Meet Alice Takawira | Wife, Mother, Physical Therapist and Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alice Takawira and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alice, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
I have learned the value of a healthy work life balance, and how it is important in making me more productive. As a working mother and aspiring author, I had to evaluate my work life balance in order to perform all these roles efficiently. I started with reducing my work hours from full time to part -time, and this allowed me to take care of my children’s needs and home life, and to make time to work on writing my book.

I realized that after I prioritized a healthy work life balance, I was able to devote more time to the creative process of writing and publishing, and I was also spending more time with my family.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

I have been practicing physical therapy for 20 years, and I enjoy what I do. However, I have always loved writing and being creative. I began writing when I was thirteen years old. Writing was a hobby, and as a young girl growing up in Zimbabwe, being an author was not a realistic or acceptable career path. So, I wrote for fun and shared my work with friends and family.

Then life happened. I relocated from Zimbabwe to London and eventually the United States. For years I was preoccupied with building my professional, social, and family life. From attending graduate school, obtaining my physical therapy licensure, getting married, and having kids, I had no time to develop my love for writing.

Then in 2018 the writing bug returned and I began to write again. I had no intentions of publishing at first, but as my story developed, I began to dream of publishing. I began the process of trying to acquire an agent in order to get my book traditionally published. After sending queries to over 50 agents, and being rejected, I started to doubt myself and was demoralized. Then my husband encouraged me to pursue the self- publishing route. He believed my story was good and had to be told. I had to educate myself on self-publishing, and invested time and money in research, writing and publishing courses, and the editing process.

It paid off! I published my book on May 5, 2022 and have received amazing reviews! I learned to never give up on my dream, to put in the hard work, educate yourself and learn the craft, be patient, and always give it my best shot! I would like the world to know that my story is an immigrant story about overcoming hurdles, believing in yourself, following your dreams and never giving up.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

Wine tasting at Chateaux Elan Dinner at Nan Thai restaurant in Mid town
Comedy club in Atlanta
Afternoon shopping and dining at Shops at Avalon
Watch a play or show at the Fox Theater

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

I would like to give a huge shout out to my husband Ngano Takawira. He has been my biggest cheerleader and believed in my dream from day one. When I told him I wanted to take my writing to the next level (from a hobby to publishing) he supported my dream and encouraged me to go for it. When my husband realized that I was struggling to maintain a healthy work life balance (career, family, and writing) he suggested I change my work schedule from full time to part time. I was hesitant to cut my work hours due to the financial implications for our household, but he reassured me that we would be fine. He wanted me to devote as much time as I needed to writing a good book, as well as have the time to care for our two children. When I doubted my ability to write and publish my book, he also encouraged me to keep going. He read and edited multiple drafts, he gave me suggestions and ideas to improve my work. As a self-published author, he encouraged me to get the best editors for a quality product. He believed in me, and continues to be support me on this incredible journey.

Website: www.alicetakawira.com

Instagram: @alice.takawira.writes

Linkedin: Alice Takawira

Twitter: @RudoTaks

Facebook: @alicetakawirawrites

Youtube: https://bit.ly/3feab4b

Other: TikTok : AliceTaks79