COVID-19 has taught the world a lot over the past few months, and one of the most important lessons is to make your health a priority. Certified health coach and trainer Alisha Stevenson, co-owner of local wellness brand Nue Dae Ohana, has been preaching this for years.
In a past life, Stevenson served as a Cincinnati police officer for 13 years. When she was diagnosed with stage-three colon cancer at age 33, she recognized her vulnerability — and the power she had to change it. Stevenson went on to become a health coach and personal trainer before starting Nue Dae Ohana. The company’s mission is to empower clients through health services that renew the mind, body, and spirit. For Stevenson personally, it goes a bit deeper.
“People need to know that there is hope, they can be empowered, and they need the knowledge, support, and accountability,” she said. “Plus, they need someone to help make this all less confusing.”
From its studio near Cincinnati’s Wildbrook Acres neighborhood, Stevenson and her team offer services like reflexology, a meditation experience and pulsed harmonix (a therapy that uses a machine’s electric pulses to “break up the gunk in our cells and blood to allow for better cellular function, nutrient assimilation, and detoxification,” according to the Nue Dae Ohana website. They also sell kangen water (an alkalized water system) and supplements. Stevenson says Nue Dae will offer essential oils and a skincare line soon.
These new offerings, available as one-offs or as part of an ongoing pricing plan, are part of Stevenson’s growth strategy. Since launching Nue Dae Ohana in August 2018, the business has expanded to three team members operating as independent contractors. Stevenson attributes a lot of Nue Dae Ohana’s early growth to successful Groupon campaigns.
While Stevenson is excited with her team’s slow-but-steady evolution, Nue Dae Ohana hasn’t been without growing pains. It’s already outgrowing its current studio suite—Stevenson hopes to find a more peaceful, spacious and relaxing alternative soon—but she says local resources like the University of Cincinnati’s MORTAR Entrepreneurship Hub (she won the 2019 MORTAR pitch competition) prepared her for the new-business hiccups at hand.
“It takes a lot of grit to learn the basics and break into the market, but there are also a lot of resources here [in Cincinnati],” she said. “We’re growing slowly but surely.”
As Nue Dae Ohana expands, Stevenson isn’t losing sight of her dominant mission: empowering people through hope. She launched the company’s nonprofit arm, 4 Awareness, to provide relaxation services and products to cancer patients. A portion of all reflexology revenue goes toward the program, and her new wellness support group, the 4 Awareness Colon Cancer Community Connection, kicked off with its first meeting this month. Meetings now run from 6 to 8 p.m. the second Tuesday of every month. For more information, visit the Nue Dae Ohana website.
