We were lucky to catch up with Alicia Long recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Alicia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
At 42 years old, I dove, both feet in, and went back to school to become a Naturopathic Doctor and started my own wellness company. Two kids later, over a decade working for a Global non-profit and my soul was on fire to “do my own thing.”
Ever since I can remember I’ve had a passion for health and movement, and I channeled that energy into teaching fitness and yoga classes. I’m also an anomaly because I love public speaking and connecting with people through storytelling. We ALL have a story to tell and it’s how we connect and relate!
My business is called Sunny Side Up Wellness and it includes community fitness/yoga classes, workshops geared toward health, a podcast w/ tools to navigate the storms in life and a collaborative retreat space called The Sunshine House in Milford, MI.
When I graduate from Naturopathic School in 2026, my plan is to operate my practice out of The Sunshine House.
We all know how “plans” go, so I’m giving the whole thing up to God and riding this amazing wave, hand-in-hand with the most holy. :)
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I was born Sunny Side Up (literally) in 1980 and have been chasing sunshine ever since. You ask what makes me stand out, and I would say it’s that. I am a sunshine chaser, an eternal optimist and always try to find the best/brightest in the world. Oh yes, without a doubt, I get knocked down all the time (because: life), but I get right back up and keep shining.
As an Aries and first born child, my fiery leadership skills and determination have been LIT since inception. For example, when I was 10 years old I started an earth club in my garage and invited all the neighborhood kids. We would brainstorm ways to save the planet and went around and collected other peoples recyclables. I’m sure my parents loved having everyone’s recyclables in our garage! 🤣
Later in life I tried to bring sunshine to shelter animals and fostered/ adopted over 30 dogs. It was heartbreaking realizing how many homeless pets are stuck in shelters, and I knew I had to do something about it.
Throughout all of my endeavors, I will always “give back” in some way. To me, that is an incredibly important aspect of my brand. When you can’t find the sunshine, be the sunshine.
Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?
The greatest training and knowledge of any field is EXPERIENCE and being willing to learn from past mistakes. You will never be 100% ready for anything, so just go for it and build your experience one day at a time!
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
My “not so secret sauce” of building clientele is ENERGY. Be the kind of person that people WANT to be around. Make eye contact, be invested in people’s stories, lean in, ask questions, be vulnerable and REALLY SEE every person you cross paths with.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.alimarielong.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alimarielong/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AliLong
Image Credits
@KimSkirha