We were lucky to catch up with Alisha Shumake recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Alisha with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I give credit to my Mother for my work ethic. For a while throughout my childhood she was a single mom working a physically demanding, full-time job while juggling all the things that come along with everyday life and a small child.
When I reached an age where I started to really think about what I wanted for a career she always encouraged me to do whatever I wanted but she always stressed the importance of doing something I loved. Something that would bring me joy and fulfillment.
There is a conversation she and I had that really stands out in my mind. This was a number of years ago, on the day she retired from the company she had worked 30+ years for. She told me that while her career was not the one she would have liked to have had she could not regret it. It provided us with the life we had – the beautiful home I grew up in, the private schooling I was fortunate to have, the opportunity of college in addition to the myriad of other great things that shaped our lives. Even with all those things she told me that she wishes she could have been around for more things when I was growing up. Well let me tell you this: I do not recall her ever missing one single thing. She was at every dance class and recital, softball game, the majority of field trips, she was library Mom, attended every choir concert I was in, made time to bake Christmas cookies with me, take me on amazing trips all while working a demanding job and being a daughter, sister and friend to the others in our lives. In my mind, I had the best example of a strong, hard-working woman right in front of me. Whatever my career would end up being, I never had a doubt that I wouldn’t go into it without bringing 100% effort and dedication, because that was what I saw in front of me my whole life.
For that and more, thank you Mom.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am a licensed Esthetician and owner of The More You Glow in Plymouth, MI where I provide a variety of skin care services like customized facial treatments, lash services, tinting and facial waxing. I am also certified in Oncology Esthetics and am able to work with and help those enduring cancer treatment and the skin concerns that occur as a result of it. I have been in the Esthetics industry for almost 16 years and find it even more rewarding and fulfilling now than I did when I started.
My favorite part of my job is getting to meet and work with amazing people while helping them to feel comfortable and confident in their own skin. I started The More You Glow in 2020 and have been fortunate to see business grow steadily over these past few years. Later this year, The More You Glow will be relocating to a new, larger location where I hope to increase my service offerings and offer clients more options.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I am an organized, goal-oriented and highly motivated person. Without these qualities I doubt I could have gotten to the point I’m at now. Prior to going solo, I researched what would be needed to execute my plan, meticulously measured metrics to establish a foundation and worked to put a solid plan in place. Of course, everything did not go according to plan (shocker!) and I was forced to pivot a number of times. However, I never lost sight of where I was heading and with that unwavering motivation I was finally on the path I wanted to be on.
My advice to those embarking on a new journey, or taking a different path to get to where they want to be is to trust in yourself – your skills, knowledge and instinct. There will always be highs and lows but if you stay the course and stay consistent you’ll experience how wonderful it is to achieve your goals and dreams.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
A challenge I am currently facing is finding a work/life balance. For the longest time, I focused solely on work. I would forego vacations, night’s out, weekends away, a day off to rest and recover. It didn’t take long for the burnout to set in and that is a hard thing to shake off when you don’t allow yourself downtime. One of the main motivators for going solo was to achieve that balance.
This year, the pendulum swung in the opposite direction and I’ve learned that there are downsides to that as well. Now that I’ve seen both sides of the coin I’m still left to discover my balance.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://themoreyouglow.glossgenius.com
- Instagram: @the_more_you_glow
- Facebook: The More You Glow
