We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alisa Brock a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alisa, appreciate you joining us today. What do you think it takes to be successful?

My definition of success is filtered through the lens of Maya Angelou who said “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it”. We ourselves are the only ones who can define what success is for us. It cannot be held beside society’s standard or definition of what success is or be based on someone’s biased viewpoint. For me success is based on how happy I am and how I deal and manage through difficult times, because they will come. What success looks like varies at different stages in my life. Once upon a time success looked like making it out of bed in the morning or staying in bed because I know my body needs the extra rest. The next day it could be teaching a class at the Baltimore Museum of Art or opening a store in the airport. Sometimes it’s having the love and support of people who value me or being able to support them. Big events are not the sole indicator of what success is for me, but the small moments that life has to offer. When I leave this planet, those will probably be the most valuable to me and so success to me is honoring ALL the moments. The big ones, the little ones and all the in between. To me haughty laughter that you feel in your gut is success. The kind of laugh that makes you cry it’s so funny. Don’t get it twisted, the big moments of success are intoxicating. They come with the satisfaction of knowing that I’ve achieved something I’ve put your all into, worked hard for, and deserve. But I didn’t get there overnight and so in the in between, I let success be the little things. Life be life-ing and we’re alive. So success to me is doing something with it.

Alisa, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I honestly was a broke writer between gigs, with an entrepreneurial spirit, that loved journaling and speaking from the heart. I needed to make money but I also needed to be able to write. I had been on the search for a long time trying to figure out how to do that. I knew it had to encompass something that I loved and something I could feel passionate about so that it could generate enough energy for it to make it grow. And I believe in writing. I believe in words. I believe in using those words to affirm the things we want, and releasing the things we don’t want to hold on to. I taught myself bookbinding after the loss of a friend and sold them. People loved them so I kept going and built the Drama MaMa Bookshop. The Drama MaMa Bookshop is a unique stationery manufacturing company that promotes mental and emotional wellness through the art of journaling, book binding and creative writing. Our mission is to create a safe space for our journalers and planners to express themselves authentically and to map out how they will enact change in the world within and around them. Our journal and planner covers are made of wood, chipboard and vibrant handmade paper. Our inserts are 100% Sugarcane paper which makes writing or sketching a treat. We create journals for the day to day writer, offer customization and manufacture stationery related items for retail stores and organizations. We also offer books and products by a variety of local makers and authors that are truly one of a kind. I’m most proud of all the hands I’ve placed journals in at the different stages of this journey. I’m proud of the stories I get back about how they used them and how after 6 years we’re still growing in new ways.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Emergent Strategy by Adrienne Maree Brown helped evolve my perspective about leadership. It’s basically a book about facilitation and how to share space. It helped me understand how to move collectively and how effective leadership allows room for others to lead and contribute for greater results. I am creating a space where the people I work alongside know that their input is valuable and leaves room for them to contribute in a way that feels valuable and beneficial to them.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to learn to ask for help. I’ve had to do so much by myself that I just became accustomed to finding ways of doing things on my own. If something was too high on a shelf I’d climbed on the counter to reach it instead of asking someone taller. Although this way of doing things might make me resourceful, there is a point when there are some things i just can’t do solo. When growth is on the menu you need more hands, more minds and more support. I had to stop doing that so I could really grow. That’s my truth.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.dramamamabookshop.com
• Instagram: @dramamamabookshop
• Facebook: @dramamamabookshop
• Linkedin: @alisalbrock
• Twitter: @dramamamabookshop

Image Credits
Art of Truth Photography