About Andrea Wilson Woods
Andrea Wilson Woods is an ICF Associate Certified Coach who specializes in career and business coaching; a writer who loves to tell stories; and a patient advocate who runs a nonprofit.
After living in Los Angeles her entire adult life, Andrea returned to Birmingham in December 2014. She had an epiphany about her future after working with a client. She decided to become a life/business/career coach and create her own company, program, and brand. She completed an ICF-certified holistic life, career, and executive coach training. The mission of her company Build Your BLISSS (BYB) is to coach, teach, and empower clients through live workshops, DIY programs, classes, e-books, and one-on-one consulting. Andrea believes through BYB’s practical methods and the power of storytelling that people can create joyful, passionate, and authentic lives so they will become role models for themselves, their loved ones, and their communities.
Besides writing, teaching, and coaching, Andrea’s other passion is advocating for liver cancer patients. In 2002, she founded Blue Faery: The Adrienne Wilson Liver Cancer Association after losing her 15-year-old sister Adrienne, whom she raised for seven years, to stage IV liver cancer. Blue Faery’s mission is to prevent, treat, and cure primary liver cancer, specifically hepatocellular carcinoma, through research, education, and advocacy. In 2015, Andrea received four scholarships to attend various conferences in Washington DC and Chicago to tell her story, increase her knowledge, advocate for more funding, and continue her professional development. Andrea is currently writing an e-book to teach patients how to advocate for their healthcare needs. Raising Adrienne has been Andrea’s greatest joy in life; losing Adrienne to primary liver cancer has been her greatest loss.
Andrea obtained her master’s degree in writing from the University of Southern California where she focused on non-fiction. She loves telling and writing stories. After teaching as an adjunct professor for Kaplan University, she started a freelance writing business that focused on content and resume writing as well as social media training for individuals and small businesses. She has worked as a social media manager for the nation’s largest wine importer, as a seventh grade English teacher for the Burbank Unified School District, and as a family service specialist for the Legacy for Children research study sponsored by UCLA, CDC, and RTI.
Certifications/Other Info
- Associate Certified Coach, International Coach Federation, January 2016
- 125-hour certification in life, business, and executive coaching from Goal Imagery Institute, 2015
- 200-hour certification in kundalini and ashtanga yoga from Birmingham Yoga, 2015
- 300-hour certification in yoga philosophy including yoga sutras, 8 limbs, chakras, and mindset plus vinyasa flow from Yoga Blend, 2012 – 2013
- Led an annual vision board workshop for women in Los Angeles from 2004 – 2014
- Received writing awards from Writer’s Digest national competition (honorable mention) and the National Writer’s Association contest (sixth place) in 2007
- Completed six marathons and one half marathon in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Vancouver from 2002 – 2006
- Fundraising certification with an emphasis in Institutional Development from UCLA Extension, 2005
- Loves garlic, hates onions, and believes almost anything is possible if you change your thoughts