The Art of Becoming: Finding Freedom, Impact, and Identity After Reinvention

There comes a moment when a woman realizes she can no longer build her life around expectations that were never hers to begin with. Allison Baxley reached that moment. And chose differently. After years of building a successful creative career in New York, Allison moved her family to Portugal, not in search of escape, but in pursuit of alignment. What followed wasn’t a perfectly scripted reinvention, but a bold redesign of how she lives, works, and leads. One rooted in freedom, impact, and conscious choice.

Today, through www.allisonbaxley.com, Allison is building a global business and mentoring teams around the world, working with women who are ready to stop shrinking their dreams and start building lives that actually fit. Her work sits at the intersection of mindset, wellness, and entrepreneurship — not as trends, but as tools for real change.

She leads moms who want more than survival mode. Women in midlife who are done waiting. Health and wellness professionals who want to expand their impact beyond traditional models. And she welcomes driven, coachable people who know the 9–5 was never the end of their story.

Allison’s story isn’t about reinvention as a clean slate. It’s about choosing again—with clarity, courage, and conviction. About letting go of permission and building a life that reflects who you’ve already become. In this conversation, she speaks honestly about fear, failure, ambition, and what happens when a woman finally decides to trust herself and go all in.

When you decided to transform your life and business vision, what inner need or deep longing pushed you toward that change?

I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit. That part isn’t new. It’s likely why I never could fully commit to the 9-5, continued to freelance to create some semblance of freedom. Took on side projects to expand my creative outlets. And worked with startups hoping I could be a part of something that had impact. But what really pushed the change wasn’t ambition. It was frustration. I realized I was building things that looked good on the outside but didn’t actually give me the life I wanted. I wanted ownership. Time freedom. Impact. I wanted to stop asking for permission—from clients, from algorithms, from systems that had no idea who I was. At some point, the need to live on my own terms became louder than the fear of changing everything. The deeper longing was freedom. Agency. Impact. I wanted to build a life that felt aligned, and not just impressive on paper.

You blend mindset, wellness, self-care and entrepreneurship so naturally. Which of these created the deepest shift in your own life, and why?

Mindset. One hundred percent. It’s been the biggest needle mover. But wellness came first. That’s important. I didn’t have some big mindset breakthrough out of nowhere. I was tired. Burnt out. Disconnected from my body. The wellness practices came in quietly at first. Better routines, more movement, paying attention to how I actually felt instead of powering through. And then the mindset was a welcome addition. Once that happened, it was like a rocket ship. Suddenly I could see how many stories I’d been telling myself. About what I “should” want, what success was “supposed” to look like, who I “needed” to be to be taken seriously. When my mindset shifted, everything accelerated. My work. My confidence. My clarity.

Your move from New York to Portugal was a major turning point. How has life in Portugal reshaped you – in your pace, your inspiration, and your sense of inner calm?

This is where I get really honest. Moving to Portugal didn’t instantly give me the life I imagined. I thought I’d arrive and suddenly be walking by the ocean every day, living this spacious, beautiful life. Instead, I recreated the same pattern. Glued to my computer, chasing metrics, trying to “make it work.” And at some point, I had to admit, I’m not living the life I moved here for. That realization was deeply uncomfortable, but it changed everything. I stopped trying to win at the internet and started paying attention to my actual life. I walk more. I take care of myself. I spend time outside. I ask bigger questions about impact, not just income. Portugal didn’t just slow me down. It held up a mirror.

Your reinvention wasn’t about escaping your life, but redesigning it. What’s the difference between running from something and consciously choosing something new?

Running feels frantic. Choosing feels intentional. I wasn’t trying to escape my life. I was trying to make it fit. Redesigning meant admitting that something wasn’t working without turning it into a personal failure. And trust me, that took time. There’s also ego involved. We hold onto versions of ourselves because they look good from the outside. On paper. Online. Letting go of that can feel terrifying. But living in alignment? That’s when you actually shine. Way brighter than you ever did trying to hold it all together.

Many women see their 40s as a slowing point, yet you chose to start again. What helped you view this age as a launchpad instead of a limitation?

Let me be real. At first, it didn’t feel like a launchpad. It felt like failure. I was embarrassed. I thought, How am I here again? How have I still not figured this out? It felt like starting over…again. But eventually I realized I wasn’t starting over. I was starting clearer. The moment I stopped caring about what my life should look like and got honest about what I actually wanted, everything shifted. I didn’t feel late. I felt ready. Even if it took me a minute to come to terms with that.

What has been the most beautiful “unexpected gift” you received from this reinvention?

Self-trust. Without question. I trust my decisions now. I don’t spiral the way I used to. I don’t need constant validation. That confidence has changed how I show up in my relationships, my work, and my body. It’s quiet, but it’s powerful.

Tell us a little about your daily routine: what keeps you aligned, focused, balanced and inspired?

I learned how to say no. A lot. If something doesn’t serve my peace or my purpose, I don’t feel bad about avoiding it anymore. That alone changed my life. I protect my mornings. I get outside. I build my days around energy instead of obligation. And I let my routine support my life, not the other way around.

If you had to describe the soul of your brand in three words, which words would you choose, and why?

Impact-driven. Authentic. Empowering. I care deeply about helping people in real, tangible ways. I don’t believe in pretending it’s easy. And I believe growth can be messy and still worth it.

When you meet a woman who feels stuck and dreams of starting over, what is one sentence you wish she could hear from you?

You’re not stuck—you’re standing at the edge of a decision.

Looking ahead, what new dream or chapter are you building now – something you wouldn’t have dared to imagine before this transformation?

I’m building a truly global business. One that gives me freedom. Time freedom, financial freedom, location freedom. And, just as importantly, allows me to help other people create the same kind of life.

 I lead teams all over the world and mentor women and men as they build their own global businesses, often alongside families, careers, and big life transitions.

What excites me most is the impact. We’re launching revolutionary wellness technology that’s changing how people track and understand their health. Not in a vague way, but with real data, real insight, and real empowerment. 

This has the potential to reach millions of people across the globe, and being part of that feels deeply aligned with who I am now .I work with moms who want more than survival mode. Women in midlife who are finally ready to design lives they actually love. Health and wellness professionals who want to have a bigger impact on their clients and patients. And I’m always open to connecting with driven, coachable people who know, deep down, that they’re meant for more than the 9–5 hustle. This chapter is about scale, legacy, and service. It’s about building a life that feels free, and helping others realize they’re allowed to do the same .I’m building something bigger than me. I want to help as many people as possible. I want to leave a legacy.

 I want my kids to grow up knowing that life doesn’t have to be small or rigid or fear-driven. As a kid, I never imagined this kind of life was available to me. Now that I know it is, I’m building it intentionally, one decision at a time. My vision has never been clearer. I know who I am, what I want, and where I’m going. I don’t have to know how I’ll get there, but the version of me that exists in the future thanks me every day for saying yes to me. This is the part that still makes me pause sometimes. Because a few years ago, I never would’ve believed I’d be here.