Empowering Schools: Kids Yoga & Mindfulness Education w/ Allison Morgan
Allison Morgan is the founder of Zensational Kids, which helps educational communities unlock their potential through the implementation of evidence-based mindfulness practices and social-emotional learning techniques. In this episode, we discuss deliberate steps she implemented to transform her passion for kids yoga into a business model that sustains growth and maximizes impact. She offers resources and strategies for those wanting to teach kids or bring wellness into education. She also shares the power of seeking coaching and support to help her succeed. Allison is a friend and Mentor of mine, I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did!
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Podcast Transcript
Lou: Yeah. Hello, friends. Welcome to another episode of the Art and Business of meditation Podcast. I am your host, lou redmond. Today. We have Allison Morgan. Allison is a friend. She is a mentor in the world of kids, yoga and mindfulness. I can't wait to share her wisdom with you today. She is the founder and CEO of sensational Kids. She is a pediatric, occupational therapist, author, international public speaker, educational. Trainer driven to empower youth and adults that care and serve them. She is passionate about training educators, parents, mental health professionals, allied health professionals, giving them effective techniques to develop skills such as self awareness, management skills, compassion and resilience so they can model. And authentically teach these skills to children. Allison, welcome to the show.
Allison: Thank you. So happy to be here with you.
Lou: Yes. You have a great story of being in. A previous career. Where your work. Is aligned somewhat with the work you're doing. Now. You're working for Kids pediatrics. So you are spending time with kids. And so I'm just curious. At this transition. I know. I've heard this story a little bit from you before, but maybe just for those listening of what was going on at that time. And when were you, like, hold on. There's something here. That is powerful or something here that I want to bring. Into my work. And so maybe just starting there.
Allison: Yeah. So I have been trained as a pediatric occupational therapist. I went for my undergrad in that degree and then did an advanced master's in that degree. Did a lot of work in the hospitals with kids. With all different kinds of diagnoses and situations. And ended up in schools. When my husband and I started having our own kids like, school schedule is probably going to be more suited to our lifestyle. So I was a school based occupational therapist. And my role was to work with really the most challenging kids. Helping them to increase their function. Cognitively, Physically, sensory, emotionally. All of that. That's essentially the role of an occupational therapist help kids function to the best of their ability. So that they could access. Their education.
Allison: And after being in a school for. Probably about 15 years. Ten years, maybe ten years. That I was in the school, just as an OT. I started practicing Yoga and meditation for myself. And it wasn't ever something like, oh, maybe this would be something good to add. Into my work with kids. It was just like, hey, let me try this out. Yoga really intrigued me because I used to be a dancer. And even though I love taking exercise classes, there was something about that slow movement, slow stretch awareness. That. I sounded great to me, but it was really like during my first yoga class. That I just recognized the physiological shift within my own body, like it was undeniable to me. Like, oh, my God, just by sitting here or standing here and stretching in this way and breathing in this way, following the instruction. Of the teacher. I was like, I just shifted. Like something major within me. And it feels incredible from the inside. Out. And then, like, the clinician in me came out in my mind, and I'm like, oh, my God, the kids I work with never feel like this. I feel so grounded and calm and connected to my whole body. I feel powerful. I'm like, the kids I work with never feel like this. But if I can help them. Feel like this. What would happen to all these skills that I'm helping them to build. That was just. My first overarching question that I had. And pretty much like, the next day I went into my therapy room. And I'm like, I have to try and teach some of these kids just like, can I teach them how to breathe? And I mean, I was working really low functioning kids. And it was at a time where. You could Google Yoga like breathing techniques, kids special needs. Nothing really came up back then. I was sort of like, all right. I'm just starting from scratch. And OT. We're known for. Adapting things. Like that's the blessing of an OT creative. Like you just try and adapt things. So that's what I did to start playing around. And I was lucky that I had my own therapy room. I was very trusted in my environment. And nobody was really questioning what I was doing because it looked very different. Than traditional therapy. The only time people started questioning. I was bringing kids back to the classroom, and they're like, what did you do.
Allison: Different. They're so calm. They participated. They sat down in circle time. They raised their hand for a question. Like all these things, teachers sort of came back to me. Saying, like reporting that kids were much more engaged. And then I started to admit, I'm teaching them like yoga and mindfulness. And they're like.
Allison: Do not tell anybody.
Allison: So that really was just the start of, like, I'm onto something. Nobody was really doing it. I just started seeking out more and more teachers just in the world of yoga and meditation, just to learn about what really is this. And marrying it up with the science that I knew of neuroscience and physiology. And hormones and all of those things. So that I was able to explain it to people. That like my colleagues. Like what they would understand. So, for example, I could tell them I teach them to breathe this way it activates their parasympathetic nervous system. This is what helps them to relax so that you don't have to talk them off the cliff when they're ripping up their paper. And they're erasing things a million times, and they're getting all anxious. You could just help them breathe in this way. And physiologically, they'll come, and then you can help them move to the next step of what you want to help them accomplish. So. They're able. To. Understand it and accept. Allow what I was doing.
Lou: What I love about this story is that. Of course, you are already highly trained in the job, in the role that you have, but. I'm imagining some people. If they were in your position. They might learn about yoga. And before they would experiment, they would be like, okay, I need to get a certification doing this.
Allison: And I think that there's all the time.
Allison: I've even had people who work for me like that. I've hired because they have, say, an education background. And they have a yoga. Certification, and they start working for me, and they're like, oh, I think I need this other training or I think I should get this other degree. I'm like, Well, that's great. But what else do you want to do? And they're like, just to do what I'm doing.
Allison: You don't need all of those things.
Lou: It's an education industrial complex, where we've been trained to think that. We need pieces of paper for everything. And this is not to say there's obviously things that you want to be trained in. And if I always talk about if. You're really super interested in doing that training. Absolutely. You're going to learn something. It's going to be fun to do. But if you're doing it because you think you need that piece of paper. But you're like, I really don't care about this training. That's always something I tell people. To think about beforehand. I know someone who runs. A Yoga therapy for kids. And. Basically for babies specifically. And she's just like, yeah, I just give parents permission to touch their babies. It's kind of fascinating. That. We're so often just trained. I say that because I know that there's also a shadow side to this that we don't want to do any harm, of course. But if you're feeling that something valuable and you're in a space where, yes. Maybe you don't have the full yoga certification yet. But you're seeing where you can be of service, then why not be of service? This all started. None of. The ancients had certifications and trainings. They just kind of passed it down through what they learned and what they know. So it sounds like you were doing that on your own, right? You were researching. You were studying. And maybe it wasn't in a specific thing.
Allison: I was fascinated. By my own personal experience. And the change that started to happen with the kids that I was working with. I was absolutely fascinated. And.
Allison: I'm always for the children. I always felt like I'm the voice for the kids that they don't have the skill to be able to tell. You in a way that you'd understand. This doesn't feel good. I don't feel safe. I'm confused. So I always felt like. I'm just going to. Keep following the path of what works.
Allison: Of what works. And there are plenty of things that I tried that did work. I'm like, okay. Not going to go there, but it really was always about service to the children. And that was kind of like my own mantra, because the other thing is that my colleagues were like. You're off your rocker girl. You're off your rocker.
Lou: We'll talk about what happens when people don't doubt what we do in a second. But before that I'd love to know the choice because I think so many people. Maybe even that would be attracted to listening to this specific podcast. Maybe they are educators. Maybe. They take do yoga. And maybe they're like, wow, I would love to do this as my job or my business. So when. Were you like, did you just say, okay, I'm done with this sensational. Kids, put up the shop. I'm doing all these trainings. I'm doing these things. How was that transition? Was it a big shift? Or was it natural.
Allison: I'd say it was both. It was natural, and I resisted it for a long time. And then it just happened like that. So. I'll explain. It got to a point where I was working a couple of days of work in the school. I was traveling the other couple of days a week all over the country, running trainings for therapists, for educators, for school counselors, on how to integrate yoga and mindfulness into the work that they would do.
Lou: What year is this.
Allison: I want to say like 2012 2013 probably did that. Till. Yeah. Probably like around then.
Allison: And. I sort of had sensational kids as like, yeah, I'm going to call all this travel and these trainings, like, sensational Kids. I had the name, but I was still really working as a school based OT. And so much so that what started to happen in the schools is. I was having so much success, like running yoga groups. That the other therapists that I work with, we made a deal. I'll do all the groups. You do all the individual. Sessions. So I really got to perfect. And explore just running yoga groups for kids of all ages. And what started to happen was number one. I was getting burnt out because I was like traveling and then coming in and then switching days. And. I started to not. Love doing what I was doing. On the floor with the kids. And really loving the training. But. The ego side of me just kept saying, like nobody else is going to be able to do this. Who's going to do it? The school won't want anybody else to do it. They're only going to want me because they think I'm the only. My ego brain just started to take over and hold on to all of it. And then I just had this moment. Where? Why am I doing something that. Is not like a hell Yes. It's not making me happy anymore because some of that has to be seeping out in the work that I'm doing. I have to let that go. I have to let that go and trust, because this is another thing. We had three young kids, like thinking about. All the activities that they do that we have to pay for. They're going to go to College. I had a really great career. I was making really good money as an ot, but I just. Wasn't happy. So I really had to make that leap of I'm just going to have faith that this is all going to work out. But I have to start saying no to this. And Yes. To where my heart is in service and where I feel like my own growth wants to take me. And some of that was like a big conversation. My husband, he was super supportive. I mean, I don't know that I would have taken the leap if he was like, look, unless you can make up that income. We just can't do that. And he was just like, I trust you. It'll all work out. We'll figure it out, but don't do what is like hurting you.
Allison: So I took the leap. And just things happened that I never would have in that moment been able to plan on paper. Okay. Then you're going to do this. You're going to let this go. And then this is going to come in.
Allison: That wasn't going to happen. I literally took the leap, and I just said, universe. There's no way. That you would have planted this passion and desire within me without there being a clear way. I don't see it yet because stuck in this ego. And. The Bills, the Bills, the bills. But I'm just going to trust and. It's all going to work out.
Lou: Deep outs for stepping in so powerful for everyone hearing because I can hear in my own story something like that. That. We have to. I always say, Meet God halfway. You got the idea, you got the energy, but. You got to meet the next step, right. The Universe can't do everything.
Allison: No. They can't. And I would say that. There were two powerful things that I did a lot of during that time. One was. Journaling journaling. I don't do it all the time. Like I haven't been journaling for ten years. I go on. These. Bouts of like that's the best way for me to really listen to myself. Listen to the universe. All of that. I happen to be in it right now. I Journal every single. Morning because it's an unfiltered way for me to start. To discover. Like just where my heart is. Right? I feel like I'm just talking to God. I'm just talking to the universe. And none of this has to work out the way I'm writing it. I'm just writing about. How I want to feel. How I see myself in the future, just writing things like anything's possible, telling the universe like I'm awake. I'm aware. I'm listening. I'm listening to all the little steps and the messages and I know you hear me and you see me for all that I want to bring into. The world. So journaling is one. The other one. Is imagining. Imagining or envisioning or dreaming or Future projection. Of just. Like, how do I see myself. Like a year from now, five years from now and for me. Like a big thing that I see. And I've seen this for years. Is on a stage with thousands of people. Now I don't know what I'm talking about. I have no idea. I don't know who these people are. I don't know where this is. But. I see that clear is day. I know what I'm wearing. I know how I'm walking around the stage. I know what body movements. I see it. And I don't know what it means, but Glenn Doyle has. This great quote about imagination. And I could look it up. Because I've written it a million times, but it's something to the effect of imagination isn't where you go. To jump out of reality. It's really where you go. To plan your reality. Like imagination is like a planning event.
Allison: Love that. And it's those two things that over the past 15 years have been. Like my real go to and when I look back in journals because I save all my journals and I read some of the things. That I wrote in those moments. I'm like, oh, I did that. Oh, look at what I wrote. And look what that turned into. Like, oh, my God. Sometimes. It took like a year for that to evolve. Sometimes five years to evolve. But it did.
Lou: You're making me want to look through old journals because I have similar visions and you're also making me want to sit and imagine. I feel like I haven't done a good visualization practice of future in a while. So if you're listening something to. Continue dropping in and seeing it feeling it such a big, powerful practice. You mentioned having the support of your husband, and you also talked about I'm sure other people around you thinking you're crazy, that you're pursuing. This business. So I just actually. Did an Instagram post on this recently based off of a jayz verse that I heard in the gym where he says. You can't base what you're going to be off of what everybody isn't. And the way that I took that line was that. So many people. It's not their vision. It's not their dream. And so. Taking advice from them. If they don't have the actual experience that you need, they can't see your vision. They're not going to understand. And you can't base what you're going to be off of what they aren't. You have to be able to follow your own truth. So how I'm sure people listening. Maybe they don't have as supportive of a partner or they have fears coming up or friends that don't get it. Do you have any support that you could offer them or things that's helped you stay focused when other people maybe are doubting or don't see don't get what you're doing.
Allison: I'd say my first go to is me and what I mean by that is. Really allowing myself. To feel. What feels good to me and what doesn't. And trusting. That is my number one guide, because I always. Want to. I am in a service business, right? I always want to serve, but it has to serve me also. And what I mean by that is. It has to help me feel good about. What I'm doing and what I'm sharing and what I'm giving, so that in the giving, I'm not getting depleted. So what I really try to do with every decision that I make in my business and my life. It's just if it feels good to me. Then it's the right thing, because it's the right thing for me. It might not be the right thing for the other people around me. And that's why they don't get it. Thinking about what I might want to do. And it's like.
Allison: Travel and then I have to. Be on my computer all the time I want to be on my computer. Then that's not the thing for you. But. What your heart is telling you to do, and you imagine yourself doing that. And it's like it totally feels good. You deserve to feel good. That's your calling card. That is your calling card. That you're on the right track.
Allison: So that's my number one is always me? How does it feel to me? My number two. Is. I always look for people. That I now I say I want to be surrounded by but it's really I want to be connected. To. That kind of also can see my dream or my vision, or they're already doing it. And I reach out. I just reach out. That's how you and I got connected. You reached out to me. You took a training that I led. It was online. You reached out. And this beautiful friendship. And we've done work together. Evolved but. I have people that are in my circle of connection. They do not live around me. They live all over the they all over the country. But I have check in points. Where. We'll talk, we'll Zoom, call whatever. And share what we're each doing. Sometimes you find that in coaching groups. I'm a huge advocate of coaching. I've done it myself.
Allison: Different types of coaching programs where I'm surrounded with other people. They're on the same business as me. But they have the same dream of wanting to do what their heart's calling is opposed to what this piece of paper says that I could do or what my job allows me to do. So you get the strength and wisdom. From peers, colleagues in that way.
Lou: So important, just emphasizing this that finding others that are doing not necessarily the same thing, but the same thing in the sense of they're looking to bring their dreams. Their gifts, their services to the world. I just started a mastermind group with that intention of just getting people together because I've seen the power of what happens when you're just in the room, that just being in the room, in that energy and just being like, okay. Yeah, it's inspiring. And that's almost all the valid. That's big part of the value is just seeing that you're not alone. And you're absorbed by that resonant field of possibility. And. Once we see it possible. It's like I can do that. I know this person. They're just like me.
Allison: And that's exactly. It the energy of possibility. Because it's like it flicks a switch in your brain. Of then being able to see yourself doing something that somebody else has already done or is in the process of doing rather than. It materializing out of anywhere. And it reminds me of. There was this. I don't remember what the athlete was. But I think it was a runner. And he beat the world record of running. Everybody thought it was absolutely impossible. Nobody could beat the last record, ever. Ever cannot be done. He did it. And then right after he did it, all the other runners were able to run that fast.
Lou: Yeah, it's fascinating.
Allison: You got to be in the room.
Lou: Yeah. It's like activated a different consciousness of that's normal. That's normal.
Allison: This is what we do. Absolutely. And especially if. You're in. An environment where there is a lot of negativity. Or. Unfortunately sometimes people. Don't want you to show your light. They don't. It scares them because they're afraid to show their own. And they'll do almost unconsciously. Whatever will take to keep you where you are. Because by you staying where you are it almost makes them okay to stay where they are. And. It's really toxic, but. It takes a lot of courage for you to just say. Like with a lot of compassion. You can stay where you are. If that's where you're comfortable and you feel safe. But. That's not for me. It's just not for me. And you have to say goodbye to things. Sometimes you have to let people go. Because they don't want to come on your journey. They don't.
Lou: So you imagining someone listening. Is. Wanting to teach kids or maybe get into work with kids. What do people overlook when they get excited about. Teaching kids yoga and mindfulness or if they don't overlook anything. What are some things. That are some support or advice you can give them in the beginning of that journey.
Allison: So I would say in the beginning of this, we talked about training. I think. If your desire is to teach. Kids, yoga and mindfulness.
Allison: I think when you're working with kids. It is an environment right now, in our culture. Where you actually do need that piece of paper. You do. And that has to do with.
Allison: Trust. Of the adult that's in charge of the care of that child, making sure that. They're leaving their child with somebody who. Truly has knowledge. In the subject area. So. That would be my number one thing. My number two thing would be. To get as much experience as you can. In leading groups or teaching the tools to kids. I remember. I used to just like neighborhood kids. I'd have come to my house. Because. It was very different. Me teaching yoga and mindfulness to kids with Autism and ADHD. And all these different diagnoses opposed to teaching, typically developing kids. Yoga, and mindfulness. So any opportunity I could get to practice my skill. I was going to do. Yeah. And the other thing that I would say. A big. Especially in the beginning of this yoga and kids movement and moving into schools. I would say the biggest thing that people miss the Mark on that really couldn't sustain their business. Were people. That. Yoga and mindfulness business, but they didn't understand. How to speak. To the benefits. Based on the clients that they were looking to service. So if I were a kid's yoga and mindfulness teacher, the way I would explain what I'm doing. With kids if I was working in a yoga studio. Was very different than if I'm bringing it. Into a school atmosphere. It would be very different. I'm looking to work in classrooms, and it would be very different if I'm looking at before and after school programs. So really being able to articulate. What it is, that. You're offering. But you have to know who it is. That's listening. It's not the kids listening to what you're doing. It's those that are going to essentially pay for it.
Lou: Can you explain some things to think about. If it's a principal. And I know your art is in the science and research. I'm sure that speaks to some people which. Is not my forte at all. Maybe that's why it's been a struggle to stay in schools because I don't speak to the statistics or the science about it, because it's not my joy.
Allison: I don't find. Joy in it, Yeah. So when I'm speaking to. Let's go from the top down. Right. So if I'm speaking to a Superintendent or principal. I first want to listen. Like, what are the big challenges in classrooms? Like, if you're going to bring me in. What are you hoping for? So I listen to their language. And I listen to. What the real problems are and typically. It is having a lot of behavioral issues. Teachers are burnt out because. There's so much for them to manage. And we have a problem with teacher retention. Teachers don't know how to deal with all the behaviors. Kids can't stay focused. We got a lot of kids with let's say adhd. They're all over the place. They can't sit in their chairs. So like the list goes on, and then what I do is. I'll look at what it is that I do. And I offer. And is it a match. Like can the things that I'm bringing. So for sensational kids, we sort of break it down into breathing practices, movement practices and meditation practices. And it's very much about. Short one to two minute practices in the classroom to help reset and realign the brain and the body so that. All of that individual can be there and available for learning. So. I have to make sure that. What it is that I know my programs can do, does it meet their needs? And then I speak to those needs. And how. So. Let's just. Take teachers are burnt out right? They're like losing it by the middle of the day. So I might explain how. It's really important for them to have really quick. In the moment practice that they could re energize themselves because they can't run for another cup of coffee. In the break room. So a quick breathing practice or something like breath of joy or something that really boosts. The energy. Internally that they could do in a minute or two is going to make. The next minutes. So much more productive. For the teacher and for the student. If it's something like managing all the behavioral issues, my approach might be. Typically, the way that we're approaching behavior in schools is through behavior modification. So we have checklists and stars and prizes and all of that which really is about like shaming and blaming. It's like calling kids out on what they're doing wrong. And we know from the science that. That is a painful experience. For the individual. So we're then putting that child. Rather than making them alert and aware, like, oh, I can't do that. What we're doing is we're putting them on the defensive. And we're putting them into protection mode, which turns on the back part of their brain. When the back part of their brain is firing, they can't learn at all. All they could do is fight, fight, or freeze. That's it. And it might look like they stop the behavior. That's because they're in freeze. Literally. You scared the crap out of them. So it's going to stop the behavior.
Allison: So then helping them reframe behavior. And. How all of the practices that we offer really about helping kids to feel. Safe within their own body and balance their nervous system. And when we become regulated. A well regulated nervous system. Behaves appropriately, and I'll use that type of wording because they understand that.
Lou: There's two things I want to emphasize. The first is. Whether whatever your business is, whatever you're working on when you're in conversation with a potential client or a potential school. It's so important to let them speak more than you speak. Let listen to what their issues are. And I heard this only just recently where I was just clicked. And I remember having conversations where I'm just trying to explain what this thing is. And I'm just talking about it. I'm just kind of throwing stuff at the wall because. I think maybe this is what they want to hear. And it's not to say that we want to listen to them to then just use their words to manipulate anything. But we want to actually understand. Where they're coming from, and the thing about the work of mindfulness yoga, meditation. It's not a panacea by any means, but it can be so widely applicable for different things. So meeting people where they're at. And speaking in that language is so important. And then the training as someone who is trained in adults, Yoga and taught adult. Yoga and asana and try to start to bring in. That to kids once I did a kids specifically Kids mindfulness training and learned different specific tools for kids. You can't teach. Adult Mind Yoga class to preschoolers. It's not going to work out. There's not enough attention you have to learn. There's so many amazing tools I learned through Little Flower Yoga. I learned through you and training with you. So, allison, does these trainings if you're like. Okay. I need to figure out one. But it is just learning. Different mini practices that you're doing with kids that keep it very engaging, that keep it fun is how they're actually going to do it. So I can't emphasize enough that. You can take your yoga and I'm sure you can make if you're creative. Absolutely. You can make it fun. And it'll be great. But when you do a training and you have all this huge toolbox of things that you can bring in, it does make a big difference specifically for. The Work in schools.
Allison: Yeah, absolutely. And you hit the nail on the head. It's tools in your toolbox. And one of the things that I always say. To the people that work for me. Is because every lesson that they do, we have all the lessons written up because we do have programs where we're in schools every week doing regular math practices. So we have a whole curriculum. But you have to be able. To just rip it up and not follow it at all if it's not going that way. When you're there with the kids. Because it's so much about. Emotional connection. And shifting the energy. So you have to really be aware and be present. To what. You're meeting when you come. Into a classroom. So, for example. I went into a classroom, had a whole lesson plan. Everybody's sitting around ready for the lesson, but I could just. See. The whole class is kind of like in a depressing funk. You could just see their whole energy, their body language. And this is I think, like second or third graders. And I turned to the teacher. And I just said, Is there something going on? Like before I came in. Like did I come? And she said actually. One of the students. Is in the hospital with leukemia. And they just finished. Making cards for this student, and they were talking about it. So they were sad. The class was just filled with sadness for their classmate. Who was hospitalized and sick. So that whole lesson plan ripped up. We did meditations of. Sending love. We did movement of filling ourselves up with love energy and healing energy and then sending it to. The student. The whole lesson just focused on. Meeting their need. And helping them process the feelings that they were all having in that moment.
Lou: You mentioned. Having people working for you. And I know you talked about learning in business, the importance of starting to hire out for spaces that aren't in your zones of genius.
Allison: You didn't use those words, but I know you've used it before. We talked about that in the past, right?
Lou: Yeah. So. When did that. Just explain more how you think of that. Because I think this is something very important. Maybe not the beginning. Obviously. If you're new to it but if you've started doing things. It's always helpful to think about what are the things. You don't like doing there's probably someone who can do that thing a lot better and give you more energy to focus on the things that you do, love and grow that way. So how did that learning come to you? Was it just like you're so overwhelmed because you're running to this school? Running to this one, running to this one.
Allison: There's got to be another way. Well. It started with that. It started with, like, oh, my God. I don't like this anymore. I used to love it. I used to love every minute of it. And it's very clear to me.
Allison: It's energy depletion to me, not energy. Gaining to me, so it got to a point where I have to let that go. And that was my first thing. Like, I'm going to just let it go. And. My first move was passing it on to somebody else that really wanted to do it. So I wasn't yet of the mindset of, like, oh, this could be part of my business, but I could hire somebody. I literally gave all this work over to a colleague that I knew really wanted it and would do a really good job. So for me. I just need to know. That the kids I was providing service for we're still going to get high quality, great service by somebody who really wanted to do this work. And then it wasn't until later. In my business evolution that I realized I didn't have to give that up. I could have hired somebody. To do that and kept that business. Which is then what I started to do. Yeah, and. The way that. I decide now.
Allison: What should I give up and pass over? And what should I keep. Is first. What am I enjoying doing. So we started talking before.
Allison: This podcast. And we were talking about how you and I both love to create. Love to create love to create love to create. So. The beginning creations of things. That's in my wheelhouse and I just love that. But now what I used to do is I would totally. Create. To the end. I would do all from the beginning of creation to the end. Birthing it and then marketing it and selling. I did all of it. And now what I notice is depending on what I'm creating, there are parts of it that are. Just so tedious. And not fun for me. Like organizing the content. And it's going to be like a paper thing, like laying it out on paper and making it look pretty. And things like that. So I just break things down and decide what do I love to do? What do I not love to do? And what pieces could I pass off. To somebody else. Something that I. Want to make coaches is sometimes what happens. Is you actually love doing something. But it's a time, sucker. It keeps you from doing more important things in your business. And there are other people. That actually do it better than you. So you kind of need to make that decision. Can you pass that off to somebody else to free you up to doing the other things in your business. That are too expensive to hire somebody else. So you need to kind of suck it up and do it. Or there are other things that actually can move your business. Forward, faster.
Allison: So that's why you had mentioned your zone of genius and. It's a book. I forget. The author is called The Big leap. But there's actually like a worksheet in there. Where. You put in the box, like, what is your zone of absolutely genius. Nobody can do it like you and you love to do. And what are the things. Like, you love to do them, but probably there's somebody that could do them better, right? But you do like to do it. What I usually find is like, ego is wrapped up in there in that box. And then there's another box of like. What do you not like to do? You do it okay. Like you're getting by. But. It's not like you're not that great at it. But you kind of feel like you have to do it. And what are the things in your business? Like you hate doing like you absolutely don't like doing. And you put those four boxes and then you just look at like, okay, where can I find other people. To do some of those things. And it really is amazing when you break it up in that way. Because then. Rather than just like, oh, I'm so overwhelmed with all I have to do in my business. What it does is it chunks it down so you could actually see, like, all right, Where's my overwhelm coming from. It's just like these things. It's everything. Okay. Now I can think of more possibilities of what I could do with those three things.
Allison: So it makes it much more manageable in your mind. To solve the problem.
Lou: The author is Gay hendrix. It's a great book. I read it. I read it multiple times. The Big Leap. So definitely nod to Gay on that. So what are some zones of genius in kids met yoga and meditation world that you see, like, maybe what do you see? The people that where it's not. Maybe someone wants to get into it. But they're like. I want to help kids. I love meditation, mindfulness, but. I don't really want to teach the kids necessarily. Or I'm just curious. What do you see? Because you have people working for you in different capacities. Like what are zones of genius and different options for people if they want to get involved. In Work in education.
Allison: With kids. Yeah. Honestly Lou. There's such a huge range of what you could do. I would almost say that. If somebody's listening and their calling is, I want to do something. In the world. Of kids yoga and mindfulness and making sure that more kids. Have the opportunity. To experience what these practices could bring in their life. You could do anything from a podcast. Like maybe you don't teach kids yoga at all, and you really have no interest in being on a mat with kids. But you just know that there's great value in this for kids. Maybe you want to have a podcast where you bring on other people already doing this work. Just for them to tell the world what it is that they're doing right. So you just want to be an advocate for the work, or maybe you want to have a company. Where.
Allison: You hire people that are already doing this work, but you're finding more work for them. So maybe. They're not good at. Selling what they do. But you are. So you're happy to get on calls and send emails to administrators explaining to them the benefits. And then you have a bunch of people that work for you. And then you schedule them and you put it out there.
Allison: Again. I would almost say that if. That's your passion. If you can marry it up with something that. You can do or you have a desire to do. There are so many ways. You could expand. This work. You can be of great value. In expanding this work for kids.
Lou: I love it. So I'm just thinking of, like, wow, yeah. It would be cool to just have. You can be a salesperson for this. That could be your job. You work in sales. Now, you're like, this isn't unfulfilling what I'm selling, but this would be fulfilling because I believe in it, right? And then that could be it. You find one of us that are like, I don't want to send 100 emails to schools. I would love someone who knows what they're doing to get on calls and sell.
Allison: 1000% And I would say, if you're that person listening, call me. That's one of the things. Here's my zone of genius. Is when I'm on a call. With an administrator, school counselor. Whatever. I love having the conversation. And listening to them and helping them understand. How our program. May be beneficial to them. But. I don't like doing that tedious work. Of bombarding them with emails constantly like that cold call. Like all those calls. I don't like them. I would love to find somebody. That loves to do that.
Lou: Well, I'm curious. How much of your business. Is that now versus word of mouth and connections. Because I've talked to specifically, maybe youth speakers, where they say they've never sent a cold email. It's just continual referral. And I'm like, I've sent thousands. I think I'm not in the right place. I think this left thing's off here. And I don't love being I have people that they send me five emails trying to do, edits for my podcast or whatever. And I realize how I don't love receiving just a bunch of cold emails at all. And so I've done that to so many educators, like, five emails. And I'm like, Man, I don't like the energy that I show up with in that. So all that to be said.
Lou: At the start. Were you doing that. If someone wants to start.
Allison: All right. At the start. I would say before I ever had a coach. It was just word of mouth. I didn't know how to reach out. And then I had a coach, and I was doing more. Short presentations. At administrator meetings and things like that and then giving them a little survey and asking if I can contact them. So I'm already getting their permission to call them and all their information. And I was doing that more. In the trainings that I was doing because I would do a training and. There could be professionals from 100 different schools there. So I would do surveys and ask for would you recommend this to your administrator and give me their email and phone number. And then I would follow up with. Those types of. Potential. Clients.
Allison: The other thing that I've done. Is. Let me just back up. Those types of things. Were energy suckers. And so much time. And very unfulfilling to me. So I sort of went back to okay, this really needs to be word of mouth. But how can I just get more exposure out there? And I started doing a lot more social media on LinkedIn.
Allison: And really my approach. Is I don't want anything from you. I just want to teach you and build your awareness and help you in some way. Everything I put out is very informative. Now that being said. Sometimes in there it's like I'm going to be running a training if you want to come to the training and here's how you sign up. Those offers are probably only 10% of what I do, which most people would say, like, you're crazy. You really should be offering a lot more. But what I find is that. When I'm more. In service. And sharing information that can help people. That feels good to me. And I know from my pants if I stay in the zone of what feels good to me. The universal provide. It will come back to me somehow. And. I don't need to know how. So really my approach. I would say, like in the last year. I asked. Myself the question, what do people need? What do they need? And what can I give them? So a big thing that we've done is I have like a free resource page on my website. Which I got the idea to have because people. Were always. Emailing me like I saw this graphic that you had on your website or at a workshop or whatever. Would you mind if I use it in a lesson? Or would you mind if I use it in a presentation about this, this and this. Yeah. Go ahead. Just make sure you tell them it's from sensational kids. Use it and it was happening all the time. So I'm like, I'm just going to put it up there. So they just know and I have a little Disclaimer like, you can't use this to sell, but use it for any of the work that you're doing. Just please credit sensational kids. And I have to tell you people. From all over the world. Download stuff. From there. And I just get such a kick out of, like.
Allison: South Carolina. I get such a kick out of it. So. I just love creating that kind of content. The other thing is doing podcasts like this. I love doing podcasts. I love it and it's all free information. I think I love it because. I love listening to podcasts. I love it. And I can't tell you how many times I listen to a podcast. And I'm like, I love what that person is saying. I'm going to buy that book or I'm going to look them up to me. That is great value to me. So I feel like I could provide great value to. Other listeners. So that's really honestly. That's my approach. Right now. In my business.
Lou: I love it. You're really talking about the energetics of business in some ways. And really coming from that space. Of being in service, but being in service, not in serving others. Sucks, sacrifice. Service doesn't mean sacrifice. It's like actually, this fills you up so much.
Allison: It is of service to others. But it is also of service to me. And I say that very unapologetically. If it does not fill me up I can't be of service to you. It means that I just want something from you, right? It has to fill me up.
Lou: This might be an overstretch. I don't know. You let me know if you resonate. But Mother teresa used to say, we always think of Mother Trees as like, the most selfless person. But I would pause on that and say, like Mother teresa would see the face of Jesus in the people that she was helping. She felt closest to her source. In that work. And so in simone ways. I don't think she would have done what she did without. How full that kind of work would make her feel so you don't have to be a Mother teresa. That's not where. Your unique fingerprint to fill yourself is in the world, so we all believe have that in some ways.
Allison: Yeah. I think. It's common in our culture. To think that we have to. Self sacrifice in the service of others.
Lou: We have it all wrong.
Allison: All wrong. You cannot be of service to other people if. You are depleted. You're actually doing. A huge. Disservice because they're getting the disingenuing. You. It's not authentic. You. And I also think that it stops people from being. Their authentic self.
Allison: So. You're in total disservice. If what you're doing. Is. Incredibly depleting you. And as I'm saying, this, I'm thinking, oh, my God. Educators quitting educators leaving educators leaving educators.
Allison: But it's true. And you've used this word many times. It's about the energy. Every single thing. Is energy and you want a fair. Exchange whether it's monetary, whether it's about your happiness.
Allison: There has to be an exchange. Otherwise.
Allison: It's really not in service.
Lou: Your purpose seems like it continues to evolve. And we were talking before this. How. You have people running some of your programs, but you're also in a new creation mode. So I'd love to hear you talk about. What's being imagined now and you're journaling practices. What are you thinking?
Allison: About what's exciting you now. Yeah. Well, first let me just say that. I often start creating. When I'm feeling disease. In what I've been doing. It's like the Universe. Nudging me like, all right. There's more in you like you're getting too comfortable here. So I'm going to make you not so happy with what you're doing so that you start looking. For other things. So that's kind of like where I've been. Since COVID working with schools. There's. Lots of challenges there. And we used to do, like, a lot of hand holding. We were in schools, in classrooms. A lot of professional development, and I was just. Getting totally totally drained. But the aspect that. I always love. People have like that AHA moment of. Like Oh. I actually can help myself feel good from the inside out and connect more to like what's in my heart and what my own purpose is.
Allison: So I've just been journaling a lot about. The aspects of. My Genius Zone, Which, Really, yes, it's Creation, but. It's definitely teaching and connecting the science with the practices. So helping people feel safer and more comfortable in the practices that. Might be weird to them.
Allison: And just journaling about. Who is it that I like to teach it to? I like to teach the adults. I love teaching to the teachers. But I feel like ready to help people experience it. A little bit deeper than. What I could go into in just one day kind of workshop and follow up. So sort of imagining. Do I want to be a coach. To adults? Or do I want run retreats? Or do I want to just. Have more classes, more teaching. Sometimes. You don't know. You don't have to know all of the answers. And. Something really. Serendipitous. Happened like two months ago, one of my good friends. She wrote a book about a year ago and it's about female. Kind of like empowerment, but. It's about learning how to have self compassion for yourself.
Lou: Title.
Allison: They give her a plug. Oh, yeah. So the name of the book, her name is C. K. Collins. And the name of the book is the Swipe right effect. So it's like when you swipe right on an app you're choosing. So this is about choosing yourself. Really like finding finding yourself so. It's for anybody, but really. Like people that have been through a whole life. And a life experience and are in really transition and like what's up for. My next feature film of my life and. She created a retreat. It's called Momentum, and I could share the links with you if you want. So she had this vision, this dream of, like ten to 15 women coming for a weekend. And a six month program. And following the chapters of her book. And she just started creating this. And she's like, I don't know how I'm going to do it. I just have this vision. Of doing this. And she knew parts of it. She needed other teachers for but her first experience. She's never done it before. Shouldn't have a huge budget. Full bank account. Let me just hire people and this will be great.
Allison: So she knows I have experience with running retreats and things like this and going over her whole plan. I even said to her, like, you need to have some movement in here. You've got these women here. For three days. Three nights. These are women that have been through some heavy life experiences. There's probably some trauma there. And. It's all great. Everything she plan on, but really. You need to give them some movements, some breath work, some other meditations and things like that. And she's like, yeah, I don't know how I'm going to do all that. So I just, like, offered. I'm just like, that's my wheelhouse. Let me do it, let me help you. And she's like, okay, but I have to pay you. How am I going to do that? I'm like, you don't have to pay me. I want to do this for you. And I was really just so into it for doing it for her, my good friend. Am I so proud of her. For putting all this together. And she's like, I got to pay you, I got to pay you. So I said, look. You can pay me by letting me attend any part of your retreat that I want. So either your sessions, the speaker sessions, whatever. I said, you're right. There needs to be an exchange, right? We're talking about energetic exchange. There needs to be an exchange. But. I'm really happy with that being the exchange. So. That's what we decided. And then. As. I am creating. My three hour session that I'm going to lead. I'm like, I think this is it.
Allison: This is so much fun for me. Planning this whole thing out of. What I want to share with them, what I want to teach them what it could open up for them. That I know there's no other sessions that she's having that are like this. For them and. I'm like now I'm like, okay, universe. I see. This is part of the path. Of me figuring it out. And then the other thing that's so funny is yesterday. I get this email. Okay. It was one of those soliciting emails about a company that organizes your whole retreat. They do everything you come with your content, right? But they help you plan the whole thing of the venue and the food and the accommodations and all that stuff. And I've never gotten an email. I get solicited for a lot of things. Let me do your social media content. Podcast. Bookkeeping I. Have never ever gotten an email. About let us plan your retreat.
Allison: Like, okay, universe.
Lou: I'm playing with it. I'm playing with it. I love that so much. Steel. Follow your energy. Follow what feels good, what's not what fills you? What doesn't deplete you. We were just talking about beforehand, too. Of, like, there's things that. Yeah, it doesn't matter. I just want to do it. Whatever money, not sometimes that doesn't. Oftentimes that keeps us going. But that's not the energy that's really part of the work of what we're creating. So following that super inspired you are helping me get clear. Clearer on my decision coming up today, which the listeners maybe I'll talk about it on the podcast because I think I'm curious. Now I'm expecting something to happen. Really, when we say no to something, doors open up. But now I'm noticing expectation or attachment to it. So it probably is not going to happen. But Allison. I'd love maybe two more things. First a book or books, and please recommend your own because you have some amazing kind of manuals that people can find for kids, mindfulness and yoga, but any other books that you might recommend. In that space or any that maybe come to mind that aren't in that space.
Allison: Yeah. So thank you for letting me give a plug to mine. You could actually see one of them right behind me. So. We have two manuals like Teachers, Guides for sharing breath, movement and mindfulness. With students from kindergarten all the way up through 12th grade. Both those manuals are first sale. On the website. I think. What I'm most proud of with. Those two books. Is that. It really, really simplifies. And makes the practices very easy to implement, even if you have absolutely no experience doing this. And even though because everything's scripted the science is there explains to you how. Is this related to what you're doing in the classroom every day, whether it's like you're teaching math or you're teaching reading. And how can these practices. Help you. All of that is there. And it also ties in social emotional learning. Which a lot of schools they don't have a plan for that right now. So this easily ingrains it in what you're doing. And the other aspect is teacher well being and self care. That's all in the books as well. So. I'm super proud of those. I would say that you asked me about other books. That I'm reading or interested in. I'm definitely on somatic. Embodiment. Polyvagal. Deep dive. I have been for quite a while the two books that I'm just like flipping through. Right now back and forth and loving and they happen to be by two colleagues of mine. So I don't even know. The exact title so one of them. Is. Now I'm just. Absolutely. Drawing a blank, so it's embodiment. In Trauma Work by Catherine Cook. Catone that just came out from pessi. It's fabulous. The other one. It's also trauma informed yoga and mindfulness through a polyvagal lens and. That's by. Spence. Can I see your face. It's so Funny. Joanne Spence.
Allison: And. The other book is by Deb dana. So Deb dana. She's More in the world. Of psychology and psychotherapy. But again. It's about that the polyvagal lens in what we're doing. And I think the other plug I really would like to give if somebody is really interested in working in schools is all of the work of lori De Saltis. She is a PhD. She started. Applied neuroscience in education. Applied Educational Neuroscience, which takes like all the I mean current neuroscience. And puts it in a trauma informed lens. Of really creating a new culture of school and how we connect and interact with the children that we sit beside every day. So she has a few books out there that. They are spectacular. And spot on.
Lou: Amazing, super helpful. And people can also can they buy the video course with your workbooks?
Allison: Is that something that they can do on a single Yeah. Along with having the manuals we also have. An online self paced course. When you buy it, you get it for the whole year which it has professional development. About things like how the brain really wires and the brain body connection. Social, emotional learning. About behavior, about educator well being. So it has about an hour and a half of professional development like for the teachers and then over 40 videos. Of two to three minute practices. Where it's really for direct student instruction. So it's as if we're in the classroom with your students leading the practices. And what educators love about that is it's at your fingertips, right? Everybody's plugged into the Internet, and every educator gets their own login. But it's done in a way where educators can do the practices with their students because the practices are really about rebalancing. And reregulating the nervous system, the mind and the body. So it's not only our students that need it. Our teachers need it too, so they can take those few minutes for themselves at the same time. So they don't need to be the ones leading the practices and that's all available. On the sensational Kids website.
Lou: Super robust. I'm so admire your body of work. And what you've been able to create. It's really super valuable. So. Definitely check that out if it's calling to you. And sensational kids.com. What's the social? Any socials where people can find you.
Allison: Yeah. So we're on Instagram. I'm on LinkedIn. Linkedin. It's Alice in Morgan. Facebook. I've done a little bit on TikTok, but it's more Instagram. Facebook, LinkedIn. And the other thing that I would say is that if people. Are interested in the work and the content that if you go on the website and sign up for our newsletter. The other thing that I've been doing a lot of is writing a lot of articles. Just keeping people informed of, like what's the science saying, what are some easier ways that we can handle some of the common issues that we're having with kids, with ourselves. In classrooms. So if you sign up for the newsletter, you'll get notified. Like when we have new free content, new videos.
Lou: Or articles. I don't think I'm on your newsletter. I feel like I'm not getting these. If you download one of those free things, I'm assuming that gets added to your newsletter, too.
Allison: Right. Well, here's the funny thing. All these things, like what you hire people for and what you try to do yourself and whatnot so in the last year, I've created all these new things, new offerings. On the website, and then what I'm realizing is, like, Great, I'm giving out all this stuff. But. I don't have it linked up in a way to send them more. When there's more. And I'm asking them for their email, but I don't have that little plug in thing. Like zapier. These little things. So I two months ago, I hired a company to go through my whole website. And just see, where do I have these links that are missing? And again, it's about service. It's about me being able to reach more people to just give them so that they don't get lost in, like, oh, you downloaded that post or that workbook. Where I could still just keep them. In the community kind of thing.
Allison: We have a bunch of more new things coming because. This company, they're giving me some really good ideas of how I could still again add value. With things. That I'm creating.
Lou: Amazing. Go check that out. Allison. So so fun to connect and share the space with you. Thanks for having.
Allison: Thanks for coming on. Yeah. Thank you for having me on. I love talking with you. I really do. I have to say I'm so inspired by you. And all the things because. We've been in conversation and work together, polly, for I don't know, four years.
Allison: Four or five years. And to see. What. You are creating. Truly, from your heart, of what inspires you and what fills you. It's just fabulous. Yeah, I'm proud of you and happy for you and happy for people that are in your circle.
Lou: That means a lot coming from you. Thank you, Allison. All right, friends. We will see you next time.
Lou: That was so much fun. I could talk to you for hours. I know. That was great. That was great. I always have, like, too many questions prepared and not enough time to get to everything.
Allison: Yeah. That's fine. Sometimes. It ends up being the right things were said. For whoever is supposed to hear it exactly of what they need. Yeah, super fun. So, how many podcasts have you done so far.
Lou: I rebranded. I guess it may be like 30 something. But I started. In February, March, Maybe. And then I rebranded the podcast in may. Specifically towards this niche. Of. It's broadened. It's kind of focused, like meditation guides, creators, coaches. I think it's opening up to. A soul you want to bring your soul's work to the world. Type of like this is like a podcast for those people and it was inspired by. I have a friend. Who invited me to. Be like kind of a mentor co teacher on he's running a meditation teacher certification. We ran. It's about to graduate this Saturday in February. And me being on those calls. I hate doing things at night. I don't have the energy to do things that night. Me too. I would get on those calls. I would get on. Sometimes I would have to. I had like a mentoring group that was with specific people from the training. And I would get on a call at 08:00 p.m. And it was just energizing, like I just loved being supporting these people, having the actual experience. I loved it. It was so fun where I'm like, I love working with this specific type of people. And so in May, I kind of just felt like I want to shift gears because the podcast before was super. My heart wasn't in it because it was just a place to put other things. Like I had content. And I was interviewing some people, but I didn't know who I was talking to. I didn't know. Who we were actually helping. It was just kind of like a random. Now I know. And so. It's really like invigorated a lot of things. Like a lot of inspiring things. Like this group. I just started a like I mentioned to you like a mastering group that started yesterday and. It's kind of like an add on from this podcast in many ways, so it's been cool to kind of see that evolve. It's definitely not. My whole thing right there's still this other. Broader audience for sure that I want to speak to. But at this point. I'm really seeing it as a gift like you mentioned. I have all these things I want to share and. It's a great way to make connections. This year, my word has been networking. I've been in a hole for so long where this year, I'm really making connections with so many different people.
Allison: Yeah, it's funny that you say that. Because. I didn't speak on that. But that kind of. Has been my thing too. Of just if I get an impulse that I should reach out to somebody, or even I find somebody online. That like, oh, that inspired me. Just like, just email them and tell them. And maybe they want to hop on a call for no other reason. Than just. To connect. And maybe it ends there. Or maybe. You just don't know but Yeah. I totally, totally agree. Like who should I talk to? About whatever. I don't know. Especially I think when you're looking for something new. Like you can't stay in your own head. Your own head only has the ideas you've done.
Lou: Yes. So good. Should hit record again that's good.
Allison: Maybe next time.
Allison: Yeah.
Allison: And that's the other reason why. I have loved doing podcasts. And it's one of the things this company. I'm going to have them start reaching out to other podcasters to be on. Because. It's like I hear myself talk. In service of others. And then I start listening to what I'm saying. I'm like, yeah, Alison. That's a great.
Allison: I really love.
Lou: Being on podcasts. I think that's a great move, right. To have someone else pitching you and you have. A really interesting cool thing that I think people.
Lou: Shining and I think it makes sense. It sounds like. You're in this and obviously. As myself. I know I need to be careful when I step into this, but you're in this really owning your thought leadership. I know that's a buzzword in many ways, but of owning that you've done a lot, you have this experience and really maybe presenting like you said to that wider audience that isn't maybe. It's more adults living life too. That isn't just education, but.
Allison: Yeah. And that's really it. I really feel like I want to step beyond. Just education. And maybe what happens is I do something that educators happen to be drawn. Toward but it's them being drawn on their own because they want to do the work. Yes, Right, Yes.
Allison: There's just so much global healing that needs to happen. Yes. It really does.
Allison: Reaching more broader audience. Having. Kids and doing my thing. But having sort of, like, another leg, and I don't know. I've been playing around, like, yesterday. I'm like, well, maybe I should have another website, and maybe I should create something. I always go to that. Kind of strategy. Then would need a name? Should it be my name? And then I'm like, Alison. Shut the fuck up. That doesn't matter. Just. Do what you're doing. It's just going to come to you. I remember when the name sensational Kids came to me. I was on a walk up a Hill, and it just like, Boom, like that's. It.
Lou: Not that you're asking for, but I think just owning Alison, more like really owning that kind of personal brand in that way. I think. It feels like it makes sense, right? You have sensational, kids. And you have now this new thing. Yeah. I'll say that drop that. Just quick question. I wanted to ask you this on the podcast, but you keep talking about it. I don't know if there's just anything that could be helpful, but how do you hire.
Lou: Do you reach out to people like, hey, have you worked with someone or even coaches. Do you go. On Instagram. I'm going to find like a coat. Who do I resonate with. Yeah. I didn't think that was the case, but some people do that.
Allison: Yeah.
Allison: The people that work for me. In the schools.
Lou: Came to me.
Allison: Sure. Yeah. I've never hired anyone. That like I took in resumes. And. They were people. That. I had some kind of connection with literally the three people that worked for me in schools now, like hounded me. Sure. Do you have any work? Do you have any work? I want to work for you. I love your work. I love your work. It's great.
Lou: That's how they came. Is Mary still doing stuff for you?
Allison: No, we're still very connected. Very connected. But no because. She really did more of. You know how I was saying, like when I'm. Creating something. And there are all these pieces that. I can't do she's so great at organizing prioritizing, keeping everybody on. Management. And then when I was doing a lot of. Trainings in schools. She would come with me. And be my assistant. Sometimes she was teaching her own my training, like in another room, like we were both. There. But. It's all changed. But we still talk all the time. We're still very connected with each other's. Families. And whatnot she's great. How about like. That's how I hire people that work for me, like boots on the ground.
Lou: I need to know them.
Allison: Sure. Yeah, totally. I need to know them. In fact, it's funny because. You were talking about. This other thing that you might just say. No to even though it's money, whatever. So. I had a request. For a school on the Upper West Side, and a mother daughter. Yoga group. And they want it. With some kundalini Yoga in it. So my first thing is like, no, that's a hell no to me.
Allison: I don't even want to go there. I'll call Jennifer, like, Little Flower Yoga could do it. But then they said, kundalini Yoga. And then I'm just like, you know what? I have. One. Person that works for me in Southern New Jersey. Who she actually could do it like she's got the skill to do it. Or maybe she'd know somebody. So I'm like, I'll do one email. One tax. And if that works out with that one text, then that's fine. We'll do it. Otherwise. It's a hard no for me. That's how I hire people that are boots on the ground. If I am doing something. Like. Technology like this company that I just hired to do all of. This. I have a friend that does have a coaching business. And she uses them. And every time I'm talking to her, she's like, oh, my God. Molly's so amazing. Molly just did this for me, and Molly suggested this and talking about them. So I'm like, I think I need to talk to that. Molly. Yeah. Great. It comes from a recommendation. And. I think that those recommendations come to me when I start getting clearer on identifying what it is that I need. And just sort of saying to the universe like, I really need somebody to do. This. I know. I knew those connections weren't working. And. I did have like the person that designed the website. I love him. He's awesome. He's great. He did a good job. These integrations and connections. They don't piss him off. It's just like that's not his thing. So it's always extra work for him. And I feel like I'm asking him to do something that's not a hell yes for him. But he does it for me just because it's me and we have a nice relationship. But I don't want to do that. I don't want to do that. And then I also have somebody that manages all the online. Courses. But I also know that I need to change something with all those. Online courses. Which essentially they're all on kajabi right now, and I'm moving them all over to my website.
Lou: On a wordpress platform.
Allison: Called Academy.
Lou: Okay. Yeah.
Allison: That's going to be a big move. We're almost done.
Lou: It has been a project.
Allison: So I knew that I needed to do that. And then molly came into from the universe, right? For my friend kareen and molly's doing all of it. I mean, there's a lot of groundwork I had to do with all the videos and whatever. But anyway. So for that second level of hire, it's sort of like, I have to identify what it is that I need, and then the person kind of shows up. I just like, listen, I just listen to the signs of the universe sends me. Of okay. Here you go. And I don't question it. That's the other thing. Sometimes. You just have to make a decision and make it the right decision. And something that a coach said to me once. Is just. Know quickly when you have to hire, but know quickly when you have to fire. Give it a shot but if it's not working out don't wait forever. Not working out. And that's okay. And I think having that kind of phrase. It sort of has given me permission to just pull the plug. Like, okay, let's go for it. I'm willing to invest that amount of money.
Lou: Moves forward, right. You'll learn right. Making a decision. You learn good or bad, and then you make a new decision.
Allison: Exactly. It's okay. If every hire. Is not like. The best thing ever there's always something to learn from it, but just. Know when you need to say goodbye yeah? You need to say goodbye and then. There's also. There are certain things like I've hired from upwork. But those are like one shot deals. I just need you to take all this content, make it pretty. How much are you going to charge me one shot deal? You screw it up. I'm out. $50. But I just need somebody to just do that. One shot. Kind of kind of deal. And then you were asking me about coaches.
Allison: My first coach. Actually contacted me through LinkedIn. And. I had in my mind I want a coach. I had looked into a couple of different programs. One and nothing clicked. This woman reached out to me through LinkedIn. We had a couple of conversations. And there was something really liked about her and trusted about her. And it was a lot of money. I never invested in money. I want to say the first thing I did with her. And this is going back. Like close to ten years ago. Maybe eight years ago. Was like thousands, thousands of dollars. But I'm just like, you know what? I'm investing in me.
Allison: Because I was at a point where I'm running this business. I'm making pretty good money, but I'm not organized. Like I'm doing. I don't have a business background at all.
Allison: And I stayed with her for, like, a couple of years. She was great. I learned so much. I still used things that I've learned from her. And then my next coach, which then I did for two years. Was somebody who was always in the back, who was popping up for me. And watched a lot of her videos. Liked what she had to say. Like I followed her for a while, before. I went to see her. Live, talking. And then. I was sold from it was like a half day free workshop that she did in the city. For a half day, it'll either be a hell yes or hell no. And then I just signed up on the spot. And it was a two year commitment, a monthly payment. It was a lot of money.
Lou: Too. Was it like a group thing?
Allison: That one more. So. Yes. Cool. And the first person. The first coach that I had. It started one on one. And then she transitioned to just doing groups. And I'm like, I don't know if I want a group, whatever. But then I'll I'll try it.
Allison: And the second one was all group. And what I liked the best about the second one. Because in order to join. The second one, you had to be making a certain amount of money. So it was definitely like a caliber.
Lou: Of where you're at in your business and also a lot of self work, probably too.
Allison: Yeah. So. What I love the most about it was the people that were in that group. That. I had daily contact with. Because they have you have an accountability partner. So every morning 08:00 in the morning. Monday through Friday. We were on the phone like on Zoom. Wow, with each other. And it was great minds to pull from. So I also felt like I could say to my accountability partner. I'm really wondering about this in my business, and I'm not sure about DA, DA, DA, DA? And they're like, Oh. You know, kathy, our last time we were all together, she sat in the back table to the right, like she just did something with that in her business.
Lou: Why don't you give her a call.
Allison: And said, oh, let me share that with you.
Allison: That was invaluable.
Lou: Yeah, I love that. And it's affirming this group that I just started with a very spirit similar of like, hey, you're all inspiring. Me too. It's not just about me. You guys have the puzzle pieces for each other. And we've come together for a reason.
Allison: So getting out of the way in that way. 1000%? Yeah. This retreat that I'm leading a session in next week. They already started. I think every two weeks, they're on a call.
Allison: So the last one that they had. I'm like, Kelly, I want to be on the call because. It would make what I'm going to share with them for only three minutes. So much more on target to what they need if I get a sense of where they are. I could guess I could tell you what I would do as an introduction. But if I know where they are, I could tailor it to the group. So go, that makes so much sense.
Allison: Would you start us off with, like, a meditation? I'm like, how about I'll do a start us off and I'll start with something so they could get a feel of. What it's going to be like. And the whole time that I'm on that call like listening to her teaching and then them sharing and whatnot. I'm like you are all meant to be here. Like together. In this group. Like divinely inspired.
Allison: What you are all sharing. And me included. I was meant to be on this call today because. I'm learning from them. At the same time. Those groups.
Allison: They really are powerful. Yes, they're really powerful.
Allison: I think in order to lead them. You need to have. A certain level. Of confidence in what you know. Awareness of what you don't know. And faith that. It'll all be okay.
Allison: Because I also know from being coached from leading things like that. That people could be when you're doing deep work. I mean, you know, this people could be really triggered. Yeah, and. Don't know. What they're going to say or do and they don't care who else is on the call or in the room. So you really need to be able to. Read it. And address what comes in a very safe way.
Lou: Yeah. That's the art of the facilitation for sure.
Allison: Yeah. Yes. Because. On the call. In the last group there was one person on there. She was really triggered. Really the whole time she was like. Stone like stone face. And. She shared something.
Allison: In her. Intro because Kelly the facilitator said if everybody could just say your name where you're from and one thing about you. That. Allison certainly won't know. But maybe nobody else knows. And the one thing that she shared, I was just. Like oh, boy. Oh boy.
Allison: I already know then I saw her whole demeanor. I'm like, I totally get. I totally, totally get the guardedness and the anger that you don't even realize, like. You're even showing that just in your being.
Allison: And. After the call, I called Kelly, my friend who's leading this. And all I wanted to do was give her a big hug and. You know, I said, I'm sure you know this, but you need to be really gentle. There like there's a lot. Going on for that woman.
Allison: And.
Lou: You got to be really careful.
Allison: You need to support her and not do more harm. Because things can trigger her. In my planning out what I'm doing. I'm already thinking. About like, she's not going to be able to do that. She's not going to be able to go that deep. And then on my notes. I keep writing. Remember to give choice, Remember to give choice, Remember to give choice. Like only go as deep as what feels comfortable to you. Like, make sure you say that, make sure you say that make sure you say that. Yes.
Lou: That's amazing that you took the time to understand and have that understanding going into it.
Allison: Yeah. I think you have to is that you or me.
Lou: Yeah.
Allison: This is so fun. I'm excited for you, I'm excited for you.
Lou: I always feel lighter after I talk to you. So I'm inspired just by being in your presence.
Allison: Thank you.
Lou: You are so sweet.
Allison: You're so sweet. Well, I hope that we don't wait.
Lou: What a year before we. Connect again. Yes. Let's not do that. I'll let you know. I'll send you a message when all this stuff is out.
Allison: Yeah. And we'll put it through our social and all that. Things you want me to add to
Lou: it or whatever I'm happy to.
Allison: Awesome.
Lou: Allison. Take care. To you you too bye bye.