Allison Birkmeyer is the Founder and CEO of The Quiet Clot®, a 501 c (3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide blood clot awareness, prevention, recovery and support to all people. In May 2018, Allison was told “she should not be alive” after being admitted to the ER for difficulty breathing. She was diagnosed with bilateral Pulmonary Embolisms and a 3” Deep Vein Thrombosis in her right calf.
Doctors said the cardiovascular strength gained from indoor cycling four days a week after running the Chicago marathon in Oct. 2017 SAVED HER LIFE. These life-changing events coupled with sharing her story, discovering blood clots do not discriminate and are rarely talked about led Allison to a newfound passion and the start of The Quiet Clot®. It is Allison Birkmeyer’s hope that she can use her experience and this platform to positively impact one person’s life.
In honor of Women’s History Month, we are highlighting the FIRSTS of KNOW. March is also Blood Clot Awareness month + Allison is hosting their FIRST annual Pulse and Flow Fit Fest in Charlotte, NC! If you’re in #NorthCarolina, head to Allison’s page to learn how to join and get involved!
Tell us how your story started.
On May 27th, 2018 my life changed unexpectedly as I was unable to breathewhile casually walking to being
rushed to the ICU where they discovered blood clots throughout both lungs, a quarter sized clot to the right of my heart and a 3″ clot in my right calf.Stunned by the fact that I’d shown no traditional symptoms, the Doctor’s said my healthy lifestyle and the cardiovascular strength gained from regularly working out had SAVED MY LIFE.
Creating The Quiet Clot® was a call to action after surviving blood clots, hearing countless other stories and discovering the need to bring awareness. I quickly realized blood clots are common, rarely talked about, difficult to diagnose, and affect men and women of all ages, races, and fitness levels.Pulse and Flow Fit Fest is an all inclusive, family friendly, community focused health and fitness event to raise blood clot awareness. This health and fitness focused event takes place on March 21, 2020 at the BB&T Knights Stadium in Charlotte, NC. All proceeds go to The Quiet Clot® and 100% tax deductible donations can be made at https://pulseandflowfitfest.com/.
What have you learned along the way?
Trust your intuition. Listen to your body. It’s okay to be vulnerable and ask for help. Staying focused and organized is critical, however managing how you react to the unexpected is key. Sacrificing my health and wellness is not worth any level of success.
What is your typical day in the life look like?
By day, I am the Mid-Atlantic Commercial Sales Manager for a global tile manufacturer. I travel by air every week and my team of 13 Architectural Reps are responsible for generating $65M in sales annually. As Founder of the The Quiet Clot and Pulse and Flow Fit Fest, I dedicate my night’s and weekend’s alongside the assistance of my team, Emily Zimmermann of Grace communications (@gracecommunications_agency) and Cheale Villa of Visual Caffeine (@visualcaffeine). After spending nine years on the road, cycling at FlyWheel Sports (@flywheelsports and @flysportsclt) has been critical to staying fit, reducing my stress level and keeping my sanity.
Servant leadership, hard work, commitment and passion has contributed significantly to The Quiet Clot®’s success, which celebrates it’s 1 year birthday on March 19, 2020! I am in awe of the overwhelming support since joining Know Tribe in Oct 2019. This momentum has sky-rocketed within the Charlotte community since announcing the Pulse and Flow Fit Fest. Stay tuned for many exciting new announcements over the next 3 months!
What’s one piece of advice you’d share to females trying to do the uncommon and become firsts in their field through awards, entrepreneurial journeys, philanthropic causes etc.?
Do not give up! It’s okay if others do not see your vision. Stay true to yourself and your brand’s mission and values. Find a tribe you can trust and ask them for advice, resources and recommendations. Do not feel guilty or ask for permission to take a break! Rest and rejuvenation (whatever that looks like to you) is a must.
What does honoring women mean to you and how can we continue to strive towards acknowledging more women and the work they are doing?
Honoring women means offering support both personally and professionally and sharing our individual journeys to inspire and uplift each other. It’s celebrating their successes and helping them succeed without asking for anything in return.
Last but not least, how do you Lift + Rise?
As a leader and nonprofit entrepreneur I LIFT + RISE by EMPOWERING both myself and others.I aim to: save lives, increase blood clot awareness, provide hope and constructive coping/healing for survivors through The Quiet Clot®, give myself power to say no to the things that don’t add value or align with my personal or professional mission statement, inspire and motivate others to get out of their comfort zone, try new experiences, travel to new places and meet new people, help my rock star Mid-Atlantic team success both personally and professionally.
Allison will be speaking at our 2020 Summit on our Self Care Panel: Embracing All of You, For All of Them. Grab your ticket here.
In addition, stay connected with Allison Birkmeyer by following her on IG: @allisonbirkmeyer @thequietclot and @pulseandflow.