Hi, I'm Alison!
I am a play specialist, parenting expert, and certified life coach who helps people get unstuck, find more purpose, rediscover their sense of play, and (like a good handstand) balance work and life.
I traveled with UNICEF managing sports and play programs around the world, and then co-founded two award-winning businesses focused on children's learning through play: apple seeds and songs for seeds. As a life coach, I notice that the first thing many adults lose is their sense of play and their ability to prioritize it in a busy life. I am dedicated to helping people shift their energy, rediscover what brings them joy, and then create actionable steps to find more fun and meaning in their one precious life.
As Featured In
My Journey Through Transitions
PLAY has defined my
life's work and career transitions.
NBC NEWS
After graduating from Boston College (where my twin girls are now!), I was grateful to land a job as an Assistant Producer at Dateline NBC in 30 Rock (after a brief and fun stint at the Today Show).
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What I learned
The importance of a deadline and the art of telling stories. -
What changed
I was doing a story on Afghan women and children living in refugee camps in Islamabad and wanted to be in the story, not behind the camera, so I began to plan my next chapter.
PRINCETON
My two years studying international development and public policy became the gift I’ve never once taken for granted.
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What I learned
I traveled to the most remote pockets of the world and those experiences with people from West Africa to Southeast Asia changed my life. -
What changed
I graduated! But months before I did, I met the head of UNICEF USA who I had interviewed at Dateline and that connection led me to a job interview...once again, my life changed. Sidenote: keep your contacts.
UNICEF
I found my dream job merging my love of children, international travel, and sports. I managed FIFA and the International Olympic Committee, among other sports teams, and brought sport and PLAY programs to countries around the world to support education, health, and child protection.
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What I learned
How to be an entrepreneur in a bureaucracy while creating the office, how to write alongside other UN agencies diplomatically, and why PLAY really matters for overall health and happiness…even in the most difficult circumstances. -
What changed
I had my twin girls and my life changed…I could no longer get on a plane the same way so I took a leave of absence and gave myself a parenting pause.
APPLE SEEDS
It was in that pause that I met my friend Allison, and together with our husbands Bobby and Craig, we created an all-in-one play space for families with children newborn to five years old in the heart of New York City. For 15 years, we served tens of thousands of parents and kids with our indoor PLAYground, early childhood learning classes, parenting events and more, expanding to 3 locations in NYC and 3 locations abroad.
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What I learned
That you don’t need an MBA to run a business, and that the only way to launch your idea is to try. Take action. If it’s right, the rest follows. -
What changed
Given the popularity of our educational kids’ music program, Songs for Seeds, we decided to franchise this class instead of the entire business.
SONGS FOR SEEDS
In five years, my partners and I built a national franchise platform for this educational kids’ music program which meant creating the curriculum, software, marketing, and training to bring Songs for Seeds to 33 locations from Charleston to Seattle.
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What I learned
That much like PLAY, music is also a language, and one of the greatest teachers. I also learned that in business, relationships are everything. -
What changed
In addition to Covid changing the way we could operate, I wanted to do more of what I loved which meant coaching people on how to launch their own business, navigate transitions, and find more meaning.
CERTIFIED LIFE COACH
I became a Certified Professional Coach and other fancy titles, including a Transitions Specialist to help others also turn the chapters in their own lives. When I layer my life experiences with Energy Assessments, Mindfulness Teaching, EFT, and Parenting Coach certifications, I feel my toolkit is filled with the elements I need to help you get unstuck, turn your life’s chapter to find more meaning, freedom, and of course fun.
General conclusion needed? I prioritize play because after 20 years working with parents and children in the area of sports and learning through play, I started coaching and realized that one of the first things adults lose is their sense of play.
Like awareness, playfulness is inside of you.
I’ll help you rediscover play.
Yes! I'm a Certified Life Coach
From Past Clients
“Alison is a ray of sunshine. Working with her brings warmth, positivity and energy into my life. She brings a different perspective to leadership training and also personal life coaching. I love her positivity, creativity, and playful spirit.”
Roberta O
Richmond, VA
"Alison's aura, even online, transcends the screen. Her positivity, enthusiasm, warmth, and ability to both hear and listen is what makes her unique. I am inspired by her ability to connect and find the right tools to help, while focusing on what’s important, necessary, and meaningful."
Louise W
Greenwich, CT
“Alison coached me about my work, my personal life, and even my health issues. She has the ability to make you feel like you are the only person in the room and no matter what the topic, she is able to connect to you and support you in moving ahead. She has a characteristic that can't be learned or bought.”
Lillian L
Rhinebeck, NY
"I have known Alison for nearly 20 years. Her entrepreneurial energy and strategic mind enabled her to create a Sports for Development office within UNICEF globally. She has an amazing ability to help others launch ideas, combined with a passion for service and helping children. It’s a powerful combination that led to a variety of ideas, reports and programs that supported in a very concrete way children’s education, protection and development in countries all over the world."
Carol Bellamy
Former UNICEF Executive Director and former head of Peace Corps
6 Playful Facts
About Me
1
I Take Mystery Trips
This is when I go to the airport with my friend and former business partner Allison…without a plan. We bring our passports, stay within budget, and choose a destination neither of us has been to before. We book the tickets as if we’re at a train station and figure out where we’ll stay and what we’ll see when we arrive. It turns out that not knowing what’s next in a PLAYFUL way is good training for when you need that muscle to be resilient in the unknown.
2
I Handstand...A Lot
I was a gymnast and dancer who found yoga in my 20s. My parents tell me I used to watch Sesame Street on my head. I’m on a mission to handstand in as many countries as I can before I die, and hold one for over two minutes by the time I’m 60. What I know is that kicking upside down - even for seconds - is not only playful, it’s a metaphor for flipping your perspective on life. What happens when you see your problems in a new way?
3
I Believe Laughter is the Best Medicine
Growing up, my dad was a doctor who always told me that laughter was the best medicine. As I got older, I began to see that it was more than just a saying but a philosophy of thinking that could shift physical ailments and emotional pain into a place of hope and positivity. This is only one of his many pearls of wisdom I like to share!
4
I Experience Synchronicity
Do you know when you say a person's name and the next day you run into them? Or you think something, and then soon after you see it? This happens to me all of the time but I believe it's because I try to tune into it. The brain can only find what it's looking for so I use animal messengers and playful games to help my clients tune in, become more aware, and add a little more fun to their days.
5
I've Made History on 5 Continents with a Man Who is Blind
I co-founded a nonprofit called Team See Possibilities with my friend who is blind. A group of us spent 5 years making history on 5 continents taking on epic endurance challenges including running the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, and running across the Grand Canyon and back in one day. Our goal was to help our friend make history and we raised over $100,000 for organizations focused on blindness. Hard and sometimes scary, each adventure taught me lessons that inform much of who I am today.
6
I'm a Mom of 3, Including Twins
My greatest accomplishment is motherhood! Nothing matters more than my connection with my three kids and I feel lucky to be their mom. I also feel grateful to have both twin girls and one boy - a sprinkling of all kinds of parenting that allows me to channel my skills as a parenting coach in meaningful ways. Playful parenting and how to navigate the tough stuff when they are growing up are two of my favorite topics!
On the Blog
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I travel around the world on service trips with my kids so that we can share meaningful memories together, and focus on something bigger than ourselves. I love to help my clients do the same and explore ways to give back and find meaning.
Here are a few videos we made for our supporters.
Honduras with School the World
Guatemala with School the World
Panama with School the World
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