Meet Alicia Nolan

We were lucky to catch up with Alicia Nolan recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alicia, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

August 17, 2022 my world turned upside down. My wife died by suicide. It was a nightmare that I never thought would be my reality, but it is my reality now. That was the day that my new normal began. I call it my new normal because everything changed that day. Everything that I thought my future was going to be, my family, the way my brain operated, and my motivations all changed. The first month was brutal for me as everyday I woke in the mornings reminding myself that my wife died by suicide and she wasn’t coming back. My community rallied around me for the first month not leaving me alone. Having someone there helped me from the deep loneliness that would seep in at times. But I knew that would come to an end at some point and I needed to figure out how to move forward alone. I tried going back to my normal job of being a personal trainer in the health and fitness industry, but noticed that I started to have more interest in the mental health side of physical fitness. I began incorporating more mental health strategies as I trained people which introduced me to a new passion: helping people with their mental health. I started to realize that I enjoyed the mental health side of it that I knew I needed to pursue that drive. I came up with a brand idea tailored to raise awareness to suicide prevention and mental health. The brand is L;VE (the semicolon has been used in the suicide prevention awareness realm as a symbol to keep going or continue your story) and decided that I wanted to do an apparel line. I started making my own t-shirts by learning how to screen print and came out with a couple of colors to start. There are two important aspects that this has afforded me to my purpose now, one is that 10% of my sales goes directly to suicide prevention (specifically Pikes Peak Suicide Prevention Partnership in Colorado) and the incredible connections that I make with people. I’ve been able to raise over $3,500 in the past year. But, just as equally important, the people that I meet at every event, that reach out to me because they have gone through something similar, or just want to share their stories is so unbelievably powerful. Every time I share my story, people reach out and thank me for being vulnerable and raw and that it has inspired them to do the same. This is my purpose now. Though I miss certain aspects of the health and fitness industry, this is what I’m meant to be doing. I’m helping people in a way I never thought I would be, but I am. This is my purpose.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I started my brand, L;VE, in April of 2023. I design and create t-shirts, tank tops, sweatshirts and various other products with my brand on it. One thing I love about what I do is that I do it all myself. I screen print, sublimate, laser engrave, and make DTF transfers for my product. It allows me to be fully involved in the process and I have a bit more pride in my products as well. One of my favorite parts about selling my products is then hearing stories of conversations that have started up because of it. That is exactly why I created it in the first place, to create awareness and get people talking about mental health. One of my focuses currently is doing vendor events and connecting with people there. I have traveled to many Pride events this year to connect with the LGBTQ community and rally for mental health. I will also be launching a podcast soon called Queer and Here: Let’s Talk Mental Health where we will discuss challenges within the community and talk about essential topics.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

One of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn is compassion for myself. My brain doesn’t operate the way it used to due to PTSD and it can be quite frustrating when you’re trying to be productive or creative. But that’s just my brain telling me to slow down and maybe take a rest and that is okay. Self care is also something we need to be deliberate about. It should be number one on your priority is to take care of yourself, mentally and physically. Keep moving forward, always. Find your purpose and keep fighting. You are loved.

Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?

One of my current challenges is getting very easily swallowed by my mission. Because my mission is tied directly to my trauma, I am having to learn how to balance my self care and my passion for helping others. When I don’t take time for myself, my entire body shuts down. I am still learning about myself and what my mind and body needs. I just need to listen.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.choosetolive.org
• Instagram: @choosetolivedotorg
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hnflve
• Other: Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/choosetolivedotorg