Welcome to Living Well — our bi-weekly spotlight on different women that we admire and find fascinating. Our goal is to share an intimate peek into these women’s lives by asking them the questions that allow them to open up about their imperfect truth, whatever that may be. 

I’ve never met Allison in person but I’ve admired her business, Wild Child, well before I had kiddos of my own. It takes a special kind of person to dream up what doesn’t already exist and make it happen and that is exactly what she and her husband did in creating Wild Child. Kids and families deserve to have inspiring, engaged, and beautiful opportunities for joy and growth. I’m excited to see how her values show up in the other areas of her life. 

If you've done the Values Deck exercise, what are your top five values? Tell us how one of them manifests in your life. What is a decision you’ve made using it to guide you?

Spirituality, Freedom, Love, Gratitude, Excellence.

Like so many others (particularly working mothers), the pandemic wreaked havoc on my career. I found myself working full-time in a demanding fashion executive role, homeschooling two young children, rebuilding our home that we lost to toxic mold, and hustling after-hours as an entrepreneur to keep our small business alive after Covid shut our doors for nearly a year and a half. I called mercy. 

Using these five values as my compass, I took a giant leap (of faith) mid-pandemic towards a more fulfilling life. My work efforts are now laser-focused on growing and expanding Wild Child Gym, the lovely children's play and retail space I founded with my husband in 2018. 

The service we provide our community, the conscious and intentional business decisions we make and then role model to our children each day, the inclusive, supportive and flexible work environment we've created... it all feels like an incredible gift. You can feel the aloha spirit flowing through Wild Child when you walk through our doors. It's not just a children's business... it's really the business of joy.

What does a life well lived look like to you?

Living in alignment with my life's purpose and finding joy, pleasure and peace in everyday moments.

My version of success is…

I've long attached success to freedom. Financial freedom, time freedom, freedom from fear and instability. Freedom to spend my time and energy on things that are meaningful and inspiring to me and share it with those closest to my heart.

In what way are you seeking to grow right now?

I'm (actively) learning to control less and trust my path more. I learned the hard way that illusions of control were just that... illusions. Many of these lessons and losses were brutal to go through, but in hindsight it's clear that each challenge was actually an opportunity. It may sound cliché, but so many beautiful, unknown, unseen and unimaginable positive gains transpired on the other side of what I thought were devastating setbacks. I feel gratitude for the valuable experience and perspective and often find myself in total awe of where and how my path continues to evolve.

What is one way that you are different today than you were ten years ago?

When I became a mother, there was a major internal and external shift towards the care and service of others. Caring for my babies, that's probably obvious, but motherhood had a halo effect influencing almost every area of my life. I was reshaped by the unconditional love, the sisterhood, the connection, the vulnerability, and even the heartache that has come from it.

Setting aside modesty for a moment, what are you excellent at?

I have strong instinct and am a powerful manifestor.

Whose life perspective and way of moving through the world teaches you something about who + how you want to be?

My Granny, Enid was the epitome of style, grace and love. To this day "What would Granny think?" is my most trusted filter. She's my secret weapon.

Can you share a book, podcast, or article that changed you in some way?

Dr. Wayne Dyer's Wishes Fulfilled Meditation was a game changer for me. It really helps me get out of my head and out of my own way.

What are you grateful for today?

Above all, I'm grateful for family and good health.

Allison is the Co-Founder of Wild Child Gym, a boutique children’s play space encompassing California-cool with a distinct Hawaiian vibe. Wild Child Gym offers signature daily classes, free play, birthday parties, and camps for the kiddos in addition to specialized workshops, series and group classes for the family.