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 finding harmony between work and life.
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. However, when we stay true to our authentic selves and our missions we shine. An Alpha Female puts herself first so that she can fill up her cup or gas tank or put on her airplane mask first so that she has enough 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 Sharon!
The week on the Alpha Female podcast I have Sharon Stokes is a Certified Life Coach who studied at The Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC). She is also the creator of the Life Map. A coaching concept where she helps her clients build self-awareness by guiding them through a process of understanding how certain experiences, events and people in their life have shaped who they are. Through this journey, people become unstuck, set and achieve goals and make decisions they feel good about. She has also worked as a coach at Matthew Hussey’s 5 day Lifestyle Retreats, where she’s had the opportunity to help transform the lives of countless women and been voted as one of the top trainers. Sharon is a Certified Fitness Instructor, currently teaching BodyJam and Jillian Michaels’ BodyShred program. Through her work as an instructor, she has been able to create lasting connections with her clients, and inspires them to live healthy, happy lives. Sharon has also worked in the media for over 10 years as a Segment Producer for CTV’s etalk and The Marilyn Denis Show. Through her media career she has had the opportunity to interview A-list celebrities and coach lifestyle experts to peak performance levels for television. She has the ability to problem solve quickly, communicate with many different personality types and can adapt easily to change. Sharon currently resides in Toronto with her little dog Lucy.
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How are you an Alpha Female?
I would say I’m an Alpha Female because I know what I want and I go after it. I’ve always been ambitious. Once I know what it is I want there’s no stopping me. My sister recently said I was a strong willed child…which probably wasn’t too fun for my mom but I think as an adult it’s served me well as an entrepreneur. I’m always hungry for more but I also know how important balance is and make an effort to take care of my well-being so I can be on top of my game when it comes to creating.
Does work/life balance exist?
It does exist, but with what I do I find it also blends together. A big part of my job is connecting with and meeting people. I also don’t feel like it’s really work because I get a lot of joy out of it. I think when people don’t see their job as work but instead as an extension of who they are that’s the ultimate gift of life. Mind you – there are parts of my job and being a business owner that are tedious and with those tasks you do have to step away at times. Exercise is huge for me. I find when I’m stressed or overwhelmed exercise is my medicine and it really balances me out. I ALWAYS feel better after a workout.
What are you most passionate about?
I’m most passionate about guiding people towards building self-awareness and helping people get unstuck. I created my own coaching concept called your Life Map where I help people understand how experiences, events and people in their life have helped shaped who they are and have helped get them to where they are now. This process also helps them set and achieve goals and make decisions they feel good about. A lot of the time people think they know themselves – I was even one of those people. I used to have a lot of pride around knowing who I was. Then when I started to become more passionate about personal development I realized there were so many things I didn’t know about myself, and also that the journey never really ends. When I’m able to ask a question and open up peoples blinders and guide them towards some big ah-ha moments that feels pretty good.
What are you daily health habits that keep your immune system boosted?
I exercise almost every day – I mix it up though between yoga, dance, weights and cardio. I also do acupuncture and eat a balanced diet. To be honest I don’t like to cook (for me as an Alpha Female I like focusing my time and energy elsewhere) so I actually get my meals delivered my a really healthy meal delivery company so I still feel good about what I’m putting in my body.
What is your weekly fitness routine like?
I do 7am yoga 2-3 times a week. I’m also a fitness instructor and teach 5 classes a week. A dance cardio class and a boot camp type workout. I’m actually in NYC for the next couple months and I’ve gotten into running a bit more because I absolutely adore running in Central Park. I’m also really adventurous so I do other random exercise like obstacle courses, water sports in the summer, and so much walking! I try and walk pretty much anywhere I can.
How do you challenge yourself fitness wise?
Well I’m always up for something new. I was actually invited to a SoulCycle class here in NYC – I’ve never done a cycling class before. It’s never appealed to me. I feel like my ass is going to kill after from that bike seat! But I do like challenging myself so I said yes! I’m also really competitive so I’m always challenging myself in a class setting.
What are your daily habits for winding down at night and reducing stress?
I like to read, watch TV or go for a walk. I don’t get a chance to watch a lot of TV but that is the one thing that allows me to shut off the rest of my brain completely. It’s a great distraction lol. I also love spending time with my dog Lucy so we’ll play or go for a walk.
What are you daily/weekly nutrition habits that keep you well nourished?
I always eat 3 meals a day – including my meal delivery. I also make sure I have fresh fruit and veggies on hand for snacking. I’m a big snacker! I also have my vitamins and fish oil I try and remember to take daily.
What are paint points of being an Alpha Female that you have to problem solve for?
I struggle with patience A LOT! As an Alpha Female I work hard but sometimes you don’t see the fruits of your labour right away – so I can be hard on myself sometimes. It’s a constant battle to keep reminding myself to enjoy the process and give it time. I even starting putting sticky notes around my condo to remind myself. It’s hard to get out of your own head sometimes.
What is your definition of happiness?
Happiness to me means you feel fulfilled in your life, you have a good balance of the things that are important to you and you’re able to find joy in the little things.