Today we’d like to introduce you to Felicia Sopshire.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Felicia. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
What sparked the idea? Imagine twelve years ago, vowing never to love again and closing your heart off to romantic love. Fast forward twelve years later to creating a business that host single social events designed to remove common barriers of getting to know people by helping them connect, laugh, and enjoy the journey of meeting other singles. If someone had told me twelve years ago I would birth Alise LLC ™; I would have laughed. It wasn’t even on my radar.
I realized a couple of years ago I still carried wounds from a previous relationship. We all process hurt/pain differently it can show up as bitterness, pouring yourself into work, self-sabotage, avoidance, and so on. For me, it showed up as avoidance of romantic love. I found myself running from love. I didn’t want to experience the type of heartache I endured ever again. I dated, but I wouldn’t allow a man to get close enough to touch my heart. Running was more comfortable than facing the reality of dealing with the pain of heartache. In 2017, I took time to allow my heart to heal and address wounds I didn’t want to face. One of the greatest teachers in life is pain. I believe that all things work together for good. Yes, starting over can be scary, but there is also a beauty of knowing greater is ahead. I had to make a decision to either keep running from love or believe my best days are in front of me. I had to make a decision to either stay stuck in fear in the romantic relationship area or grab hold of faith of believing my best days are in front of me. I believe greater is ahead not only for my life but for your life as well.
One of the items on my 2018 vision board was to start getting out more and be open to dating. As a single mom, it’s easy to be consumed with taking care of your child, juggling work, and all the hats worn by a mother.
I looked for existing companies that host single social events in North Texas other than bars, clubs, or online dating companies. There were several elements that were important in my search such as racial diversity, events that are designed to remove barriers in meeting other singles, something fun off the beaten path, privacy, affordable with no long-term contracts, single professionals, and singles 30 and up. I couldn’t find any existing companies that embodied those elements.
I decided to attend a few single social events to get my feet wet. One of the events I attended the vibe was uptight, the layout wasn’t set up to meet other singles, and there was a greater number of women than men in attendance. As I was driving home after the event, I thought of the different elements that would have made the experience more enjoyable for singles. Initially, I considered emailing feedback, but it was a free event so… lol. Why doesn’t someone do something to create more options for singles to meet other than clubs, bars, and online dating? I didn’t mind paying a fee to attend a singles event. There were so many ideas and thoughts running through my head. Why doesn’t someone do something? Then, I heard why don’t you do something. I did further research and start laying out my business plan.
I took my company bonus and started Alise LLC ™. Yes, it was a significant risk, but in life, anything worth having has risk involved. I believed people would support the concept because all aspects of the company were designed with them in mind. I believed in the idea of Alise LLC ™ and was willing to take the risk. I named the company after my daughter. Alise means noble, light, and great happiness. The name captures the essences of Alise LLC ™ a place for single professionals to Connect, Laugh, and Enjoy. Alise LLC ™ launched to the public on June 15, 2018. Alise LLC ™ was born.
I believe you can find love in your 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and at any age. Whatever you do don’t allow your past to dictate your future. Don’t Give Up On Love!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The road hasn’t been easy. I still have a full-time corporate job. In addition, I’m a single mom hosting single events, looking for event venues, recruiting single professionals for events, looking for non-profit organizations to partner with for volunteer opportunities, looking to expand to another city, and managing social media and website presence. It is a lot of hard work, but I understand the importance of building the foundation of Alise LLC ™. I’m building the brand of Alise LLC ™.
My advice to women starting out is to believe in your dream regardless of what anyone says. Write out a business plan. When starting out there will not be an unlimited budget for all your ideas to immediately happen. It’s important to pace yourself and write down new ideas. The new ideas can be a product/service launched in the future. It’s imperative to network and builds relationships to help your business grow.
Please tell us about Alise LLC.
Alise LLC ™ a North Texas-based singles organization that is different by design. We focus on creating single social events for single professionals to Connect, Laugh, and Enjoy. We host upscale single events for single professionals age 30 and up. Single men looking to meet single women and single women looking to meet single men. We host a variety of single events from Speed Dating, Singles Mixer & Mystery Game, Singles Game Night, and additional events coming soon.
We host intimate style events in a fun, relaxed, and no pressure atmosphere. If you are new to the area, looking to meet new people, seeing what’s out there, interested in dating, actively seeking a relationship, or looking for someone to marry Alise LLC ™ is the place for you. Our goal is to make it easier for singles to connect. At every singles event, there are always connections. We love hearing about the friendships, dates, and relationships that sparked from our events.
During our events, we are a no social media live stream, no photography, or electronic device environment. We genuinely want singles to be in the moment. There are opportunities often missed when people don’t fully engage in the experience of being present in the moment.
Our signature service Flirt With Me (FWM) takes the pressure off of you expressing to him/her you are interested in staying connected after the singles event. FWM helps remove being nervous, asking for a phone number, awkward moments of not knowing what to say, or missed the opportunity to get the person’s contact information. Flirt with me is an additional fee during an event. Visit our website to learn more: https://www.alisellc.com/flirt-with-me
We also offer three membership packages that include additional perks to those attending our events. Membership isn’t required for most of our events.
Join us for our upcoming Singles Mixer & Mystery Game Thurs. May 2nd, 7 pm-9:30 pm Roy’s Restaurant 2840 Dallas Pkwy, Plano, TX 75093. Event ticket $31.99 plus tax. Round one ladies are detectives and gentlemen have the clues needed to solve the case. Complimentary light appetizers. Listen to Jazz, Neosoul, and R&B during the game.
Advance ticket purchase required. No tickets sold at the door. Learn more and Get Tickets https://www.alisellc.
What advice would you give to someone at the start of her career?
Surround yourself with people who are actively pursuing their dreams and building.
Most importantly, even when times get hard and you want to throw in the towel, remind yourself of your mission.
Self-care is important. Don’t forget to pour into yourself.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.alisellc.com/
- Email: info@alisellc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alise_llc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AliseLLC/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Alise_LLC
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/alise-llc/
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
