Meet Alyssa Hall | Anti-Racism Consultant and Leadership Coach

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

Hi Alyssa, how do you think about risk?
Risk taking is literally the only reason I have a business today. When I made the decision to be a coach I was making $16 an hour and the coaching program I wanted to take cost $11,000. I knew that if I took out a loan that the payments would be deferred for about a year. I was so tired of being unhappy in my current job that I decided to believe that in a year, I’d be able to make some money from this.

Three days into the program I broke up with my boyfriend of 9 years and became a single mom to my two year old daughter. I almost pulled out of the program, but I bet on my happiness.

That risk caused so many stumbles that eventually led to the business I had today. And I have to acknowledge the privilege I had in being able to take that type of risk at that point in time. I had family members I could rely on, my ex was a present father and I was able to get back up. It was quite the risk but it’s the only thing that got me here today.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I’m an anti-racism consultant and a leadership coach. The way that I approach this work is incredibly different than the way I see a lot of people do so in my industry. It’s more than just creating a strategic plan, it’s also about unlearning, dealing with guilt and sharpening the leadership skills needed to take action. There ends up being a lot of personal development work needed in order for my clients to confidently implement the systems we created. I believe that doing the work this way will actually make it last.

The most difficult part was overcoming mg own mindset drama. I was constantly telling myself I wasn’t qualified enough to do this work. Constantly asking myself “who am I to try to do something like this and make that big of an impact?” Imposter syndrome was a huge barrier for me as well. Because when I was blessed with opportunities it would be difficult to commit at my fullest potential. It felt safer to stay hidden than for someone to eventually “find me out”.

What makes a successful coaching business is consistently and relationships. When I’m in a state of constant self-sabotage, it’s difficult to do either of those things. So the biggest lesson I learned was to prioritize my mental health and wellbeing.

What I want the world to know about me is that I’m not exceptional. I’m resilient, intelligent and passionate. But I also hate conflicts and suffer from depression. Having a successful business isn’t easy, but if you have something you’re passionate about, don’t think you have to be better than you already are to achieve it. You just need to be passionate, take care of yourself mental health and have a financial safety net to fall back on when things get rough.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I just moved to Houston from New York City a little over a year ago. So, I’m still very much a tourist here myself. But as a foodie, I’ve already found a few favorite spots I love.

The seafood here is amazing but my favorite spot is Krab Queenz. It’s a Black-owned seafood boil spot that definitely lives up to its name.

I would take them around Katy, Texas because it’s beautiful and quiet. Which is the exact opposite of NYC.

Lastly, as an avid reader I’d take them to Kindred Stories. It’s a Black-owned bookstore that recently opened and has an amazing selection of books.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are two people that deserve all the shoutouts for their mentorship and support.

Jessica Moy of Embodied Impact and Anniedi Essien of Ídem Spark. They reminded me of the power of community, the importance of asking for help and how important the work I do in this world is. They both mentored me in a moment where all I could give them was my gratitude. And their brilliance is what pushed me through when things got incredibly hard.

They are both brilliant at what they do and deserve all the shoutouts.

Website: www.alyssahallcoaching.com

Instagram: www.Instagram.com/arleadership

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssa-hall-556a371b6

Image Credits
Christina Jones Rashida De Vore