We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alyssa Daniels a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Alyssa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
The biggest risk I’ve taken has been giving up the security of my 9-5 to pursue my passions as an entrepreneur and creator. During Covid, I had been laid off of my corporate finance job along with a large portion of the company and while I was devastated at first, it really was the biggest blessing and best case scenario for me. Being in that position in life had opened up this wanting inside of me to create more for myself. I had always known that I wasn’t meant for the traditional corporate route and that business and entrepreneurship flowed through my blood but I didn’t know how to make it happen. I’ve always lived alone and had no back up plan or person to help me if I didn’t make enough money in any given month so I let that hold me back for a long time. The fear of the unknown and the potential of income inconsistency was really scary for me. I started to pursue my passions in content creation, social media marketing and management and helping other through life coaching but I still took on a day job while doing all of that “just in case”. I started to get really burnt out and it was affecting my creativity and health trying to juggle everything at once so I took the biggest risk of my life and quit to work for myself full time and really give myself a fighting chance at my dreams. I now travel all over the world helping to show others with food allergies and Celiac Disease how realistic and enjoyable travel can be regardless of those health conditions.
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.
Through sharing my experiences with international solo gluten free travel, I show others how to live life to the fullest with Celiac Disease. Travel can be so intimidating, especially going solo or having certain health conditions and so I’m here to put people’s minds at ease and to show just how truly healing for the mind, body and soul travel (solo or not) can be. This year I’ve explored six new countries and endless new cities and my health has never been better, my stress levels have never been lower, and I’ve experienced more community and genuine connection then ever before. All things that shocked me! It’s my mission to help others achieve those same feelings on whatever scale they desire.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
A lesson that I had to unlearn is that reliable, steady paychecks are the most important thing for peace and security in life. Society teaches this and shoves it down our throats and for the longest time I believed it. It’s so scary to think about your income being different month to month depending on how many clients you’re able to work with or help and that it’s a very real possibility that some months you will have zero income. What I have learned, however, is that the old saying is very true: with great risk comes great reward. Sure, I have had months where I have made much less that I was making at my steady 9-5 but I have also had months where I have made much more. I’ve also learned that what’s is even more important is actually living life. So many people live to go to work, pay their bills, have fun on the weekends, and to try and cram everything in. We are always looking behind at the “what ifs” or ahead at the stress of what next week holds which means that we are not in the current moment. Life is going by and we are not actually living it. We are missing out on our own lives. By taking the risk and being in control of my own schedule and time, it’s created something much more valuable than money, it’s given me the gift of life. Now I can sit down and enjoy a meal and try local food of a country I’ve never been to while being fully present and soaking it all in. I have the gift of spontaneity and adventure and the ability to see places I’ve only ever been able to read about or look up on google. Opening up and letting the world show me just the next right step one at a time and being open minded to what that looks like, has given me everything I’ve needed to financially support myself. Most people I encounter don’t understand and think it’s not possible for them. They are stuck in the story that society has engrained in us and so my hope is to inspire others to know that so much more is possible for them, no matter how far fetched that seems in this current moment.
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
The number one thing I’ve found to be the most helpful for succeeding in my field is to connect with others already doing what you want to do and already living the life you want to live. By connecting and eventually becoming friends with other women who are digital nomads and/or who are also working to inspire others to bet on themselves and build their dream lives, I’ve been able to be validated in my fears and also comforted by their stories of the fears that they’ve overcome and I get to see them actually living the. dream I have for myself. There is nothing that lights a fire under you more than seeing someone who has done exactly what you want. It literally proves to you that it’s possible and if they can achieve it, there is no reason you can’t. I have built the most amazing network of like minded female entrepreneurs all over the world (literally) and we are always there to support each other during the fears or struggles and to celebrate each other’s wins!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/yourwellnessbestie