avenues to develop leadership, perseverance, adaptability, and executive functioning through performing arts education.

As the businesses became known as game-changing “industry disruptors”, Chasta has spent more time working across industries to help others (a) define their vision, (b) develop systems and protocols, and (c) recognize their full value and worth, even when it doesn’t align with the industry standard.

While she loves working one-on-one and in small teams, she also loves the opportunity to speak to large groups, virtually or in-person, especially if it moves the needle on passionate, purposeful pursuits.

When something threatens to fizzle your flame, especially when your fire embodies passion, hard work, dreams, and livelihood, raise the red flag and hit the brakes.

Girls Geared for Greatness Logo

Chasta also deeply cares about gender equity, which led to the founding of Girls Geared For Greatness, a 501(c)(3) that prepares the girls of today with the tools they need to achieve and believe that anything is possible for the betterment of their future.

Chasta Hamilton holding up her book Trash The Trophies

Her first book, Trash The Trophies: How to Win Without Losing Your Soul, was released in August 2020 and immediately became an Amazon Bestseller. A few months later, her TEDx talk, “You Weren’t Built to Break”, was released and has been viewed by thousands. Her second book, Handle the Horrible: Change. Triage. Joy. was universally praised as a blueprint for perseverance, authenticity, and adaptability. The stories are just getting started!

Chasta is known for her energy, enthusiasm, and devotion to her passion and her projects.

She lives in Raleigh, NC with her husband, John, son, Bash, and Scottish Terrier, Elvis.

Chasta Hamilton with her family - her husband, her son, and dog.

testimonial 

“She filled the room with passion, and inspiration while being professional. She won us all over. That day everyone became Chasta followers.”

Marilyn Shannon - Business & Life Coach

 Chasta Fun Facts

The Formal Stuff

  • Attended NC State University as a Park Scholar

  • Graduated Summa cum Laude in 2007 with a degree in Arts Applications (Theatre) and a minor in Film Studies

  • Opened Stage Door Dance Productions in Raleigh, NC in 2009

  • The Founder/ President of Girls Geared For Greatness

  • Former Founder/ Editor of The Dance Exec

  • Author of Trash the Trophies and Handle the Horrible

The Fancy Stuff

  • Goodman Award Recipient for Regional Leadership in the area of the Arts (2012)

  • Triangle Business Journal's 40 Under 40 (2014)

  • Triangle Business Journal's Future Star at Women In Business Awards (2016)

  • CBS17’s 2023 Remarkable Woman

  • Recorded for the oral history archives of the state of North Carolina for the "She Changed the World: Women Breaking Barriers Initiative"

 

The Fab Stuff

  • Directed and/or Choreographed 35+ musicals in the Raleigh area since 2013

  • Students have appeared in multiple Broadway shows, including The King and I, A Bronx Tale, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and The Ferryman

  • Passionately believes in the power of community-based service and philanthropy

The Fun Stuff

  • Known for her energy, enthusiasm, optimism, and zest for life

  • Free time fun includes playing foosball, reading thriller books, and planning adventures.

  • Passionate about La La Land, The Princess and the Frog, musicals, and all things Elvis Presley

  • Her dog Elvis has experienced small levels of TikTok fame (@ElvistheScottie)