We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Stephanie Akoumany and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Stephanie, as a parent, what have you done for you children that you feel has had the most significant impact?
I am so grateful to be Zoe’s mom. Over the past six years the most important thing I’ve done as a parent is to intentionally reflect on the energy I’m giving off to my daughter and others and to broadcast the most thoughtful, honest, grateful, joyful, powerful, and confident vibrations possible. I am committed to helping her feel free to be herself. I don’t want to get in her way. I teach her to be strategic and empowered, but not recklessly power hungry. Even when it’s uncomfortable, we talk about our feelings and experiences and find solutions together.

We are homeschooling and “world-schooling.” We see the world as our school. We explore the planet and the universe through physical travel, visualization, reflection, imagination, and technology and find opportunities to learn, grow, and play at all times. She is a 6 year old astronaut in training so we are able to collaborate to create an action-packed STEAM (Science, Engineering, Arts, & Math) curriculum. We also practice yoga, (I’m a certified yogi), indoor rock-climb, run, practice for half & full marathons, dance, kayak, and hike.

I intentionally make time for us both to participate in activities that bring us joy and a high sense of purpose and fulfillment. We share those experiences together, and offer each other advice, suggestions, and guidance. Sometimes we just hold space for one another to share how we’re feeling.

I’ve learned to focus on what I want and take actions to get that outcome. I had to view myself as the person, world schooling mom, wife, podcast host, optimal performance consultant, interpersonal relationships expert, speaker, researcher, educator, marathoner, and yogi that I wanted to be.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I am the Founder and CEO of Bloom Wellness Lab and the Host of Agility in Bloom, a leadership, wellness, and entrepreneurship podcast that I host with my mom and daughter. Agility in Bloom has reached 24 countries and 94 cities around the world.

Bloom Wellness Lab https://www.bloomwellnesslab.com is mindfulness, curiosity, and movement media and education company. We’re all about self discovery and thoughtful community engagement. We help youth and adult leaders explore who they are and who they want to be. We create motivational meditation videos, a leadership, wellness, and entrepreneurship podcast, Agility in Bloom, a blog “Intentionally Align,” and curate Agile Leaders coaching webinars, conferences, retreats, workshops, and trainings on topics such as the mind-body-energy connection, yoga, dance, empowerment for elevation, mindfulness, social emotional learning (SEL), and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Justice (DEIBJ), worldschooling, parenting, connecting with nature, Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) based curriculum, and so much more.

We love helping youth and adult leaders in schools, universities, NPOs, businesses, health care, & governmental agencies become more self & socially aware, agile, responsive change makers. When youth and adults see themselves and each other as leaders, innovators, educators, change-makers, healers, and coaches they can intentionally align their thoughts, emotions, & habits with their dreams so they can design amazing lives, careers, and businesses.

Our podcast Agility in Bloom asks guests and listeners to explore what it would mean for youth and adult leaders to transform their dreams into reality, step by step, but more quickly and with ease so they can thrive now and enjoy their journeys. Our extraordinary guests are brilliant international thought leaders that offer our audience mindfulness, curiosity, and movement coaching. The podcast has a great focus on entrepreneurship, SEL (Social Emotional Learning), leadership, parenting, holistic wellness, and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math).

I am an international keynote and motivational speaker, optimal performance consultant, interpersonal relationships expert, researcher, educator, blogger, world schooling mom, marathoner, and yogi. Balancing all of these roles has been an invigorating and challenging journey filled with twists and turns. As a homeschooling mom I am grateful that I get to share these experiences with my daughter Zoe. It was challenging at the beginning because I needed to take Zoe with me to presentations, now she’s so good she does many presentations and keynotes with me. I would encourage parents to believe in their own and their child’s ability to create a life that works for them. To follow your dreams and move through challenges together. Zoe’s episode:on Agility in Bloom highlights our experience well. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-follow-your-dreams-let-go-of-stress-and-see/id1590144962?i=1000542263100.

I knew I could manage homeschooling and a business as I managed early motherhood and finishing my PhD. I literally typed 80% of my dissertation on my cell phone while breastfeeding my young daughter. If that’s not agile I don’t know what is! 🙂 I earned my PhD in American Studies focusing on social justice and youth and adult resilience and mindfulness strategies in the face of adversity at the University of Maryland College Park. My dissertation focused on black adolescent resilience strategies, particularly self-assertion, storytelling, creativity, play, and community building to cope with daily stressors.

I grew up in Baltimore City, MD in a loving yet economically disadvantaged family. From Head Start to earning my PhD I was able to gain the skills to thrive because of my family’s support and many adults who invested their time and energy to mentor me. I was also the recipient of several scholarships that helped me attend and graduate from an independent, all-girls school, Bryn Mawr School for Girls. While a student at University of Maryland in 2009, I interned in the U.S. House of Representatives and introduced President Barack Obama at a televised White House press conference advocating for increased Pell Grants for college students from low to middle socio-economic statuses. You can find the videos at the links below:

https://www.c-span.org/video/?285476-1/president-obama-remarks-higher-education-policy

This moment and meeting Michelle Obama made me realize that I could do anything I put my mind to and I could make advocating for myself and others a priority. Everyone deserves a chance to design a life and community of their dreams.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would make it a wellness weekend! These would be fun things to do on my itinerary! – Definitely a stay with massages and pool time at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles at Beverly Hills
-Go to Santa Monica Pier & Venice Beach
-Yoga and Hiking at Run Canyon Park
-Eating at Ackee Bamboo
-Buy Pause Play Wellness Candles at Fred Segals – https://pauseplaywellness.com/
-Enjoy a Rooftop view at E.P. & L.P.
– Visit Hollywood

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Thank you so much to my parents, husband, daughter, family, and PhD advisor Dr. Sheri Parks. Also thanks to Dominique King for being a kindred spirit and friend. She is a runner, blogger, columnist, and host of the Growing Up Wild Podcast! I appreciate her having me on her podcast and she and her husband being on ours!

Website: https://www.bloomwellnesslab.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.stephanieakoumany/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanieakoumany

Twitter: https://twitter.com/drstephakoumany

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLbxgYhKegSdBN7tzjyozlQ

Other: Agility in Bloom On Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/agility-in-bloom/id1590144962

Image Credits
Damian Hendrix Tiffani Long

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