Hi! I’m a wife and mother of three young adults and a serial entrepreneur. I have always loved creating and designing things and over the years have been a family and wedding photographer, interior designer, real estate agent, podcast host, author, and online marketer. My passions have culminated into the business I’ve been running for the last few years called HealthyHOME Media. I help real estate agents and home professionals grow their reach and provide more value to their clients and followers through my wellness lifestyle magazines that can be custom-branded and mailed to their client list or larger community.
About Sheila Alston
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
My husband and I have three kids and 2 dogs. Our oldest is 25 and youngest just turned 19 and he’s heading to University in the next couple of weeks. So we’ll officially be empty nesters! I was sad at first, but now I’m excited about embarking on a new chapter of our lives together.
Q: Please tell us about your current, past, or future career. What do you love most about what you do?
It’s funny, I think that everything you do leads you to your true calling. You may not recognize it at first, but when you look back you’ll realize that all your “jobs”, your work, and life experience helped you grow into the professional you are today. That’s how I feel about my job now. I thought my passion was interior design and photography. Then I thought it was real estate, but now I realize that my gift is marketing and that I love helping real estate and home professionals grow their businesses. I love designing and creating wellness lifestyle magazines that showcase our members and help them create more conversations about their business AND help their clients and followers to live healthier lives and love their homes more. It’s a WIN-WIN all around.
Q: What advice would you give to people?
Stop taking score too soon, be kind to yourself, and trust that things will work out in the end. Don’t be afraid to pivot and last but not least listen to your heart more often than your head.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
I hope I’m traveling in Europe for part of that time! LOL. I see myself helping agents and home professionals across the country and being able to say I helped them niche down and elevate their brand and they were able to get referrals and so many listings from the content that I created for them. That would make me so happy.
Sheila Alston & Our Community
Q: What are a couple of your favorite restaurants in our community?
Hands down it’s Pacific Coast Grill in Cardiff, that’s our go-to nice restaurant. But I also love Javier’s at UTC, and Temaki Bar in Encinitas for sushi, and my fave fast places are Poki Wan, Cava, Mendocino Farms, Sweet Greens, and Tokaya all in Del Mar.
Q: How long have you lived or worked in our community?
We moved to the San Diego area in 2013 from Seattle, Washington. (Go Hawks!)
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in our community?
Hmm – I’ve met a lot of interesting people honestly, but I’d have to say Robin Colvey from Lifetime Water in Solana Beach is one of my favorite interesting people. She is so kind and full of positivity and has an amazing wellness center that she started from nothing. I like to call it the “watering hole” where I continue to meet the coolest most interesting people. Learn about Lifetime Waters by visiting: www.lifetimewatersb.com
Q: What current or former local business makes you the most nostalgic about our community?
I don’t know if it’s a single business, but I love how North County has grown just in the last 10 years that I’ve lived here. UTC was terrible when I moved here, I remember thinking “This is where I have to shop?” but now it’s gorgeous and has so many new shops and restaurants. Encinitas has grown a TON the 101 around Encinitas Blvd. has turned in to such a happening place to be. Same with Solana Beach and Cedros Ave. I love it down here.
Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community?
I love San Diego because not only is the weather sunny here, but the people are too. I’ve met so many kind and welcoming people who have become friends. It feels like a great melting pot of people from all over the country who come for the weather and are open to new friendships. It’s not like that everywhere. I feel blessed to live here.
Q: If you could choose anyone alive today and not a relative; with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? And where locally would y’all meet for this lunch?
Oprah – I’d LOVE to meet her and get to know her, she’s amazing. I think I’d take her to PCG and we’d sit by the water outside.
For Fun
Q: What is one of your favorite movies? TV shows?
I’m going to preface this by saying I do have 3 kids and we used to watch a lot of Disney movies…. also I LOVE feel-good happy movies. So Toy Story, Finding Nemo and Incredibles were some of our family faves when they were little. My daughter and I used to love watching High School Musical (When she was in kindergarten and 1st grade LOL) Now I guess I still like moves that leave you feeling happy. So what is that these days? I’m not sure I don’t watch much TV or movies anymore, I’m into podcasts, reading books, and audiobooks now.
Q: (Even for friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
I meditate every day for at least an hour.
Q: What would you rate a 10 out of 10?
The feeling you get when you are inspired by a new idea or when you’ve helped someone and they are inspired by how you’ve helped them.
Q: Who inspires you to be better?
My family. I want them to be proud of the stuff I’m doing and bringing to the world.
Q: Finally, what 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
I have 4: Well-being, Family, Love and Joy.
