Meet Hallie Sawyer of Overland Park

Today we’d like to introduce you to Hallie Sawyer

Hi Hallie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I created The AWEd Life brand and community in 2019 because I wanted to not feel so alone in my journey to living more awake, well, and empowered, which is what AWEd stands for.

It was a filter I had decided to create for my life so I could become of the person I wanted to be and how I wanted to feel in my everyday life. If it didn’t help me live awake, feel well, or be empowered, I didn’t allow it in my life.

That meant saying no to things I no longer want to do or pulling back from certain friendships. It also meant holding myself to a certain standard and not breaking promises to myself. Was this thing I was about to eat, do, watch, or say going to make me feel well? If not, then I had to follow through to not participate.

By choosing to better my life through this AWEd filter I had created, every day became an act of empowerment. But it also became quite lonely as I slowly turned away from my former self and life.

When we travel down a path that others don’t understand and don’t want to join us on, it feels isolating. But by sharing my story and journey into an AWEd life, I welcomed others to join me. I knew I wasn’t alone in wanting more for myself and if others felt just as lonely in their pursuit of a better version of themselves as I did, I knew the more women who knew about The AWEd Life, we could walk together in our pursuits.

I initially shared more about The AWEd Life on social media but as time went on and algorithms dictated my reach (or lack of) more and more, I decided to start a podcast to reach more women.

I started The AWEd Life podcast in September of 2022 and haven’t looked back! It’s become one of the greatest joys in my life up to this point. I not only share the life lessons I’m learning each week but I’m also sharing the inspiring stories of other women who are living awake, well, and empowered.

Being connected to other AWEd women whether through the podcast or my writing on Substack has made me feel less alone and I hope it’s doing the same for so many others.

We’re not meant to travel through this life alone and I can’t think of any other people I’d rather do with this life with than women who live awake, well, and empowered.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Absolutely not! I struggled greatly with feelings of being out here all by myself with no one really understanding me.

I stopped drinking alcohol, first giving it a go in the Fall of 2018 and those three months of living a sober life gave me so much clarity, motivation, and energy that I didn’t want to stop. I had initially intended to do it for three months but because of how great I felt, I kept going for another full year.

I ended up dabbling here and there with a drink but over time I realized my relationship with alcohol had completely changed and I had no desire at all to pick it back up as a regular habit.

I actually attribute the idea for my Awake, Well, and Empowered filter to those first three months of living alcohol-free. And the longer I lived a sober or sober curious lifestyle, I knew that I’d never go back to my old way of life because it would never make it past my filter.

Friendships faded away, people didn’t understand why I’d choose not to drink, and my social life took a huge nosedive. The thing that connected us was no longer there but that was only one aspect. really.

I had changed and the energy I wanted to surround myself was no longer present in a lot of these relationships or the things I used to do.

It’s felt like starting over in a new school and everyone else seems to already have their friend groups established. I’m learning to seek out the women who value the same things I do and that can be hard, especially in midlife when we find ourselves without our kids to put us in proximity to others.

I have to put myself out there, either in my writing, the podcast, or finding local events to attend to find those people. But it’s all been worth it. I know the friendships and connections I seek are out there and I just have to keep showing up to do the work of finding them.

Also, growing a podcast isn’t easy! Social media only helps so much if you are a small fish in a big pond. Word of mouth is by far the most effective way others have learned of The AWEd Life podcast which, to me, is the best compliment!

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m the host of The AWEd Life podcast and Substack publication, AWEd AF, which are meant to inspire women to live more awake, well, and empowered lives. With each conversation I record, guest I chat with, or post I publish, I feel more and more convinced this is my purpose in this lifetime.

I’m most proud of the podcast because of the vulnerability it requires as well as the time and effort. There can be a lot of negative self-talk before starting out, like “Who am I to do this?” or “Who’s going to want to listen to little old me, a nobody?” Having a podcast was something I had dreamt of doing but always thought I had to have more of a following before I started.

When I got honest with myself, I knew it was just fear holding me back and I was done with letting fear dictate my actions.

I believe what sets me apart is my voice. Being authentic and showing up on air just as I would if someone was sitting in the room with me sets me apart.

I heavily edit my episodes, making sure to cut out any background noises, long pauses, and filler words. I also edit content for flow, consistency, and conciseness. Poor quality sound and no content editing are some of my pet peeves when I’m listening to a podcast so I want to make sure I always put out a high-quality product.

I do the same in my writing. I write exactly what I’m experiencing, thinking of, or struggling with in a voice that is as close to how I would talk to you if you were in the room with me. It’s important for me to show up in all spaces as my true self and not some sort of persona. I think most people can sense when they aren’t being told the whole truth and I think is the quickest way to lose a potential reader or listener.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was very shy as a kid. I grew up in a time when kids were not to speak unless spoken to and not encouraged to explore my true self. I was always scared to say the wrong thing, to make mistakes, or to be made fun of. I was very insecure and tended to fade into the background so I didn’t stand out. The only time I didn’t mind standing out was when I made others laugh. Making my cousins, aunts and uncles, and friends laugh was a huge confidence builder and I knew if all else failed, just make the people laugh.

But mostly, I was like a chameleon, adapting myself according to the situation or people I was with. The problem with that, however, was that I never knew who I really was. More on this in a bit.

As far as my interests went, I loved playing sports but I wasn’t the most athletic. Or at least that’s what I told myself when really, it was probably a confidence issue.

I grew up watching Husker football; it’s just what we did living in a small town in Nebraska. I knew I wanted to go to the University of Nebraska after high school which felt like a huge step for me and my confidence as I ventured away from what most of my classmates were doing. I never really felt like I belonged in my small town and attending the “big” university was first step into finding out who I really was and where I did belong.

I also loved to read growing up and still do. My mom was an elementary school teacher and always encouraged my love of books. It’s one of the things that I always turn to for stress relief and where I go to escape reality for a little bit, in a healthy way.

I LOVED dogs as a kid and begged my parents to allow me to get one as a pet. I even tried to convince them that this little dog “followed me home” but my dad was working in the backyard, hearing me coax this poor dog all the way down the street and to my house. Much to my dismay, he had a collar with a tag and was promptly returned to his owner. I’ve been a dog owner ever since my husband and I got married and we moved into our first “married couple” apartment.

While I was never encouraged to talk in the presence of adults, I was different amongst my friends. My report cards always had the comment “talks too much” and I never seem to be at a loss for words today.

In my early 40s. I began feeling deeply dissatisfied with how I was showing up in my life but didn’t know why and how to change it. It wasn’t until I turned inward and started listening to that little voice inside me that I began to understand what felt in alignment with my true self and what didn’t.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.halliesawyer.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hallie_sawyer/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Hallie_Sawyer
• Other: https://halliesawyer.substack.com/