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.
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 Lesley-Anne Scorgie!
Lesley-Anne Scorgie’s passion for personal finance was strong well before her appearance on the Oprah Winfrey show in 2001. What started all the fuss in the first place was when she took up teaching her high school business class about investing, much to her teacher’s surprise. Since appearing on the show in 2001 called “Ordinary People, Extraordinary Wealth”, Lesley-Anne has branched out as a bestselling author, entrepreneur, renowned professional speaker, educator and popular columnist and television personality. Her area of expertise has also expanded into career navigation, entrepreneurship and women’s workplace equity and diversity issues. Today she is armed with her three best-sellers Modern Couple’s Money Guide: 7 Smart Steps to Building Wealth Together (2016), Well-Heeled: The Smart Girl’s Guide to Getting Rich (April 2014) and Rich by Thirty: A Young Adult’s Guide to Financial Success (2007/15) Lesley-Anne is the founder of MeVest. Lesley-Anne has her BComm from University of Alberta and an MBA from Queen’s University. In 2011 Lesley-Anne won Avenue’s Top 40 Under 40 award and WXN’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada.
How are you an Alpha Female?
I have my own business, teach fitness, love to cook, enjoy my personal relationships and I like being a strong-minded woman. I stand up for what I believe in and work my ass off for everything that I have and have built. I haven’t always made the smartest choices, but generally they’ve been solid and have allowed me to grow personally, professionally and financially. Those are the three pillars of my life that I’m constantly trying to strengthen.
What does work/life harmony look like for you?
It doesn’t look like visions of beaches and free time to read. That’s simply not my reality and won’t ever be. Don’t get me wrong, I love my downtime and take it 4-5 times per year, but my life is joyful when it’s full and I feel like I’m growing. So, work/life harmony is a long-term gig. When I have time to succeed in areas I’m working on, like my business, my intimate relationship, a yoga headstand, French lessons or a beef brisket, I have it…. And I’ve learned that I’m the only one that can define what success looks like.
What are you most passionate about?
Wellness – financial, personal and professional. I genuinely want myself to achieve the best I can in these areas and I want that for others. That’s actually what my entire business and my life is about.
What are you daily health habits that keep your immune system boosted?
I teach fitness classes 3-4 days per week and practice yoga at least once over the weekend. I take vitamins and try to have a green smoothie (without sugar or fruit – full on veggies) a few times a week. I try not to eat naughty foods that are processed because I’ve got a sensitive tummy. And, for the most part I don’t overdo it on alcohol or caffeine.
What is your weekly fitness routine like?
I teach a program that is a blend between plyometric moves, free weights and aerobics. The classes run for an hour in length and I love to play really awesome music. Also, living in Toronto, I find that I walk for a minimum of 30 minutes each day between meetings, to and from my home office and for the joy of it. Some of my favourite times are when I take these walks and simply have time to relax and think.
How do you challenge yourself fitness wise?
I’m always attending courses. Quite honestly I learned last year that I needed to workout less, not more. So I had to pare it back… that was a new thing and the reason I noticed it was my muscles weren’t repairing as quickly, I wasn’t getting stronger and I was damned worn out by the time the weekend hit.
What are you daily/weekly nutrition habits that keep you well nourished?
Minimum of one salad per day. Low sugar. Lots of veggies. Most importantly I cook 95% of my own food because I can control what goes into it. I extend this nutrition to by friends and have them over for meals rather than going it. It’s just better for the waistline and wallet.
What are your daily habits for winding down at night and reducing stress?
30 min before shutting my eyes I turn off the electronics and I try to read instead. In the winter I also find it soothing to have a bath before bedtime.
What are some pain points of being an Alpha Female that you have to problem solve for?
A lot of people’s perceptions of Alpha Females are skewed. They often think that we’re trading off all the pleasure in our lives in order to pursue our careers. That’s simply not the case. We live very full lives, that’s for sure, but everything in our lives is there for a reason – growth and happiness… last time I checked, those were awesome objectives to have in living one’s life. Just because an Alpha Female chooses to marry later or start another business or travel often doesn’t mean she’s too busy to experience life. If you actually zero in on her life, she might be happier than most because she’s engaged in every moment. I also hate that people love to tell Alpha Females to slow down… barf. Your intimate partner, family and friends need to understand your drive and support it.
What is your definition of happiness?
When I can do well financially, personally (relationships and health) and in my career. If I lose these pillars, or when one is weak, I’m terribly unhappy.