Meet Alli Jo

Alli Jo is swim teacher extraordinaire.  She has a gift with children in the water. She’s taught all 3 of my children to swim and has taught hundreds of other children in the San Diego area to swim.  While obtaining her business degree she knew deep down she was an entrepreneur at heart and set off pursuing her dreams, even if it meant staying up till 3am responding to emails.

As a Navy wife, new mom, and an entrepreneur she found herself consistently faced with new experiences and obstacles she had to overcome.  Yet, none of these compared to the transformation she experienced through her journey as a breast cancer warrior.

Her Story

Not long after Alli Jo had her first daughter, she noticed a lump in her breast.  Because she was breastfeeding it was believed to be related to her milk production.  But after she weaned, the lump never went away.  After a second opinion, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Alli Jo is a fighter.  And yet she’s managed to turn the fight against breast cancer into transforming her life to create more space, time, and live life the way she wants to live it without feeling guilty about it.

You’re never guaranteed tomorrow

In your 30s it’s easy to sometimes feel like you’re invincible.  The “bad things” always happen to someone else.  It’s never going to happen to you…until it does.

When Alli Jo navigated through nearly a year long journey of treatment against her cancer, she gained something far more beautiful along the way.  She gained the power in living each day as if it may be her last.  Her intention was shifted.  She began to look at her days, her relationships, her family, and even her body image in a whole new way.

She slowed down. She savored the moments.  She cherished the days.  She was able to give herself the space she needed to enjoy her life…completely guilt free.

She was able to wake each morning, wondering how she could make today great.

Why Consistent Reminders

It’s so easy to get off track and caught up in the day.  It’s easy to revert back to adding too many things to the plate or working into the grind because that’s what we’ve been so used to doing.

The constant reminders to find balance, reframe intentions, and create that positive mindset are absolutely essential.

Life’s Upgrade

Her one word to describe her story and experience is “Upgraded.”  Because when you’ve gone through struggles and challenging experiences, it seems as if you’re life gets an upgrade.  Your lens on life gets shifted.  The obstacles you encounter can be viewed as an opportunity to grow.

Beauty and tears combined create your story.

In order to experience that upgrade, you have to allow yourself to be raw and vulnerable in those uncomfortable moments.  Vulnerability begets vulnerability.  And when we find ourselves tempted towards isolation, we have to reach out and connect with others and share our hot messes.

So what’s Alli Jo’s number one take away in living a life upgraded?….Choose joy.

Choose Joy

There is always joy available.  No matter your circumstances, there is joy available for you to receive.  No matter how hard life may seem in this moment, you will see the benefits in the future of choosing joy today.

To connect with Alli Jo, you can find her at Alli Jo’s Swim School.