116. The Laughing Survivor Alexandra Stevenson on Human Trafficking, Sexual Abuse, and Being a Badass

Nikki Spo has developed an open dialogue around certain aspects of her past, including experiences of sexual abuse and its impact on her personal growth. In this episode, Nikki is joined by Alexandra Stevenson, a sex trafficking survivor turned activist, who shares her story of human trafficking and how it has shaped her into who she is today. 
Alexandra Stevenson shares her 10-year journey toward activism, recognizing her experiences in human trafficking. She co-founded Uprising in Wyoming and founded The Laughing Survivor in British Columbia to foster connections and educate on challenging issues. Being a survivor means continuing to survive. It is working every day to forgive yourself for the people we once hurt. It is being a mess while being a success. And most importantly, it is a voice you should use loud and proud when sharing your story.

In this episode…Non for profits Begging for a fair salary as a woman The Laughing Survivor Sexual assault Dating a meth dealer Cognitive dissonanceWhat is consent Choosing to stay Hurting people and ourselves when trying to survive Suffering Being a mess and a success Pressures of being humbled Continuing to survive 

Quotes:
“I have value to bring to this. Not just as a survivor but someone with several degrees in this field. Would you tell a man who is highly educated and as experienced as I am to beg for a salary? Or would you say that is a for-profit business, and here are tips for your business model.” 
“I called my brand The Laughing Survivor because my trauma made me funny, and I developed many unhealthy coping skills.”
“I was trafficked at age 20 in 2007 by my boyfriend. I did not know I was trafficked until about a decade later when I sat down to have coffee with someone, and they explained what human trafficking was to me.” 
“Trauma is a gateway drug. It is how you deal with trauma for a lot of people. It started with weed, mushrooms, and ecstasy until I started using meth regularly.” 
“I had to buy into what I was doing when I was sex trafficked, or I would have lost my mind. I couldn't exist in a world where every minute of every day I realized that I was not free and controlled.” 
“The biggest misconception is that you never truly heal.”
“I have to work every day to forgive myself over and over and over again. I continue this because I can still make mistakes, hurt people, and mess up.” - Nikki Spo
“It is part of my story, but it is not part of me now.”  
“You are allowed to celebrate. You don’t have to be humble all the time. You don’t have to be relatable all the time. Sometimes, you can just kill it.”
Timestamps:0:00- 2:45 | Introduction 2:45- 6:00 | Alexandra’s story 6:00- 10:15 | Begging for a fair salary as a woman 10:15- 23:45 | The low lights of Alex’s human trafficking story 23:45- 27:00 | Getting out of your own reality 27:00- 34:10 | “Sexual empowerment” is actually sexual exploitation re-branded34:10- 41:10 | Continuing to survive  

Connect with Alexandra Stevenson https://thelaughingsurvivor.com/ @thelaughingsurvivorhttps://www.tiktok.com/@thelaughingsurvivor 
Connect with Nikki www.nikkispo.com @