Lea Lachey: On Dance, Directing & Living Without Limits

From dancing in Missy Elliott's groundbreaking music video "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" to becoming assistant choreographer at Radio City Music Hall at just 22, to choreographing 98 Degrees' tours, and now co-creating the Off-Broadway show label•less, Lea Lachey has built a career defined by reinvention and bold creative choices.

In this episode of The Breakthrough Collective, Lea shares how she transitioned from performer to creative visionary, revealing the breakthroughs, challenges, and lessons that shaped her career—and how she's designed a life without limits.

🎧 What You'll Hear:

✨Behind-the-scenes stories from The Rain music video and early career moments

✨How she moved from the stage to the director's chair

✨The inspiration and mission behind label•less

✨Navigating creative challenges and finding your own leadership style

✨Her biggest "aha" moments and advice for creatives stepping into leadership

Whether you're a dancer, creative entrepreneur, or someone chasing your next chapter, this episode will inspire you to break the mold and make your own rules.

Connect with Lea Lachey:

Instagram: @LeaLachey

TikTok: @labellessmusical | @lacheyarts

🌐 www.LacheyArts.com

🌐 www.LabelLessMusical.com

Chapters

• 0:00 Intro
• 5:59 From choreographing in her living room as a kid to assistant choreographer at Radio City at just 22
• 9:10 The moment she stopped executing someone else's vision and created her own
• 12:25 Why being personally connected to a project makes the creative process even better
• 14:58 Her leadership style evolution: From proving a point to leading with lightness
• 18:18 Balancing parenthood, touring, and producing: The challenge that taught her resilience
• 22:17 label•less: Ignoring advice to water down tough topics and trusting her instincts
• 27:27 What doesn't get shown enough: Her creative journey before and beyond being a pop artist's wife
• 31:13 A day in the life: What directing and choreographing really looks like behind the scenes
• 34:16 Being ready when opportunity calls: A student's three-year journey to the stage
• 36:06 Her leadership philosophy: Listen first, read the room, and adapt your approach to each person
• 39:15 Her breakthrough moment: The off-Broadway run that made everything click
• 40:57 The event where 7,000 educators saw label•less—and the cast became invincible
• 43:14 Advice for anyone stepping into leadership: Take every job, be a sponge, grow
• 44:00 Nurturing young artists: Why it's okay to fall, fail, and figure out how to recover
• 46:32 The quote that has been her north star through all phases of her career and personal life
• 48:51 Outro