IT’S HERE! THE 2022 UCONN BE FEARLESS SUMMIT SCHEDULE IS BELOW!
My whole team has worked endlessly over the past months to put together an incredible day for you on February 26, 2022. We’re excited for you to meet our speakers, have lunch, and network.
Sharing this awesome new testimonial below from one of the mentors in the Mentor Match program! Need a gift to give someone this holiday season that won’t get lost in the mail? Try a Mentor Match call. We match vetted mentors with mentees, including mentors that don’t do any mentorship in other programs besides ours!
I don’t tell many people my ideas.
I think I was 15 or 16 when I took a meeting with the editor of Seventeen Magazine at Hearst in NYC. I was pitching them a story idea, along the lines of body image for young women, and the meeting felt productive. I walked away thinking I might have landed an exclusive feature in an upcoming issue of the magazine.
To my pleasant surprise, that feature did come out in their next issue. Without me in it. It revolved around another teen blogger who was pretty mean to me online and via email. I remember crying to my mom (ok, I was a teenager, teens cry about that kinda stuff) and her telling me that I shouldn’t tell people my ideas fully without getting an idea of what the person I want to tell my idea to is working on or pursuing. This can be easier said than done, because you may get super excited about ideas and feel eager to call someone or scream your idea from the rooftop. Who doesn’t want to share their excitement about something they feel proud about!?
I’ve learned the hard way over the years about telling people my ideas, losing friends or getting frustrated more than I should because someone reacted poorly to my idea or even took the idea from me. When I have an idea now, I keep it close to me until I’m ready to share it. I’ll tell my inner circle and my parents, but I’m not posting everything that goes through my mind on social media or emailing people about the idea because I don’t know what will come of every idea. There aren’t many things you can keep to yourself in this day and age, besides your own ideas and feelings. Tell someone, but tell the right person. If you don’t have that person in your life you can trust entirely yet, then focus on connecting with someone you can really pursue an honest and deep relationship with. Waiting for that person may take longer than you want, but it’s worth the waiting.
When I first had the idea for Mentor Match, I called one of the mentors in the program, my good friend Vivek Jain on a trip to Palm Springs I took last summer. I didn’t go too deep into the idea with him on the phone, but I introduced Mentor Match to him and asked if he had any ideas surrounding the concept. He is truly the main reason I’ve pursued Mentor Match, and I will be working on buying his app technology from him for the MM app!
If you pursue entrepreneurship, you’ll realize 3 things – someone will always be jealous of you or your idea. Someone will think it’s a good idea & may have more money or resources to pursue it. And someone’s going to tell you your idea sucks.
I was 16 when I coined a term “money ideas” which is when (if I’m lucky, maybe once a year) I have an idea that I feel like is THE idea. Mentor Match, the summit program and my Radio Disney show go under that tag line. There’s a difference between money ideas & other ideas because everyone has a lot of ideas but how often do you get too lazy, bored, etc. to pursue it? I do, if it’s not one of the money ideas!
Either deal with the above, or tell the right people & you won’t have to deal with any of it until your idea has come to fruition.
We can all agree that companies like Brandy Melville are not one size fits all. Why not? Because no one fits in a one size fits all or we’d all be robots. Being a robot doesn’t sound fun!
When Woodley + Lowe reached out to me, I checked out the line of super affordable cozy, cute and comfortable clothing for young adults and knew I had to get my own outfit and share Woodley + Lowe with you. Growing up, Brandy Melville was a brand that every girl in my high school was obsessed with and everyone online seemed to adore too. As I got older and grew into my body more (hello hips!) I stopped walking into stores like LF and Brandy Melville for one reason: they didn’t make me feel good about my body. Why should a young women feel poorly about her body when she walks into a store and doesn’t fit many of the items that are labeled as if she should fit into one size fits all?
Woodley + Lowe is revamping the whole one size fits all theory, using a size guide between A – D that allows you to wear their clothes tighter or looser depending on how cozy you want to be! They’re exhibiting a pop-up at the Westfield mall in Century City until next week where you can grab a sweet treat the front of the pop-up and view all the stores in the area on the bottom floor, including their shop. I went in yesterday and got caught in a snow storm (fake snow, but still!) while trying on some of their latest pieces, including these super soft sweat pants and socks.
I’ll be interviewing the founders on The New Unfiltered next week but until then, stop into the pop-up if you’re in LA, or hit them up on social media to see what you can get your hands on this holiday season before they sell out of evertyhing!
This story is part of a partnership with W Hotels, specifically highlighting W Dallas.
If you follow me on social media, you know that I’ve been talking about a new app I’m working on while I take a step back from Be Fearless Summit following the summit coming up in February. I’ve been meeting with some new schools to start collecting data about what young people are struggling with, which is why I ended up in Dallas. I headed to town to meet with a group of schools called Fusion Academy! I’ve done work with them in the past, hosting talks on social media and mental health with many of their different campuses.
Because I had never been to Dallas before, I got into town a day early to explore. I partnered with W Dallas in the Victory area of downtown Dallas for my stay. They offered me an incredible stay in return for highlighting some of the unique aspects of this hotel, including their stunning spa, rooftop pool, and unique tequila amenity that guests get. Though I was running around both days exploring schools outside of downtown, I had the chance to take some time to regroup on the roof, at the spa, and in my room. The sunset on the rooftop was insanely beauty…I literally felt like I was in Bali!
W Hotels are next level hotels – their customer service and overall amenities are super sexy and intriguing, in comparison to hotels that may be a little more affordable, you know what you’re paying for when you stay at a W.
If I’m back in Dallas, W Dallas will be my hotel of choice every time!
A few weeks ago, my friend invited me to an event for a beauty VC fund that launched in Austin – it was incredibly inspiring to be in a room with powerful women who many have “made it” to the top of their field. 2.9% of companies that investors invest in are women – funded. That’s low. Rochelle was one of the people who stood up and spoke at the event.
It got me thinking a lot about women vs. men – the way that many (not all, but some) women are raised from a young age to meet a rich guy – be taken care of, to live the life they don’t think they can achieve on their own, have it better than their parents did. Makes sense. I wish my mom hadn’t struggled so much.
To put it in perspective, I’ve gone out with guys who make more money than me & I’ve gone out with guys who make way less. I’ve had two serious relationships & walked away from each knowing even more than ever before that I will never let someone tell me what to do, what not to do, or be intimidated by me. I still show up unapologetically myself. I don’t care about your car or plane because I’m working towards having both on my own. If I’m surrounded on my plane one day by 20 of my best girl friends & no guy – then more champagne for us. C’est la vie! I don’t want to be on your plane – you’re gonna wanna be on mine if there’s a seat left.
To all the young women out there who follow me – the next time you think “I’m waiting to meet a rich guy & won’t have to work another day in my life” or tell ur friends to date someone because they’re rich but probably suck, switch the narrative. He’s waiting to meet you because you made it on your own. And you’re fearless. Now THAT is SEXY!
This is part of a paid partnership with Get Supr, one of my FAVORITE companies.
On Monday’s episode of The New Unfiltered, I go into how I pitched SUPR to sponsor this post after testing the product out for weeks. Definitely tune in if you’re interested in getting sponsorships for yourself or your own company.
Coming up Monday on The New Unfiltered, I’m giving you all my tips about how to get stuff for free. I constantly get asked this question from many of you and it’s one of my favorite questions to address because I love seeing you get outside of your comfort zone, pitch companies, and more!
A few months ago, I got approached by SUPR asking for my address to send me some of their instant coffee. To be honest, I was definitely skeptical when they emailed me – do people even drink instant coffee anymore? I also get sent a ton of product and I don’t honestly test every product out unless it stands out to me, which usually is food or some type of drink. If I get sent it and it doesn’t appear on my social media, it’s because I just don’t like it. I can’t like everything or try everything but I do my best!
The last time I saw instant coffee was my dad drinking it when I went home a few weeks ago but he’s my dad…and he’s older than me! People in their 20s are past the days of instant coffee and on to the days of alternative nut milks and CBD infused coffee or tea concoctions. I’m a coffee connoisseur but my daily almond milk latte with my Nespresso machine at home or at a coffee shop adds up in my bank account. Imagine how much you’d save if you took all of your spare change from that daily coffee or weekly Uber and put it into your savings…TONS OF MONEY!
Not only do I love coffee, I love talking openly about my struggles with anxiety because it’s part of my DNA. I wouldn’t be who I am today, able to sit here and share every chapter of my life with you, if I didn’t share what goes along with those struggles.
I got a few boxes of SUPR in the mail and decided to try the coffee over ice one day because I was in a rush and figured if anything, SUPR would boost my energy just slightly. Coffee is coffee, whether it’s in a packet or in a coffee mug. I remember the moment I took my first sip after pouring a splash of almond milk with some maple syrup in – I was hooked. I still am hooked. I’m traveling an insane amount this month and I feel anxious if I don’t have a packet in my purse because I never know where I’m going to be that I may be craving coffee or something to drink that will help me feel less anxious while working. I’ve noticed that when my anxiety gets bad, having something to drink or touch that isn’t biting my fingernails helps me stay focused and feel less triggered.
I’ve tried both their CBD instant coffee and the regular one and the CBD is needing a refill in my cabinet, it’s just that good. I was so shocked when I drank the full cup the first time because coffee usually gives me the jitters (I still drink it!) but this one perked me up and slowed my mind down just the perfect amount so I didn’t feel like I was racing. If you struggle with anxiety, you know what I mean when I describe that feeling where your mind just won’t turn off.
I believe in the mission of SUPR, the entire team behind the company, and the passion the brand has to make instant coffee sexy again and give you the chance to save money and drink exquisite coffee every day.
Use code ALEXA15 for a special discount off of your first purchase.
This week on The New Unfiltered, I’m so thrilled to chat with Kelly Rutherford (Gossip Girl) and Molly Hanten, founders of Shop Sovereign Collective. While Kelly was acting on Gossip Girl, she always thought about why fans couldn’t shop the show. Years later, Kelly and Molly met through a mutual friend and with Molly’s background in entrepreneurship and tech, both ladies knew they could create a platform where fans could shop shows and specific collections that Kelly finds during her travels abroad.
Watch the full video above and listen to the full episode on all streaming platforms now!
OUR BIGGEST SALE YET!
Buy one, get 2 calls free through MONDAY on Mentor Match!
Get matched with mentors in sports and entertainment, wellness, mental health, entrepreneurship and MORE.
The next webinar for Be Fearless Summit is December 1st, 2021 with Yashoda Bhaskar! I interviewed Yashoda on The New Unfiltered a few weeks ago and felt so inspired, I couldn’t contain my excitement following the interview. After wrapping up a call on helicopter parenting last week with Fusion Academy, I realized how many parents are struggling to understand what their children are doing online. Yashoda and I curated a fabulous hour webinar that we look forward to meeting many of you at and can’t wait to hear how you monitor social media use in your teens life.
P.S. This is our first webinar where tickets are not free. However if you can’t afford a ticket, always DM @befearlessummit.
I constantly wonder to myself whether people are born to be morning people or night people, or if training yourself to be a morning person is easier said than done.
Last week I woke up (in the morning – I’m a morning person and always have been) and turned on NPR news to hear a story on how the host made herself into a morning person. I thought to myself- if it’s that easy to trick your mind to wake up earlier, how much of life is choice vs. destiny, and can being more specific with your choices enable you more than letting the world choose your path regardless of how early you get up and how many hours you work?
I’ve always been a morning person ever since I was a little kid. I remember being so excited (still am!) to wake up in the morning vs. go to bed at night. Recently, I started tracking my sleep patterns in a journal and have found that my ideal hours to sleep are between 9 PM and 7 AM. I’m rare because most people I know barely start winding down their day at 9 PM. I sleep better, feel more alert the next day, and suffer with very little exhaustion if I stay to that routine as much as possible.
Though I’m not sure whether you can be born a morning person, I do believe strongly in routines and being very particular about your routine in order to lead the most fulfilling life. Here is my morning routine that may inspire you to get up a little bit earlier and go to bed earlier:
I’d like to say that I turn off my phone 30-60 minutes prior to going to bed but that’d be a lie. I don’t notice a huge difference between being on my phone before bed and not being on my phone, but studies will suggest you turn off as early as possible. You should try it, or at least wear blue light glasses before bed.
Pre-made water with lemon in the morning, and my coffee mug already on the Nespresso machine, so that I don’t have to think about anything when I wake up besides water and coffee. You won’t ever catch me drinking anything besides water when I first wake up – I’ve implemented 1-2 glasses of lemon water with apple cider vinegar into my routine for over 1 year now and wouldn’t have it any other way.
Blackout curtains. Not only do blackout curtains allow you to get into your deepest state of sleep, I feel way more rested when my alarm goes off even though the sun may be just coming up outside. I hate being woken up by sunlight. I rely on my alarm to tell me when it’s time to get up (unless it’s a weekend or I’m sleeping in and don’t care) and therefore I know it’s not 3 AM when I’m getting up.
Honestly, being a morning person is 100% your routine outside of your bedroom. If you find yourself enjoying staying up late and being more creative at night, why would you go to bed earlier or wake up earlier if you don’t want to? I just want to get as much done in a day and never feel like crap the next day. Correct me if I’m wrong: but mornings are so damn fun.
