Have you ever paused while listening to someone’s story? Today our guest Alana Miller, Co-Founder of Say Hello Threads shares her journey. It is raw, truthful and remarkable. As we listen to Alana, we learn that everyone is valuable and it is our own story which makes us worthy of wealth in all capacities.
Born to two addicts in an unstable household, Alana experienced trauma and essentially lost both parents as toddler. She and her siblings were uprooted and went to live with her aunt and uncle who she references in this conversation as her mother and father. Her childhood while challenging, also provided Alana key life lessons and she realized how important it is to be aligned with your truth and story as it the basis of who you are.
Today, Alana is a mother to a young thriving boy with special needs as well as to a teenager. She is a queer who once identified as straight and now has a supportive and loving partner. She shares with us the shift to becoming a blended family and how important it is as a special needs parent to advocate on behalf of our children. It was her role as a special needs mother that motivated her to start Say Hello Threads (an apparel company that advocates for marginalized communities with the mission to open doors to meaningful conversation in your communities about diversity and inclusion.)
As we conclude our conversation, the concept of “Rainbow-washing” is addressed. For those not familiar, this is when various brands and companies will utilize the rainbow flag as a means to promote their brand and increase sales without the action to support LGBTQ+ communities. We discuss the importance of digging deeper to better understand who you are buying from, not just where you are buying. Money raised could actually being going against the same communities you are in fact trying to support.
Here are some key take-a-ways from our discussion today:
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It’s important for diversity and inclusion to be talked about and not just a taboo topic
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We won’t make change by hiding and being small
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It’s easy to put a rainbow flag on something but what you will find when you do research is that these companies are anti-LGBTQ+
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Do your research
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ALANA
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Securities offered through LPL Financial, a member of FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Advisors’ Pride, a SEC registered investment advisor. LPL Financial, Advisors’ Pride, Forethought Planning and the guests of Thrive For[e]ward podcast are separate and unaffiliated parties. Any of the parties listed above are not affiliated with Forethought Planning, Advisor’s Pride, or LPL Financial. The views expressed here are those of the participants, and not those of Forethought Planning, Advisor’s Pride, or LPL financial. The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. LPL Financial and Forethought Planning do not offer legal services.
