By gabriana on March 16, 2020 ( 4 Comments )

Raise Up Extraordinary Women: Alana Kadden Ballon

Alana Kadden Ballon

This daily #OneGoodThing was dedicated to celebrating extraordinary women I know last December. Many of the 31 bold, beautiful, brave women featured shared stories of perseverance after abuse, addiction, miscarriages, illness, and loss. They represent various fields and backgrounds, and I admire each for their passion and strength. The series was so deeply inspiring that I felt it needed to live on as a weekly feature in 2020. Each Monday, I’ll introduce you to another incredible superhero—including artists, businesswomen, union organizers, nurses, writers, teachers, movie makers, designers, reporters, and all-around badasses. It’s about finding the extraordinary in each of us!

Alana Kadden Ballon has spent her career leading teams to drive sales scale at technology start-ups. She has led teams in creating and delivering sales strategies for global expansion, sales training, and productivity. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Economics with a minor in Arabic and Islamic Studies from U.C.L.A and a Masters of Arts in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University’s Teachers College. She lives in Redwood City with her husband and two children.

1. What did you want to be “when you grew up?” There was a time when I wanted to be a hairdresser or a teacher and go to Stanford.

2. What makes you the most proud of yourself? Seeing the people I manage professionally and my children grow and learn new things, accomplish goals and take on new challenges.

3. What darkness have you overcome? How did you find strength? When my mom was dying, I had a preschooler, was pregnant and my husband had some health issues. My village rallied around me—friends drove my kids to school, made meals, texted, traveled with me to see my mom.

4. Where will we find you on a Saturday morning at 10 a.m.? Playing at the park.

5. What makes you smile the most? The funny things my children say. Just the other day my daughter said: No people allowed in these pants, only legs!!

Bonus: What advice would you give your younger self? Trust your gut, don’t worry about what others think and find the people who will support you in good times and when you make mistakes.

Today’s #OneGoodThing is sharing this extraordinary woman and my friend from Jewish regional youth group, Alana Kadden Ballon, with all of you! We are stronger together, so let’s shine a light on our extraordinary sisters! If you’d like to participate or nominate a woman to participate, please send me a note or leave a comment! What was your #OneGoodThing today? Please share in the comments! Kindness is Everything.

Day 76 of 366. And Day 1,537 in a row (here’s the first 366, & the following 365, & the third year of 365 good things, & the 4th year of good things)!