Hi, everyone. I'm Hillary Kerr, the co-founder and chief content officer of Who What Where, and this is Second Life, a podcast, spotlighting women who have truly inspiring careers.

We're talking about their work journeys, what they've learned from the process of setting

aside their doubts or fears, and what happens when they embark on their second life.

Today on the show, I'm sitting down with entertainer, author, and the founder and CEO of

Movement Genius, Alison Stoner. If you flipped on the Disney Channel, even for just a moment

in the early 2000s, you probably saw Allison on your screen. Alison began their career as a performer

when they were just seven years old and went on to appear in over 200 films, TV shows, tours,

and music videos during their childhood. After being

featured as a dancer in Missy Elliott's iconic Work It music video, Allison began booking

higher profile gigs like Cheaper by the Dozen, One and Two, Mike's Super Short Show, Camp Rock,

and the Step Up franchise, among many other projects.

But after a decade of working nonstop and growing up in the spotlight, Allison finally had a

breaking point. They made the decision to step away from performing, enter a rehab facility

to focus on their mental health, and consider for the first time whether

or not they would have chosen the life of a child actor had they made the decision for themselves.

By taking this career pause, Allison was able to find their true passion, psychology.

Allison has since racked up multiple certifications in the mental health field, founded a mental health platform called Movement Genius, and built the artist's well-being essentials, a robust digital toolkit designed specifically to support children performers. If that wasn't enough, Allison also created and hosted the Dear Hollywood podcast,

and they've just released an incredibly gripping memoir called semi-well-adjusted despite

literally everything. It was such a joy to speak with Allison about undoing the

learnings from their first life in order to find contentment and purpose in their

post-Hollywood existence. We're putting the link to their book in the episode description,

so make sure to grab your copy. Now, on Second Life, it's Alison Stoner.

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