Podcast Introduction:
[00:00:00] Alison: It made me realize you can learn anything. You can learn any skill. No skill is out of reach. So if you just put your mind to it you can learn it.
[00:00:07] Aneta: We often hear people wishing us a long, happy, and healthy life, but what if the length isn't what matters most? What if instead, it's the breadth depth, and purpose of each day that matters most? Welcome to the Live the Width of Your Life podcast. My name is Aneta Ardelian Kuzma and join me weekly. As I interview guests who made changes in their own lives to live more fully with intention. Gratitude and joy. Be prepared to be inspired by their stories of how they shifted their mindset, took courageous action, and designed the life that they always wanted to live.
[00:00:42] Aneta: Welcome back to the Live the Width of Your Life podcast. Today's episode is so special to me because I get to interview one of my best friends that I've known since sixth grade. Her name is Allison Muller, and she's a global marketing executive with over 25 years of experience in corporate marketing, primarily in the B2B software space, including multi-billion dollar software companies and series A, B, and C tech startups. Currently, Allison is the chief marketing officer at Acto, the number one learning platform in life sciences. Previously she served as the global head of health science marketing at Oracle, where she led the global marketing team and strategy targeting the life sciences industry in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.
[00:01:28] Aneta: And prior to Oracle, she served as the chief marketing officer for three different B2B tech startups, where she successfully built their marketing teams and strategies, defined their brands, and launched their products into the market, leading to their strategic acquisitions. She has had such an amazing career and talked about the journey that she took in order to get to where she is today, but also I loved that our conversation really talked about things that are outside of our control and she shared stories from her own life of things that maybe she didn't plan for and how she was able to take those lessons and those learnings and really build more resilience. And just her approach to fake it until you make it. Times where she was so courageous even before she maybe felt ready, but she still took a chance on herself. There are so many great lessons. She shared so many life lessons during our discussion, and I can't wait for you to hear the whole episode. So take a listen.
Podcast Interview:
[00:02:32] Aneta: Hi, Alison. Welcome to the show. I'm so excited to have you with me today.
[00:02:37] Alison: Thank you, Aneta. It is my absolute pleasure to join you today. Thanks for having me.
[00:02:43] Aneta: Of course, I have wanted you on the show for so long and I do need to say for those that know us know that we have been such close friends since we met in sixth grade at camp my bro B and Cleveland, Ohio years ago. Not only are you a dear friend, but you're someone who I've admired in terms of how you've handled your life and also how you have built this amazing career. And so for those that don't know you as well do you mind just sharing a little bit about your journey and your story?
[00:03:18] Alison: Sure. Yeah. So my journey started in Cleveland, Ohio, which is where Aneta and I got to cross paths pretty early. 1980, something very early. And yeah, I had a great time growing up there and we ended up going to college, the same college at Miami University, which I loved and had a great experience there and grew our sisterhood circle. And then eventually my life took me to New York.
[00:03:43] Alison: Actually didn't take me. I took it to New York City. I am in B2B software. Also in marketing, I've built a career in marketing, which is my passion and what I love. So I'm lucky to say I get to do what I love for a living. So I'm just living it here in New York.
[00:04:02] Aneta: And you know what? I remember when you made different decisions in your life. And I think you're someone that I've always admired because. You would make a decision and then you just made it happen. And I remember when you decided that staying in Cleveland was probably not what you wanted to do in the long term. And I know you spent some time in Columbus before, so walk me through, like, why you wanted to move to New York and what it was like to just suddenly say, you know what, this is a new chapter and I'm ready to commit to moving to of course, one of the most amazing cities in the world.
[00:04:36] Alison: Yeah. So it's funny because I grew up in Cleveland. I'm a 10th-generation American also. So I've, my family's been in the Cleveland area for generations. So growing up all the relatives, all the people you know are within a certain radius. And, my parents I got to know Cleveland very well. So Cleveland was home. And while we did travel, we never traveled a great distance, I would say. And I didn't travel abroad until my senior year of high school. So I had never actually been out of the country. Canada doesn't count until then, and, so I got a taste of what the outside of the United States, what Europe's like after college, or sorry, after high school.
[00:05:27] Alison: But I would say where I really started to get the taste and the desire to spread my wings and get out of Cleveland was in my very first job out of college. So that's where I literally kind of tumbled into B2B software and I'm grateful for that moment where the universe put me in the right place in my very first job.
[00:05:50] Alison: But in that job, it was entry-level in marketing, and because you are entry-level, that means you get to do all the schlepping around with trade shows and conferences in the B2B world. So I was going to trade shows and conferences where we had a booth and we had to sponsor and go talk to customers and prospects and do all the marketing that surrounds that, which is frankly, a great introduction to marketing.
[00:06:13] Alison: You touch everything when you do a trade show, but nonetheless, yeah, that took me all over the place, and in every city I went to, I would get excited about the business trip. I would get excited to go see somewhere new, to go visit somewhere new. And whenever I could, which was pretty much always, I would always tack on a day or two for me to explore this new place that I was here for work, but I wanted to understand it a little better.
[00:06:39] Alison: And then later in my career, I also started to travel internationally, as you know. So then. Not only am I flying all over the United States, but then I started flying all over Europe. I got to go to Japan. I went to India and really got out entirely because of my job. And that really opened my eyes and New York in particular was like one of those cities where every time I came here, I didn't want to leave and I was sad to leave and I was disappointed to return to Cleveland because I wanted home to be somewhere else.
[00:07:12] Alison: So that started pretty early. I would say after college that I started to envision myself somewhere other than Cleveland, not that I don't love Cleveland, but I wanted to have an adventure and try something new and I have learned over the course of my life that I thrive on change, so that's probably part of the mix as well.
[00:07:31] Aneta: Yeah, for sure. So I want. You to walk us through, because I think sometimes you look at someone's career and you've spent 25 years as a global marketing executive. You've worked for so many amazing organizations and you said you sort of stumbled into the first role or job, but I feel like watching you, it seems you've made your decisions about where to go next very intentionally. So did you build your career as intentionally as it looks like from the outside, or were there some other things that just sort of happened to come your way and you took advantage of them?
[00:08:06] Alison: No, a hundred percent intentionally. The only thing I can thank the universe for was when you're going for your first job, you really just want to get into a marketing job. You just want to get a paycheck, right? You're just like, there is so much urgency with that very first job after college.
[00:08:22] Alison: So I wasn't as picky or I didn't even really know what I wanted, what industry I hadn't thought about industry. I only knew I wanted to do marketing, but you don't even think about like, well, what, there are lots of ways you can do marketing and lots of industries and whatever. So that part I had not sorted out. So the only part that I think the universe for kind of dropping me in the right place was that very first job that happened to be for a business-to-business global software company. So I got dropped into, and that was in Columbus, Ohio, Sterling Commerce. And, yeah, not only did I get dropped into an amazing company, but I also got dropped into an amazing team. Yeah. So not only did I end up joining a really amazing company, but I also worked for a really amazing team led by this amazing woman who was the head of marketing. And I remember distinctly thinking when I grew up, I wanted to be her.
[00:09:11] Alison: And that was kind of a first thing. When I had that realization and I realized, I kind of affirmed that I love marketing. I learned that I love B2B software, global software in particular. From that point forward, everything was intentional. I picked the companies I worked for. One of my favorites, it's a line that I like, that I think everybody should kind of live with Fake it till you make it like you'll never get ahead if you stay in your presence.
[00:09:39] Alison: So you always have to say what's the next job. So when I made the move. From a vice president role to chief marketing officer, it felt a little scary. I'm like, can I really do that? Do I know enough? Can I really lead this function and report to a board and all of that? And you have to get over and say, yes, I can. And I'm going to fake it till I make it. If there is anything about this job that I don't feel comfortable with, I'm going to figure it out and they'll never know and I'm going to be a CMO.
[00:10:04] Alison: That's what I'm going to do. And so that was a really pivotal moment. And I think also I want to share this story because it's funny. I don't know if you know what you probably do. But when I moved to New York you know, I didn't know anybody and I didn't have any connections. And so I had to be very intentional about, I need to find my marketing job without disrupting my career.
[00:10:26] Alison: I don't want to go backward. I want to come in and I want to do where I know I belong. I want to be in B2B software. So I researched B2B software companies that were headquartered in New York. I actually ended up talking to an analyst, a financial analyst who watches a market analyst who watches the market and follows B2B, and said, What companies are here that you're really excited about?
[00:10:47] Alison: I actually did all this research to pinpoint some companies. And I ended up deciding I wanted to work at this company called Intralinks. And I knew nobody there and they were a midsize privately held software company, software as a service, very exciting for me and everything I wanted. And so I said, I want to work for that company. I want to do marketing. So one day, and this is funny, you'll laugh because you know New York. It was in the summer. I remember it was in the summer and I said, you know what, this Friday, I'm just going to put on a suit. I'm just going to go to their office.
[00:11:16] Alison: I'm just going to show up and I'm going to introduce myself and try to get in a meeting with somebody. That's what I'm going to do. Yeah, so I did that. So I suited up, and I walked in like I belonged there. The guy let me up the elevator and got to the receptionist. Receptionists are so nice they are there to make you feel welcome. So I looked up, who is the head of marketing and sales? Who's this person, like all these titles? And so I rolled up and I'm like. Hi, yes, I'm here to see the head of marketing and sales. And the receptionist kind of blinked at me and she's like, he's not here today because in the summer in New York, nobody's in the office on Friday.
[00:11:56] Alison: Anyway. So then without missing a beat, I'm like, well then I can meet with so and so the VP of product management and she's like, sure. Okay. Have a seat. So I sat, credit, he came out with a bewildered look on his face and was like, hi, and I said, hey, you don't know me, but, and I pitched myself and he talked to me for half an hour and next thing you know, he asked for my resume. He gave it to the head of marketing and I ended up getting a job there in marketing, so that's how that happened. So the point is if you want something. You make it happen. Just go for it. Just do it. The way I geared up for that, I said, look, the worst thing that can happen is they kick me out. The best thing that can happen is I get in. I get a chance, so that was kind of how I went in with that.
[00:12:47] Aneta: I love that so much. And I don't know. I'm sure I remembered at the time that you did something like this and it doesn't surprise me, but I do love this because there are so many lessons here that I just want to kind of double-click on. Once you did your research, you knew exactly what you were looking for. You did the research, you found the names, you presented to yourself in a way where you're like, I belong here, did your own affirmations, whatever you needed to do to get yourself there. and then of course you're nice to the receptionist you kind of ask for what you're there for, but how amazing that person is, Did you ever ask him afterwards? Like, why did you even meet with me? Did you guys even have a conversation about that afterward?
[00:13:28] Alison: Yeah, I ended up working really closely with him for the next three years. He is such an in-product management, similar to marketing there is curiosity. And you're always wanting to know, what does the customer want? What does the market want? What do I need to know to make my product better, to do my marketing better? So I think probably out of sheer curiosity, he was like, all right, I think I need to, or maybe he was bored on a Friday, who knows, but I got lucky.
[00:13:56] Aneta: I love it so much. And I love the other thing too, that you said is that you have to see yourself as the future version of yourself. So if you know that your next step is to be a CMO or whatever the next role is. And so how did you bring that sort of belief or philosophy in what you were doing every day, where it's just like, I have to do what is required for the job today, knowing though, that this is not where I'm going to be long term.
[00:14:22] Alison: Great question. So I think the biggest move for me, everything else was incremental. And if you're doing your job well, and working well with people, you're going to get promoted probably and move on. But I think for me, when I kind of had my sights set on being the chief marketing officer, running the whole show, I realized that I needed to sit in different seats in marketing.
[00:14:46] Alison: So I started my career in event marketing. Then I moved into program marketing. You know, I spent some time on the website side and had to fiddle with the strategy. And so I kind of was, I made it a point to sit in all the different seats that would give me a full picture of what it is to be a marketing department.
[00:15:12] Alison: And one strategic move for me, which was a little scary, but I did it, which was moving from program management, which is campaigns to product marketing. And product marketing is where you actually, are the messenger to the market and from the market. So you talk to customers, you get their insight when someone from the media calls and they want to talk to somebody, it's you. When you talk to the technology analysts.
[00:15:37] Alison: So it's a very public-facing role. You have to know your stuff. You cannot make things up. It's going to go down in print. It's going to go in reports and things. So it's really critical that you know your stuff. And that was foreign to me campaigns and event marketing and all of that is largely behind the scenes.
[00:15:57] Alison: So that was a move that I made intentionally because I knew in order to lead this function, I need to understand that really well. Turns out that was the best seat I sat in that prepared me for this current role. Because no matter what seat you sit in, in marketing, you need to understand your customers. It's the number one rule of marketing, understand your market. Who are you going after? Who are you trying to talk to?
[00:16:19] Aneta: I love that too. That's such a great lesson because sometimes we don't want to do the things that make us uncomfortable You could have stayed in one vertical and you could have continued to grow incrementally and been successful and stayed there maybe, and it could have been a very different career. But knowing that you were playing a long game and you knew where you wanted to go longer term, which is, I think the CMO role.
[00:16:44] Aneta: I love that you intentionally selected things, even those that made you feel uncomfortable that maybe you were pushing past some comfort zones that you had in place already. But I also know that you do this in your personal life. And so many of us, when people just meet us, they see us in the role at work, or maybe they know us personally, and I have the benefit of kind of knowing you in both.
[00:17:06] Aneta: And so I know that you also have a lot of life lessons and things that you also just bring to who you are and how you are with people at work and at home and with your personal relationships. What are some of those lessons that you want to share about resilience, about taking challenges and making them something that you can learn from? Because I just think that that's a huge part of this conversation and you will miss it if I didn't ask you that as well.
[00:17:34] Alison: Sure. Yeah. And I actually in anticipation of our conversation, put some thought into that. I reflected on if I look back on my life and what were some pivotal moments or things that really impacted my confidence, it really comes down to confidence. What makes you feel like you can do these things, do anything? So there is one story I wanted to share. That's just funny because it popped into my head over the weekend and that is back in middle school, which we both went to.
[00:18:01] Alison: You're just going to laugh because it's so classic, but I was in love with this boy, a big crush on this boy. And he was in a band and I was like, in eighth grade, I said I want to be in the band. I did not play an instrument at all. And everybody at that point in eighth grade, who had been playing instruments and had learned them in fourth grade had been honing that skill for four years.
[00:18:22] Alison: But I went to my mom, I'm like, mom, I need to learn how to play the flute. Because I, again, did my research and understood that the flute is the easiest instrument to play, which I think it probably is. And so I said, Mom, I need to learn how to play the flute. To her credit, she's like, okay. And we happen to live in Berio where there is a beautiful music conservancy and tons of music students.
[00:18:41] Alison: So she was able to find a flutist who was willing to teach me. So I learned how to play the flute in four weeks, and I rolled into the band room not knowing anything. And then you had to do those acting like I didn't belong there. And then they make you record yourself. This was back in the day, but you'd have to play some music on your instrument and then they decide where you fall. Are you the first flute, or the second flute? The first is the top 50% of those who play flutes. The second chair was the other half and it turns out, that not only did I learn how to play the flute in four weeks, but I also got into the first flute line.
[00:19:18] Alison: I was the last on the line, but nonetheless, I was on the first line. I couldn't believe it because I was among people who had been playing for four years and I had only learned the instrument, but the life lesson I got from that, gave me a huge boost at the time, which I have to say contributed to the person who has pursued all this stuff over the course of the last 25 years.
[00:19:39] Alison: It made me realize you can learn anything. You can learn any skill, no skill is out of reach. So if you just put your mind to it and you can learn it and you probably will yourself do. So that was my life lesson there.
[00:19:50] Aneta: I want to just say that you glossed over the fact like I love the lesson, but I also love that you glossed over the fact that well, there is the boy I kind of liked and he was in the band. So that was my motivation. And so there is always motivation for everything, but the lesson is so universal. And you didn't even talk about whether you and this boy ended up dating.
[00:20:15] Alison: No. But I did play jazz all day in the band, so.
[00:20:20] Aneta: There you go. Did you stay in the band afterward? Did you continue to play an instrument?
[00:20:25] Alison: I did, yeah. I stayed in it. And it turned out that in the high school that I went to, the band was a huge deal. Obviously, Ohio football, Friday Night Lights it's a whole thing. And so. Yeah, I did that and ended up like joining the dance team and that was even more fun like being out in front. I had a great time with it. It was one of those things I'm glad I did and it actually impacted my two younger sisters because they are like, I want to do what else it's doing. So they both picked up instruments and followed similar paths. It was fun. It's very good to learn instruments.
[00:20:58] Aneta: Yes, for sure. And so that was one of the earliest lessons. Anything else that came through either in your younger days or even as you started your career?
[00:21:11] Alison: Yeah, I think I've talked a lot about kind of the fun things or things that I initiated myself, but sometimes you're not in control of what happens to you, right? As you know, I ended up from the moment my son was born, realizing that I was going to need to raise this son as a single mom and that wasn't the original plan. That wasn't what I thought it was going to be, but that's what it was.
[00:21:36] Alison: And, I had real issues with that because I had been raised in a very tight nuclear family. Nobody in my family was divorced. Nobody had dealt with anything like this. And so I thought that my son would suffer because of how he was going to be raised by a single mom. So what I kind of learned through it is that actually there are multiple paths to joy. there are multiple paths to happiness. there are multiple paths to what is a family. What is the perfect childhood? I had in my head, it has to be this and this, or it's not a perfect childhood.
[00:22:16] Alison: Or, you're missing out or something's not right. But it turns out that my son was raised by a single mom in Manhattan and he's turned out great. And I really enjoyed being his mother and the experiences we had completely different from how I was raised. But the takeaway from that is that there is not just one way to do things and there are lots of ways that lead to great outcomes.
[00:22:44] Aneta: Yeah. And so first of all, your son is amazing. You've done such a wonderful job and I love how close you guys are. You can tell that you have such a close relationship, which is beautiful, but also I remember that time in your life and I was so impressed at your decision that you weren't leaving New York.
[00:23:05] Aneta: It would have been very easy to say, this is unexpected. This is really hard. Let me go back to Cleveland. Let me rely on my family, my friends, and my network of people to help me because this is such a huge event that just happened, but you made it work you decided to stay and you made it work.
[00:23:26] Aneta: So talk a little bit about how you created a community or a support system. In New York, you were raising your son while still building this career at the exact same time.
[00:23:38] Alison: Yeah, great question. It did cross my mind. Like should I pick up the stakes and move back to Cleveland? But that wasn't what I wanted. So there is always you're balancing, I think, in parenthood and you certainly could reflect on this as well, but there are things you do for your children. there are things you do for you and you have to find that balance. If you're doing too much for you and not enough for the kid or too much for the kid, not enough for you, you're out of balance, but I think it's important to always keep both in mind.
[00:24:03] Alison: So for me, it was really important. My career was moving. I love New York. And the industry I was in and everything. So I didn't want to leave. And so what was really important for me was finding a nanny for my son because I literally had to figure this out on maternity leave.
[00:24:21] Alison: And so I was like, I need a really amazing nanny who I can trust, who I know will take care of my son while I'm working. Going into the office every day. And I got so lucky finding this wonderful woman who became a part of our life. And she still is Angela still talks about her and we still exchange Christmas cards and birthday messages and she's a permanent part of our life.
[00:24:47] Alison: But she became someone that I could rely on. Also, I was traveling internationally at that time. So imagine leaving an 18-month-old behind while you travel and she would spend the night at my house or my apartment and take care of him while I was in Japan.
[00:25:00] Alison: I remember I had to go to Japan when he was very young. So I think finding her was critical to me also on the weekends when it was just he and I. I found other mothers who were in the same situation, who were on their own or felt like they were on their own because their husbands had demanding work that took them away or whatever.
[00:25:20] Alison: So I started to really form friendships with women in New York City, who were in a similar boat and had their careers and had things going on. So you realize you're not alone. You're never alone. there are always people who are in a similar situation out there. And it might not feel like it but a hundred percent, you're always surrounded by people who have similar situations.
[00:25:42] Aneta: I love that you talked about having this network and this community of strong females. Also, you and I did go to college together and we lived, there were seven of us living in the house and I know we call each other the seven sisters and we are very lucky.
[00:26:00] Aneta: I think we are very lucky. We somehow found each other. The universe brought us all together. But we've also worked on staying so close after so many years. It was a long time ago, many decades ago that we graduated. And so let's talk a little bit about like what it means to actually have strong female relationships because I know some people struggle with that.
[00:26:21] Aneta: But you and I have just been so blessed to be able to have these women and that we support each other. We love each other unconditionally. And even when we don't get to see each other all the time, when we do get together, like we just got together to celebrate a huge milestone birthday last summer, it's as if no time passes by at all.
[00:26:41] Alison: Yeah. I think it's so important to have those relationships and I've been fortunate enough to find those pockets and those people throughout my entire life. So that same year that we had our college big birthday celebration which was the seven of us there also a couple of months earlier, I had the exact same thing with a group from my high school girls yeah.
[00:27:05] Alison: So I've been really lucky, like in high school, I formed these amazing relationships that have stuck with me and met different things to me over the years. And then there is our college group. And then I have my New York City girlfriends as well. And I think some of the commonalities, if I were to look at all of them, all of these women that I've become friends with.
[00:27:26] Alison: And then the mom groups, of course, I still hang out with the moms I mentioned earlier like we still get together. And I think one of the things is that there is no judgment. It's a safe space with these girls. You can get with all these women and talk about the worst things that might be going on in your life and the things that you would feel vulnerable about sharing with others. But with this group, I can say this and they are totally going to understand and support. So I think that's one thing is feeling like you can be totally open.
[00:27:55] Alison: The other thing is there is absolutely a humor element to every group. They make me laugh. They find humor in things and you just need that in life because life is too precious. Be happy you don't need drama. You just need to smile and realize the good and the bad, all of it is valuable. It's all going to be fine.
[00:28:16] Aneta: I agree. I think that the sense of a safe space and no judgment is so important and so critical. And that's why I think we have maintained those relationships for as long as we have, just being able to meet each other wherever we are. And everyone's gone through stuff. As you said, there are lots of things that happen in our lives that are not within our control. And I love that when we get together, we very rarely talk about work stuff. It's really just personal things, which is so refreshing too, because sometimes those are the relationships before when we were still in school, we didn't even know where we would end up.
[00:28:51] Alison: And I think also there are different outlets for different things, right? I've always put a separation between personal and professional. Especially when I was going through all my things early when I just had my son, no one at work knew about any of that. I kept it all to myself because I didn't want this to impact how they viewed me, in work, I only wanted to be judged by my ability, my skill, my ambition, and all the things that I was giving the company. I don't have anything to get in the way of that. So I kind of put that in a box over here, but then when you're going through things like that, you need an outlet. You need to be able to talk to someone.
[00:29:25] Alison: And obviously my family was a huge support system, but my friends were just. As much too. So my circles, my women's circles were also super important at that time. And even in your relationship with your husband, there are things you talk about, but there are other things that don't make sense for that conversation. So there are different circles for different things.
[00:29:43] Aneta: Absolutely. Well, Alison at the stage of your career too, you are involved with a nonprofit organization called Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow. And tell me a little bit about why you are so motivated to give back.
[00:29:59] Alison: Sure. Yeah, that's a great question. And actually, that's another one of my learnings that I was going to try and integrate into our conversation. So I think at a certain point. And for me, it didn't happen until my late forties, I would say, where you feel like I actually have things to give back. I mean, I think if I was approached to give, to mentor or to have a call with someone or do whatever, I always was happy to do it, but it wasn't probably until my late forties that I realized I actually have learned a lot and I want to give this back.
[00:30:31] Alison: And how can I do that? So I did it a few different ways. One was through Oracle, when I worked at Oracle, they had an Oracle Women's Network and I served as a mentor. So I had someone assigned to me who I got to meet with and we'd talk and it was so valuable. It's just so great to feel I'm actually helping this woman with things in her career and moving ahead and everything. And then I wanted to give back in a more formal manner and more broadly. So again, did my research. Researched nonprofits in New York City. And I love New York City so much. I said I wanted one that benefits the city.
[00:31:05] Alison: Like, I want to give back to this city because I get so much out of it. I tap my energy. I get my energy cup filled every time I go to that city. So I wanted to give back to New York City. And I also wanted a nonprofit that helped people become independent. Because I think independence is super important. With independence you have freedom, right?
[00:31:24] Alison: So to me, it was really important to try and find a nonprofit that helped people who perhaps don't have that beacon or don't have that. Don't even know that path is possible for them to reach financial independence and do that through education and skills building and things like that.
[00:31:44] Alison: So that's what opportunities for a better tomorrow do. So they had an orientation, like an orientation Zoom call where you could just learn about the organization. I joined it, everything I heard, I loved. I started talking and I ended up getting on the board there as an executive member I love the organization and what it's doing for people in New York City who just need a lift.
[00:32:05] Alison: A little bit of a lift to get on their own path to financial independence and also feeling that confidence and all these things that you and I maybe take for granted that we have. So yeah, I think it's when you get to a point where I feel like I have stuff that to give back and I want to, you're going to hit that point and you just will.
[00:32:24] Aneta: Absolutely. We're so lucky that there are people like you who do that. So as you look into the future, because I know you've always kind of got your eye there. What's left Alison, like you're at this pinnacle point in your career. You've raised an amazing son. You've got a wonderful partner in life, your husband, and in beautiful home and all these things. Tell me what's next. Is there anything that you still have your eye on?
[00:32:51] Alison: Well my personal life and my professional life, even though I talk about how I keep them very separate, they are very intertwined. So, my career has really given me the ability to experience things and do things and travel and just so many things I've gotten to do and I love it.
[00:33:09] Alison: And so I'm never satisfied with sitting still. So I think in the future continuing to explore this earth that we live on and seeing all the different places that I haven't been to yet. Also, I think from a career standpoint, I want to continue doing what I'm doing right now, and taking these companies, I kind of moved back into a smaller environment to see these smaller early-stage companies grow. I love to watch the growth and the velocity of how they move. And so I can see myself doing that a few more times, but then eventually I'd love to get in a place where I give back my professional knowledge and advice and experience and get paid for it.
[00:33:53] Aneta: There you go. I have no doubt that that will happen. Alison, so the title of the podcast is Live the Width of Your Life and comes from a famous quote. And so what does it mean to you to live the width of your life?
[00:34:08] Alison: I love that quote and you introduced me to it. I hadn't heard it before you did and you shared it with all of us.
[00:34:15] Alison: It's so true. And I think living with the belief that life is precious is the first thing. Don't take anything any day. Any experience for granted is really important. That's how you make sure you live the width every single day. I think also pausing in life because we can get going so fast that you feel like in that Madonna video, it's just like on a fast track and she's going through life. That can happen so easily, but you don't want to do that. You want to pause and you want to make sure you're not missing the little moments that make life memorable.
[00:34:49] Alison: I think also putting your loved ones first is always a way to make sure you're really getting everything out of life. Not just serving the company that you work for at the moment, like when you need to make sure you have that balance there. One of the things, again when I was reflecting this weekend about things I've learned or that I carry with me now is, I'll give a story if you want it to about this but, well.
[00:35:17] Alison: Do the once-in-a-lifetime things. So when a once-in-a-lifetime thing comes across your path and you want to do it, do it. there is been a couple that I've like, you know, like earlier in my career, I had an opportunity and I was like, I really can't afford it. I shouldn't do it. So I didn't. Or something or the timing doesn't work or whatever, but then when you get those once-in-a-lifetime moments, opportunities.
[00:35:45] Alison: And what I mean by that are things that are never going to come by again. It's Haley's comment. It's coming by once and you're never going to see it again. So yeah, there is just throughout my life there was a point where I said, I'm just doing it. I'm just going to do these things.
[00:35:59] Alison: And every time I have, I've never regretted it. It's always just been one of these things I'm going to take with me for the rest of my life and love it. So I think that's advice also that helps you live the width of your life. To pay attention to, okay, this thing that's come across this demanding of me, I can do it tomorrow. I'll be asked to do it again in a month. It'll come again, or it's an annual thing. But when those things come through that are like, this is it. I can either do this or not do this. Just do it.
[00:36:28] Aneta: Yeah, I agree, that's how when you sent the wedding invitation to come to South Africa for your wedding, I'm like, we're going. Because it's so true. You don't know when you're going to have those opportunities to do something like that again. And it's usually fear that holds us back, right? Or it's some sort of a limiting belief, whether it's tied to money or abilities or whatever it may be. But that's beautiful advice and you definitely do live the width of your life, Allison. I'm so grateful for our friendship for many decades and years. And it's just such a pleasure just to see you continue to be so successful on your own terms. And I'm grateful for our time together today. And if anyone wants to connect with you, what are the best ways that they can do so?
[00:37:17] Alison: The best way is LinkedIn. You can find me there, Alison Muller. I'm professional, if you want to connect with me there, that's the way.
[00:37:25] Aneta: Okay. Excellent. We'll make sure that we include that profile in the show notes. Thank you so much for your time today.
[00:37:32] Alison: Thank you, Aneta. It's just an absolute pleasure.
[00:37:34] I love talking to you anytime, but this has been super fun and I appreciate you reaching out and making this happen.
[00:37:40] Aneta: Of course. Thank you.
[00:37:42] Aneta: Thank you for listening to today's episode. If today's conversation inspired you to dream again, break out of your comfort zones, or reflect on what it means to you to live more fully, then please follow this podcast because every week you'll hear more stories from people just like you who took imperfect action towards their goals created more joy and are living the life that they've always dreamt of living.
End.