Today we’d like to introduce you to Alyssa Anne Austin.
Hi Alyssa, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hello! My name is Alyssa Anne Austin. I’m an Actor, Author, and Creative Entrepreneur based in San Diego. I started my website, PoisedandProfessional.com, in 2016 as a way to advise other professional women on how to advocate for themselves in the workplace and find career success. I had been working in corporate marketing for about 5 years at that point, and I had always been deeply interested in helping others achieve the success they desire, both in their professional and personal lives. I myself was doing really well in the professional realm, but I had a gnawing feeling that I was lacking some purpose in my career…
Around this time, I also reconnected with my passion for performing – I had danced my whole life through college, as well as performed in plays and musicals, but I got in my head at some point that that was something I needed to stop doing once I “grew up.” In 2016, I auditioned for my first show in 10 years and found myself back on stage – and I felt that spark of inspiration that I had been missing ignite within myself. It was an “aha” moment that acting needed to be a part of my life!
This led to a two-year personal journey of self-discovery – I was realizing I had a deeper calling to help others and also that my 9-to-5 marketing career was not going to jive with my professional acting ambitions. I was also really fascinated by the idea of “purpose” at this time in my life – I knew that there was a way I could use my unique combination of gifts, talents, strengths, and natural aptitudes to help others… but I wasn’t sure what it was!
Fast forward to mid-2018. I was actually on a vacation in Hawaii and it hit me: the thing that I could help OTHER people with was confidence! It was one of my strengths, something that came naturally to me, and something I knew I could help people with.
This ultimately led me to writing my first book, “35 Days of Confidence,” and pivoting Poised & Professional to a full-time coaching business. Over the years and many lessons learned, I evolved that business into focusing on Career Coaching, Personal Branding Strategy, and Business Coaching for other aspiring entrepreneurs. Now I spend my days coaching others to success and my nights performing on stages around San Diego – and I wouldn’t have it any other way!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Looking back at the last 5+ years of my business, it’s easy to see things I could have done differently (hindsight is 20/20, right?) But I’m ultimately really grateful for those challenges, learnings, and failures because they allowed me to grow.
Some of my biggest struggles have been around launching programs that *I* was really excited about but were ultimately not successful in the marketplace. This has really been one of my biggest learnings as an entrepreneur in the personal development space – understanding what people THINK they want versus what they actually NEED, and how a deeper emotional need may manifest as a more physical, tangible solution.
So much of this comes down to marketing – sure, I may be offering “interview coaching,” but what’s the deeper emotional need of that? A way to lessen anxiety, and combat fear of rejection with proven preparation and confidence-building strategies. So, learning how to really speak to the deeper value of my programs and tap into those emotional needs was a big struggle, but now, not only is it something I’m able to do successfully, but it’s also something I can help other aspiring entrepreneurs and coaches do too! AND, this element of growing my business (and my longtime fascination with people and behavior) has also solidified my plan to get a Masters in Psychology or Counseling in the future, which is something I’m very excited about.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
At the core of all my programs is a deep desire to help people realize and use their gifts. I’ve been told that I’m “a great mirror for people” – I’m able to help the people I work with identify personal qualities, and strengths, and “connect the dots” in a way that might be difficult for them to see on their own.
Why I’m ultimately really proud of being able to do, whether it’s through Resume Writing, Career Coaching, Personal Branding Strategy, or Business Coaching, is helping people OWN their stories.
At the end of the day, our story is one of the most important things we have. And being able to help my clients realize that their story – their unique set of experiences combined with their gifts, talents, strengths, passions, and aptitudes – is something truly unique that only they can embody is just incredibly rewarding. And I’m so grateful to be able to help people in this way.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
I was first introduced to the personal development industry in 2016 when I started working for a guy named Brian Tracy. Brian Tracy is one of the OG personal development leaders – he’s been helping people improve their lives and their livelihood in a NUMBER of ways for decades.
Getting to work for Brian and having a front-row seat to watch how he’s been able to grow an incredible business based on helping people – it was a game-changer for me. It made me realize that there was a way to make a living from helping people – and what’s more rewarding than that?
Working for Brian and his marketing agency also taught me how to grow a business in a sustainable and scalable way, how to create engaging & effective programs, and how to market those programs successfully. If I hadn’t worked for Brian Tracy, I certainly wouldn’t have known how to start my own coaching business (or it would have taken a LOT longer to get off the ground!) I still look at Brian Tracy as a mentor; I’m very grateful for his influence in my life.
Pricing:
- Personal Branding Bootcamp Program – $950
- Job Search Jumpstart Program – $950
- “Start Your Business” Group Bootcamp Program (starting June 9th!) – $450
- Goal-Focused 🌟 Action Planning & Accountability Membership Program – $50/month
Contact Info:
- Email: poisedandprofessionalcoach@gmail.com
- Website: https://poisedandprofessional.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alyssaanneaustin/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PoisedandProfessionalBlog
- Other: https://www.alyssaanneaustin.com/
Image Credits
Brooke Aliceon Photography
