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I posted about appearing on CNN in NYC a few weeks ago, where I was invited on the show to talk about landing your dream job. Though I never personally have had to try hard to get a job outside of the company that I run (minus all of my failed internships where I was either fired or quit) I’m so aware of what many of you struggle with since I’m spending more and more time on college campuses, learning about the struggles young people face. I wanted to post the full clip from the segment above so that you can listen to my 5 tips while you’re in the car, walking to the gym or eating lunch!

There’s nothing to fear about the future besides fear itself.

For reference: I could never be a gymnast. I’m 5’10!

I know a guest is going to be a good guest when my mom calls me up excited about someone coming in. Katelyn Ohashi made waves earlier this year when her gymnast stunt went viral. She’s a UCLA senior whose empowering and absolutely amazing routine completely changed the way people view gymnasts. After I saw her Good Morning America interview, I was absolutely captivated. And it’s hard to impress me! I emailed Katelyn, and we planned for her to come in sometime in May. Immediately after meeting Katelyn, I could tell how genuinely authentic and passionate she is. Her passion for inspiring people to be the best version of themselves, along with be confident about their bodies and minds is noticeable. Sometimes you never know if someone is doing something for fame or money nowadays, so it’s refreshing to meet someone who is actually not used to fame. I guess you can never get used to fame, but it’s unique when someone actually is catapulted into the spotlight simply for doing what they love to do.

Our interview was so fun and Katelyn was very easy to talk to, which made my job so easy. You can follow her on social media @katelyn_ohashi to find out more about what she is currently up to!

Listen all week on the Radio Disney app, iHeartRadio and SiriusXM. I hope you guys adore Katelyn as much as I do!

The older I get, the more I realize that money doesn’t matter. How many of you wake up feeling excited to go to work? How many of you get excited to get home after work because your day is finally over? I know many people can relate to that feeling. Work is stressful, and life is stressful. Trying to balance 1 million things at a time is so darn stressful, and then you’re expected to keep up family relationships and friendships. It’s not easy for anyone. I started volunteering in LA once a week and my life has really changed since I started volunteering. I love presenting talks and talking to kids about social media and mental health, but many of them don’t pay my bills, so I have to balance presenting talks like that while also making a living off of this. But if I could choose one thing to do all day long, it’d be talking to kids and interviewing people. Not simultaneously, but both in the same day.

When the team at Franciscan Children’s reached out to me asking if I wanted to speak to a group of kids in the mental health unit, I jumped at the opportunity. Having struggled personally with a plethora of mental health things and body image issues, I can really relate to what kids nowadays are dealing with. I can’t even image what it’s like with social media. The underlying pressure to be successful, thin, pretty, rich, cool, Instagram worthy, AND also get an A in school classes and be popular before you’re even in high school is common. That’s not the pressure I felt when I was in middle school, but I definitely know where the pressure kids deal with in 2019 stems from because I talk to so many young people. Parents don’t know how to handle the topic of social media because they didn’t grow up with Instagram and Snapchat, and it’s a completely different universe from what they’re used to. How can you expect people to know something that makes absolutely no sense to them? So who out there is talking to young adults about their mental health and making sure they’re doing okay? A place like Franciscan’s, which is why I was so pumped to spend the day there.

I couldn’t take pictures with any of the kids but I’ll never forget any of their faces, and I hope they never forget mine. We talked about how important it is to put your cell phone down and go outside. We talked about Snapchat and Instagram, and how those platforms make all of us feel. Some of the kids said happy and excited, and some of them said Instagram makes them feel sad and not worthy of reaching their goals. The neat aspect about Franciscan’s that is different from other “hospitals” is that they don’t even call it a hospital because they think that word is scary, and I agree! They’ve created such a community of staff and volunteers who live and breathe educating and helping people of all ages (primarily from birth to age 22) succeed in life and society. Just because you have a mental health something (I hate saying mental health issue, we all have issues) or you have a physical disability doesn’t mean you’re different. Sure, your struggles might be a bit different from mine, but in life we’re all the same and we are certainly all equal. I wish more young people new that it’s okay to be struggling: you will be okay and you are never alone. Your cell phone shouldn’t replace a friend or a stuffed animal, it should just be a fun addition to your life that should be used with caution. You will get through anything you are battling.

I encourage ALL of you to get out in the community and use your voice. Volunteer or spend a few days of the month helping people somewhere. Never do anything for fame or money, because you won’t get either if your intentions are wrong. I highly encourage all of you to read about Franciscan’s on their website and get a better sense of what this place is all about too- the experience truly shaped me as an individual, and I wish places like this were in every state and every part of the world.

Enjoy my gallery of pictures below from my afternoon!

A sign the unit made me!

I’m always fascinated by traits that entrepreneurs have. Many entrepreneurs struggle with similar things, like finances, balance and finding the strength to push on even when things get tough. I’ve always suffered with something called imposter syndrome, which is when you almost feel like you’re a fraud. You can read more about imposter syndrome here. I’ve talked to many people who also feel like the more successful they become, the more difficult it is to grasp certain aspects of life. Not in a negative way, but in a way that makes you feel like you’re never good enough for yourself. How does everyone view me this one way when I view myself in a completely different manner? I feel like the word imposter is certainly not the best term for this particular topic, but it’s how it’s described in the textbook so it’s the easiest way to explain it.

I think this is something you can easily struggle with even if you don’t run your own company: perhaps if you’re at the top of the company you’re working for or quickly rising up, you might feel like you aren’t worthy of that success or like you don’t understand the value you have. When in reality you have so much you bring to the table that everyone sees it, besides you. That’s why I wanted to talk about this topic openly on This is Life Unfiltered this week! Have any of you struggled with this? Let me know in the comments below.

A few of my friends kept telling me to invite dancer and activist Nia Sioux into the studio for an interview on Fearless Everyday. I finally emailed her last week and got her into the studio within 48 hours! I’m seriously so excited for you to hear her interview. But until it comes out, follow Nia on social media and read more about her below!

Nia has wowed audiences as a dancer, singer and actor on the small screen and in live performances, proving to be one of today’s hottest triple threats. Known for her breakout role in Lifetime’s hit series, Dance Moms, Nia has since leaped out of the reality world and starred as a series regular on CBS’s Award Winning, The Bold and The Beautiful, and starred in her own Nickelodeon digital series called “Nia Sioux’s Slumber Party.”

Audiences have seen Nia take on the world of music as she released her first single “Star In Your Own Life” which has over 11 million views on YouTube. Nia has continued to release music and hit #1 on the iTunes Music Video pop charts for “You Don’t Really Wanna.” Her multi-hyphenate skills were put to use when she was a featured performer in the Off-Broadway musical ‘Trip Of Love.’ Shortly after, Nia went on to star in her first film, “Running From My Roots,” and since has starred in two more films: The Code and The Lies I Tell Myself. Nia was chosen to host the 2018 Winter Olympics as an NBC Correspondent, and has furthered those skills by hosting multiple red carpets. Nia’s talents were recently recognized when she was named “Favorite Dancer 17 & Under” at the IDA Awards, and was nominated for Tiger Beat’s 19 Under 19.

Being a good role model is important to Nia, and she speaks to kids about how they can “star” in their own lives, a message dear to her. Nia started a weekly #RoleModelMonday tribute on her social media to recognize those that are making a change. She is passionate about raising awareness for reflex neurovascular dystrophy (RND), anti-bullying, anti-body shaming, and animal rights.

Thank you Nia for your incredible work on #RoleModelMonday and for being a role model to so many!

There is nothing more important to me than where I live. I’ve had periods of time where I’ve considered living out of a suitcase and saving money on rent to travel instead, but when I really sit down and think about it I realize that I don’t have the type of personality to be on the go more than I already am. Life is so busy and gets in the way all the time, and going home to a calm space at the end of the day is the best feeling ever. Even (I swear I’m not lying) when I lived in Bedstuy, Brooklyn on the floor of this terrible apartment I truly looked forward to going home and jumping on my bed to sleep. Can anyone relate?

Before I moved to LA, I was living in the North End of Boston in the cutest apartment I’ve ever had. My apartment was featured in the Boston Globe because I hired an interior designer to design the place before I moved in. Moving to LA without having Jenna as a designer was so disappointing- I knew I’d have to put together an apartment on my own (if you can afford to not decorate your apartment, I say hire someone) which was surely going to take me 5x longer than anyone else because I HATE spending money on stupid stuff. When it comes to buying stuff for myself, I have every reason to not spend the money. I’m much better at giving someone money, knowing what they’re doing with the money and eventually forgetting about the fact I even gave someone money. My rent in LA is a bit cheaper than Boston, but not by that much. I do feel like I have more space in my Hollywood apartment even though it’s probably the same amount of square feet just with a different layout. The neat aspect about this apartment is that all of the space is in the shape of a square, which made it easy for me to decide where to place the furniture.

Every apartment should have a desk, even if you’re living in a dorm. You need somewhere to sit and write when those creative juices flow! I’ve recently become obsessed with candles, and can’t stop buying ones from Pironii. Plus my friend runs the company and always give me a great deal on the candles, though I’d even buy these full price.

Uncommon Goods sent me a few items (the hanging shelf that’s for plants, my phone holder and my candle on my bedside table) and the rest of the items I got on Amazon and at Bob’s Discount Furniture. I bought my cutlery and plates on Brandless (everything is $3 minus the knives).  A few of the items like the desk and bar stool I took from my old apartment to save money or purchased on Craigslist, which is always my favorite way to save money when decorating an apartment.

Upon initially moving in, my friend Ashley and I took a trip to Home Goods in Studio City which is where I bought the large pink carpet ($40 in the kids aisle) and the lamps. I say to invest in a few nice items that you will actually put to use (I bought the BOSS sign and pencil holder on my desk at Home Goods) and skip the rest. I hate clutter, so I would rather buy less pieces that are statement pieces instead.

I bought a Wayfair bed frame.

I didn’t want to spend the money on hiring someone to make the bed (it came in the largest box and I think I lost 12 pounds moving this 3,000 pound frame from downstairs to inside my apartment) so I bought the bed with the intention I’d become friends with a dude who I could coerce into making my bed frame for me. It worked! If you decide to buy that frame, you have to either put it together yourself or pay someone from Wayfair to put the bed together for $70.

Allswell sent me the queen mattress, and Keurig and Cuisinart sent me my coffee machine and my blender. I’ll talk more about this blender next week, but it’s even better than a small blender and has many more settings. Once you get all of the main pieces (like the desk and bed) the actual decorating sets in, which is oh so fun.

If you want the full house tour, watch the video above. Thanks for spending the day at my crib with me 🙂

I’m SO excited to release 5 GIFs for you to use on Instagram! When Wellness Media Lab reached out to me, I was pumped because I’m getting bored of using the same fearless GIFs on Instagram. If you head to your Instagram page and type in Alexa Curtis (we’re working on adding keywords so they pop up when you type in fearless) you can instantly attach these GIFs to any of your pictures from your story or on your feed.

What one are you, an “I’m Doing This For Me” cal or an “Alexa Curtis Made Me Do It” one? I really hope I’m inspiring you guys to get out of your comfort zone! If I’m not, tell me what I should do to get you to be fearless! Personally, I always go for the Be Fearless one. I think that we’re all doing something in our day to day life that is fearless and should be highlighted. Why not tell your friends and followers what you’re doing!?

Stay Fearless!

I’m so lucky that I’ve never had severe period cramps like my mom or some of my friends. I don’t know how I’ve gotten in the boat of people who don’t suffer with severe symptoms, but I can’t even imagine what it would be like to have such terrible cramps and aches in the middle of the month. I sat down with Lina and Nadine Kennedy, founders of Comforté: a unique remedy to help girls with their period cramps this week for a new episode. If you’re familiar with sugaring (waxing) Lina is also the founder of Alexandria Professional, basically the start of the sugaring world.

Join me as I talk about their latest venture, Comforté with this mother/daughter duo. Listen on all podcast streaming platforms!

I’ve had a few publicists over the last 10 months (once I felt like I couldn’t handle everything going on!) and Mindie has been my favorite publicist so far. She’s the kind of person I want to have a business relationship with now and in the future. Along with being a publicist, she’s also a mother and a published author. She truly does it all, and she shows up to my shoots with 100 more things to do on her list that day. I’m more than impressed with her, so I am labeling her my #WCW this week! I got to ask her 5 questions about being fearless & PR, that I’m putting below! Enjoy!

A: How do you overcome stress or anxiety while in the crazy PR world?

Mindie: This is honestly an ongoing effort for me. I am in a very high-stress, fast-paced industry which thrives on tight deadlines, high-strung media and demanding clients. I adore and admire each and every media member and client I am lucky enough to represent but everyone has expectations and I am not always in control of the final outcome due to the nature of the industry I am in. That said: I do my best to keep my own daily space as “Zen” as humanly possible. I light candles, use an infuser and take a moment to breathe and read an article or sentiment online which is uplifting periodically to combat the daily stresses of everyday work-life.

A: What gave you that push to jump out of your comfort zone and overcome any fears holding you back?

Mindie: I am a survivor, I like nice things and I am a single mother to two elementary-aged kids. I need to excel. It’s a necessity not an option. I also have a team of five talented professionals who depend on me to excel. That’s the push I need most mornings. I am always looking to do more and extend myself a little farther each and every day, as well, all to benefit my family, team and my clients – who I consider family too. My desire to reach for more is all the push I need.

A: What advice would you tell people now who are trying to become a publicist or author?

Mindie: Both professions require extreme discipline and writing ability. After you’ve got that set – developing a thick skin and being creative. I’ve heard “No” many more times that I’ve heard the word “Yes,” but I never settled at “No.” It just provided me the drive I needed to find another path. Believe in yourself, grow a thick skin and stay true to you is all you need to conquer the world of public relations or publishing.

A: What is a typical day like for you?

Mindie: There are really no two days alike. But this was my day today: I woke up, did some bookkeeping, answered emails, got my kids ready for school, drove them to school, did a few errands for the business, got to the office, replied to some producers, followed up on pitches, did four conference calls with clients, did two prospect calls with potential clients, researched topics to pitch, booked two clients on radio shows and one on TV, helped my team navigate a few issues to avoid fires, took a meeting out of the office, came back to the office and answered more emails and wrote a speech for my book talk I’m giving in New York on Thursday, did another conference call, came home: took my daughter to her 5^th grade dance, picked my son up at baseball practice, came home to feed him, picked her up at 9pm, got them ready for bed, answered more emails and a client call with a doctor I represent and went to bed!

A: What skills have you acquired that would help you communicate a message through PR?

 Mindie: I was a news anchor/reporter for 10-years so I think my communication skills are very strong. That said: I think my ability to calmly listen to a client and have a good understanding of their needs and concerns out of the gate helps me do my job as their media advocate that much better.

A: How do you find the confidence to do what you do and not back down so easily?

Mindie: I fake it some days if it’s a very intimidating situation but most days I just know that I am a good person, a hard-worker and just want to please people. Everyone wants to end up with a smile at the end of the day. My client with the great press and the media with a great story. Mission accomplished!