Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Mark Tullen

We recently had the chance to connect with Mark Tullen and have shared our conversation below.

Mark, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
Life is calling me to pursue the entertainment industry, specifically with my talents in dance, and to do this 100%. I was working as a network engineer full-time for one of the biggest tech companies in the world and the transition has been so crazy. A bit difficult, yes, but my happiness has dramatically increased since the change was made.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Mark Anthony Tullen. I am an ex-network engineer for big tech now serving as a content creator, dancer, host, and runner. I am the founder of a dance collective named Passion Project which services to network those that lack the resources to be exposed to the industry-level of dance with working professionals that have already had years of experience. I am passionate about helping others and am currently working on releasing my clothing brand, “Tullen”, to underscore this. I have a very unique history of immigrating to the United States with my family, enduring homelessness, only to become a high school valedictorian, first-generation college graduate, work for one of the biggest companies in the world, and do many jobs in the dance industry with high-profile music artists. With my brand, I want to highlight that journey and provide a sense of relatability with those that have also succeeded against their own trials and tribulations.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
I believed that as an immigrant in the United States, the only way to succeed was to follow the American Dream. Everyone thinks that the STEM-side of the career world pays the best and looks the best. Yes, individual contribution helps change lives. However, after experiencing it for myself and seeing how others from outside my field were getting paid more than me and my job would have many menial tasks, it made me question this line of work and what exactly I wanted to do. I loved helping people but was unsure if engineering was my calling. After I began a career in dance instruction and education, I found that I could change lives directly and shape the formidable years of many young individuals. That made me so much more passionate and I found out that anything can pay the best and look the best as long as you believe in it.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering has taught me to be tolerant and resilient. In fact, I believe that it has made me tolerant to a fault for many things. But, to be quite honest, I still don’t know my limits. I feel that every time I have suffered, I have learned something about myself. And from there, it seems that the limits keep increasing and that my life keeps growing. Success feels good when it happens but suffering the journey really teaches you what feels good along the way.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
It would definitely have to be hospitality towards any and all people. As a Filipino, I naturally found myself inviting strangers into certain dance projects or jobs and wanting to provide opportunities for success to many of my friends. It makes me feel good to see others thrive and succeed and it is something that I hold dear to my heart. Even with those that I do not know very well, I always find myself giving benefit of the doubt when things go awry. I am unsure of their stories and what may be happening in their lives, but I am always grateful that my path crosses theirs and we are able to share some type of experience.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
I know for a fact then I can. And, this is because I have. I will always continue to give my best foot forward because I know that at the end of the night, the only person left speaking to me once I’m ready to sleep is myself. My thoughts, my aspirations, my values. All of it uniting every night to let me know if I did a good job today. Nothing needed to prove to anyone else but myself.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marktullen/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marktullen/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@marktullen
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@marktullen