Today we’d like to introduce you to Alicia Buchanan.
Alicia, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Once upon a time, I was 330 pounds overweight, depressed, stressed and broken. Unfortunately, these challenges got me exiled or kicked out of the Black church I was attending about 10 years ago. It seemed that my exile was not only tied to the stigma surrounding my breakdown but also to my sincere obsession with being everything to everyone else but myself. At the time the extent of my over-involvement other than nurturing my own emotions led to a deep depression. My mindset was to stay busy helping other people to numb the pain. However, my soul was crying out to resolve the grief that I suppressed from losing close loved ones.
Forgiveness was the first step in reclaiming my power, moving past the shame, traveling to East Africa alone to do mission work, starting my own family and online business. I had a dream to start my own business and ministry to help women and families to be healthy in their everyday lives, heal from their pain and reduce the stigma of mental health issues in our churches.
Fast forward, I found my calling to teach other and to transform my own family’s life through my journey in starting a family business. Change is one of the constant things in life along with our walk with God. If you are not evolving, then you put yourself in the path of becoming extinct. It’s never too late to reinvent yourself and fight for your life. God gives us second chances every day, so why would a person deny themselves their divine right. As women are transitioning from being stuck in the past and stepping into their greatness, my community and I are ready to support them on their journey.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It was not easy getting support from my family when I first started in business. I also encountered negativity from other women in business when I attempted to collaborate with them and was taken advantage of several times. What helps me to get through this is my accountability to God and a community of like- minded entrepreneurs and kingdom builders. As with any endeavor in life, you will face the good and bad. I take the bad with a grain of salt and let it motivate me to keep doing what I was created to do.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I am proud to be an unapologetic Christian woman entrepreneur not afraid to be different. The community I am building is a diverse group of women and families who all have a unique story. I had a dream to start a business and ministry to help Black families to be emotionally healthy in their everyday lives, heal from their past and reduce the stigma of mental health issues in our churches. I created a forgiveness journal to help alleviate emotional and psychological pain, embrace their truth and move forward in their journey. It is the same strategy that remains a staple in my natural wellness routine and has helped me to be able to lose over 100 pounds.
What’s the most important piece of advice you could give to a young woman just starting her career?
The advice I would give to young women just starting in their journey of transition in life and business is to trust God first in all things. Then, believe in yourself like your life depends on it because no one will believe in you as much as you do. Stay the course and don’t quit. Do it afraid. If there is something you want to do, don’t be afraid to explore your opportunities. Stop waiting and start now.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.aliciabuchanan.com
- Email: hirealiciabuchanan@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/1aliciabuchanan
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/1aliciabuchanan
- Twitter: www.aliciabuchanan.com/1aliciabuchanan
- Other: bit.ly/aliciabyoutube
Image Credit:
J Golden Photography
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