Meet Camilla Modesitt

Today we’d like to introduce you to Camilla Modesitt.

Camilla, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Ten years ago, I signed up for my first improv class.

At the time, I was a practicing attorney and a mom with two small kids. I was looking for something that would improve my public speaking and presence, be fun, and widen my circle of friends. Improv delivered all that and more.

I immediately fell in love with improv; I took all the classes, was cast on teams, and performed in shows. I quickly moved into teaching – I loved sharing my passion with my students and watching them discover the power of improv for themselves.

But what really fascinated me was the world of possibilities improv opened up OFF the stage, outside the theatre. Through improv, I learned to be present, curious, supportive, and not afraid of failure. I learned to embrace ambiguity. I truly understood what it meant to lead and how to take care of your team. And I realized that when you apply improv skills to everyday life (“applied improv”), everything improves – communication, collaboration, creativity, and productivity.

My business partner, Brogan, and I launched Only Opportunity to share our passion for applied improv. We bring applied improv to professional people who want to apply the skills of improv to their professional and personal lives and are not necessarily interested in the theatre/performance aspect. Everyone deserves the opportunity to benefit from the power of improv.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Only Opportunity has been in business for about six months now and the response has been really wonderful.

The biggest struggle we face is people not knowing what applied improv is, or shying away from it because they are intimidated by the word “improv.” But once people have a better sense of what it is, they are hooked!

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Only Opportunity story. Tell us more about it.
Only Opportunity specializes in applied improv coaching and training for businesses, non-profits, and individuals. We work with anyone and any organization – everyone can benefit from applied improv. I am incredibly proud of the service we offer – applied improv is a highly effective, fun departure from traditional training tools and it produces real-time results.

I am most proud, however, of the work we do with women in leadership and in the educational space. As women with careers in education, these are two areas where Brogan and I intimately understand the challenges.

We are huge advocates for women in leadership positions. But to be successful, they need to feel comfortable stepping into the leadership space, with the tools to lead, make critical decisions, and build healthy teams. Brogan and I are incredibly passionate about working with women to help them grow or refine these skills for their career.

And education – don’t get me started. 🙂 I founded a K-8 charter school and Brogan works in higher education. Public education, one of our most valued currencies as a society, is rife with issues around leadership, team building, and implementation. Applied improv can help solve these problems and create a better system for everyone.

Only Opportunity is different than other applied improv offerings because Brogan and I are professionals out in the world and professionals in applied improv. We know the craft of improv inside and out, and we also understand workplaces – leadership, project management, product development, effective team building, etc. Because of this, Only Opportunity offers a tailored approach to coaching and training. We consider ourselves a partner in your organizational or personal development.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?

I don’t think of myself as a lucky person, in the random sense of luck, like winning the lottery. I’ve never had the kind of luck.

I do consider myself a very fortunate person if there is any cross-pollination between fortune and luck.

I’ve always had kind, smart, intelligent people in my life who challenge me to be the best version of myself I can be. And I have a certain amount of tenacity that pays off. When I believe in something, I just know in my heart that it needs to happen and rejection doesn’t bother me. When I hear the word, “No,” I always think, “I’ll take that as a maybe.”

Brogan has that same tenacity too – she’s one of the most driven people I’ve ever met. We’re a good team because we complement each other in our skills and genuinely love working together.

Only Opportunity is a new company, and we are growing and learning. Ultimately, we want to provide our services globally. With lots of hard work (and maybe a little luck :), I believe we’ll get there.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.only-opportunity.com
• Phone: 3032496413
• Email: camilla@only-opportunity.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/only.opportunity
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/onlyopps

Image Credit:
Merritt Design Photography

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