Every Friday I am going to feature a woman that I adore. They exude all the qualities of an Alpha Female and I want to dig into their lives to get some nuggets of knowledge to help us all live happier, healthier lives balancing life & work.
Definition of an Alpha Female
An Alpha Female is a powerful and assertive woman. Her confidence is due to being an intelligent and intellectual problem-solver. Being an Alpha Female is a State of Mind based on choosing ambition and being proud of it. She strives for a happy and healthy work/life harmony.
Type A Alpha Females often come across as strong willed and selfish. When we stay true to our authentic selves and stay true to our mission we shine. A true Alpha Female puts the needs of herself first without sacrificing her principles or dignity. She fills up her cup or gas tank first so that she has enough energy for her friends, family, and coworkers. She strives for synergy with the world around her. She wants a perfect work/life balance but knows that it requires being true to your priorities and what makes you happy. She is never complacent about striving for better and nurtures relationships with the people in her life.
Meet Chivon John!
Chivon is a multi-passionate entrepreneur that works tirelessly to empower individuals to live their best life and make wellness a top priority.
In addition to her work as Communications Specialist, Chivon regularly lends her voice to mental health awareness initiatives and is the Founder of Secrets of a Side Hustler – a community for individuals that want to start or have a business in addition to working full-time. She’s also the creator and moderator of #sidehustlechat, a Twitter chat created for side hustlers, freelancers and solopreneurs and Canada’s first Side Hustle Week.
Chivon wants to live in a world where individuals feel empowered to create their own opportunities and regularly inspires through her writing, as a mentor and speaker. In 2015 she was recognized as a Black Canadian Role Model and has been featured on Toronto’s Breakfast Television, The Toronto Star, The Huffington Post, Huff Post Live and her blog chivonjohn.com was a runner up in Best Health Magazine’s Best Blog Awards.
How are you an Alpha Female?
I consider myself to be an Alpha Female because I’m ambitious, resilient and tenacious. I’m passionate not only about making my mark but helping others make theirs and strive to create a life that is full with health, happiness and hustle.
Does work/life balance exist?
Ultimately it’s up to each individual to figure out what their version of balance means to them but the biggest struggle that I have with the concept of work/life balance is that traditional definitions have pitted work and life in separate and competing boxes and balance is treated as a destination vs something that we can experience daily. For me, work and life are intertwined and on the days when I feel overwhelmed, anxious or stressed, I try hard to push myself to think about what areas of my life may need more attention in that moment.
Another thing that I don’t think the work/life balance considers is that it’s possible to derive a lot of joy from your work. I fill a big part of my life with working on projects that I love and for some it may feel like it’s too much but for me it’s my way of fully stepping into my passion. Instead of work/life balance I strive for work/life harmony and I view this as the quest to live each day feeling passionate about what you’re doing and feeling deeply satisfied. So whether I put in a full day of work then a few more on a side project then head to run club all in one day if I’m finding meaning in that day and feeling engaged and happy, I consider it a win and feeling ‘balanced’.
Robyn Here: I don’t think you realize how gold that small statement is. I’m about to update my blog header because of this women. It’s so unbelievably true that we are striving for harmony versus balance. It’s such a prettier word!
What are you most passionate about?
Two of my core desired feelings are connection and community. When I think of all of the projects and life experiences that have brought me to this point these are the best words to describe what I’m passionate about. I love seeing and helping people feel connected to a big dream or goal. I create events because I love connecting people with each other to develop strong relationships. But most importantly I’m passionate about ensuring people don’t ever feel like they are or have to go through something alone. So whether it’s sharing my experience with mental health challenges, hosting a twitter chat to help people connect online, or just lending my ear for support I love fostering community and connected folks to a higher purpose.
What are you daily health habits that keep your immune system boosted?
I’m in the process of a diet overhaul to address some food sensitivities but my daily staples are a cup of warm water with lemon and a green smoothie/juice.
What is your weekly fitness routine like?
Presently my routine consists of run club 1-2 times per week and 3-4 days of gym/fitness studio workouts. These vary between weight training, HITT or yoga.
How do you challenge yourself fitness wise?
I enjoy shaking up my routine every few months and trying different workouts. Even though I love weight training, this year my gym workouts started to feel a bit repetitive and I missed the comradery of working out with a group. Joining a run club ignited my love for road races and is helping me inch closer to my goal of competing in a duathalon. During the summer I also started a new fitness challenge to visit a new studio or try a different workout in the city a few times a month and it’s been an awesome way to make fitness feel less of a routine item in my day and also discover new workouts.
What are your daily habits for winding down at night and reducing stress?
Since my phone doubles as my alarm clock I turn it on airplane mode so I’m not distracted in the evening. Before I go to sleep I like to take a moment to review or plan out my schedule for the next day and write a note in my journal or gratitude jar.
What are you daily/weekly nutrition habits that keep you well nourished?
Daily habits
- Warm water with lemon before breakfast
- Eat breakfast every morning
- 2-4L of water
Weekly
- Meal prep on Sunday or Monday or meal delivery service for one week
Book mentioned in the podcast – Eating Alive: Prevention Thru Good Digestion
What is your definition of happiness?
I love this definition from Shawn Anchor – “Happiness is the joy we feel when striving towards our potential”
Love her! What an inspirational woman! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Chivon is an inspiration! Love this. Great job, Robyn.