THE FIELDER REPORT
Features Alison Volk
Ladies Who Slay the Real Way
A weekly series about women entrepreneurs coming together to be the change, in Dallas and beyond.
By Abra Liberman Garrett
Ladies Who Slay the Real Way – Installment Eight
Alison Volk on Building Relationships, Giving Back, and Listening to Your Inner Voice
Alison Volk’s client list reads like a veritable who’s who of the business elite of Dallas – and beyond. As the President of Volk PR, she has constant opportunities to help those who utilize her services to better their organizations, and she views doing this as a privilege. “I love to nurture,” Alison explains, “whether it be people, ideas, business, or charities, I enjoy helping others strategize to reach their highest potential and maximize ROI” As a fourth generation Dallasite with twenty plus years in consulting, event planning, media relations, entertainment, and more, it may seem as though this was an easy path for Alison to travel, but she overcame some challenges along the way.
While working in Los Angeles Alison had a nagging voice in her head and heart telling her it was time to return home to Dallas. Shortly following her return, Alison learned both her mom and her godmother, two of the closest people in the world to her, were both diagnosed with cancer. She had been working hard to build her business when they both took ill. Publicity is a job that intrinsically can involve a lot glamour. It often requires the publicist to attend multiple events in one night and a significant amount of time on the “social circuit”. It also includes a great deal of work, stressful deadlines, demanding scenarios, and very long hours. Alison, who has always been a hard worker, was committed to creating a power house of a company, intent on delivering the highest quality available. However, as a woman with a very “family-first” mentality, she did not hesitate to step back from her burgeoning business to act as a primary caregiver to her loved ones. Sadly, Alison’s mom and godmother lost their battles to cancer, but Alison is grateful to have been by their side during their journies.
Alison’s mom, Nancy Grove Volk, had always been passionate about caring for the poor and uninsured and worked hard to provide medical and dental services via the free medical clinic she founded at North Dallas Shared Ministries. Upon Nancy’s passing Alison realized the best way to honor her beloved mother was by setting up a fund focused on continuing the work she had been doing, and Alison started an endowment for medical residents at UT Southwestern Medical School who manage free clinics. Additionally, she actively advocates for cancer research and various causes. At this moment she is busily supporting her dear friend and client (and fellow “Lady Who Slays”) Lea Fisher in her campaign for The LLS Woman of the Year, to raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Charley Garrett, Alison Volk, Kathy Fielder, Harrison Fielder, Abra Liberman Garrett for InStyle Magazine and Longchamp
These days Alison works long and rewarding hours running her PR firm and advocating for the charities she loves. She continues to credit listening to her inner voice and following her intuition for much of her success and she also continues to nurture her clients, friends, and loved ones in her own devoted, smart and spirited way. While the unknown circumstances that brought her back to Dallas were heartbreaking, she loves this city – and Dallas really, really loves her back!
Volk PR Dog Days of Summer Event at Stanley Korshak
Alison Volk, Lea Fisher, Rhonda Sargent Chambers
To learn more about Ali’s firm VOLK PR and the not-for-profits she is passionate about, please see the attached links:
www.utsouthwestern.edu/donatenow
Enter Donor Information and designate gift “In memory of Nancy Grove Volk”
Donate prior to the May 19th gala to Lea Fisher’s campaign for Lukemia and Lymphoma Society:
https://pages.mwoy.org/ntx/dfw18/jmiller
Alison Volk & Lea Fisher
Visit Alison’s website and social media sites:
About The Writer
Abra Liberman Garrett is a writer, wife, mother, yogi, and community activist. Dear friends, Abra and Kathy bonded over their shared love of family, philanthropy, fashion, giving back, and vanilla vodka sodas with a mandarin twist. Abra, a freelancer for various publications such as Modern Luxury, looks forward to future collaborations with KF.
Follow along with the movement. We want to hear your stories too.
#LadiesWhoSlayTheRealWay #DallasWomen #WorkHardSlayHard #TheNextBigThing #KathyFielderAndFriends
Photo Credit: Bob Manzano
