Today we’d like to introduce you to Allison Anna
Allison, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My story starts out in a family with a long history of mental illness, unresolved anger, co-dependence, alcoholism, and addiction. We had a lot of love and fun in our family as well. I don’t want to discount the fact that I had loving parents who cared for me deeply and did the best they could with the tools they had at their disposal. They taught me a lot of valuable lessons in life, they loved me unconditionally, and they still support me and cheer me on in life to this day. Later in life, I figured out that I was a highly sensitive person and an empath so my childhood affected me more. Being a highly sensitive person means I feel deeply about things, even the small or mundane things in life. Being an empath means I can feel other peoples emotions when I am around them and especially if I have a deep connection with them. So, I felt the big things in life 100x more than a normal person. I always felt different than the rest of my family and so I became the scapegoat and developed many people-pleasing behaviors. (which I later learned is a signature trait of a scapegoat). It was the only way I knew to survive without absorbing everyone else’s pain around me.
After the first decade of my life, I was holding so much sadness and pain. My Mother started to take me to Doctors for it, and I was quickly “classified” with major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and anxiety. These diagnoses sent me into a spiral, and at the age of 14, I turned to alcohol and drugs to numb the pain. Growing up, I watched my Mom rely on medication for her mental health, my oldest brother turned to street drugs, and my Dad and other Brother turned to alcohol for their pain. In my young and influential mind, alcohol and drugs made the most sense to me as the best vice to choose. In hindsight, my addiction was the biggest blessing in disguise for me. I eventually ran into the police around 15-16 years old, and little did I know, the public justice system was about to save my life. I received a ton of counseling and treatment for my mental health that did not involve medication. I identified my emotions for the first time in my life and I found more bits of my own truth along the way. After a rough 5 years or so, I beat my addiction and I accomplished large strides of progress with my mental health. By the age of 19, I started putting the pieces of my life back together. That was almost 10 years ago now.
Fast forward to today…. during the last 10 years, I went back to college and graduated with my bachelor’s degree in finance. I started a family, while going to school, and working full-time to build a career. I bought 2 homes, started my first business, and I’m in the midst of starting a second business, which I strongly feel is my God-given calling. My entrepreneurial journey marked a new wave of healing and emotional well-being for me. I met an amazing hypnotherapist, who helped me heal my inner child and learn how to reparent myself. I started exploring different mindfulness techniques that helped my depression and anxiety better than anything ever has. I learned deeper truths about myself and the world. All of these experiences led up to me stepping into my purpose, which is to share with the world everything I’ve learned over the last 15 years through counseling, hypnotherapy, and mindfulness. In my new business, Awake with Allison Anna, my mission is to help people who suffer from anxiety and depression with mindfulness techniques that help them uncover the things they need to let go of and learn how to shift their mindset to one of curiosity and healing.
My experiences in life shaped me into a strong and resilient person with dogged determination. For most of my childhood I was shamed for being sensitive and empathetic, but I later realized it is my superpower and gift to the world. There are many people who cannot say they beat their addiction or are managing their mental health well. Many of them are also highly sensitive and empathetic people who haven’t yet realized their gift. My mission is to help empaths realize their power and how to not disown this part of themselves. Many highly sensitive people are classified as mentally ill or simply “too much”. In reality, we feel things that other people don’t feel, and it’s a highly powerful gift if we know how to use it right and take care of ourselves.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road for me. For the first 15 years of my life, I felt lost and confused most of the time. I felt a major disconnect with my Father growing up. He was emotionally absent and I was emotionally volatile. I wanted so badly to have a healthy relationship with my Dad and to have the love and support that a Father should give his Daughter. My years of moving through addiction were lonely and isolating. My self-esteem and self-worth during that time were so low. Through those years, I made many bad decisions that still bring up shame to this day. I have reconciled my past to my best ability, but I missed out on enjoying my teenage years in a healthy way. I missed out on friendships, going to prom, going away to college, and much more. Even though I still think of what could have been if I received more help and support, I’ve found a way to honor my journey for all that it has taught me and brought me in life.
Another big struggle along my journey was getting married and having kids very young, while I went to college and worked full-time. I also dealt with severe postpartum depression for a long and grueling 18 months after I had my first child. I was in my Freshman year of college at the age of 21 when I got pregnant (and we even planned it!). When we found out we were pregnant, we quickly bought our first house, so we had our own space to raise our family. I was barely 22 years old, taking care of a home and a baby girl, while working full time and going to college. I did that for 5 years before I got so fed up with the way I felt about my life. I was stuck in constant survival mode trying to just do the bare minimum in all areas of my life. And so, my entrepreneurial journey was born….
They say sometimes you are pushed to your breaking point before you must jump, and that is exactly what happened in my life. The grueling years I spent packing my life full of responsibilities because I thought I had to was one of my greatest downfalls and my greatest victories. I typically take the safe and calculated route in life, and I don’t know if I ever would have made the jump to start a business and chase freedom if I wasn’t pushed to that point. My deep level of unhappiness with what I created forced me to recreate my life, and I haven’t looked back ever since!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Awakened Marketing helps holistic and conscious businesses grow their revenues using strategies that are alignment with their values and purpose (no sleazy marketing tactics)! Who are holistic and conscious businesses? These businesses help people by selling holistic products or healing services. We offer Facebook ads, Google Ads, Google SEO, Web Development, Email Marketing, Copywriting, Branding, and more! We are known particularly for Facebook ads. I started this business by investing in a mentor who taught me all the best strategies for Facebook ads that work for any kind of business. What sets us apart is my burning desire to serve others and give value in a multitude of ways. This is the culture that I have built into this company. Many marketing agencies out there charge for every little thing. If it’s something we can do easily that doesn’t take much time, it’s on the house! If you are a previous client and you have questions or need direction, I am always here for free information – no gatekeeping around here. I am most proud that we don’t have a single client who has had a bad experience with us. If you or your business helps people live a happier, healthier, more awakened life, we want to help you grow your business!
Learn more about this business at:
www.awakenedmarketing.com
https://www.facebook.com/awakenedmarketing111
https://www.instagram.com/awakenedmarketing111/
Awake with Allison Anna is a new business in the pre-launch stage. This business will be centered around helping people overcome depression and/or anxiety by using mindfulness techniques to shift their mindset. I’ve pooled together all of my knowledge gained through 15 years of overcoming anxiety and depression myself. I will be sharing everything I’ve learned from years of counseling and holistic treatments such as hypnosis, meditation, and mindfulness techniques that can shift your mindset instantly. I know this is such a needed service because when I talk to people about this journey, they always have one of two responses – either “I know someone who could use that” or “wow, I need that”. I hope to use my digital marketing background to reach as many people as possible and touch as many lives as God puts in my path. The method I will use to share this highly valuable knowledge will be through digital products and publications. All of the publications with be at very feasible price so as many people can get their hands on this information as possible. Be on the lookout for digital publications coming out soon!
Learn more about this business by following my personal page on social media or checking our domain for the launch of our new website coming soon!
https://www.allisonanna.com/
https://www.facebook.com/officialallisonanna/
https://www.instagram.com/officialallisonanna/
What does success mean to you?
I define success in 2 ways, and they are not the conventional views of what “success” looks like. It’s not money, the perfect career, the dream house or even the perfect family. The first way I define success is whether you wake up and feel happy about yourself and your life in the morning. If you pay attention to the first thoughts you have when you wake up, they will tell you everything! If your first thoughts of the day are negative, they will lead you to the areas of your life that you need to change. If your first thoughts of the day are positive and fulfilled, then you are on the right track to success in your life. I have learned to optimize my happiness by paying attention to my first waking thoughts of the day. Many people don’t pay attention to their first waking thoughts and continue to go on about their day without listening to what is calling to them. I used to do this myself. Eventually, I learned this trick as a mindfulness and manifestation tip and I am so glad I did! I think the reason our first thoughts tell us everything we need to know is because they are produced straight from our subconscious which is active in our sleep. The brain pukes out these thoughts straight away in the morning in an attempt to bring them into your awareness for a reason. Listen to them!
The second way I define success is whether you let the world tell you what success looks like. If we adapt the world’s version of success, we won’t ever discover our truth and what makes us sincerely happy. We must learn to detach from society’s version of success and learn to simply dream about what our best life looks like. I have spent so much time dreaming about my ideal life and deconstructing what society imprinted on me growing up that I am now, indeed, creating my dream life. Once you figure out what success looks like to you individually, the trick is to narrowly keep your focus on that vision…paint a picture of it in your mind and meditate on the details of what your most successful life looks like. And at the end of the day, ask yourself is this version of success what I truly want or is it what someone else wants?
Contact Info:
- Website: https://awakenedmarketing.com/, https://allisonanna.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awakenedmarketing111/, https://www.instagram.com/officialallisonanna/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/awakenedmarketing111, https://www.facebook.com/officialallisonanna/
