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. A true Alpha Female 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.
Gwen is a media strategist and a TV producer. She’s the producer for The Naked Entrepreneur TV which airs on the Oprah Winfrey Network in Canada. Gwen helps entrepreneurs get their big break with media. She’s also the creator of ‘Your Big Break’ podcast that shares the stories of how entrepreneurs got their big break in business with help from mainstream media. She’s helped entrepreneurs get featured on Forbes, Virgin, LearnVest, Seventeen, DailyWorth, Levo, national TV shows, morning shows and local cable shows. Gwen has also been featured in Forbes as a Fierce Female Entrepreneur, Cosmopolitan, The Examiner The Huffington Post, TEDx to name a few media outlets!
Sign up for weekly media tips + advice at www.gwenelliot.com!
How are you an Alpha Female?
I’m ambitious, trust my gut and aim to lead a life where I encourage the women around me to do the same. I consistently go outside my comfort zone and found this year to be a HUGE stretch with officially stepping into my Alpha Female Zone with launching my business.
Does work/life balance exist?
If it does, I am REALLY trying to find it. I tend to lean heavily into the work side of life, and not enough into enjoying everything I work so hard for. I love George Stroumboulopoulos’ philosophy on work/life balance. In an interview he said, “I’m going for an enriched life… I want my life to be an extension of who I am.” That’s what I’m going for, and am working on connecting with who I am and why I’m here, and having the work I do be a reflection of that.
We talk about Shawn Phelps in the podcast and here is a link to the George interview on work/life balance.
What are you most passionate about?
Discovering what I’m most passionate about. I’ve never been the girl with one solid passion. I’ve lead my life by being genuinely curious about different aspects of life and following that path until it turns into a detour. That has lead me on the path of podcasting, and helping people share their story in the media!
What are you daily health habits that keep your immune system boosted?
I’m a big fan of hitting up the gym (almost daily), drinking a lot of water, and aiming for those 8 precious hours of sleep. I also have a ton of immune boosting pills I take from Vitamin D to Ginger to Omega 3 pills and spirulina. These are not every single day, but they’re most days. I’ve also been fortunate to work with nutritionist and author Julie Daniluk in the past who has given me the gift of education on how to eat foods that are anti-inflammatory, but still taste incredible. So my diet is mostly anti-inflammatory. I’m also a big advocate of trying new habits to see which ones stick. Right now I’m really into floating and float tanks for relaxation!
What is your weekly fitness routine like?
I’m very grateful to my younger sister Karyn, who has encouraged me to get back into the gym about six months ago. We now go to the gym 3-4 times a week, and have just recruited our youngest sister to join us. We hit up gym classes like BodyPump and BodyCombat at Goodlife and I am OBSESSED with the community at BodyJam. It’s honestly the most fun part of my week. I’m also big on the impromptu run. I love turning on Songza, and running around downtown Toronto when I need to mix it up.
How do you challenge yourself fitness wise?
I used to be SO intimidated by weight lifting. I thought it was for ‘other’ people, when really I was afraid to not know how to do it right. Karyn encouraged me to step outside the ol’ comfort zone, and now anything involving weights is my favourite part of going to the gym. I can actually do push-ups now which is incredible. Six months ago my arms were like spaghetti. I’ve also been known to sign up for half-marathons and one full marathon to challenge my mind and body to push further.
What are your daily habits for winding down at night and reducing stress?
Depending on the day I have two general habits: 1) On a good day: tea and listening to podcasts or reading. 2) Rougher Day: Red Wine and mindless YouTube videos. I try to lean into #1 as much as possible, and know when I get down the YouTube rabbit hole, I have fallen off the path and need to get back on!
What are you daily/weekly nutrition habits that keep you well nourished?
I am ALWAYS trying new foods. I am a superfan of kale and quinoa, and aim to stock my fridge with 90% healthy things and 10% cookie dough. My philosophy is never diet. My plan is to educate myself on what to eat, and never make something ‘taboo.’ I’ve also been known to go on food plans for busy professionals and my latest guilty (but healthy) pleasure is the convenience of UberEATS delivery healthy meals when life gets busy!
What are paint points of being an Alpha Female that you have to problem solve for?
I find when I’m in my super Alpha Female mode, I forget about embracing the feminine qualities of nurturing, receiving, creativity etc. I’ve been working really hard to focus more being a woman in business, and how that can be an advantage. One step I’ve taken is hiring a spiritual life coach named Shawn Phelps, who is helping me reconnect with who I am, instead of focusing on what I must DO! Also, I really aim to have Sundays to start as pure rest days, and one day hope I can increase that to 3 days a week.
What is your definition of happiness?
Happiness is awareness, acceptance, trusting the process and celebrating the wins! And having more fun!