MEET ALLISON
Allison Walsh is an expert business consultant, founder, bestselling author, international speaker, influential leader, and Miss Florida 2006. With over 15 years of experience in organizational leadership, success coaching, brand building, and business development, Allison's platform strengthens the professional development of today and tomorrow's most successful leaders. As a certified positive psychology coach, her passion and expertise lie in helping women build their personal brands and businesses so they can live their most authentic and successful life.
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Recognized by MM+M's National 40 Under 40, the Orlando Business Journal's 2021 Top 40 Under 40, and Women Who Mean Business, Allison is a two-time CEO for successful coaching companies, managing personal and professional development for more than 250 clients nationwide. Allison also served as Vice President of Business Development and Branding for Advanced Recovery Systems (ARS), a national provider and industry leader in behavioral healthcare. She was instrumental in developing worldwide brand recognition for the company and oversaw the organization's national sales team since its inception. In 2022, Allison accepted the opportunity to lead business development and partnership efforts for Charlie Health, a new mental health startup focused on adolescent and young adult mental health. Allison is a contributing member of Forbes Business Development Council, Dell Women's Entrepreneur Network, Entrepreneur's Leadership Council, Pavillion, and Orlando Business Journal's Leadership Trust. Combining her experience with a unique coaching curriculum, Allison helps women identify business and career opportunities, engage with their community, and breathe life into passion projects.
Allison is the author of the bestselling book, She Believed She Could (Wiley 2023) and has multiple published workbooks on personal and professional development. She's the creator of The She Believed She Could Society, an online community and coaching experience designed to empower, support, and equip women with business and brand-building resources and training. Dedicated to illuminating the experience of impactful women, Allison is also the creator and host of The She Believed She Could Podcast, and co-host of Dear Mind, You Matter, both of which are available on iTunes, GooglePlay, Stitcher, Spotify, and YouTube.
Earning the coveted Miss Florida crown in 2006, Allison's knowledge and experience in community engagement accelerated rapidly. She made over 250 public appearances representing the Sunshine State at Miss America and was a featured contributor for national media outlets and publications. Winner of both Miss America and Miss Florida Community Service Awards, Allison has always remained deeply passionate about philanthropy and mental health. As a teenager, Allison founded the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Helping Other People Eat (H.O.P.E.). Under Allison's leadership, H.O.P.E. has raised more than $2 million for eating disorder organizations and launched national outreach campaigns, including three educational programs distributed to more than 12,000 schools. Allison's philanthropic efforts are highlighted in the best-selling memoir Then Again by Diane Keaton and Johanna Kandel's Life Beyond Your Eating Disorder, in addition to programs televised by Lifetime, PBS, and NBC. Allison is a featured blogger for PBS, and a proud Board Member for the National Alliance for Eating Disorders, the Forevers Foundation, and Project Opioid.
With an unwavering passion for helping women succeed, Allison's program and expertise equips both aspiring and established women with the skills needed to set their ambitions high while consistently reaping the rewards of hard work.
CONTRIBUTOR | SPEAKER | HOST
In addition to authoring two successful workbooks, Allison is a featured blogger on PBS and for Tri Delta's Reflections Program. She is a member of the Forbes Business Development Council and Entrepreneur's Leadership Network where she contributes monthly content about sales, personal and professional development, and thriving in business. Her philanthropic efforts have been mentioned in multiple published non-fiction works, including actress Diane Keaton’s memoir, Then Again, and Life Beyond Your Eating Disorder by Johanna Kandel. She has been a special guest on multiple national television programs including The Big Story with John Gibson and Hannity and Colmes on FOX News, HuffPost Live, Lifetime Television's Balancing Act, PBS's Emotional Life, and NBC's iVillage.
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Allison launched The She Believed She Could Podcast in 2020 which is available on iTunes, GooglePlay, Stitcher, Spotify and YouTube. Learn more about her podcast here and submit to be a guest here.
She is available for public speaking engagements and enjoys contributing to meaningful blogs, publications and television shows.
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PHILANTHROPIST | ADVOCATE
Winner of both Miss America and Miss Florida Community Service Awards, Allison has always remained deeply passionate about philanthropy and mental health. Allison serves as Vice President of Business Development and Branding for Advanced Recovery Systems (ARS), a national provider and industry leader in behavioral healthcare. Her leadership role is directly tied to providing education, access to treatment, and breaking stigmas associated with addiction and recovery.
In 2020 Allison launched “Real Talk” which is a combined initiative of Advanced Recovery Systems and the Miss America Organization. Real Talk educates high school and college students and community organizations about the effects of substance abuse through in-person assemblies with Miss Florida or other pageant participants. They have over 50 pageant title winner ambassadors and have spoken to over 18,000 students.
Allison currently serves on the Opioid Project board which is dedicated to educating community leaders in Florida about the dangers of opioid use and key ways they can help their community receive treatment and support.
In addition to her work in the addiction advocacy space, Allison founded Helping Other People Eat (H.O.P.E.) in 2001 - a 501c3 nonprofit organization that focuses on the prevention and awareness of eating disorders. Under Allison's leadership, H.O.P.E. has raised more than $2 million for eating disorder organizations and launched national outreach campaigns, including a special initiative launched in 2006 which has seen over 25,000 articles of clothing collected and donated to charities in need.
In 2010, Allison launched the “Get R.E.A.L.” Program, encouraging everyone to set “Realistic Expectations and Attitudes for Life.” This innovative video outreach program was distributed to over 7,000 schools, legislative offices and community health organizations throughout the State of Florida free of charge. In 2011, Vol. 2 was distributed to every single college and university in the country. In 2013, Allison and the members of H.O.P.E. collaborated with Blue Horizon Eating Disorder Services to create Eating Disorder Current Concepts. This program is available on a DVD, website and a free mobile app available on iTunes and GooglePlay. In 2018, free, clinician-led support groups started in Orlando and since then, she's launched a capital campaign to open a clinic in Central Florida to help those who can't afford treatment.
In addition to serving as the inaugural Chairwoman of the National Jr. Board for the National Eating Disorders Association, Allison served on the national board of NEDA for over 8 years, and lobbied with the Eating Disorders Coalition on Capitol Hill, Allison has personally spoken to over 100,000 people, and millions more through various media outlets, about the dangers of eating disorders. Allison has also served on the Board for both the Eating Disorders Network of Central Florida and the Central Florida iaedp Chapters. Allison co-chaired the 2016 NEDA Gala in New York City and raised over $1 million for this cause.