Presenting

GRAVITAS MAGAZINE GravitasMag.com | 53 Don't let things pass you by. Live in the moment. affairs advocacy group last year and proactively shifted the healthcare conversation to help independent physicians to Washington. at shift in the healthcare conversation secured Taylor a visit to the White House, something she describes as one of the best professional moments of her life. And if her professional triumphs aren't enough to celebrate, Taylor found further reason to grow personally. After going through what she describes as a personal crisis in her late 20s, she met a dance instructor that changed her life. "He had an amazing personality; it was magnetic. I wanted a part of that energy!" she explained. Even as a former ballet dancer, Taylor found the early lessons in ballroom dancing a little awkward, but over several weeks, she found the confidence to sway effortlessly on the dance floor and her instructor encouraged her to compete. Her training was progressing until she learned that her instructor had collapsed and doctors later discovered that his brain cancer had returned. Taylor made a decision to continue with her dancing while her instructor returned to his native England for treatments. She also organized a local fundraiser, raising over $80,000 for his rehabilitative care. His death marked a turning point for Taylor. "I was going to compete for him and I was going to win," she explains. At the competition, Taylor was crowned the gold medal winner in Latin Ballroom Dancing for her age category, a bittersweet accomplishment. While Taylor's quick rise in the corporate world is remarkable, her personal spirit is poignant. Her mother is a two-time ovarian cancer survivor, and as a child Taylor was often the caregiver for her mother during treatments. Taylor herself is also a survivor, in remission for the last two years from cervical cancer. "e best moment of her life was hearing the words 'you are cancer free.' at's the moment I got my identity back," she says. Today, Taylor is focused on finding her own sense of balance in her life, taking a step back and making more time to explore and enjoy life. You can often find her spending time with her rescue dog, Louie and hopes to travel more to her favorite places, like Napa Valley. Left: Mallory at the White House. Below: Winning the Young Professional of the Year Award One of Mallory's favorite places to visit: the Amalfi Coast Favorites and Inspirations Above: Sheryl Sandberg, one of Mallory's inspirations

• Cover