We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Alisha Small. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Alisha below.

Alisha , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

I always knew I wanted to be in the field of service and I loved helping people. I just didn’t know how I wanted to serve my community. My entrepreneurial journey started back in 2016 after I left my job with the New York City Department of Education to start my own private children’s transportation service. In 2019 after my own mental health crisis my purpose became clearer and lead me straight to life coaching. During the pandemic I faced some of my hardest battles which included two cancer scares, a damaged marriage, our move from New York to Maryland, high functioning depression, and emotional eating that left me at my highest weight of 330lbs. After getting surgery to remove abnormal cells from my cervix I made a solid decision to become non negotioble and intentional about my self care. One of the biggest changes I made was transitioing to a vegan lifestyle which resulted in a over 50lb weight loss. In addition to losing weight I went back to school, repaired my marriage, got back into therapy, and strenthged my social circle. Overall I became a better woman in all areas of my life. I would get asked all the time “How do you everything you do with three chidlren”? The answer was self care, I take really good care of myself mind, body, and soul. Once I saw the results intentional self care gave me, I decided to niche down in my business and focus on teaching adults and youth about the power of total wellness. I truly believe that self care is the prerequiste to any success in your life. Once you learn how to properly take care of yourself everything else will naturally fall into place.

Alisha , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hi, my name is Alisha Small I am a mom of 3, wife, and the founder of Living Fulfilled Coaching and Consulting. I am originally from Brooklyn, NY but currently reside in the DMV area where I received my coaching certification from Montgomery College. At Living Fulfilled Coaching, I partner with millennial women to achieve total wellness through prioritizing and incorporating self-care habits that promote a joy-filled lifestyle. I serve as a thought partner who uses a creative coaching approach to maximize potential in all areas of my client’s lives.

In addition to coaching, I serve as a mental health advocate, presenter, and workshop facilitator for the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI). I also serve as a mentor to girls ages 11-19 at various organizations such as The Girls Scouts of America, Women Who Create, Every Girl Can, Stella Girls, and I’raise Boys and Girls International. Along with serving as a life coach, mental health advocate, workshop facilitator, and mentor, I am currently working with nonprofit organizations, businesses, and schools to teach adults/youth to use self-care intentionally as a way to balance the duties of everyday life whilst ensuring their needs are being actively met to become the healthiest version of themselves.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

My whole life is a testament to my resilience. From childhood traumatic experiences to early motherhood, and countless business failures I have survived it all. My most recent challenge was in 2020 when I had to completely step away from my businesses to focus on my health and family. Initially, this was hard financially and mentally. Now that I look back it was one of the best decisions that I ever made. The choice to put my self-care first allowed me to excel in all areas of my life.

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

There are a lot of beliefs I had to unlearn along my journey. One of the most important beliefs that were no longer serving me was that I had to do everything on my own, and if I didn’t I wasn’t of value. I’ve learned that in order to maximize my potential, be of value, and stay healthy I have to lean on my support system. I found that I was the strongest when I was vulnerable and asked for help when needed.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/AlishaSmall_
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/AlishaSmall84
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/alisha-small84
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/AlishaSmall33
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClaTOFSiXKxeBpPuxDOV86w

Image Credits
Photographer Noel C Hall