The Future is Stigma Free

One day in the not too distant future I hope mental health is treated like we treat physical health. I hope I see people meditating like they are exercising. I hope I see people going to check ups with a psychiatrist or counselor like they do their primary care doctors. I hope we admire someone’s peaceful state of mind and emotional maturity like we do their bodies and fitness routines. I hope we digest educational podcasts and books like we eat healthy foods. I hope we refuse garbage for our minds like we do with foods that make us feel gross. I hope we hold each other accountable to our mental health goals as effectively as our fitbits and pedometers.

Ultimately, I hope we regard mental health as important as our physical health, and end the stigma that surrounds it. The only way to do that is to talk about it. Start by wearing a shirt like this one. 100% of the sales of this shirt go to Bring Change to Mind. And for every post that uses #thefutureisstigmafree on Twitter or Instagram $5 will be donated to Bring Change to Mind.

Because, you see, taking care of your mental health not only impacts you, but those around you. ✨🌻 You can get your shirt at Saks Fifth Avenue or Off Fifth. 

ENDING THE STIGMA SURROUNDING MENTAL HEALTH

I'm super excited to share with you a cool collaboration with Standard Wax, a local candle company here in Phoenix. They have developed the YAY candle with a scent that is meant to brighten your day, and $5 of every purchase is donated to Bring Change to Mind - a non-profit devoted to ending the stigma surrounding mental illness. 

As part of this collaboration I have shared some of my experiences with seeking counseling and prioritizing my mental health. You can read the entire interview on their blog. 

I hope that my journey encourages others to seek help. There are just some things you can't fix on your own, and it's okay to ask for help. In fact, it's more brave to ask for help than it is to white knuckle it. Feel free to email me with any questions you may have. 

Photography by Lunabear Studios.

Pinterest 2018 Home Design Award Winner

AHHH! I'm so happy to share with you that my bedroom has won a Home Design Award from Pinterest for Best Bedroom! YAY! 

If you want more home inspiration, be sure to follow me on Pinterest. Click here!  And you are curious what home trends Pinterest thinks are hot, be sure to check out their trend report. 

THIRTY-THREE

The end of 33. I crossed miles of desert to stand where I began. A California girl coming back home. My feet touched the waters edge, the golden sun lit up the sky and the breeze blew through me.

What lies behind me is a story of perseverance, pain, destruction, and death, and what lies before me has always been and will always be hope.

Mile after mile, day after day, I crawled, walked, ran and was carried through the dirt. All that has kept me going through this year was the hope that being deserted in a desert surely couldn’t be the end, and I wouldn’t let it be the end. I would rather die. And if I died, I my soul wouldn’t settle for that either. It would only be a door to more. I just knew it in my bones, and I was right.

Resurrection was waiting for me on the other side of surrender. New life, new beauty, new perspective, new heart, new mind, new family, new dreams.

Much was taken from me, but more was given back. This is holy ground.

I have no formula for walking through divorce. It’s a different path for everyone. But I will tell you the only answer is surrender. You can’t white knuckle this and you can’t do it on your own. You can try like I did, but hope in your own power is a mirage that will fade.

It was by falling face down that I stood up. What was meant for destruction God used for restoration. And not just replacing knowing I am a good wife and mom. Oh no! Wounds that go deep from childhood were healed. Anything that challenged the notion that I wasn’t worthy of love, beautiful, significant, sexy, wild, fun...All of it was redeemed.

You are staring at a woman I have never seen before yet was made this way. You are seeing a heart that knows no darkness anymore only light.

And the biggest gift of all was eliminating any doubt that God is for me not against me.

This is no esoteric bullshit. There is no guy filling a void behind the scenes. I still wipe butts alone. I still work two jobs. Plenty of challenges to come, but any flames will only refine me further. That I am sure of.

“But Alex if you only knew what happened...” Trust me, friend, I know. ❤️ But you will rise. 🔥Take these photos as proof. 33 you are my favorite year. 34, see you tomorrow. 

**Amazing photography by Megan Nicole Photo. Book your resurrection shoot with her stat!**

EMPOWERED WITH UBER

Uber has been doing an amazing job recently of focusing conversation and awareness on women's empowerment. They have asked me to share what it means to be an empowered woman. I couldn't be more excited about a campaign goal and message.

When I thought about what makes me feel empowered I had to think back to moments when I have felt powerless and why I felt that way. Times I felt powerless have been when I didn't feel heard, understood or felt ignorant.

And I think the origin of that powerlessness is in my childhood. I was told a lot that I was stupid and was ignored a lot. The way I would react to those things would be through yelling, talking back, or be over-dramatizing and exaggerating things to get my parents to listen. I think many times adults can do the same thing, but as I grew and realized that behavior wasn't effective at all, and, rather, backfired, I started channeling my frustration into music and writing. Ultimately, it was a focus on communication in college and in my career that has made me feel more empowered than ever.

For me, what makes me feel empowered is having a voice in people’s lives as an influencer and giving other people voices to tell their stories as a content creator and account manager at an influencer agency. Communicating messages that are important to me and important to others breathes life into me. It’s like my Wheaties for this super power I have developed through hours of practice and years of learning. It has been what has spurred me on to become a leader in the influencer space, Pinterest marketing, social media strategy and content production. By day I’m an agency badass and by night I’m a storyteller of my life through imagery and writing on social media. It has been that way for over ten years, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

This past week, I flew to San Francisco, Fresno and San Diego for work. I spent my days in SF at Pinterest headquarters where I was a speaker for their first creator’s conference, In the Making. It was an amazing time helping people learn how to effectively partner with the brands they love to fuel their businesses. I also got to spend time with my peers and fellow creatives and learn from them.

I then flew to Fresno and San Diego to produce a short video all about the farmers that devote their lives to organic farming of peaches and supplying the world with the tasty fruit for Ralphs. I produced the team, ran the art direction and messaging and styled some of the content. It was an epic week of empowerment and empowering others.

I’d love to hear what makes you feel empowered most. Did you find you also devoted your line of work to your source of power?