✨The Empress Questionnaire✨Get to Know Multi-hyphenate Alicia Dara!✨👑✨
How to Reclaim Your Power Voice in Midlife 🗣️
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Fellow Empresses, How are you?
Last year, after an accident left me with injured vocal cords and a fragile sense of confidence, Alicia Dara worked with me—gently and masterfully—to help me reclaim both my voice and my self-assurance. Through her extraordinary skill and wisdom, I came to a powerful realization: so many women in midlife are also searching for their voices, yearning to speak with clarity and confidence in a world that often undermines both.
Alicia is a gift to our community—a singer-songwriter, an editor, and a speech and presentation coach to corporate executives. Her multifaceted talents defy easy categorization, but her lessons are transformative, especially for women navigating the physiological and emotional changes of midlife that can subtly erode our vocal strength and self-assurance.
This week, I’m thrilled to feature Alicia in the Empress Questionnaire. I hope you enjoy the insights and inspiration she shares as much as I have.
About Alicia…
Alicia Dara is a nationally recognized Executive speech and presentation coach based in Seattle. She has helped thousands of people including CEOs, Global VPs, and thousands of career professionals from the Fortune 1000 find their Power Voice and put it to work. Her most popular group training is Power Voice for Executives, which provides high-level communication skills that build trust with key stakeholders, and help each individual make a maximum impact in their career. Alicia is also the creator of Power Voice for Career Women, which is both a skills training and a team-building event. Corporate clients include Microsoft, Amazon, Columbia Bank, Kimpton Hotels, Planned Parenthood, and Carhartt. Private clients include the National Women's Political Caucus, Graham & Walker, The Sequoia Project, and members of Meta, Merrill Lynch, Booz Allen, Charles Schwab, Deloitte, Kirkland & Ellis, Seattle Trade Commission, Windermere, and X. In 2023 Alicia became the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Womancake Magazine. She is a co-founder of the Institute for Women’s Futures.
In Her Words…
“I teach C-suite executives and mid-career professionals to find and grow their Power Voice via communication strategies and techniques. My job is never boring because I work across multiple sectors and industries, including tech, law, finance, media, politics, startups, nonprofits, and corporate America. I fly all over the country giving Power Voice trainings to various groups, and I also work remotely from my home office in Seattle. My special focus is helping women learn how to advocate for their skills, knowledge, expertise, and wisdom in the workplace so that they can take huge leaps forward in their careers. After years of requests from clients, I’m finally working on a book about my Power Voice methods that I hope will launch in 2026.
I also have a background as a public health volunteer, and women’s health has always been my focus. As I’ve entered perimenopause in the past few years, I’ve been wanting to go deeper into this mission and contribute to a new paradigm of what older women’s health, in particular, could be. That includes the health and strength of our voices, which are often stifled by the heavy intersection of sexism and ageism that occur during this time. That’s why I created Womancake Magazine, as a platform for our voices and stories (the name comes from the fact that around the world cake is a big part of celebrations, but as women age we’re viewed as less worthy of celebrating, so I made a portmanteau of two words to remind us to keep celebrating ourselves and each other!).
In 2024, I co-founded an organization called the Institute for Women’s Futures with Alisa Kennedy Jones and Dr Heather Bartos. Our chemistry together is off the charts! We’re currently in the process of redesigning our mission statement to better serve the many midlife women whose health is most certainly NOT a priority for the incoming administration. My role is to manage admin for meetings and keep us focused when we get overly excited (it happens a lot!). I’m also co-creating a training for midlife Executive women that includes strengthening your Power Voice through vocal exercises and communication skills, so you can advocate for yourself at work and make a bigger impact in your career.”
1. What is your idea of perfect midlife happiness?
Dinner with my ten closest friends and my Hubz, all of whom are family to me. Piles of food, a GenX playlist on the stereo, tall tales, teasing, laughing, and knee-slapping, and Hubz’s arm around my shoulder at the end while I feed him homemade pie from my plate. Heart chakra warm and full, pulsing with gratitude and a sense that everything is going to be not just OK, but actually good. I pray for the health, wealth, and safety of this group every single day, and being together with them makes me feel spiritually attuned and nourished.
2. Which empress, queen, goddess, or mythical figure do you most identify with?
These days I’m into The Empress and the Queen of Cups from the traditional Tarot imagery. I’ve never been big into Tarot but for some reason, they keep appearing in various places in my life, and I’m just going with it. They represent abundance and comfort with power, which are two things that resonate in my life at this time. I’ve also been a lifelong fan of Sarasvati, the Hindu goddess of things like speech, language, culture, and the arts. I basically live in the intersection of those worlds, and I thank her for watching over all of it.
3. Which living midlife woman do you most admire? (And why?)
I would have said Dame Maggie Smith (but she sadly died before I turned this in). I love any woman over 50 that is disrupting the notion that we are to be grandmotherly or grand miserly. Michelle Yeoh won her first Oscar at 64. Helen Mirren and Angela Bassett look sexier than they did two decades ago. Stevie Nicks still performs (and kills it). Not just entertainers but Suni Williams the 59-year-old astronaut currently sequestered at the International Space Station. Kamala Harris and Michelle Obama—these are women who aren’t sitting it out.
4. What aspect of midlife or the peri/menopausal journey do you most deplore?
The fact that there is A DEARTH OF GOOD INFORMATION about how to navigate the physical and mental challenges of this time. If someone had told me how hard it was gonna be to source that info, I would have been more prepared. Like everyone else, I’m just out here comparing studies, sharing them with my healthcare professionals, experimenting with dosages of various remedies, and waiting for my body’s hormonal processes to level set. I will say that the true game-changer for me during this phase has been acupuncture, and I recommend it to my midlife cohort often.
5. What do you most treasure or value about this phase of life?
Three things: 1) That I’m able to slow down and appreciate the moment so much more than when I was younger, and be more present in both life and work. 2) That I know my worth, both personally and professionally, and I know how to get it. 3) That I’m still connected to the people who matter so much in my life, and that we love each other for who we are, warts and all. Long friendships are worth more than any other investment I’ve ever made.
6. If you could share one key midlife lesson, hack, or nugget of wisdom, what would it be?
At this point, it’s all about having an abundantly resourced mindset. Recognize that you’ve already been through so damn much, and you have abundant inner and outer resources to draw from in any situation. It’s like this: if you run into a crisis in your hometown, EX: if your car breaks down on the freeway, or you forgot to bring your wallet to a restaurant, or you accidentally broke a law and ended up in jail, you have many hometown people, services and experiences to call on for help. If you run into a crisis in a foreign city where you don’t know anyone and don’t speak the language, you don’t know who to trust or what’s available, and that’s a deep experience of scarcity. So the idea, here in midlife, is that you are your own hometown. Go into every situation with that confidence, and watch how far it can take you.
Can I offer another nugget? I believe that midlife women can and should develop robust self-respect. The world is often shitty to us, but it actually needs us, our wisdom and clarity, and we must be strong enough inside to stand up and meet that challenge
7. What gives you the greatest sense of agency in midlife? (i.e. “Knowing that I can…”)
The fact that I have battle-tested career skills, knowledge, expertise, and wisdom that are highly valued in the marketplace. When I was younger I didn’t understand the intersection of money/earning/power at all, and I often felt helpless, even though I was working my ass off. Now I know what I’m worth and how to get it, which is infinitely more powerful. I’ve always been naturally entrepreneurial and able to pivot, grow, and change, and those skills are serving me especially well as I age.
8. Give us the headline for your Empress Age. (one that captures the bold narrative you are rewriting for the latter half of your life)
“I am abundantly resourced in all situations.”
Alicia’s Empress Edit
Siete Grain-Free Tortilla Chips: If it’s a day ending in “y” I’m plopping down on the couch at 4 p.m. and snacking on these bad boys. I’ve recommended them so much I should buy stock in the company! They’re exactly as advertised: light and crispy, and the perfect amount of sea salt in each one.
Andalou Naturals 1,000 Roses Toner: Put down the pricey La Mer and mist yourself with this $15 wonder, which softens fine lines and smells like a summer afternoon in Heaven.
RMS Beauty Legendary Serum Lipstick: I have a lot of lip real estate (big lips!), and most lipsticks either flake off or end up on my teeth. This is a new discovery. It’s light as a feather but has great color payoff. I’ve been using it for my big corporate trainings when I do a full beat because it stays put and doesn’t ever bleed or transfer.
Harney and Sons Peppermint Tea: No coffee for me, thanks! I'm a lifelong peppermint tea person, and this is the one that beats them all. Every morning I brew a deep green cup and contemplate the nature of the Universe before starting my day.
Quince Captain’s Blazer: You can see me wearing one of these on my website. It’s part of my uniform for corporate training gigs. It’s chic and indestructible, and you can throw it in the washing machine (yes, really!). It folds into my suitcase and pops out looking perfect. What more could you want?
Chloe Susanna ankle boots: I wear Nike’s when I’m coaching, but in my dreams, I strut around in these bad girls. The shape is perfect and the gold studded details are gorgeous. If I ever buy them I know they'll make me feel like Tina Turner pacing the Thunderdome.
JCrew Long Torso One Piece: No one tells you how bad bathing suit shopping can get when you’re over 40. My advice is to find a suit that fits and buy 3 of them, this is my ride or die. It’s sexy but not too revealing, with a soupcon of Old Hollywood glamor.
“The Deep Field”: by Joan As Police Woman. I never get tired of this amazing record, I hear something new every time I listen. Joan Wasser is a badass multi-instrumental singer-songwriter, a midlife woman writing about being a midlife woman. Her songs contain ferocious emotional intelligence but there is something else, a kind of battle-tested innocence in her lyrics and her vibe that never fails to hook me (and rock me).
“Mermaids”: starring Cher, Winona Ryder, Christina Ricci, and Bob Hoskins, dir. Richard Benjamin. Pure nostalgia, but it holds up as a rare family saga that depicts a true matriarchy. Great performances by all the leads, and a knockout comedic script that also hits deep emotional notes. I’ll drop whatever I’m doing to watch this movie any time.
Where readers can find you:
My website: https://www.aliciadara.com/
Womancake Magazine:
My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliciadara/
We hope you enjoyed this week’s questionnaire.
Lastly, if you are in need of some ✨ New Year’s clearing and calming ✨ Join us with a friend of The Empress, Dr. Heather Bartos, MD for a transformative Sound Bath and intention-setting session as we prepare for an incredible 2025! This immersive experience will help you:
🌟 Release old energy and patterns from 2024.
✨ Set powerful intentions for the year ahead.
🎶 Recharge your creativity and focus through sound healing.
📅 When: Monday, December 30th, 7:30 PM CST
📍 Where: Zoom Click Here to Register
Yes, it may sound a touch woo-woo, but we had FUN at the last one!
Yours in Grandeur & Deep Sh*t,
ps - I am a human typo. Amnesty appreciated.
*The information contained in this post is intended for informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any illness. Before using any practices or products referenced in this piece or others, always consult your healthcare providers, read all labels, and heed all cautions that come with the products. Information received from this piece, or anywhere in this Substack, should never be used in place of a consultation or advice from a healthcare provider. If you suspect you have any adverse conditions, please consult your healthcare providers immediately. This Substack, including Alisa Jones and any other writers or editors, disclaims any responsibility for any possible adverse effects from the use of any information contained herein. Opinions of any writers in this Substack are their own, and the Substack does not accept responsibility for statements made by writers. This Substack does not make any representations or warranties about a writer’s qualifications or credibility.
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Wow! So many inspiring takeaways from this empowering interview. I love the idea of seeing ourselves as our own hometown. With everything that’s happening in the collective, it’s easy to forget the value of our internal resources and the experiences we bring to the table. I admire the extensive work Alicia is doing to help people tap their confidence and embrace their personal power and I look forward to checking out her magazine. Thanks for sharing this conversation!
🎉 YES to this statement: "I believe that midlife women can and should develop robust self-respect. The world is often shitty to us, but it actually needs us, our wisdom and clarity, and we must be strong enough inside to stand up and meet that challenge."