When Devin Allen’s grandmother fell into a coma, doctors offered a grim prognosis: She would never wake up. But the hospital’s nurses had hope.

“They were a positive light,” says Allen. “They told us, even though she wasn’t interacting with us, that we could talk to her and play her favorite gospel music. They gave us something to hold onto during a very difficult time.”

When her grandmother did wake up, Allen decided that she would provide families with that same glimmer of hope. She would become a nurse. 

Today, as an RN at Atrium Health in Charlotte, Allen’s goal is to help patients be partners in their care, not just participants. As such, she offers patients alternatives to prescription drugs and crafts holistic health products through her business, Soul Food Healing Company. 

We sat down with Allen to hear more about her approach to wellness.  

What’s the difference between traditional and holistic medicine? How did you learn about alternative medicine?

Traditional medicine is what we’re all used to seeing: prescription medications, over the counter ointments, injections, and so on. Holistic medicine is in a realm of its own. Holistic medicine uses acupuncture, healing herbs, teas and syrups, to name a few, that have been proven to help treat common ailments, such as anxiety, headaches, insomnia, and arthritis pain. 

Let’s dig a little deeper here: What initially lit the fuse and sparked your passion for holistic medicine?

My niece recently started attending daycare and she was bringing tons of germs home. Well, guess who was catching all of her colds. During this time, my niece would be fine, running around, full of energy, and there I was, completely debilitated in bed, not feeling well at all. So, like most people, I went to my doctor to get a prescription. Often, I would finish the prescription, but I would still be feeling terrible, and in some cases I would actually feel worse than I felt before I took the medication.

After catching several of these colds from my neice, I knew I needed to find an alternative — something I could take that actually made me feel better. Something natural, free of preservatives, dyes, side effects, and chemicals. This was a pivotal moment for me, I began researching and testing out my own recipes. I can recall a specific time when I was sick for two weeks. When I took a dose of the elderberry syrup and turmeric tea I made, I began to feel much better just a few hours after. 

What services do you provide through Soul Food Healing Company?

A customer might come to me and say, “Hey, I’ve been struggling to sleep at night. Do you have anything natural that will help?” I might have a tea blend or a syrup that I’ve crafted. Additionally, I have often made recipes that are unique to what my clients are struggling with. 

Of course, in addition to being a business owner, you are a nurse. How does owning a holistic healing company affect your ability to provide patient care? 

Having an understanding of holistic medicine has made me a stronger nurse. Now, my mindset has been expanded in terms of options for treating various conditions. Many people have been taking prescription medications for years and have yet to see improvements in their health. There are so many people who are excited to try something different and who often see rapid improvements when they switch to holistic remedies. 

Healing your body through natural foods and holistic medicine has been around for a very long time, but it’s not my job to convince anyone to switch to this lifestyle. My goal is to provide an alternative option for those who are interested, and in most cases, for those who are simply sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. 

What unexpected challenges have you faced, both as a registered nurse and as a business owner?

As a nurse, there were many struggles we all had to face associated with the pandemic. We had to learn how to care for patients with a virus that we hadn’t seen before, all while dealing with the constant changes in hospital policies and procedures. Taking time to decompress during the pandemic has certainly been one the biggest challenges. 

As a business owner, my main challenge is meeting the demand — ensuring the products get to those who need them as soon as possible. It’s also important to me to network with other people in the natural health community. 

You have been a registered nurse for seven years now. How do you continue to grow and evolve as a practitioner?

I have been intentional about venturing out and exploring a wide range of areas of nursing. Upon graduating, I worked in critical care. This was a significant challenge, but I gained a wealth of knowledge and experience.

Working in critical care also gave me the confidence I needed to start travel nursing. When working in this field, it is critical to be confident in who you are as a nurse. The process is extremely fast paced — often you’re in a new city,  state, and sometimes a new country. Travel nurses often have only one day of orientation before they are out on their own, compared to the 1-3 months most new hires receive. I was blessed with the opportunity to travel to California for a while, during this experience many of my patients were Spanish speaking only. This was very challenging, but it made me a better nurse. Now, I’m able to communicate with Spanish-speaking patients more efficiently. I am currently pursuing my Master’s in Family Nurse Practitioner, while also being involved with committees that work to identify opportunities for improvement in the nursing field. These committees help us progress forward as a profession. 

Can you talk more about your committee work? What problems are you trying to solve?

Far too often in nursing we have people making decisions for us, even though they don’t always understand the different challenges that we experience. My goal is to help bridge that gap. 

Do you have any other passion projects?

There are many communities in Charlotte that do not have access to fresh produce. These communities are considered food deserts. My goal is to help eliminate food deserts, by providing access to fresh foods and promote improvement in health quality. I have cultivated a community garden that is a source of fresh produce for underserved communities who are living within these communities. 

That’s such important work. How did food access become an interest of yours?

Unfortunately, ailments like hypertension and high cholesterol, to name a few, plague the African-American community as well as some other underserved communities. Though these diseases can be hereditary, often disease prevalence is about access — or lack thereof — to healthy foods. 

In nursing school, we had an assignment where we had to spend a day in the life of someone who lives in food deserts, and the journey they must embark on to obtain healthy, fresh foods. Through this process, I was able to gain a better understanding of the struggles of these communities. As a group, we took city buses, evaluated the costs, and so on. This experience sparked something in me. I started to think: How do we make it easier for people to access healthy food? How do we eliminate or reduce some of these common ailments that occur disportionately in these communities?

When caring for patients in the hospital, I see patients on multiple medications who have no knowledge of what their medications are for. 

My dad, for instance, was a newly diagnosed diabetic, I remember him mentioning to me that nobody discussed the importance of changing his diet and exercise, even though this is one of the most therapeutic steps you can take when managing diabetes. The vital importance of eye exams 1-2 times a year and checking his feet daily for wounds, was also not taught to him. 

Do you think community involvement allows you to be the best practitioner possible?

Absolutely, connection to the community is one of the most important things to me. It keeps my heart centered and reminds me of why I was called to do this work. It keeps us human. As nurses, if we feel disconnected, a patient can become just a number. Most will stop going the extra mile. It is so important in healthcare to provide people with options and allow them to be involved in their care. Asking people questions such as – “What’s working well for you?”, “What are your goals?”, and “How do you feel about  your current treatment regime?.”  It is my desire to change the healthcare narrative and help people become actively involved in their own care and treatment plans.  

Before Emma Allen emerged as a successful financial professional, she was Chuck E. Cheese — the iconic mouse who cheers on children as they win arcade games and eat pizza. 

“That was probably the worst job I’ve ever had,” Allen laughs. “The outfit weighed 100 pounds and kids would knock me over. My teammates thought it was funny.”

Though Allen doesn’t miss those days working at the family entertainment center-turned-pizzeria, she doesn’t regret them. “Nobody wants to be Chuck E. Cheese, but it was on the path to where I needed to be,” she says.  

Since January 1999, Allen has managed Emma Allen State Farm, an insurance agency in Charlotte. In this position, she has helped thousands of families achieve financial literacy. She has also mentored the next generation of financial professionals. 

We chatted with Allen to learn a thing or two about personal finance. We also spoke about how to pursue your dream job, even if you are weighed down by a Chuck E. Cheese costume.   

State Farm Insurance does business differently. How do you get that point across to potential customers? 

Our best cheerleaders are people who’ve done business with us over the past 30 years. Because I’ve been at it so long now, people are referring their grandkids to me. That’s really the biggest testimony about who we are and what we’ve done. 

There are a lot of people who get into this financial services business and they’re in it for a year or two. But there aren’t that many people who have been in it for 30 years and have the kind of reviews that we have. That really is our barometer.

What specific services do you provide?

We sell traditional policies like home, life, and auto insurance. But we also provide free financial planning for everything from building your basic budget to knowing what things ought to be part of your long-term financial plan. 

What about your character has helped you maintain such a long and successful career in this industry?

I would not provide a service for you and your family that I don’t currently provide for me and my family. So, oftentimes, I’ll turn my computer around and show people the products that I’ve had and how they have performed. That makes a difference to people. 

Even when people come to me and are thinking about a financial plan, I say to them, “Shop around. There’s no pressure. If you find a plan that you like better, I’ll review it for you.” Not many people are willing to do that. 

Throughout your career, you have held very forward-facing positions. Have you always had a knack for interacting with people? Or did you develop those skills over time? 

It was quite intentional. From the time that I was in junior high school, I saw how people in my minority community were treated by the bankers, insurance agents, and other financial professionals in my town. So, quite intentionally, I decided at a very young age that I was going to be an advocate for financial literacy. 

There’s no question that there are people who have preconceived notions about who they want to do business with. Some of those people are people of color. Some of those people are not people of color. I had to learn to chart my own path. There are people that don’t want to do business with me because I’m a woman or because I’m a woman of color. And I’ve decided to let the success of my clients and their families tell our story for us.

I tell my team, “We are not here for everyone. We are here for the people who are on the same path as us and who want to do business with us.”

You have been in the industry for 30 years. What has changed? What do we still need to work on to help underserved communities achieve financial literacy? 

What I’m noticing is that my generation understood the need for savings and the need for insurance coverages, but didn’t have the right distribution sources. They needed people who were willing to teach them about the right products.

What I’m experiencing now is that the younger generation — people in their 30s — seem less concerned about that kind of stability. For example, many people believe that life insurance is just for death. And it’s not. There are many ways to use life insurance as part of a financial strategy. 

How has your company pivoted to adapt to these cultural changes?

We’re having to meet people where they are to tell the story. Social media is now a really big part of what we do. My community involvement has also shifted so that I’m in places where I can meet these folks. I’m broadening my horizons so that I capture this generation that, frankly, needs more education. 

We also hire young people in our firm. We want people to do business with people they can relate to and who look like them. So, I’m here to coach, train, and build a new generation of financial professionals. That’s part of my legacy.

You’re obviously very passionate about financial literacy. What advice would you give to someone who is struggling to find a passion and leverage it to advance their career?

I’m not naive. I’m aware that people every day have to, for whatever reason, go to a job that they don’t like. There’s no shame or embarrassment in doing work that you don’t like. However, while you’re doing that work, prepare and dream. Write it down and crystalize where you want to be. Be as specific as possible and start working toward that. 

I’ve heard people say, “Oh, I’m going to step out on faith. I’m going to leave this job that I hate because I really want to do this or that.” Well, I’m not going to jump out of a window when I don’t see anything underneath that might break my fall. We need to prepare first, whether that looks like networking or saving six months — though really it should be 18 months — of an emergency fund. All that preparation matters and puts you on the path to your ultimate dream.

Can you think of a time when you were dreaming and preparing while working a job that wasn’t your calling?

I’ve had a number of jobs and bosses that I hated. For instance, I managed a call center and that was a job from hell. But I put a date in the sand in my own mind and noted the things that I needed to accomplish.

One of those things was to get a few mentors who were where I wanted to be. It’s so important to be around people that you want to be like, not necessarily from an income perspective but from a personality or internal competence perspective. These folks are always pouring into you. 

Do you still have mentors?

Absolutely. Some of the young people in my office teach me things every day. I consider them mentors. I think defining who your mentors and coaches are more broadly is a valuable asset. Some people would say, “Oh, that person has a job that I did 10 years ago. They don’t have anything to teach me.” They may not have anything to teach you from a career perspective, but they may have something to teach you from a cultural or human perspective.

What is something you have learned recently from one of these mentors?

I’m somebody who didn’t know how to turn a computer on, so Instagram and Facebook were completely foreign to me. I have learned so much in the last 24 months from my younger coaches and mentors. 

Hindsight is 2020. Is there any advice you wish you had given your younger self?

I would have started my financial plan a whole lot earlier. What if I had started right after college, at 23 years old, just putting a little bit of money away? What if I had started buying some real estate? I guess the bigger lesson is don’t wait for the motherlode. Take smaller opportunities consistently because they may grow into something really, really large.

As an employee benefits attorney at Poyner Spruill in Charlotte, Kelsey Mayo finds the way to “yes.” Rather than discredit unconventional proposals or write off passion projects for lack of time, Mayo pauses to ask herself: “How do I find my way to ‘yes’?” In other words, what compromises need to be made to reach the goal? 

“I like to fully vet an idea to decide whether it’s really worth it,” says Mayo, who graduated from Wake Forest Law School in 2008. “Engaging people in this way — rather than shutting them down — is much more productive, even if you come up with a totally different solution.”  

In addition to serving her clients, Mayo acts as Director of Regulatory Affairs for the American Retirement Association, an organization that advocates for legislative and regulatory matters to benefit America’s private retirement system. 

Despite her packed schedule, Mayo said “yes” to a quick interview during which she shared her personal philosophies on work, life, and balancing the two. 

You are an employee benefits attorney. What does that mean exactly?

I work with human resources professionals, legal counsel, and business owners to keep retirement plans in compliance. I generally don’t go to court like traditional litigators. I laugh that what I do is the much softer side of law.

How do you juggle working with clients, advocacy, and your other personal passions? 

People joke with me and say that I’m a lot. I always laugh and say, “Oh, you should’ve seen me when I first started.” I was very, very driven and Type A. But I’ve always had a strong desire in life to find the way to “yes.” 

Wanting to say “yes” does lead to a very full plate. People ask me all the time, “How do you balance it all?” A more honest answer is that I don’t do it alone. I have a team–both personally and professionally–and I’ll go to them to ask, “Can we do this?” And then we talk about how we can get to “yes.” Sometimes we rearrange work schedules or partner with someone outside the firm. Oftentimes, they find a way to get me to “yes,” and that’s fantastic. Sometimes, we all regret it in the midst of stretching ourselves to meet the goal, but we get there together.     

And sometimes I do go through the analysis and I know it’s not right to say “yes.” For example, I am routinely asked to do volunteer work for causes I’m passionate about, and I really want to say “yes.” But it doesn’t always happen. I’ve had to learn, particularly over the last few years, to say “not right now.” Then, I’ll offer a way to add value or stay connected in the meantime.

“Find the way to yes.” That’s a very interesting mantra. What’s the origin story?

It originated from my mentor within the firm. I had a fantastic partner who retired a couple of years ago. We had lots of long discussions about balancing. When he was counseling me, he always suggested that I needed to say “no” to things. I think during one of those mentoring conversations I said, “I’m okay with saying ‘no,’ but I’d rather find a way to ‘yes.’”

After that, when we were talking about new opportunities, he started to say, “What’s it going to take to get you to ‘yes’?” That would allow me to reframe the question in what do I have to do–to acquire, to give up, etc.–to achieve this goal.

So your mantra is a prompt for reflection?

Yes, and I like it because I’m frustrated by “no” people. I’ve worked with folks who, when you come up with an idea, seem come up with every reason not to make it work. They start with “no.” I like to start the other way. I say, “Okay, let’s think about your idea. What does the idea take? What is the result? What does it take to get to ‘yes’?” 

After being named one of Charlotte’s 50 Most Influential Women, The Mecklenburg Times asked what your greatest accomplishment was. You mentioned handling a situation in which two partners at your firm had left. Can you talk more about that experience? 

At the time, I was a younger partner. I had three experienced partners, one of whom was very part-time. One of the partners, unfortunately, had a medical incident and left the practice overnight. On Monday, we had to come in and take over his clients. It was a very stressful few months. I worked so much. I woke up as early as I could and worked as late as I could. I went to sleep, and then I did it again. But we did a great job as a team and we didn’t lose a single client due to his departure. 

After seeing this very close friend go through a life-changing medical issue, my other full-time partner decided to make a change and retire. So I went from having two full-time partners to one part-time partner in a matter of months. Managing the work during that time felt like being in a hot forge every day. 

Fortunately, we were able to rebuild quickly. My practice administrator and paralegal really stepped up during the turmoil. I hired the partner that I still work with now, and he’s freaking amazing. Our associate has been with us since that time — she joined us in the midst of all of this — and she’s fantastic. And we’ve had other wonderful attorneys contribute to the team over the years. 

The forge analogy is really fitting–it was a tough time, but we came out stronger and built a brilliant team. We are preserving the legacy of the practice for the firm. It’s one of the biggest accomplishments I can think of. 

Wow. During those months, did you ever have moments of doubt? Did you ever question your career path?

In the midst of it, I definitely questioned whether this was what I wanted to be doing. I wondered, “When is this going to end? How long can I sustain this?” But at the end of the day, the firm stood behind me, supported the changes I wanted to make, and I ended up taking over the practice.

What did you learn about yourself?

That was the high watermark of my personal tolerance. When anything bad happens now or we worry about what could happen, I always think, “It’s not as bad as that.” If I can get through that, I can get through pretty much anything. 

What did this experience teach you about work-life balance?

It’s funny because I don’t know that I have a great work-life balance, but I will go to the ends of the earth to protect your work-life balance. The other side of that coin is that when I do sign off, my team will bend over backward to protect me and give me space to disconnect. My team has created a culture of protecting one another. My team also understands that work-life balance doesn’t mean that you don’t put in the time when it’s needed. It means you take the time when you can.  

No matter our title, we are always growing and developing in some way, shape, or form. With that being said, what’s a new skill you’re learning right now?

I’m a very passionate person and I have very strong feelings and opinions. When I see someone who disagrees with me, I tend to want to convince them of my opinion. But I also believe strongly that we should be able to have robust dialogue and not agree and it still be okay. 

So, I’m trying to be sure that when I communicate my ideas to people that it’s with a very clear intent that we’re on the same team–we both likely want a positive outcome. This is just a discussion of how to achieve a positive outcome. You’ll see my point of view and I’ll acknowledge yours. If we don’t agree, that’s okay. 

Who are the people you are potentially disagreeing with?

I’m on our management committee for the firm. We have seven partners who are on this committee and we’re from very different walks of life. We’re in different practice areas, we’re in different geographies, we’re different ages, and we come at things very differently. But, at the end of the day, we all want the same thing: We want the firm to be successful and prosperous. 

I think it’s really important to have strong, passionate dialogue with people who disagree with you and then to walk away still liking each other and wanting to do it again.

Does this want for civil disagreement conflict with your solutions-oriented personality?

It does. Like most people, I’d love it if everyone thought I was right all the time. Who doesn’t like to be right? Disagreeing can be frustrating; it can discourage you from engaging. 

But my law partner has this saying: “You have to remember to question their methods, not their motives,” which I believe he took away from an address Joe Biden gave at Yale. In other words, we’re all on the same team and we want the same things. Just because we have different views on how to achieve those things doesn’t mean you should avoid engaging with someone. In fact, I want to engage more with them because I want to understand where they’re coming from so that I have a better understanding of how to serve.