Transforming Your Story into a Movement with Allison Walsh: Podcast Ep. 409

Transforming Your Story into a Movement with Allison Walsh: Podcast Ep. 409

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What if your personal story could be more than just a story — what if it could spark a movement?

In this episode, I’m joined by Allison Walsh, a speaker, entrepreneur, and mental health advocate who has done just that.

From her beginnings as Miss Florida to building a platform that empowers women and advocates for mental health, Allison has used her voice to create a ripple effect far beyond herself. 

Tune in as we explore how you, too, can transform your story into a powerful movement that inspires and creates real change.

Key Takeaways:

  • How a Personal Story Becomes a Public Movement: Allison shares how she started telling her story of overcoming an eating disorder and how that personal narrative resonated with others, leading her to become a national advocate. She explains how being open and authentic allowed her to connect deeply and create a movement around mental health awareness, proving that your story can be a catalyst for change.
  • The Power of Vulnerability in Storytelling: We dive into the importance of sharing the real, raw parts of your story to build trust and create meaningful connections. Allison talks about her initial hesitancy to share all the details of her struggles and how embracing vulnerability has empowered her and her audience.
  • Building a Movement Through Speaking: Hear how Allison leveraged speaking opportunities — from local events to major conferences — to amplify her message and inspire others to take action. She provides insights on how you can use public speaking to bring your story to a wider audience and create a lasting impact.
  • Finding Your Voice and Your Cause: Discover how to identify the cause or mission that aligns with your story and values. Allison discusses the importance of being clear on your “why” and how that clarity helps you speak with passion and purpose, inspiring others to join your movement.
  • Creating Scalable Impact: Allison reveals her strategies for turning individual speaking engagements into opportunities for larger influence. She talks about the programs and initiatives she has developed and how to use your voice and platform to reach more people and drive broader change.
  • Action Steps for Starting Your Movement: We explore practical steps you can take to start transforming your story into a movement, from finding the right speaking opportunities and sharing your message effectively to building a community around your cause.

About My Guest: Allison Walsh, JD, is an expert business consultant, founder, bestselling author, international speaker, influential leader, and certified positive psychology coach who’s on a mission to help influential, high-stakes women of all ages build their confidence, lean into their passions, and achieve abundant success. By age 30, Allison became the Vice President of a company destined for unicorn status which she helped build from the ground up. She then led the national sales organization for Charlie Health, the nation’s fastest-growing startup, scaling the team 5x within 18 months. In 2020, Allison launched the She Believed She Could brand encompassing a top 1% global podcast, a best-selling book, a nonprofit foundation, and multiple personal and professional development offerings. Additionally, Allison has won numerous awards for her philanthropic efforts raising over $2 Million for eating disorders prevention, and her lifelong commitment to mental health.

 

 

About Us: The Speaking Your Brand podcast is hosted by Carol Cox. At Speaking Your Brand, we help women entrepreneurs and professionals clarify their brand message and story, create their signature talks, and develop their thought leadership platforms. Our mission is to get more women in positions of influence and power because it’s through women’s stories, voices, and visibility that we challenge the status quo and change existing systems. Check out our coaching programs at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com

Links:

Show notes at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/409/ 

Allison’s websites: https://www.allisonwalshconsulting.com/ and https://www.shebelievedshecould.co/ 

Discover your Speaker Archetype by taking our free quiz at https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/quiz/

Enroll in our Thought Leader Academy: https://www.speakingyourbrand.com/academy/ 

Connect on LinkedIn:

Related Podcast Episodes:

409-SYB-Allison-Walsh.mp3: Audio automatically transcribed by Sonix

409-SYB-Allison-Walsh.mp3: this mp3 audio file was automatically transcribed by Sonix with the best speech-to-text algorithms. This transcript may contain errors.

Carol Cox:
What it’s like to transform your story into a movement with my guest, Allison Walsh. On this episode of the Speaking Your Brand podcast.

Carol Cox:
More and more women are making an impact by starting businesses, running for office, and speaking up for what matters. With my background as a TV political analyst, entrepreneur, and speaker, I interview and coach purpose driven women to shape their brands, grow their companies, and become recognized as influencers in their field. This is your brand, your place to learn how to persuasively communicate your message to your audience. Hey there and welcome to the Speaking Your Brand podcast. I’m your host, Carol Cox. If you’ve ever wondered how you can take your personal story or something that you really care about and translate it into something bigger, to have a bigger meaning to your audiences and really to spark a movement, you’re going to be inspired by my conversation today with Alison Walsh. She has done exactly that, starting at a very young age, when she was in college, when she decided to share publicly her story of overcoming an eating disorder and how that led her to become a national advocate and has informed so much of the work that she does. In our conversation, we talk about the power of vulnerability in storytelling, even when you feel hesitant to do so, but how empowering it is not only for your audience, but also for yourself.

Carol Cox:
Allison shares how she gets her speaking engagements, including keynotes. You’re going to want to take notes on this one, from local events to major conferences. We also talk about the importance of finding your voice and your cause, really thinking about your bigger why and how to scale that impact. If you would like to listen to more of Alison, check out her podcast called She Believed She Could. I love that she believes she could. I was a guest on her podcast last week. So the week that this episode is airing right now, I was a guest on Allison’s podcast. The week prior, so make sure to check that out as well. All of the links are in the show notes. If you would like to discover your speaker archetype, which is going to help you understand how to leverage your storytelling as well as your natural strengths and recommendations for what else you can do. You can take our free multiple choice quiz. It only takes a few minutes as speaking your Brand.com slash quiz. Again, that’s speaking your brand.com/quiz. Now let’s get on with the show. Welcome to the podcast, Allison.

Allison Walsh:
I am so thrilled to be here. Thank you. Carol.

Carol Cox:
Well it is it’s a thrill to have you here. And it’s so funny because we both live in Orlando, Florida, but this is the first time we are officially meeting, I think. I mean, we’re online, not in person. I know eventually we’ll meet in person. I saw you as on a panel last fall, 2023 at the Orlando Women’s Conference. And then this fall, you are one of the keynote speakers at the Orlando Women’s Conference. So congratulations on that. And before we dive into your background and your journey to where you are today, I know my listeners would love to know how did you get this keynote talk and what is it going to be about?

Allison Walsh:
Oh my goodness, Sarah. Well, I have loved being an attendee or a panelist at this conference for many, many years. Long story short, Christy Ashby, who runs the conference along with her daughter Kate, have been long time friends of ours and they have always been super supportive of everything happening in my life, my career. I mean, I can even date back probably until like the early 2000, where they were just very, very supportive of things that I was doing at the time. I was Miss Florida at the time. They were sharing that message with me. I’ve been an advocate in the mental health space for two decades. They were always helping to support those causes, and I think just being on their radar and always being willing to share my message with vulnerability. And really putting it out there, I think, makes it exciting for them to ask me to be a part of it, because they know I’m going to share real life, real scenarios that hopefully will help move their audience in the direction that they’re hoping to make that happen with.

Carol Cox:
So I love that this is how it came about, because what I always tell those of you listening and our clients is that relationships, relationships, relationships, it can be a relationships that you’ve had for a year, or it could be a relationship that you’ve had for 10 or 20 years. I know most of my best speaking engagements have come from relationships that I have had, and and that you first were an attendee and then a panelist. You know, you’re constantly not, you know, on the radar, but on the radar, because that is just who you are. You’re going out to the same events that Christy and Kate are at, and you’re visible and you’re sharing your message, and then they’re picking up on that. So when the time was right, when you were the perfect person that they were looking for, you were top of mind for them.

Allison Walsh:
Yeah. No, I’m honored. And I think the theme this year of just be bold, embrace change, make it happen. I’ve had a lot of that happen this year. So I’m going to be sharing really, the behind the scenes stories that I haven’t really shared publicly as of yet, but very excited to be able to pour into the audience.

Carol Cox:
Well, maybe you can share a bit of those here, because this episode will air after the conference. So we we won’t be revealing anything that that, uh, too soon. But before we get into that, you mentioned that you were Miss Florida. So can you tell us a little bit about what that was like competing for Miss Florida and then your journey to becoming a mental health advocate?

Allison Walsh:
Absolutely. So, you know, for me, I didn’t grow up competing in pageantry. It’s not like a Toddlers and Tiaras situation over here. It was something I started doing in college. I always wanted to compete at Miss America. That was the dream, and I started competing when I was a freshman in college with my first title was miss UF. It took me four times to win and it was an incredible opportunity. I was actually crowned on my 23rd birthday, which was a really great birthday gift. But my message was about eating disorder prevention and awareness. I unfortunately went through a terrible struggle when I was a teenager and made a decision when I was 18 years old that I wanted to help people and make change happen. And most importantly, I never wanted somebody to feel like they were alone on their journey and their struggle because it can be very isolating as is, and just not knowing where to turn and what to do. And so I started a nonprofit when I was 18. It initially started as a student organization at the University of Florida, and I wanted to make a difference. And I think when you’re a young advocate talking about something that’s pretty stigmatized still, and it was especially back then, it got a lot of people noticing, right? And a lot of opportunities came as a result of me being brave enough to share a story that so many people could feel, you know, a lot of shame around.

Allison Walsh:
And so I started sharing my story. It started becoming something that was my thing, right? I wanted to be out there in the community. I wanted to be out there helping people, and it gained a lot of traction and a lot of momentum. It was obviously my my platform. During my year of service, I had the chance to travel across the country. And then literally six years after I was Miss Florida, a woman that had booked me to speak as Miss Florida, called me and said, hey, we have a job working in the mental health space. Is anybody on your board of directors for your nonprofit looking for a job? And I was in my third year of law school, very clear that I did not want to be an attorney. And I was like, you know what? This sounds like an amazing opportunity. And the rest is history. And I’ve spent two decades in behavioral health. I’ve scaled incredible healthcare companies from zero to unicorn status. I’ve had an unbelievable career. And it all started with me telling my story.

Carol Cox:
Oh, okay. So, Allison, I have so many questions. First, Go Gators. I’m a UF alum as well. And then so the next thing is so why law school. Like clearly you know you’re such a great speaker and a podcast interviewer and a spokesperson. So what drew you to law school? I can see why you. What drew you out? But what drew you in to begin with?

Allison Walsh:
Yeah, lots of reasons to draw me out, and I’m stubborn, so I had to finish. I knew like my first year I was like, this isn’t for me. But I was like, I don’t even know what to do next. But no, seriously, I initially went because I was really sick and tired of people getting denied access to insurance coverage in the world that I was operating in. In the nonprofit world, so many of the families that we were running alongside were coming to us saying, hey, my child is struggling, but we don’t have coverage and we can’t get access to care. And this is a life threatening illness. There was only one attorney that I knew of in this entire country. Her name was Lisa Kantor. She’s in California that really specialized in helping families with loved ones that had eating disorders get access to behavioral health benefits that they were supposed to have but were being denied coverage on. And so I literally like, flew to California. I interviewed Lisa as part of a project for our nonprofit. I was like, I’m going to be the Lisa Kantor of the East Coast. And that was my mission, and that’s why I went to law school. And then I quickly realized, like, this is the worst. This is just not my calling. My husband’s an attorney. I’ll let him do that. Like, I don’t need to do this. But I wasn’t really sure what that next opportunity was going to be for me. I did not want to practice, um, you know, in the field. I didn’t want to be a therapist or a psychiatrist, but I loved helping people. And so when that opportunity presented itself to work in behavioral health and to help connect people with care more on the business development side, I was like, this is like perfect for me. And so that was the first opportunity, which led to two other incredible opportunities to be involved in awesome organizations where I learned so much.

Carol Cox:
Well, Allison, and your story shows that and I talked so much about this that the thread of what matters to you goes back all the way. And so, you know, we think about we have most of us have very different things we’ve done in our career. Sometimes things that seem really like outliers, like, well, how does that part of my career possibly fit with all these other things that seem to make sense, like for you, law school? Like, how would that fit in? But clearly that still was so reflective of your mission and your why and what mattered to you, because you wanted to find a way to get insurance coverage for those for the people who were suffering from eating disorders and couldn’t get it. So even though the law didn’t end up being your vehicle for that, you found a different vehicle. But it’s all still very much interconnected with your mission.

Allison Walsh:
Oh, absolutely. And you think about just that drive, that connection to the why. Right? Not wanting people to walk alone as a result. Right. Over the last decade plus, as we’ve built out these different healthcare organizations, over 80,000 people got access to care in the programs that I’ve been involved with while I was there. And my job was to make sure that people in the community. Professionals in the community knew about the programs, and families and their loved ones were able to get what they needed, and their lives were changed and saved as a result. So it’s like I had, in my opinion, an even greater opportunity to have scalable impact, which is something that is the through line with so many of the things that I get involved in. And it’s one of the things I look at and say, can this make a massive difference in this world? And if the answer is yes, then I’m like, let’s go. So it’s a lot of fun in that way.

Carol Cox:
Allison, so you’ve spoken at a lot of events and conferences and also on your podcast, and you’ve been doing this, as you said, since you were really 18 years old in college and wanting to make this part of your message and your platform and obviously your story, your own personal story is a big part of it. So when you were first starting to tell your story, how did it feel? Did you kind of what I call like smooth out the edges, which a lot of us do with our stories where we don’t really feel like we want to share all that much, like we’re a little afraid to share too much detail, or too many of the really hard parts of our story. How did that feel for you, and how has sharing your story evolved over the years?

Allison Walsh:
Oh, there’s there’s so many different iterations and evolutions of this. You know, I think initially my message was about the fact that recovery is possible. I wanted people to look at me and say, if she can get over what she struggled with, I can get over what I’m struggling with, too. And that it’s it’s a hope that’s out there, right? There’s something that they can strive for. In the beginning, especially because I was freshly in recovery and very mindful that I didn’t want to trigger anybody. I was very, very, very mindful of what I shared and that was intentional. And also, you know, it helped me be delicate with myself because I was also still healing, right? I was I was, you know, a couple of years on the other side of it, but very much still putting those puzzle pieces back together. And it was very therapeutic for me, just like writing my book many years later was therapeutic. That was a very therapeutic experience. It allowed me to find peace and purpose in something that was so dark and awful and literally could have taken my life. So that was just such a renewing experience, and it gave me my power back, right? It allowed me to stand in my truth, and it also held me accountable, because I knew that if I was out there sharing a message that recovery is possible, I needed to be solid in my recovery, right? And it helped me through some very challenging times that, you know, I think because I was so visible and because I was such an advocate and so present in my community and across the country, like it helped me stay strong.

Allison Walsh:
And I’m very grateful for that. As I’ve evolved and as I’ve had all of these other lived experiences, I’ve given myself permission to evolve into who I am now. Right. And so the story is multifaceted. That was where it all started versus that being the only story to share. And so the older I get, the more stories I’ve got to tell. But it’s also it all comes back to your point to where it all began. And now I get to talk about the lives that I’ve changed and the businesses that we’ve built. And, you know, me learning how to share my story and the success I had in the Miss America realm and Miss Florida, you know, I’ve gotten to help a lot of other women package themselves, brand themselves, tell their stories, you know, make change happen, make impact a priority. Because I did it myself. And I think that is something that, you know, 18 year old Allison would be really proud of and probably didn’t even see as a possibility when she started to share.

Carol Cox:
And back to that 18 year old Allison, or even the 23 year old Allison. What what did you have around you that helped you to have the courage to go, to start doing this, to share your story and to continue to do that. What was helpful to for you.

Allison Walsh:
Such a good question, and one that I can see it as if it happened yesterday. I think it’s really important that we all have people around us that can help us hold up the mirror and see ourselves, right. And that’s what coaches, trainers, individuals like yourself, myself, we do that for other people. I had that in my life. And it’s actually a woman that’s in Orlando that many people probably know that are listening to. Her name is Lisa maley. Um, she was my one of my coaches when I was younger, and she was the one that said to me, Allison, you are blessed with a voice to tell your story and you have the ability to change lives. And she was the one that really planted that seed for me, um, and stood there with me and helped me learn how to tell my story from the very beginning. I stood at the end of her runway in her studio before, when it was hers, right before she sold it, and she just listened to me. She let me work through it, right? She helped me get my first speaking engagement at Winter Park High School, right? Like it was. She was she was my cheerleader. She was there because she saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself. And I think it’s really important until you gain that confidence, especially that you’re able to borrow the confidence of other people that are around you. And she was that for me. And she made a massive difference. And of course, I’ve always surrounded myself with coaches and people that can help me be better. I always think of the best athletes in the world, surround themselves with the best coaches in the world because they want to be exceptional, and I have continued to do the same. If I’m going to do something, I want it to be great and I’m going to put the people in my corner that I need to make sure that I can show up and be my best.

Carol Cox:
Yeah, well, I love that you found someone, especially so early on to be that mirror for you and to be that coach and cheerleader is absolutely essential. And I do liken this a lot to, I think, about the athletes who go to the Olympics. You know, we just had the Summer Olympics in Paris just a few months ago and thinking about the coaches who are there and some of those coaches have been to the Olympics themselves, and maybe some of those coaches have won medals, but some of the coaches have never been to the Olympics. And you think like Michael Phelps, coach, I don’t think he’s ever been to the Olympics. But yet he was able to coach Michael Phelps to I think the, you know, the most medal count probably for a US Olympian ever, because he had the coaching skills to do that. And so a lot of times I feel like we look for coaches who have achieved the pinnacle in their career, the pinnacle of the thing, which could be the case, but not necessarily everyone who does. The pinnacle is a coach is a good coach either, like Allison. I know from having had conversations with you on this podcast and on your podcast that you are an incredible coach because you’re an excellent listener. You see people you see beyond what’s on the surface. You do your research ahead of time to find out about the person. Right. So have you found that yourself?

Allison Walsh:
Absolutely. I mean, I think about the coaches that I had growing up and then throughout my journey. Right, They haven’t necessarily done the thing themselves. Now, I will say there are certain areas where I do want that, right? So if I’m hiring a business coach, like I want them to have been able to demonstrate that, like they’ve built the business, right. But like to your point around skills, right. I think that’s where you can hire people that are just exceptional at helping you refine your craft. And so I think it’s knowing what you need. It’s seeking out the people. It’s making sure that there’s credibility and proof there. Right. And that they are they are who they say they are. And they have a track record of success even if they haven’t done the thing. Do they have a list of clientele that have. And that to me is everything.

Carol Cox:
Yes. Because sometimes it’s easy to do things for yourself, and it’s really hard to figure out how to help someone else do it for themselves. Right? Absolutely. Absolutely. All right, so, Allison, your podcast and your book are called She Believed She could, which I love this, this idea of she believed she could. So why that phrase in particular? Why? Why did that resonate with you, and why do you think it resonates with so many women?

Allison Walsh:
Oh, I think it is one of those phrases that when you hear it, you’re like, yes, I can. Right. So but you know, for me, the story behind it is that I have a little flip book of quotes. I love, quotes I always have. My mom gives them to me all the time. And I had this flip book sitting on my desk for years in my coaching studio, and my daughter would always look at them. And in 2020, when I decided that I wanted to start a podcast, we were taking a walk around the neighborhood because it was Covid. We had nothing else to do but walk outside and stay in our house. So we were walking around the neighborhood and I like Maddie. I just can’t figure out what I want to call this. And she’s like, mom, it’s so obvious. And I was like, what? Holding up the mirror for me. She’s like, it has to be. She believes she could. You love that quote. It’s on your desk like it’s everywhere. And so it really was Maddie who, like, called that out for me. But I think the reason that the quote resonates so much and of course, the follow up portion to that is and so she did. Right, is that it’s that affirming factor that when you do believe in yourself and you take that step, you absolutely can do the thing, whatever that thing is. But it has to start with that, at least that first ounce of belief and that first step. And so I think it is a tangible representation of what what we all need to do. And I’ve loved it.

Allison Walsh:
And, you know, I when we were writing the book, there were like a million different book titles that were thrown around the whole time. And then, you know, the publisher went a lot of different ways and went back and forth and back and forth. And let me tell you, writing a book without a title was awful because, like, I find so much energy from the title, it’s like the North Star, right? And so when they finally came back around and they were like, Allison, we’ve met with our advisors, we’ve met with all of the people that sell the books to the bookstores, and we’ve come up with a decision. I was like, okay, what is it? Because this book is coming out in like three months and they’re like, she believes she could. I was like, you’ve got to be kidding me. So after all that, like, you go back to like, the tried and true, but I do think that it resonates with so many people because I think there is. Everybody can think about at least one thing that they believed in themselves and they did. And when you can anchor in belief and you can use that as proof of concept, it gives you more opportunity to then find that next opportunity for yourself. So I love it. It feels good as we’re building out new programs within the company now, we’re very much focused on on preserving that identity because so many people do resonate with that. And it’s exciting to think about all of the different iterations and offers that now exist. As a result of Maddie saying she believes she could.

Carol Cox:
Well, this is a great segue, Allison, into opportunities, because I know that the message that you’ve been sharing more recently is this idea of embracing our evolution and understanding when to lean in to new opportunities. What to look for in opportunities. So how do you look for opportunities? Are there filters that you use to decide what is a yes versus a no? And what does it look like to lean into new opportunities?

Allison Walsh:
Yes. And I think that the more success that you gain, right, the more opportunities will come your way, which is why it’s really important to have those filters. Because if you just keep saying yes to everybody and everything, you’re going to say no to yourself. And I’ve had to learn this over time, right? And I think that’s where it’s there’s so many factors that I really encourage people listening to take into consideration. First of all, you have to know your values, right? Is it in alignment with your values? Is it really going to propel you forward? Is it allowing you to tap into your strengths? I do a lot with strengths based coaching, and the work that we do helps to really open people’s eyes to understand what is that neurological makeup. Right? Because when you can do work that is intrinsically fulfilling, or say yes to opportunities that are in alignment with your strengths, you are going to be lit up on fire and have so much fun in the process where you’re doing work that doesn’t feel like work, right? And that’s the goal. That is true fulfillment and engagement.

Allison Walsh:
And so I utilize that psych framework of really making sure that there’s alignment there. And I’ve had to say no to way more things that I’ve said yes to, especially as I have gotten busier as my life has changed. I’m a mom of three kids. I’m also a dance mom, which that’s a whole other story. Uh, and then, you know, I’ve worked in high hypergrowth, high demand environments for a very long time. And now now that I’m on my own. Right, it would be easy to be like, oh, I’ve got more time. I’m going to say yes, yes, yes. It’s like, no, no, no, I got to keep those blinders on. And if it’s not in alignment with what I’m working on for my own business now, then I have to say thank you so much for this opportunity. I’d like to just put this as a, you know, a rain check for, for now, but please circle back around in the future and but understanding values Understanding strengths and understanding priorities helps me to say yes and no a lot easier.

Carol Cox:
Allison. Do you find that with the women that you work with that and you’re asking for a friend, that sometimes we get really comfortable, like our business is going well, we’re chugging along and maybe we’re not on the lookout for new opportunities, but then perhaps we should be.

Allison Walsh:
Oh, no, this is great because I think there’s a lot here. There’s a lot around mindset here. And I always say complacency is where dreams go to die. So just because it’s we’re good at it and it’s kind of on autopilot doesn’t necessarily mean that we are fully maximizing our potential. And there’s seasons for this, right? I do think that there are seasons where it’s good for us to have consistency and there’s good. It’s good for us to just know that the tried and true is going to get us to where we need to be, but there’s also seasons of growth and we have unbelievable opportunities. And I love the quote from Oprah of, you know, the whole point of being alive is to evolve into the complete person you were intended to be. And that, to me is like one of those anchor quotes where, you know, if I’m not growing and I’m not evolving, I know that that really matters to me. So going back to my values, going back to my strengths, right, like that plays into both of them. So I really I try to zoom out at least once a month, if not every single week, and say, where am I growing this week? Right? Where am I stretching myself? And it doesn’t necessarily mean, like I’m going to be successful at everything that I try.

Allison Walsh:
In fact, I’m going to learn and probably fail forward faster than I am going to actually do it the best way the first time. But that’s where those support systems come in place, right? Perfect example. I’m now out on my own, right? I left my corporate job on July 31st and I am fully embracing. She believes she could and my consulting company, I’ve had that running alongside me for years, but this is the first time that I’m 100% all in, and I immediately had to seek out the support for myself. Right. I hired a fractional chief marketing officer to help me because I wanted to launch a program, and it’s a great program, and I knew that I needed the support to do something that I hadn’t done to that level before. Right. So it’s stretching me. It’s pushing me. But I also knew if I didn’t put somebody in my corner that was going to get on the phone with me a couple times a week and talk through these things, I would easily be able to say, not right now, and just focus on what the easy stuff is. Focus on, you know, what the private clients focus on the speaking. Focus on the things that I know I can do. And I would have regretted it because I know that this program is going to change lives.

Allison Walsh:
And so it deserves the time and energy support and accountability to get it done. But it’s going to force me to grow. And so I think that anybody listening put a put it on your calendar schedule. The reminder today is your growth day. What are you doing this month that’s going to stretch you for next month? Or what are those things that you want to work on that are outside of your comfort zone. And then what do you need to do? Who do you need to put in your corner in order to help you get across the finish line? I will tell you that I’ve had clients that have been on my one on one roster for five, six, seven, eight years, like consistently, but it’s because they know they’re going to have to show up and tell me the progress that they’ve made on their goals, right? We pick one goal at a time and we’re working towards it, but it is that accountability piece, and it’s that they also know that I’m going to run alongside them and help them get across the finish line. Right. I’m not going to let fear stop them. I’m not going to let imposter syndrome stop them. Those mindset blocks aren’t going to get in their way, and we’re going to make great things happen together.

Carol Cox:
Oh, yes. Allison. Accountability. Isn’t that such a game changer? This is why I say things here on my podcast to the whole public, to everyone listening, because I want I say them out loud because I want to be held accountable, even though no listeners are ever like. So Carol, where’s your book? Right. But I say it out loud because it reminds me, I have said this out loud in public. Yes.

Allison Walsh:
And you’re working on it, which I think is awesome, right? Yes. Even with my book, I hired a book coach, too. I needed somebody that was going to help me get out of my own head, because while I was in the process, even just from the moment I signed the book deal to having to start to write it, I think I came up with like seven other books that I wanted to write in the process. Right. I’m like, put those on the virtual shelf. Like stay focused, but like, it’s that coach in your corner that really does help. Just clarity of thought and keep you moving so that those ideas don’t die inside. Like that’s there’s too much in there that needs to come out.

Carol Cox:
Oh, yes. Yeah, yeah. Book coaches in business coaches, business coaches I mean speaking coaches, whoever it is that you need in your corner is definitely well worth it because I can’t tell you how clean my house gets when I’m supposed to have my butt in my chair working on my book. Right.

Allison Walsh:
It’s so true. I literally, like, cleaned out my daughter’s closet the other day instead of sitting down and writing an outline for a program now, like, I gotta get my CMO on the phone right now? Yes.

Carol Cox:
All right. Allison, so I would love to know what you have as far as in the future. Before we hit record, we chatted a little bit about perhaps a Ted talk in your future, because I was surprised that you haven’t done one yet, because it seems like you’ve done so much speaking. You have this platform, you have this mission. So tell me about Ted talk. Would it be around the work that you’ve been doing around eating disorders, or are you thinking something different? I’m thinking.

Allison Walsh:
Something different. You know, I think I’ve gone back and forth on, like, what’s my one idea, right? Um, and I’ve done a lot of work and a lot of speaking around why Smart goals don’t work and some different frameworks that I’ve worked with clients over the years to actually make things happen. And so excited about that. I’m also, you know, we’re launching a program in the fall specifically focused on high achieving moms. And, you know, that community and I resonate with this so much. You know. I think a big reason why I left my corporate career. I mean, I’ve been involved with beautiful companies, mission driven organizations, been sitting in very influential seats, things that I never thought I would walk away from. But we had a situation with my daughter this year where she got very ill, and it was really important for me to reprioritize my life and really make sure that as I run alongside her and my other two kids over the balance of their lives, that that I have the availability in the space, right. And so I want to make sure that I can show other moms how they can do that too, right? How they can create the life, uh, still be able to attain the goals, still be able to shine brightly, still be able to do the things and to be fully present.

Allison Walsh:
Um, and I think there’s a lot of pressure on, uh, on women in general, and especially those of us that, you know, are taking care of the little ones right now to. And what does that look like as we move through different seasons of our lives? So really excited about that. I also launched she Believes She Could University a few months ago. The book has been very well received by collegiate audiences, probably because it starts with me telling my story when I was 18 years old, and it walks them through how that then turned into my career. So I’ve been doing a lot of workshops for different Greek organizations and, you know, universities across the country. So that’s a lot of fun. Um, and so just really leaning in to being able to create new programs and new offers, in addition to all the things that I already love to do.

Carol Cox:
Oh, I love it, Allison. So along with your podcast, she believed she could. So definitely, listeners, go and check that out and click follow or in your favorite podcast app. Allison, how else can listeners find you?

Allison Walsh:
Absolutely. Thank you for that. Um, Allison Walsh Consulting.com has all of the information about my business and branding consulting services. She believes she could.co is where everything she believes she could live. I’m very active on Instagram at Alison Walsh but be prepared. I’m going to tell you you are a queen and can accomplish your dreams every single day. So if you love that type of content, I’m your girl. And then of course on LinkedIn, a little bit more professional content over there. But you can find me there pretty frequently.

Carol Cox:
I don’t know, I think LinkedIn could appreciate some, uh, you’re a queen. I believe you can content. So.

Allison Walsh:
All right, post tomorrow is coming at you hot Carol with some crown references and being a queen. So.

Carol Cox:
You know, we got to shake up the algorithms a little bit. I love that.

Allison Walsh:
I love that concept. And I’m totally going to tag you in my caption, so.

Carol Cox:
Oh, Allison, thank you so much for coming on the Speaking Your Brand podcast. For those of you listening, make sure to check out Allison’s websites and social media links are in the show notes. And until next time, thanks for listening.

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