We were lucky to catch up with Alysha Frieden recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Alysha thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
I want to help women carve out a space for themselves in their own world. I want to pay forward what someone did for me. When I left corporate America, I left feeling a bit lost. It was a somewhat sudden departure from my job as I met my husband and moved cities to be with him. I knew I wanted to have a family sooner than later. I also knew I wanted to be a present mother. Later on I realized I enjoy working and connecting with other professionals and was feeling a void in my life since I left work, as so many of us do. What I learned is that thankfully there are many options out there for us. You don’t have to do one or the other; work or not work outside of the the home with kids. You can work a “side hustle” and still never have to miss any moments you don’t want to miss.
There is a substantial number of women who crave something for themselves, who want to contribute to their family income, who want to be at home with their families and have their own free time! And they can accomplish all of this today. It’s not easy, but it’s pretty simple. If you want to “have it all” and are willing to work on it consistently, you’ll get it.
I simply want to share what I do with other women and help them reach their goals. It’s actually the best part. Being able to help women just like me carve out their own perfect scenarios is truly fun and inspiring.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am an unfiltered kind of person. I always have been. I think my parents discovered that when I was 7-8 years old, so they enrolled me in theater where I could be loud and proud! It was the best thing they could have done for me. I learned how to embrace my silly and sometimes dramatic personality. I am eternally grateful for the opportunity my parents gifted me into the theater for years because it created the confidence I now have in public speaking, dancing in a class or even just creating a fun video on social media.
I am somewhat of a dichotomy. Many friends and family who know me well would say I am an extremist. I can be “extra”, up for anything, and high energy. They also would tell you I am big on boundaries, a clean freak, like order and balance in my home and in life. Hmmmmm. You see the paradox? That’s me! I believe that makes me a better leader. I know when to have a good time and let loose. I also know when I need to be professional and grind out those goals.
Speaking of professionalism, before I had my “on the go” business, where I can wear work out gear on the daily and not have to go to an office setting, I wore a suit for 15 years. I worked in corporate America for two different companies. That served its purpose, but I knew long term, I needed to spread my wings and do my own thing eventually.
Once I started a family, my hubby and I decided working and traveling in a corporate job wasn’t going to work. I knew I wanted to be a present mom and not miss certain moments in my family’s lives. At first I thought I would simply stay home, but then I craved bringing more to the table. So I combined my needs and joined my best friend from college in a “on the go” business. It was the best move I’ve made in business and emotionally.
The social selling business is what allowed me to shine the way I want to. I didn’t need to report to anyone. I was able to be myself, work as hard or as little as I wanted to and feel like I was making an impact in women’s lives as well as my own. I have made incredible relationships through the last 7 plus years with my company. The perks aren’t too bad either. What I have realized though is that this business may be challenging at times because there are so many other skincare options available. I know that I am in a business that allows me time to watch my family grow and make memories together. I purposely chose a lower stress option as a mom. Kids are stressful enough, right ?! We get to raise our kids once, so they are my top priority and my business comes after family needs are met.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
When COVID hit hard and everyone was home, we all panicked. When would I have enough time to get my work done? I always used the hours when my kids were at school to get my business done. I had to adjust. At first, I struggled. I was frustrated that I couldn’t accomplish as much or feel that sense of freedom through out the day that helped with the creative process. Then I came to the realization that I chose this business for exactly this reason. I chose it to allow me to be there when my family needed me. Sure, I also chose and maintained my business because of the income potential, but the original and consistent reason is for flexibility. During the last few years, my business had to take a back seat to my family. My kids needed more of me and I am grateful I could give them what they needed. I feel lucky that this is the kind of business that can ebb and flow depending on your life.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I built my audience on social media by being myself. I see so many people on social media sharing in the most inauthentic way and it is just not me. I want to embrace individualism and I want to help more women embrace who they are and what they individually bring to the table. It is not about what filters to use but more so finding your top strengths and making the most of them in business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://afrieden.myrandf.com/en-us/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alyshaglobal/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alysha.frieden
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alysha-frieden-17751657/
Suggest a Story: CanvasRebel is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.