We were lucky to catch up with Alisha Stevenson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Alisha , thanks for joining us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

You have CANCER! These are the three dreaded words that no one wants to hear. I was at the prime of my life, recently married, working my dream job as a cop, new house, new mother, and wife. I had a good life, and I was healthy, well at least, I thought I was healthy. It was the summer of 2016, and at 33, I noticed blood in my stool a few times over two months. I was nervous. Could it be Hemroids, or may I be straining, or could it be cancer? I processed the possibilities from the least to the worst, got over my fears, and called the doctor. The journey was arduous; from the discovery of the symptoms to diagnosis, treatment, and recovery, I had two primary questions, not why me but what led me here and what I am supposed to do with this. First, I decided that I had too much life to live, so I was not going to die, my son was one at the time, and I was going to be around for him for sure and for my husband, Joe. The work began with chemo, radiation, and thankful talks of surgery leading to a permanent ostomy bag. I could bear the thought of looking at my colon poking through my stomach and changing my poop bag every day, so I as help from friends to do research on my behalf, traveled the county for second and third opinions, and finally took a leap of faith and decided not the pursue the surgery and every quit chemo halfway through. I know, crazy, right?? My oncologist even fired me for not following the prescribed standard of care. Still, I had too much to lose, and the chemo was killing me at the point, and the deal about the poop bag.

Things got bad at work; there was a department-wide ‘purge’ of cops on light duty due to injury or illness for too long and forced to return back to full-duty patrol or retire. I was still in the midst of my cancer-healing journey, so I was essentially forced out. There was no way I would rush back into full duty with a compromised immune system and residual side effects of chemo from hot flashes that caused me to vomit, brain fog that led to memory problems, neuropathy, pain, and numbness in my fingers, and toes, and white book count so low that any infection could turn deadly. I understood that I was a part of the department-wide light duty clean up and It was not personally intended for my situation, but It hurt the lack of empathy, compassion, and consideration for my situation nonetheless. It was clear that I was not ‘milking cancer,’ but it was police politics.

I talked to God a lot more during cancer and was led to start a wellness business. I had cancer, an embarrassing one at that (Butt Cancer!). The state was late, and the survival rate was low. Despite it all, I beat cancer with the help and prayers of family, friends, co-workers, and even strangers. I explored a mix of traditional treatments and well as non-traditional treatments. I got in touch with the emotions of anger that I passed right before the diagnosis. I identified toxic people and toxic stress that I allowed creating the perfect environment for cancer to thrive. I even looked at the food I ate, the drinks I drank, and the amount of sleep I was getting. Additionally, I learned about environmental toxic past and present that can impact cancer proliferation. I learned a lot in the year, and that information saved my life.

I am a helper and a server at heart, so after leaving the police department, I started a wellness coaching business with a few good women. The business of coaching, helping women to be well, less stressed, and less fearful of diseases like cancer, and helping them to have a hoop and be empowered made it all worth it. I would not trade anything for my journey and am grateful to continue to be of service while making a living doing what I love.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

The ReflexFit Brand is a brand of hope, empowerment, education, and self-care. We believe that we have to be accountable to ourselves for our health and well-being, and the better we are at ourselves, the better we can be to others. We represent all the moms, working women, and caretakers holding it down for their families, communities, and jobs but might need a little extra help mentally and physically holding it down in a healthy way for themselves. We provide a safe space to be vulnerable, experiment, vent, and rest for at least a minute. Our coaching programs focus on the individual and the group, and we have a twist. The unique wellness offering is twist, which makes the coaching experience more robust. We are proud of the challenges that we have overcome and are proud to be able to give back by helping others.

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

I had to unlearn that anger is a helpful and protective emotion. Anger in the short-term, if it is short-lived, can be helpful, but if you stay in it for too long, it becomes toxic for your body and your relationships. If you have ever been around a chronically angry person, it’s draining, and their energy rubs off on others. I was mad to protect myself, wallowing in irritation and unforgiveness, showing that I was thought and not to be messed with. As a cop, you have to prove yourself, especially as a female cop. But now I prove myself by taking good care of myself. No one except the potentially toxic effect of anger forms a mental drain to physical illness. It takes work to process the anger; one has to be intentional about letting it work for them by motivating positive change, for example. Or you can end up with cancer like me.

Any fun sales or marketing stories?

I represent my brand well. As a wellness coach, you have to practice what you preach. It would be contrary to being an unhealthy, unfit wellness coach. So I try my best to be well and represent the brand with the daily wellness habits that we market. But that’s not the main reputation booster. I believe the main reputation booster is that I try my best; I get very vulnerable, sharing personal ups and downs, showing that wellness is not a destination but a journey, and making space for personal experiments, mistakes, and redos. Our brand represents grace and accountability. It’s a safe space for growth, exploration, and accountability.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.reflexfitwellness.com
• Instagram: reflexfitwellness
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bereflex50
• Youtube: ReflexFit Wellness

Image Credits
Joseph Stevenson Photography