DECATUR HERALD & REVIEW
20 UNDER 40 | MAY 2020 |
7
ALYSSA (ALY) SWENGEL SARAH JANE PHOTOGRAPHY
Age: 35
the Center for Entrepreneurship Mentor Program at Millikin University. This year I Occupation: Director of the Decatur Well- mentored in a freshman business creation ness Collective, yoga teacher, clinical class to assist a group of students with massage therapist. their first business plan. Family: Husband, Mike; children June and What should the community do to attract Franklin; and our dog, Topanga. more young people to the area? I think supporting and attracting small busiCareer highlights and/or accomplish- nesses and continuing to improve the ments: My biggest career accomplish- school district are integral to attracting ment has been becoming self employed more young people to the area. and building an organization that helps empower the wellness of the city and What is the best and worst piece of adthat simultaneously honors the freedom vice you have ever received? I think the and innovation of entrepreneurship in a best advice I have ever been given is: “You supportive community of practitioners. can figure this out”. I had several mentors One of my favorite things about the De- growing up who refused to give me any adcatur Wellness Collective is the freedom vise other than to pressure me into using to experiment with how we provide ser- my own judgment or making my own devices and the creative, collaborative way cision. With that freedom there was (and we do that as a community. We have taken still is) a lot of responsibility and consepractitioners that come out of normally quences. The worst advice I have ever been given competitive industries and helped them each develop their own business within is to pick a job and stick to that one thing the DWC that helps them work in a way for the rest of your career. I think there is that suits the practitioner and empowers always room for evolution in a persons exthe client. We balance this independence perience with their career, it should evolve with an environment where differences as they do. in education, practice and opinion can be used as collaborative opportunities What are your three favorite movies? for new healing strategies unique to each “Under the Tuscan Sun,” “Dan in Real client. Life.” It is not a movie but I love the “Mary Tyler Moore Show” and own all the DVDs. Community involvement: During the shelter in place order I have spent a lot of my What would your perfect Saturday be like? time helping other small businesses nav- I would sleep in, go to a 10 a.m. yoga class, igate the SBA loan programs. For many pack a lunch and take my kids to the beach people who are sole proprietors who have or pool. no employees it has been very confusing and challenging to get reliable informa- Who inspires you to be better? My clients tion. I also am a business mentor with and my kids.
My biggest career accomplishment has been becoming self employed and building an organization that helps empower the wellness of the city and that simultaneously honors the freedom and innovation of entrepreneurship in a supportive community of practitioners.
Congratulations Aly! Aly Swengel, Decatur Wellness Collective Director BA, LMT, 200 E-RYT, 500 RYT, YACEP Decatur Wellness Collective is an organization that focuses on the wellness of its clients and the physical, spiritual, mental and financial health of its practitioners. “Aly is crazy smart, determined and dedicated to seeing the people around her succeed. Her dream with the Collective was to create a space for practitioners to be able to do the things they love and bring their passion to the community. She does this with her unbelievable integrity and determination both as a friend and as a member of the wellness community.” -Dianne Milligan, Reiki Master, LMT“Aly founded the Decatur Wellness Collective to shake up the way we approach healthcare in our community, shifting care from medicine-focused to holistic, integrative, and whole-person focused. She has structured our Collective around this approach, allowing private practitioners to come together in a collaborative way. Her passion to bring this to life is to be admired!” -Libby Pasquariello, MSN/ED, RN, HN-BC, RYT997 W. Southside Drive Decatur, IL 62521 decaturwellnesscollective.com
