IU alumna Alyssa Baker built her public relations agency, RIOT Media Group, for a decade in Los Angeles before returning to Indiana during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, she continued her PR business and began an entirely different endeavor — her new company Aura Self and Soul Care.
Baker graduated from IU in 2012 as a journalism and communications major, and founded her PR agency in 2014. RIOT Media Group is a full service agency that represents lifestyle brands and experts in beauty, health, wellness, fashion and entertainment industries, according to RIOT Media Group’s website.
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Working in the PR industry while trying to start her own agency took a toll on Baker’s mental and emotional health. She said she needed something to help her become realigned.
“I had grown up with a more holistic and naturopathic approach to healthcare and was familiar with many eastern medicine modalities,” Baker said. “So I began researching things like energy, reiki and sound healing and booked my first reiki session in 2016.”
Reiki healing is an energy healing technique that promotes relaxation. In 2017, Baker became reiki-certified and was inspired to bring these practices back to Indiana. She opened Aura Self and Soul Care in Carmel, Indiana in 2021. Aura offers classes and workshops ranging from sound baths and movement meditation to reiki, moon circles and more, according to its website.
“Once I started reiki training myself and dove into energy healing, it gave me a new definition of self-care and re-ignited my passion for taking care of myself, giving myself tools on how to cope with stress in ways I had not known before,” Baker said in a press release. “When I began thinking about moving back to Indiana the idea of creating Aura and sharing this was a gut instinct I couldn’t ignore.”
Baker said she was fortunate to be able to transition her RIOT Media Group headquarters to Indiana while maintaining her LA-based clients. She now balances working in her two diverse businesses from Carmel.
“I love that both businesses represent two very different parts of myself,” Baker said. “On one hand, I love Real Housewives, celebrity gossip and the media machine. The other, practicing kundalini yoga listening to sound healing frequencies. I think the days of doing one thing are over and social media has a lot to do with more people following their passions.”
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Baker said RIOT Media Group will always be her top priority and the company plans to expand its team and client list in 2023. Because of this, she was sure not to rush the process of opening Aura and listened to her gut.
For Baker, every day is different. She usually starts her days working on RIOT clients and catching up with her team. In the evenings she focuses on Aura, which has anywhere from two to 10 sound baths or classes per month.
“During the classes you would think I would be able to finally chill but actually, no, I don’t,” Baker said. “I am usually tip-toeing around the room capturing content for Aura’s socials. We don’t have classes every week though so I actually like having crazier weeks and then more chill weeks — but no week is ever that chill, let’s be honest.”
