"Be super connected to what you’re doing and why" with Alisha Carlson
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Alisha Carlson is a Non-Diet Lifestyle Coach and founder of The Strong[HER] Way. She works with boss minded women using her signature faith-fueled food freedom, fitness, and lifestyle approach. Alisha is passionate about helping women feel better in their bodies without waiting on the weight.
Can you tell our readers about your background?
I’m Alisha Carlson, a non-diet lifestyle coach for entrepreneurial-minded women who know they were created to make an impact. I’m a certified nutrition and functional fitness coach.
I've been in the industry for over a decade, and have gone from a total couch potato to figure competitor after two kids. After developing severe disordered eating and body dysmorphia. I've found that to be truly healthy and fit is not found in the extremes, but rather in the middle ground.
It is my mission to help my clients gain control and confidence around food + in their bodies.
I help women feel better in their bodies through nutrition, movement, and mindset work using a non-diet approach. This way they can focus on building their businesses and their lives, not on losing weight.
I teach a faith-fueled approach to food freedom, fitness, and lifestyle transformation.
What inspired you to start your business?
After struggling with food, exercise, and my own poor body image it became my life’s mission to help women find freedom from the mental and emotional bondage the diet mindset has put them in. During my own personal transformation, I discovered how powerful I felt in my life and in my body. I wanted to give that gift to other women.
Where is your business based?
My business is based in the US on the West Coast in Oregon. However, I work virtually too, so am only limited by the wifi connection.
How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?
After getting my degree in Exercise Science and nutrition with an emphasis on behavior change, I jumped right into virtual coaching. Initially, I worked with another company as an independent contractor. Which wasn’t all that different than when I worked behind the chair as a hairstylist.
After a couple of years working with that company, something started to feel ‘off’ to me. I had a come-to-Jesus moment, realized I had been dieting and selling diets, but calling it a healthy lifestyle.
It was then, I pivoted my messaging, learned about Health at Every Size, Intuitive Eating, Diet Culture, and the anti-diet movement.
After doing some research and internal work, I developed the non-diet approach which is a culmination of over 12 years of personal and professional experience.
Once I had a (new) direction, I found the work on personal branding, niching, and messaging became much easier. Once I had figured out who I was talking to, I started studying how to talk to them in my content.
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?
I’d say the most effective way to raise awareness about my movement and business has been PR outreach, networking and just telling people what I do, and of course, putting out some sort of valuable pillar content somewhere that allows me to show my expertise and position myself as an authority in this space.
What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
Hands down, limiting beliefs and mindset work. A second one would be shiny object syndrome--trying to do all the things at once and not giving anything enough time to work.
To tackle the first of my big challenges, I’ve committed a ton of time and energy to coach myself. Finding mentors in the space and borrowing their beliefs as my own until they become mine.
For the second one, I just have to remind myself to put my blinders on every single day. Sometimes multiple times a day. The reality is, there are infinite ways to build a successful business. There is no right or wrong way (unless it’s unethical). So you have to have a clear vision of where you’re headed and how you want to build your business. Then work on the belief it will work, put in the work daily to take steps toward it.
How do you stay focused?
It’s my superpower. And also my Achilles heel. But seriously, I tend to be one of the weird ones that will work on something until I get it figured out. This is great, but without checks and balances, it can become unhealthy.
Practically speaking though, I write down my huge, scary goals daily and then I visualize for a moment the feeling and the experience of living that. I use vision boards to keep me seeing what I want throughout the day.
I am also extremely clear and attached to the why behind what I do. I truly believe every single woman has a gift that only she has. It’s her responsibility to share that gift, and it’s my job to ensure she is confident enough, energized, and strong enough to keep going.
How do you differentiate your business from the competition?
I’d say infusing my faith and my straight forward methodology is my secret sauce. It’s about finding the space between legalism with food rules and diets and the ‘why bother’ attitude.
What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?
Honestly, it’s just been meeting people, telling them what I do, and making high quality offers to help them if it feels appropriate. And being extremely clear on who I am helping so I can create content I am excited about and excited to share.
What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
Be super connected to what you’re doing and why. Don’t forget to build your lifestyle along with your business, and don’t forget to implement. So many people (myself included) get caught up in acquiring more information. You need to put it to work at some point.
What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?
Honestly depends on my mood. My favorite app right now is Google because it has a ton of functionality and I can access the tools on all my devices. My favorite book is the Bible, as cheesy as that may sound it is the only book that I’ve read multiple times and haven’t gotten tired of it. But, if that isn’t your thing, then I really like Mindset by Carol Dweck or The Magic of Thinking Big.
What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?
I am loving Asana right now for project management and content management. Again, I can access it on my phone or laptop or anywhere I have the App. This makes it easy to make changes or add ideas on the fly. Plus I am pretty visual and have a hard time with spreadsheets. So I love the different layouts--either board or list-based.
Who is your business role model? Why?
Brooke Castillo is doing amazing things in the life coaching industry, and I admire her work and her belief, and what she’s building. I think she has really put this industry on the map, and I am so grateful.
If I could pick a second it would be Jeff Bezos or Steve Jobs. They changed their industries radically. Doing what no one thought was possible. That’s what I am working on in the health/fitness industry.
How do you balance work and life?
This is especially tricky when you work from home (which is all of us right now just about). I set work hours, communicate what’s going on with my family. Unplug on the weekends and the evening. To me, balance isn’t the same amount of time to both work and life. It’s looking at what needs more attention and in what area. Then taking from another area that is doing well. It’s dynamic and always changing.
What’s your favorite way to decompress?
Right now, it’s a glass of chilled white or rose on the back porch with my husband. Or walking my dogs in the morning. Both are pretty inexpensive and bring me so much joy. It really is the simple things.
What do you have planned for the next six months?
I am going to continue working on my business plan--which includes filing my 1:1 coaching practice, developing my brand character, and practice showing up as the woman I want to be in this life.
How can our readers connect with you?
If you’re curious about the non-diet lifestyle, you can check out The Strong[HER] Way Show on all major podcast platforms. Head to alishacarlson.com to learn more about how I can help you. And if you wanna get social, I’m on Instagram @alishacarlson_ or FB @thealishacarlson.