We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alison Reaume a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Alison, so happy to have you on the platform and I think our readers are in for a treat because you’ve got such an interesting story and so much insight and wisdom. So, let’s start with a topic that is relevant to everyone, regardless of industry etc. What do you do for self-care and how has it impacted you?
Self-care for me is a non-negotiable, but it isn’t something that I do or something that I check off a list. It’s how I function and live my life.
It used to be something that happened, when I had time. It wasn’t a priority but when I made the decision to makie self-care a non-negotiable this has allowed me to be more effective in everything that I do, whether that is supporting and working with clients, teaching yoga classes, or just being human.
Like many, I’ve pushed myself beyond my capacity, done ALL the things I thought I was supposed to do in order to be successful. I ignored what my body was screaming at me until I had no choice but to stop. Now, Self-care is baked into how I work AND live. It’s how I make decisions, how I schedule my week, how I build my business through boundaries, rest, and saying no even when it’s uncomfortable. It’s more than bubble baths, and yoga classes (I do those too) but about knowing what I need in order to stay clear, steady, and creative.
By knowing my own energy levels and carving out space in my calendar for the non-rushed dog walk, scheduling the end and beginning of my work day, quality time with the ones I love and time for the things that light me up, ensures that I’m more effective in the work I do so I respond instead of reacting. It allows me to be in a place where I can lead, not scramble. I can enjoy my work, and the life I’ve built. Effectiveness doesn’t come from doing more but rather comes from doing what matters from a regulated, grounded place.
If I’m going to show up for my clients, hold space in yoga classes and yoga teacher trainings, to keep businesses (mine included) moving behind the scenes, and still have energy left for my own life, I have to have clear boundaries in everything that I do. That’s what self-care is to me.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
For over two decades I’ve supported CEOs, entrepreneurs, wellness professionals, and over-capable humans in building businesses that are not only sustainable but feel good to run. My work lives at the intersection of strategy, operations, and soul.
I started my career supporting high-level executives in corporate environments, building systems, managing operations, and all the complexities of being on the front line of business decisions. But over time, I found myself drawn to a different kind of leader: purpose-driven entrepreneurs, yoga teachers and creatives who have a vision and a deep desire to serve their community but are drowning in the backend.
Most weren’t taught how to run a business. They are incredible at what they do; teaching, guiding, creating transformations for their clients, but stuck in admin overload, disorganized systems and chronic burnout from trying to do it all. That’s where I come in.
Today, I blend 20+ years of operational strategy and executive support with a deep background in yoga philosophy, trauma-aware education, and ethical entrepreneurship. I serve as a strategic operations partner, a systems thinker, for soulful entrepreneurs who want their business to support their life, not consume it.
My offerings include:
• Strategic Operations Consulting (turning chaos into clarity, simplifying workflows, and designing businesses that work without constant hustle)
• Business coaching for yoga teachers and wellness entrepreneurs
• Course development, launching and backend support for thought leaders and educators
• Trainings, mentorship, and educational resources that bridge structure and spirit (like my Aligned Path business of yoga course and upcoming Yoga Teacher Training programs)
It’s not just the strategy that’s needed, it’s the way I hold space for my clients. I don’t offer cookie-cutter solutions or “hire a VA advice” but instead listen deeply, hold space for my clients to not only care for the backend of their business but also their nervous system. Being capable and exhausted is not a strategy, and they really don’t have to do it alone. When I watch my clients exhale when their welcome emails are scheduled, when there is a system in place, so their offerings flow without them needing to manage them, when they finally have space to breathe AND take a vacation. That, to me, is success.
I’m currently focused on expanding and deepening my 1:1 client partnerships with soulful founders who are ready to create space to breath in their business and supporting and mentoring yoga teachers and wellness practitioners to finally start treating what they do like a business.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
When I reflect on my career of supporting executives and teaching yoga over the last 20 years, the qualities that have served me best are, hands down – boundaries & systems!
While I’m forever learning what new boundaries I need to put in place, being clear on what works for me and what doesn’t is paramount in my success. Saying yes and then resenting it after the fact. Compromising on self care, and living life to do client work or to teach a class or get caught up on your own work. That’s not why I became an entrepreneur, that’s not why anyone becomes an entrepreneur.
Having systems and creating efficiencies and are a not just a nice to have but a requirement for growth and expansion regardless if I look at my teaching yoga, working with entrepreneurs and CEO’s and my own business. When I look at the legacy that I want to create, the brand that I am developing, the success I am creating all lies in the specific way I do things, and if this is not documented and streamlined there is no legacy. If I ever want to pass down what i’ve built, or grow or perhaps one day sell but no one knows how I do what I do, there is no value. The value is in replicating the exact “systems” I use to offer my services.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
When I’m feeling overwhelmed in any area of my life, I grab a journal and a pen, and I empty all the things swirling in my brain onto the page. When thoughts are stuck in my head, they begin to feel insurmountable, constantly looping and compounding until I don’t know where to begin and I just want to shut down.
Getting it out of my head and onto paper allows me to see what is creating the overwhelm and from there I can sort it into what’s urgent, what’s weighing on me, what’s just noise I don’t need to pay attention to and then start breaking it down.
In my experience, overwhelm usually comes from projects or conversations that feel too big or too vague. Sometimes the outcome is clear, but the steps to get there aren’t. And instead of trying to conceptualize it all in my mind, I turn the page into a plan. Whether it’s something I’m creating/building or a conversation I need to have, writing it out helps me move from chaos to clarity.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://alisonreaume.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reaumealison/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisonreaume/
Image Credits
Shelby Herfst Photography
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
