The Grounded Girl Interview Series Welcomes Alicia with Project Flourish

We are so excited to introduce our Grounded Girl for the month of May for Groundedco.

We look forward to sharing with you these amazing women in our community that are empowering and inspiring others.

I introduce to you Alicia, founder of Project Flourish. Project Flourish offers classes, gatherings, and a thoughtfully curated collection of provisions with an emphasis on nature, wellness, & sustainability. They celebrate modern culturally diverse families with their programming, provide opportunities for learning through play, and encourage environmental stewardship. Think…. Home Economics Gone Green!

Hi! I’m ALICIA!

Groundedco: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your business?

Alicia: Let’s see… I’m truly a Libra. I feel deeply and appreciate beauty in all forms. I’m a mother of 4 (2 boys/2girls). I LOVE music. My husband is also a Chef. We met in Culinary Arts school in Miami. I also have a degree in Fashion Design, but realized I prefer to “dress” events and homes. Project Flourish is a combination of my many passions. It’s a refreshing and updated take on Home Economics. It started with just my family and our approach to living. Eventually growing into something that I knew needed to be shared.

Groundedco: Why did you want to become a private chef, urban gardener, and home economics educator? What’s next?

Alicia: These are my gifts; I’m supposed to share them. I didn’t choose them, but I’m honoring them, and it brings me immense joy.

What’s next for Project Flourish? Next up for Project Flourish is more programming, more events, and more resources for the community online, as well as, in person. I’m most excited about the launch of Flourish Atelier in the Fall. It’s an expansive version of my nature-based home economics series and will run all school year. The body of work, team of women collaborating on the program, and our outdoor design spaces are phenomenal. I can’t believe I get to call this “work”.

Groundedco: Who has been your greatest inspiration and why? 

Alicia: Definitely my children. They’ve changed the way I see and do life. I want to leave the world better than I found it because they’re in it. Ever heard “Legacy” by Jay Z?!

Groundedco: What is your favorite way to stay active?

Alicia: Yardwork. I really enjoy gardening. I’m moving my body, sweating, stretching, witnessing the fruits of my labor, and recharging in the sun. It doesn’t require a gym membership, a commute, much money, or childcare! It’s a physical, mental, and emotional workout.

Groundedco: What chefs and cuisines inspire you and why?

Alicia: Huge fan of home cooks. Anyone who has ever worked in a kitchen knows, it’s a team effort, yet the chef gets the glory. But the home cooks are the real MVPs. Those dishes are prepared with love, cultural traditions, and often adversity. Food is a love language; home cooked meals tell the best stories. 

Groundedco: What is one or some of the biggest challenges you have had and how have you overcome them? 

Alicia: Becoming a mother at a young age (23) and navigating motherhood, marriage, and career with no blueprint, in a new city. This struggle isn’t particularly unique. Many women know it! Creating community is how I overcame it. Finding my people, being open to new ways of doing things, being unapologetic about prioritizing myself & my families’ needs, saying “NO” when necessary, and lots of creative outlets. All artists need that. It really feeds us.

Groundedco: What are some of your favorite things about being a private chef, urban gardener, and home economics educator? 

Alicia: Nothing stays the same! From menus… to grow seasons… to students. There is always a shift or evolution, which keeps life interesting and forces me out of any comfort zone, I may be nesting in.

Groundedco: If you could pick any place in the world to be and stay grounded, where would it be and why? 

Alicia: That’s a tough one, either Grenada or Malta! I’m an island girl at heart. Both give me beautiful beaches, vibrant colors, history, architecture, food, & culture.

Groundedco: As a private chef, urban gardener, and home economics educator what advice can you give our readers that are seeking to start their journey for the first time of body/mind nourishment, and establish successful family rhythms?

Alicia: Be lawless. Break all the rules. Sorry, not sorry. Every bit of success I’ve had personally and professionally is b/c I dare to do it differently, versus how I was “told” it should be.  Log-off… GIRL, please log-off, don’t make comparisons, and if it works for you, so be it. You can’t help a single soul if you aren’t true and committed to yourself 1st. 

Lastly, so often we think we need drastic change. It’s really the little things but be consistent. Add little bits of joy daily, focus on adding and not “subtracting” or denying yourself.