Hidden Gems: Meet Allié McGuire of AwareNow Media

Today we’d like to introduce you to Allié McGuire. They and their team shared their story with us below:

At the age of 41, Allié was diagnosed with MS. While a number of symptoms (unexplained numbness, fatigue, imbalance, and weakness) presented themselves years before, she didn’t recognize them as ‘symptoms’ until a trip to the emergency room following 3 days of loss of vision in her right eye. An MRI would reveal numerous lesions on her brain and severe inflammation and degradation of her optical nerve. The culprit was identified and confirmed as Multiple Sclerosis. The day the diagnosis came is the day her fight as an ‘MS Warrior’ began, as she (like many) was forced to fight a battle within, an autoimmune disease and invisible enemy.

Allié Merrick McGuire, as Founder of AwareNow Media, has dedicated her professional and personal life to the service of others through raising awareness for the causes we’re all tied to. With original content and organic campaigns, she seeks to educate and empower others to rise above circumstance and pursue their passion with purpose.

AwareNow Media™ is a multimedia company devoted to supporting the human cause. A storytelling platform dedicated to creating and sustaining positive social change, AwareNow inspires and informs while raising awareness one story at a time. Rated ‘O’ for original & organic content, AwareNow, with its magazine, podcast, films, and events, works with industry and thought leaders on local, national, and global levels to educate and empower an audience of millions.

Prior to AwareNow, with a love for words and wine, Allié built a career in independent content production with a unique, original voice. As the producer of ‘The Allié Way,’ she created a lifestyle platform publishing original posts and projects representing brands in a number of verticals from wine to film to fashion. From serving as the Cannes Fashion Festival Wine Ambassador to producing three seasons of ‘Trainsipping,’ Allié has worked with a number of brands, in front of the camera as an ambassador on red carpets and behind the camera as a photographer, videographer, and designer. As a brand consultant and developer, she has an extensive portfolio of work developed for major brands with her branding and marketing agency, J+A Productions, with her partner and husband, Jack McGuire. In addition, she is a professional speaker and performance poet, having recited at high schools, universities, and corporations and presented at multiple TEDx events.

Allié, can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Trying to do something that’s not been done before is a challenge we’ve faced. There was no path to follow. We had to create our own. On that path we’ve made we’ve had to trust it. And while we don’t always know the next steps to take, we are absolutely sure of the direction. It’s not been easy, but it has been empowering. I’ve learned that you can’t be afraid to fail or else you’ll never win.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business.
We believe stories have the power to shape and shift our world. That said, AwareNow Media is a platform we built to serve the human cause through storytelling. Our motto (that my husband and AwareNow co-founder created) is this: “We will no longer ask for permission to change the world.” We use our magazine, podcast, films and events to raise awareness for the causes that connect us all. Too long we’ve been siloed. AwareNow is about ‘unsiloing’ our causes and communities to support and sustain unity in our society for positive social change.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Trust the journey. Things happen (or don’t) for a reason. Even when you don’t know the next steps, keep heading in the right direction, aligned with your intention.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.IamAwareNow.com
• Instagram: @awarenowmedia
• Facebook: @awarenowmedia
• Linkedin: @awarenowmedia
• Twitter: @awarenowmedia
• Youtube: @awarenowmedia