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.
She is the brightest star in her constellation. When an Alpha Female stays true to their authentic selves and their missions they shine. An Alpha Female puts herself first so that she can fill up her cup and then have more energy for her friends, family, and coworkers. She strives for synergy with the world around her. She knows that work/life harmony is found by staying true to your priorities and what makes you happy. She is never complacent about striving for better and nurtures relationships with all the people in her life.
Meet Em Haas!
Em Haas is a fitness freak, baby bikini competitor, day planner junkie and apparel designer at Underarmour. She believes that social media is a tool to inspire and help other people and that leggings are real pants. You can find her training with her boyfriend, studying for her next certification or helping people truly “em”body fitness.
What do you think of the definition and how are you an Alpha Female?
When I read the definition of an Alpha female, it was like when someone finally thinks of the movie that you had on the tip of your tongue all day. Throughout fashion school, I was the girl who obsessed over her work, caring way too much about competitions, pleasing my teachers and people taking me seriously. My Saturday nights were working ahead, applying to summer internships and using LinkedIn like it was Facebook. Both in professional and academic scenarios, I have been criticized for being “too aggressive” with my continuous follow up emails or getting anxious over a bad critique. I became so hard on myself that at one point, I was driven by the adrenaline that came with fear. But now I am realizing and accepting the importance of scheduling an appointment with myself and what matters most to me. That has truly made a difference in my confidence and how I treat the world around me.
What does work/life harmony look like for you?
At the end of the day, it is scheduling in the things I love to do and who I want to spend time with. The harmony starts at the very beginning of my day with training, releasing that built up stress and having that one on one time with my body before anything unexpected or crazy happens., Once I get to work, if I am helping out a particular designer with a deadline I prioritize that or a project I’m working on. No matter how crazy it gets, I weave in the harmony throughout my day by always taking an hour lunch to study for my personal training certification, check in with my family or my boyfriend, post something on social media that may help someone or just even taking a walk outside. Once I get home, I make sure I sit down & eat a meal while watching a Youtube or some kind of bodybuilding documentary, meal prep for the next day, practice posing & incorporate reading at least an hour before that is focused on
If life has ever been out of whack? What was an aha moment you had to take better care of yourself?
Being the closest perfectionist I am, the unexpected can be really hard. What I remember the most was the end of the Fall semester, last year when I had been having anxiety attacks off an on all summer and fall, kind of pushing my work infant of my health and ignoring the severity of them. At the time I was in a VERY dependent, unhealthy relationship with a guy who didn’t love himself that much, a relied on my dependency, crying phone calls about school and my thesis to maintain his confidence. But at the same time, my state of mind justified his addiction and depression, so it continued to feed off of each other. I had spent that semester, unsure about my thesis, having no believe or clue in my concept and listening to way too many opinions at once to make a clear decision. My time was spent Facetiming him, prioritizing his problems over the work I had to do or having an anxiety attack in the schools’ studios over not finishing my thesis. This ended up making me behind and not delivering enough for the midterm critique. After the industry critiques looked in disbelief at my direction and gave me terrible feedback, I had an honest conversation with my professor about what I should do going forward. She suggested that I “take time off” and “continue next fall,” or she really did not know what I was going to turn it around. I felt hopeless, and so behind and I will never forget the moment I got back to my dorm room. The condition my room was in, papers on the floor, crumbled sketches, ripped fabric, fallen books, the room literally mirrored my mind and all the directions it was going at once. I remember sliding down my door, feeling of helplessness, my mind racing so fast, that I couldn’t keep up with it. I felt like everything I had ever worked for or dreamed about, was gone. It was that phone call to my mom that night where I was horrified looking around the room saying “I want my life back.” I had been promoting for years after my eating disorder to “take care of yourself” and “love yourself” but wasn’t taking the initiative for myself. It was feeling like I was in someone else’s body when I knew I needed to get ahold of my anxiety and my health.
What are you most passionate about?
I am most passionate about using “Em/body Fitness” as a platform for people to see their body as a tool to inspire others, not or aestectic reasons, but for the empowerment, self confidence, an example you can set for other people just by following your dreams. The concept started out as an Instagram account, posting motivational quotes, body positivity and my journey overcoming anorexia in high school. But now I try to include all things fitness like it being an outlet and quality time with my boyfriend, embracing the drive to keep going after my career, the relentless pursuit of self acceptance and the honesty that has become lost in this industry like the days I don’t have the perfect check in or feel the greatest or the days “if it fits your macros” becomes “if it fits your mouth.”
What are you daily health habits that keep your immune system boosted?
Well since my boyfriend owns his own online training & nutrition business, he is actually certified in nutrition and literally teaches me something new almost everyday, I LOVE IT! My typical routine, includes taking a shot of Apple Cidar Vinegar in the morning, a serving of Greens Superfood complex powder that is a servings worth of vegetables so if my sweet tooth is a little stronger than usual or I’m eating out or on the go foods,I least I started my day with my micronutrients. Recently I have implemented Spurolina Powder and Matcha Green Powder. Before I go to bed, I always take my 1st form Full Mega Fish Oil and either OptiCore, our ZMA recovery pill or Magnesium Powder. I have noticed a difference in my redo.
What is your weekly fitness routine like?
Being in contest prep, I am training six days a week, on a training schedule with my coach who I have been with for almost four years now, who implements and adjusts based on where my check in is that week and how far out I am from my show. During off season, I still am in there six days/week just focusing on building strength and to mentally destress. I was so limited with my physical fitness when recovering fro my eating disorder that I am attracted so much to the feeling of moving with freedom than I ever am about how I look. There is also something amazing about saying “no it’s okay” to a the huge guy trying to unload the barbell rack for you when you realize you can squat just as much.
How do you challenge yourself fitness wise?
Having had a history of disorder eating, an addiction around fitness and nutrition, I really had to self evaluate and long emails back and forth with my coach about everything that it takes to compete while I was still in school. Even though I have been recovered for six years now, challenging myself to not revert back to those unhealthy perfectionist ways has been the biggest challenge. It’s been harder for me to not obsess over water weight, meal timing and not taking my hungry feels out on my boyfriend and just realizing that all of this was my choice, my goals and no one else problem other than my own. It was about
What are you daily/weekly nutrition habits that keep you well nourished?
Earth greens powder- also has helped me with my digestion, reduce water weight & spirulina powder helps prevent autoimmune disease because it is a antimicrobial agent, keeps me from having a random runny nose throughout the whole day
What are your daily habits for winding down at night and reducing stress?
From the time I get home, I plan the rest of my night based on how much sleep I need that night. No matter how much or little I have gotten done, I give myself an hour eat a snack, stretch, do my core exercises & listen to either my favorite podcast or watch a Youtube from my favorite vlogg series. My boyfriend & I dose up on magnesium powder as well to make sure we get quality sleep.
What are some pain points of being an Alpha Female that you have to problem solve for?
To forget about your own oxygen mask. To advocate helping others put on their own to the point where you almost forget your own. When my boyfriend & I first moved in, I was trying to do multiple things at once & had a full blown hissy fit, literally crying over things I chose to do & he said something to me that totally woke me up. “Just because there’s 24 hours in a day, does not mean that you have to schedule yourself for every hour.” I realized I was frustrated with not being able to give 100% to all of those things at once. But balance and advocating a healthy mindset doesn’t mean anything if they have no example set for them.
What is your definition of happiness?
Happiness to me is knowing that you are exactly where you should be in life, regardless of how imperfect it may seem.how imperfect it may seem.