Alyson Stoner: Author and Founder/CEO of Movement Genius

Second Life

Clique Media, Female Founder, Entrepreneurship, Career Change, Career Pivot, Fashion & Beauty, Hillary Kerr, Personal Journals, Who What Wear, Clique, Career, Arts, Business, Careers, Second Life, Career Advice, Self-made, Entrepreneur, Mydomaine, Society & Culture

4.7 • 3K Ratings

🗓️ 18 August 2025

⏱️ 72 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Alyson Stoner is the founder and CEO of Movement Genius, a mental health platform designed to support child performers. Stoner started their career as a child star, acting in hundreds of projects as an actor, singer, and dancer. They got their big break as a dancer in Missy Elliot’s “Work It” music video and went on to star in Disney Channel’s Camp Rock, Cheaper by the Dozen, the Step Up movies, and many others. At age 17, after a decade of nonstop work and growing up in the spotlight, Stoner stepped away from performing to take care of their mental health. In rehab, they questioned whether they would have chosen to be an actor after realizing how much it affected their well-being—and wondered what their life would have been like if they had felt more supported as a kid in the entertainment industry. After realizing that their true passion was psychology, Alyson left Hollywood behind to study it. After gaining multiple certifications in the field, they founded Movement Genius with the goal of making mental health support more accessible and affordable online. They also created the Artist Wellbeing Essentials—a digital tool kit designed to support children performers. Today, Stoner is a fearless advocate for mental health, whether it’s on their podcast, Dear Hollywood, or in their new memoir, Semi-Well-Adjusted Despite Literally Everything.

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Transcript

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0:14.2	Shop in store now or online at matelan.com.com.
0:18.7	Season C's apply.
0:24.8	Thank you. Matterland.com.uk. Season C's apply. Hi, everyone.
0:26.2	I'm Hilary Kerr, the co-founder and chief content officer of Who What Where?
0:30.6	And this is Second Life, a podcast, spotlighting women who have truly inspiring careers.
0:39.4	We're talking about their work journeys,
0:45.1	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,
0:51.0	author, and the founder and CEO of Movement Genius, Alison Stoner. If you flipped on
0:57.7	the Disney Channel, even for just a moment in the early 2000s, you probably saw Allison on your
1:03.6	screen. Allison began their career as a performer when they were just seven years old and went on to
1:10.0	appear in over 200 films, TV shows,
1:13.1	tours, and music videos during their childhood.
1:16.6	After being featured as a dancer in Missy Elliott's iconic Work It music video,
1:22.3	Allison began booking higher profile gigs like Cheaper by the Dozen, One and Two,
1:30.3	Mike's Super Short Show, Camp Rock, and the Step Up franchise, among many other projects. But after a decade of working nonstop and
1:36.9	growing up in the spotlight, Allison finally had a breaking point. They made the decision to step
1:41.8	away from performing, enter a rehab facility to focus on their mental health,
1:46.5	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.
1:54.8	By taking this career pause, Allison was able to find their true passion, psychology.
	...

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