DIVINE DIVA INTERVIEW WITH ALISON COHEN

When you were starting out in your career how did you know you were making the right choice as far as pursuing that career for yourself? 

When I was in college, I pursued many internships so that not only would I come to know what I really loved doing, but also to find out what I did not enjoy. Believe it or not, figuring out what you don’t like is just as important as figuring out what you truly love doing.

After working for a year on advertising campaigns for Barbie, amongst other things, I made the decision to pursue my passion and get a secondary degree in Fashion from FIDM in San Francisco. By pursuing things that I loved, which for me was beauty and fashion, I knew that I was making the right career decisions along the way. How did I know? When you are doing what you truly love, it doesn’t even feel like work.

My career has evolved from working for large, well-known fashion brands, to my branching out and pursuing my own brand. I knew that I wanted to take my passion and turn it into something that would not only be a source of personal love, but also an opportunity to reach other women in a positive way. Above all, delighting others and touching their lives in a positive way is my ultimate goal, and I am lucky that I get to do that every day.

Who were you biggest influences growing up?

Growing up, my parents were my biggest influences. They were positive role models in every way. My parents, and even my grandparents, were entrepreneurs, so I had it in me from a young age. They also taught me to prioritize what is truly important in life, and to always think of others.

When you faced obstacles or fears along the way how did you overcome them, and move beyond them?

By nature, I am a very positive and driven person, so I tend to always be thinking, creating and moving forward. That being said, my biggest obstacle is certainly myself. There is a lingering sense of self-doubt that I am still working on even today. I try to think about the benefits and positivity that I can bring to others by continuing to move forward with informative content and great products. 

Hearing stories and positive feedback from customers helps me move beyond my own self-doubt. Knowing that I am able to make others smile makes me smile even bigger. Also, I have four kids, so being able to properly manage my time so that I can work and also be very involved with them is a never-ending struggle. If anyone has the answer to perfect time management, please let me know!

What or who Inspires you and why? 

Other women entrepreneurs across all industries inspire me daily. From the women who offer their crafts via a small Etsy shop, to the women who run large corporations. They all have courage and vision.

If you could go back in time and change anything about your life would you change anything? If so what would you change and why?

Can I only choose one thing? Just kidding. My life is pretty great, although there are definitely some things I sometime wished I had done differently. I studied a lot in college. Too much, actually. I wish that I had let loose and had a little more fun. I also wish that I had traveled more, because now with four kids, it’s very hard to just pick up and go.

What do you feel is your greatest achievement?

Aside from building my family, my greatest achievement is still not even complete. I am so proud of the brand that I am building, and of the messages of positivity that are behind it. There is so much negativity in this world. If I am able to bring a bit of happiness through the Sweet Spun brand, then that is something to be proud of.

What are the most important lessons you have learned along the way?

An important lesson that I have learned is to focus on the now and on the future, rather than living in the thoughts of “I should have” or the “If I had only”. Keep moving forward, even if it is only a little bit at a time. It all adds up. There is no race.

What do you hope others will remember most about you and your life?

Oh wow. I hope others will remember that I built a great brand, but that I did so with kindness. Kindness always wins. I also want people to remember that I was giving to others, creative in business, and a great mom.

What is the best advice you would give other women who are not sure what path to choose in their life?

Choosing a path always sounds so final. Try a lot of things. You’ll learn what you like, and what you don’t like. Think about what you love doing, and keep doing that, but put your own twist on it. And even when you think you’ve made a wrong turn, just turn around a try a different route. No one is judging but yourself.

What does success mean to you?

Success means happiness. If I am able to wake up and be happy with what I am doing every day, with the people I am with, and see that my kids are happy, then that is success. 

I hope you enjoyed this interview with Alison. I connected with her on Instagram and her products looked not only stunning but also had a playful element to them as well which I love. Her products are also pink and girly my two favorite things. She is super sweet and kind as well.

Alison is a former Fashion Executive who always had a passion for all things Beauty: Skin care, makeup, and pretty things in general.

You can visit her site at https://www.sweetspun.com or you can connect with her on her stunning Instagram Page at https://www.instagram.com/sweetspunbeauty

Be prepared her page is one of the most stunning pages to follow.