Hi friend,
It’s been a minute since I last wrote here, but there has been a lot going on. Both great and areas where my faith has truly been the size of a mustard seed. Pull up a chair.
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about assumptions.
The assumptions we make about other people.
The assumptions we make about success.
The assumptions we make about what someone’s life must look like from the outside.
And perhaps most importantly, the assumptions we make about ourselves.
For a long time, I’ve carried a belief that I needed to have it all figured out.
If I were teaching, leading retreats, coaching women, speaking, facilitating workshops, building community, and growing a business, then I should somehow have all the answers.
Shame has a funny way of bottlenecking us.
It convinces us that we should already know.
That we shouldn’t need help.
That vulnerability is a weakness.
That asking for support somehow means we’ve failed.
The truth is, I haven’t had it all figured out.
In the middle of 2025, my business took a significant financial hit.
To keep things moving forward, I took out loans.
Then, toward the end of the year, my sweet Lady Bell needed emergency veterinary care. The total came to nearly $5,000—an expense I had not planned for but would make again in a heartbeat.
While working to repay those loans, continuing to invest in my business, maintaining my health, and showing up for my clients and community, there have been many months where it felt like I was working every day just to cover the essentials.
The majority of my income has gone toward paying back loans that, in hindsight, were incredibly predatory.
There have been moments when I’ve felt overwhelmed.
Moments when I’ve wondered how much longer I could keep carrying it all.
Moments when I’ve been embarrassed to tell even my closest friends what was really happening.
Because from the outside, things can look great.
The events are beautiful.
The retreats are meaningful.
The social media posts are inspiring.
The work is impactful.
But what people don’t always see is the person behind it all.
The person wondering how everything will get paid.
The person trying to stay healthy, grounded, creative, and hopeful.
The person carrying responsibilities while still showing up with an open heart.
And yet, somehow, I always believe it will work out.
And somehow, it always does.
Not always in the way I expect.
Not always on my timeline.
But it does.
Recently, I had a conversation with my dear friend Ciera that reminded me of something I had forgotten.
I’m not alone.
None of us are.
Sometimes we need someone to lovingly reflect our own wisdom back to us.
To remind us that support exists.
To remind us that we don’t have to carry everything ourselves.
To remind us that being human is not a flaw.
It’s the whole point.
And that’s when I realized that maybe sharing this story isn’t about me.
Maybe it’s about all of us.
Because I know I’m not the only person navigating the space between growth and financial ease.
I know I’m not the only person carrying yesterday’s decisions as I build tomorrow’s opportunities.
I know I’m not the only person who has looked successful on the outside while quietly carrying worry on the inside.
So let me tell you another truth.
My finances are tight right now.
Some days, they feel very tight.
And...
My business is growing.
Both things are true.
ACE Yoga for Kids continues to expand into schools and communities.
Teacher training is on the horizon.
Peace in the Pause has evolved into something clearer, deeper, and more impactful than ever before.
Today, I help women navigating major identity shifts, grief, transition, and reinvention feel reconnected internally and supported externally through intentional community.
Love in Motion continues to grow.
More one-day retreats are planned.
Longer retreats are in the works.
Corporate wellness opportunities are expanding.
I’m bringing yoga, mindfulness, meditation, sound healing, and wellbeing experiences into organizations that want to better support their teams.
The media and marketing side of my business is growing as well, helping purpose-driven individuals, law firms, wellness brands, and organizations tell their stories, create meaningful content, and connect with their communities authentically.
The opportunities are there.
The vision is alive.
The work is working.
What I’m navigating is the gap between growth and financial ease.
That’s an important distinction.
I’m not looking for a rescue.
I’m looking for opportunities.
I’m creating opportunities.
I’m pursuing opportunities.
And I’m asking for support while I continue building what comes next.
A dear friend and astrologer recently shared that this is a season for shooting your shot.
So this is mine.
If you’ve ever attended a class, workshop, retreat, sound bath, coaching session, keynote, or event with me, thank you.
If my work has ever supported you, inspired you, helped you heal, reconnect, or remember who you are, thank you.
And if you’ve ever wondered how you can support me and the work I’m building, here are a few ways:
• Hire me for Peace in the Pause coaching.
• Book a private yoga session.
• Schedule a private sound bath.
• Bring me in to speak at your organization, conference, school, retreat, or event.
• Hire me to facilitate workshops and wellness experiences.
• Connect me with schools interested in yoga and mindfulness programming.
• Introduce me to corporate teams seeking wellbeing offerings.
• Refer me to organizations looking for content creation, storytelling, marketing support, or community engagement strategies.
• Share my work.
• Make an introduction.
• Send a kind note.
If someone came to mind while reading this—a school administrator, PTA leader, HR manager, retreat organizer, event planner, conference producer, wellness director, business owner, marketing director, or friend navigating a major life transition—I would be deeply grateful for an introduction.
This isn’t a request rooted in pity.
It’s rooted in honesty.
Because if my story helps even one person feel less alone, then sharing it is worth it.
Here’s who I am.
I’m a kids and family yoga teacher.
I’m a life and wellbeing coach.
I’m a speaker.
I’m a retreat leader.
I’m a sound bath practitioner.
I’m a Reiki practitioner.
I’m a community builder.
I’m a storyteller.
I’m a marketer.
I’m a connector.
I bring people together so they can remember who they are.
I help people reconnect to themselves and to one another.
I believe healing happens in community.
I believe joy is available to all of us.
I believe peace is the ultimate goal of joy.
What excites me most isn’t where I’ve been—it’s where I’m headed.
More writing.
More Joy for Life texts.
More Peace in the Pause.
More Love in Motion gatherings.
More retreats.
More opportunities to bring yoga and mindfulness into schools and communities.
More opportunities to support businesses and organizations.
More opportunities to help people tell their stories.
More moments of helping people remember who they are.
I’m still dreaming.
I’m still building.
And I’m still saying yes to the life that’s unfolding.
The older I get, the more I realize that courage isn’t having all the answers.
Courage is telling the truth.
Courage is asking for help.
Courage is allowing yourself to be seen while you’re still becoming.
And perhaps that’s what joy has been teaching me all along.
Most of all, I’m human.
I’m learning.
I’m growing.
I’m doing my best.
And I am deeply honored to be here walking alongside you.
Thank you for reading.
Thank you for believing in me.
Thank you for being part of this journey.
Stay Brave in Your Pursuit of JOY! 💌
Love your favorite Ram,
Alicia “ACE”
Founder, ACE Yoga LA & ACE Enterprises
Creator of Peace in the Pause
Life & Wellbeing Coach | Speaker | Kids & Family Yoga Teacher | Community Builde
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Thank you for this vulnerable share. It's a very challenging time to run small businesses, especially here in Los Angeles as we undergo so much transition. I resonate so much with the feelings you share, and existing in the space between hope and self-belief and sometimes challenging financial realities. I hope more of us feel safe to share our struggles, and find more ways to come together and support each other. We heal and grow in community, and that is the way we will come through and move forward. Wishing you all the best as you continue to navigate the journey, and very interested to hear about this teacher training you teased...
Proud of your vulnerability, my friend. I’m starting a new full time job at the end of the month. The financial fear can be debilitating. Sending you love and peace from Texas.