Every Woman Visionary: Hearing Your Call

Alyson Howard-Hoag

I was 19 years old, freshly graduated from college, and my goal was to be the next Tony Robbins. I counseled juvenile delinquents. I also worked at the Lancome counter to make ends meet. One day, a woman who was around 50 sauntered up for a makeover. A half an hour later, she looked in the mirror and said to me through her tears, “I never thought I was pretty. For the first time in my life I do!”  In that moment, I was hooked and my great love has been helping women author their own looks and witnessing the moment when a woman falls in love with what she sees when she looks in the mirror.

Sometimes the greatest trips in life are not the ones we intend on taking and this path of mine was not what I had originally set out to do. But the universe kept pushing me in a direction and I eventually came to the conclusion that I made more of a difference putting lipstick on women then I did with counseling.

As Paulo Coelho wrote in The Alchemist, “to realize one’s destiny is a person’s only obligation.” And throughout my life, (from counter girl to celebrity makeup artist to the owner of a salon and creator of a cosmetics line,) I had hints of my calling. I surmise you have had hints too yet there are plenty of speed bumps, potholes and other diversions that can set you off course.

As Napolean Hill once mused, “one of the tricks of opportunity. It has a sly habit of slipping in by the back door, and often it comes disguised in the form of misfortune, or temporary defeat. Perhaps this is why so many fail to recognize opportunity.” If your internal GPS has you a little off course, I encourage every spirited woman out there to pause and ponder what is the burning desire of your heart? Can you look back and notice the hints and a road you are currently being called to traverse?

Conversely, sometimes the traffic of life is just what we need to prepare us. Gridlock teaches us patience. Accidents remind us of the brevity of it all and blue lights in the rear view mirror remind us to slow down.

Keep driving! In spite of defeats, misfortunes or the temporary road blocks that life presents to us all, what is your heart’s greatest desire? Spend today noticing opportunities that abound around you right where you are and take courage in knowing that following your heart is one of the greatest road trips you can ever take.

*****

Alyson Howard-Hoag works with celebrities, CEOs and thousands of real women helping them unearth their Authentic Beauty. Spanning more than 25 years in the beauty industry, her career includes working with leading cosmetic giants of the likes of Aveda, Borghese, Lancome, Revlon, and Sebastian. As an educator and trainer, Alyson has instructed hundreds of makeup artists at salons throughout the Southeast in makeup application and techniques as well as business development.

After years working within the makeup industry, Authentic Beauty was born from the idea that inner beauty, self-acceptance and learning how to express one’s Authentic Self creates outer beauty. Garnering inspiration from best selling author Sarah Ban Breathnach, Alyson invented the Image Journey and opened the Authentic Beauty Makeup Salon and Hair Studio in 2008.

Armed with a philosophy that “a woman should never be told how she should look,” Alyson has honed her true talent: inspiring women to have their external image be a reflection of their Authentic Self. It is her passion to help women make peace with and fall in love with what they see when they look in the mirror. She and her talented team of artists aim to empower women and to teach her clients how to express their Authentic Image while acquiring simple and refined makeup techniques that they can do themselves.

Alyson’s work can be seen in a bevy of Atlanta magazines such as Jezebel Magazine (winner of Best Makeup Artist 2010 and Best of What’s New 2009), and Best Self Magazine. She is also recognized as one of the best brow experts in the country and is affectionately known as the “brow guru” of Atlanta receiving the label “Best of the Best” by Allure Magazine.

Alyson is proud to be in the 2013 edition of The Spirited Woman Directory: A Collection of Stories & Resources for an Inspired Life!, which is bringing together women from around the world in a massive collaborative effort. Featured in the magazine-style digital Directory celebrating the “every woman” visionary, are women who are inspiring and changing the world, one Spirited Woman step at a time.