I sat down with Plumbtalk Women at the Women Empower Expo to discuss my work with social media and teens.
Plumbtalk Women interviewed me at the Women Empower Expo on my 19th birthday about all things social media + teens, and I loved chatting about MINT and my latest projects with them. Watch the video above for more!
P.S. Make sure to SUBSCRIBE to enter to win Robin McGraw’s box- a few days left before the giveaway closes!
Xo,
Alexa
What got my hair in perfect condition for my TODAY show segment?
I got booked for my TODAY show segment (if you haven’t seen it yet, watch it here) less than 24 hours before they expected me on set. Usually, I have at least 1-2 weeks to plan a segment. That gives me time to arrange my hair, my makeup, outfit, car, models, blah blah blah…
But this time, I was in luck because no models were required. But, that didn’t mean I had an easy way out on the rest of the required obstacles that guarantee I don’t go on national TV looking like a nut case.
Thankfully, I had booked an appointment at the trendy Ethan Rose Salon the day before, which is one of the only 3 in 1 salons in Manhattan. I decided to bring in one of my best friends/ photographers Hannah to experiment and review this hotspot with me!
What’s different about this salon compared to others is that you get everything done at once. Instead of spending three hours in a salon, waiting for different staff to do different tasks, you get your hair done AT THE SAME time (I’m really excited about this) as you get your nails done. And oddly enough, my hair stayed shiny and soft through the TV segment and my workout the next day. I just emailed the owner, Crystal, to ask what shampoo and conditioner she used!
Even though I didn’t have much time to spend in Tribeca at the salon in the midst of the craziness of prepping for the segment, I’d go back in a heartbeat to Ethan Rose Salon. Bring your girls, or treat yourself to a few hours here. You won’t regret sipping on a glass of champagne or coffee while getting glam.
P.S. A few days left to enter my giveaway! All you have to do is subscribe ABOVE!
Xo,
TODAY, my biggest dream came true…
GUESS outfit, Sam Edelman shoes, Goldtinker necklace
The AMAZING Hannah Pollinger Photography
When I started blogging at 12, I was nothing but a kid with no friends. I wore random clothing I bought, took pictures of it, put it online, and did it every single day to get me through the bullying I was enduring (and more).
When I was 14, I found the press contact of BCBG clothing online, and emailed her, asking if she would let me come backstage to her show at New York Fashion Week.
From 14-16, I emailed new brands every single season, hoping they’d give me an excuse to escape my small town and follow my dreams. I failed out of school, besides a consistent “A” in English, so people didn’t believe in me. My parents didn’t want me going back 4 hours to New York City whenever I wanted to go to a fashion show or meeting, and they were set on me following the average path by going to college.
My parents weren’t helicopter parents, at all, but they definitely wanted me to follow a career path that would have me making X amount of money per month. Most parents want security for their kids, right? I could never hold that against them.
*Note: read an interesting article here about how detrimental helicopter parenting can be on your kid.
Though we all knew I was different. Yea, I didn’t fit in, but I’ve come to realize I was different. To kids in school, I was weird. To people in the industry, I showed a glimmer of a persistent and daring trait that most kids don’t have.
One of my career goals was to appear on the TODAY show, because unlike most trashy stuff on TV, TODAY inspired me, made me laugh, made my cry, and simply didn’t make me feel like I was wasting my time. After many many emails, and many more ideas, my dream become a reality at 10:38 AM this morning.
I can’t thank the team at TODAY, as well as my sister and best friend Hannah for assisting/supporting me through this moment. I couldn’t be more thrilled to be able to show you guys that hard work pays off. That you don’t have to come from money to be successful. That you don’t have to have connections to follow your dreams.
SEE MY SEGMENT HERE!! More pics coming soon.
And read more on my new project, MINT, here.
Xo,
The key to success is occasionally giving yourself a break.
Adrianna Papell dress, Sheek Shoetique shoes, Lauren Diana hair + makeup
Being an entrepreanur at 19 has taught me a lot of things. It’s taught me how to travel alone, it’s taught me how to negotiate business deals (and not get screwed over), it’s taught me how to balance my work and my personal life…the list goes on. But along with some character building traits, being a teen entrepreanur comes with its downsides. I put a tremendous amount of pressure on myself to succeed. Failure is not an option in my book. The same as a college student would feel having to perform to a certain level to pass their classes, is the same I feel to perform to a certain level to pay my expenses, continue to follow my dreams, and more.
My blog is my most honest platform. I don’t do bullshit, and I don’t work with any brands that my heart and brand don’t completely align with. One of the reasons I started MINT is because I realized that I have a passion for speaking to people, whether it’s speaking to an audience in front of a camera or on a huge stage; it’s when I feel my happiest.
Yesterday, I appeared on Great Day Washington for a holiday gift guide segment. One of my favorite artists, Lauren Diana, came and did my makeup and hair, and I put on this unreal Adrianna Papell dress I’ve been wanting to wear for ages.
I stayed at the Kimpton Glover Park, which is one of my favorite new hotels in Glover Park, Washington. Located just a short walk from Georgetown, this hotel has everything you need. Between an insanely delicious restaurant, free coffee and water in the lobby, and a free bike to use, I wish I lived here! The staff are also super nice, and my room was bright and renovated. I had the comfiest bed, and I loved the decorations. Since I stayed during Halloween, the staff sent me an adorable care package (featured below) that had tasty treats I got to snack on while working in my hotel room.
I was working with some awesome brands, and had pretty easy talking points. I rarely get nervous, simply because I appear in front of people the majority of my life. But yesterday, for some reason, I completely blanked. I have no clue what happened the minute I went to talk, but my mind blanked. Apparently, humans occasionally have times where they just can’t form words, and yesterday, I had my first experience.
I beat myself up ALL day yesterday, and this morning. It’s so much easier to call yourself a failure than it is to accept that things do happen. Sometimes great things, and sometimes not so great things. That’s life. An ongoing lesson of how to be a better, truer form of who you already are.
After being frustrated and upset yesterday, I work up to a great email from a new MINT school we’re working with together, which does remind me that every day is a step closer to your ultimate goal.
I hope my words inspire you to accept and love who you are every single day. I still train myself to accept who I am, even when things don’t go the way I plan them to. And next week, I’ll have forgotten about the whole thing anyway. Always stay true to who you are.
If there’s one thing I know about myself, it’s that I’m incredibly honest. As hard as it is for me to admit I made a mistake, I know that by doing so, I inspire one or two other people to not beat themselves up when things do happen.
P.S. Read this fun interview that just got posted with Ukies, and don’t forget to subscribe above to enter to win my GIVEAWAY!
Xo,
Alexa
Got ready for Halloweekend with Party City and my best friends!
Costumes via Party City
Vintage army jacket, Primark overalls, Free People thermal, Boohoo boots
Halloween is truly a holiday meant for embracing your spirit animal. It’s rare that I advise people to be someone they aren’t, but on a holiday like this, you might as well go big or go home.
I teamed up with Party City this year for my costumes, and my friend Grace and I both got to dress up thanks to them. I hate that Halloween is on a Monday this year, because I have to work tomorrow which means I don’t get to celebrate the day with my friends. I could wear my cop costume on my flight to D.C., though that’d probably get me (actually) arrested by TSA…
Oddly enough, I only wear slutty costumes on this holiday. I’m not ashamed to admit that Halloween is the only holiday I feel like I can completely be something I’m not. Growing up, I always wanted to have tons of boys flocking around me, even though I never did, so I get to embrace my old dream through this holiday. People go crazy with makeup (shoutout to my friend Grace, pictured above) and unusual costumes, which completely impresses me and makes me contemplate my dream of being a slut on Halloween. Oh well.
It’s completely okay to be someone you aren’t a few days a year. It’s actually quite freeing to dress up as a character that you aren’t, because sometimes being normal can get boring. One of my best friends was visiting from home for the weekend, so we walked around Boston yesterday, snacked on Halloween cupcakes, and shopped. I’m glad to be getting equal use out of my thrifted camo jacket; it was a purchase I didn’t know I’d actually end up wearing, so to be wearing it out of the house makes me happy I dropped $20 on it.
Every penny counts when you’re running a company, ya know.
Tomorrow on YouTube: my top 3 tips for making it in your industry!
Subscribe to my newsletter to win a box of goodies from Dr. Phil’s wife next week- all you have to do is type in your email in the box above!
Xo,
Alexa
Dress for yourself, not for anyone else.
Persistency is key. In this world, you can’t be afraid to be forward.
Whether we’re talking about business or style, being forward will get you further than staying quiet will. Don’t be afraid to be forward with your style, because that’s what gets people to notice you. Get noticed, though never dress for anyone besides yourself. When I was in high school, I used to dress for other people, whether I wanted them to notice me or give me the time of day I thought I deserved. Now, I wear sweatpants if I want to. I wear a blazer if I want to.
I do what makes ME feel the most confident.
I found this IRO jacket at my friend Gretta’s store the other day, and I fell absolutely in love with it. The jacket itself is probably 10 pounds, not including 10 pounds of extra glitter, so wearing it is basically a workout. I can’t vouch that it’s worth the hefty $1700 price tag, but dressing up in it for the day can’t harm.
On that note, I got up at 5:45 AM today to run to a yoga class/dance party at Daybreaker and you truly have such a longer day once you start getting up before the sun. Get up, throw on your running sneakers, and go for a nice jog. Or make yourself a nice cup of coffee before everyone gets up: remember to do something nice for yourself this week.
P.S. Make sure to SUBSCRIBE above and enter to win- you have 2 weeks!
Xo,
Alexa
This week, subscribe to the Fashion Lane newsletter and enter to win a goodie box filled with TONS of stuff!
This week: Enter to win this Robin McGraw gift box, exclusive to newsletter subscribers! And don’t worry, the Fashion Lane newsletter only comes out twice per month. This month, I wrote a special letter for you on women empowerment.
We are giving away this new lovely box from Robin, who is Dr. Phil’s wife. If you are already a subscriber to my blog, you have automatically entered to win. If you aren’t a subscriber yet, follow my Instagram and subscribe to my newsletter (in the link at the top of the page) to enroll in the giveaway. I will be announcing the winner in 2 weeks!
Good luck!
Xo,
Fashion Lane team
Surround yourself with people who would be there for you for anything at the end of the day.
When I was younger, I used to wish everyday that I had friends in my life that I could call whenever I needed something. I always wanted a Blair Waldorf, or a Carrie Bradshaw, in my life. During my time in school, I always felt so insecure and sheltered, which limited me from going out and meeting new people. I’d go to a party with a few girls and immediately run to the back of the room, fearful of what people would think of me.
When I transferred to online school my junior year, I immediately started to gain more confidence. I started meeting new people, and all of a sudden realized how many incredible people had come into my life. My three best friends since childhood are still in my life, and are the only three people I know I could call if anything in the world happened. You don’t need a million best friends; you need one or two honest, trustworthy friends, and as many acquaintances as you wish. True friends are hard to come by. When you find them, never let them go.
I celebrated my 19th birthday with my closest friends this past weekend in Boston, and splurged on this new GUESS dress. Most of my friends are older than me, so ONEHOPE sent them champagne to drink, and me to photograph. I went to high school with a girl named Hannah, who offered to make me an unreal custom birthday cake which my boyfriend and I carefully drove down to Boston with. I highly suggest never traveling with a 60 pound cake.
Hannah is a dime, and made me a beautiful birthday cake in two weeks with the aesthetic I was aiming for. I wasn’t expecting the cake to even taste good because of how beautiful it was, but the cake was absolutely delicious. I love pumpkin and chocolate! Click her name to find more cakes from her, and DM her if you want a custom cake (for any occasion). She doesn’t disappoint.
Thank you to Hannah and my crew for surprising me with the craziest birthday party: I couldn’t be more blessed to have y’all in my life.
P.S. I highly suggest planning your own surprise party. That way, you can decide on the cake flavor.
P.S. SUBSCRIBE TO THE FASHION LANE NEWSLETTER THIS WEEK AND ENTER TO WIN A BOX FROM ROBIN MCGRAW! LINK AT THE TOP OF PAGE!
Xo,
Alexa
Gretta Monahan gave me a chance on live TV when I was 16…
All you need in this industry is one person to give you a chance. When I was 16, the day I dropped out of public high school and transferred to online school, I got a phone call from an NYC number. It was the Rachael Ray show, and they had found my blog and wanted me to appear on the show the following week. I remember feeling so nervous yet so thrilled at the same time. If you want to see my first RR segment, click here. I was such a baby!
Gretta and I have stayed close over the years, watching each other venture and grow our own businesses. I adore Gretta. She’s one of the most genuine and kind people I’ve ever met, and one of the only genuine and true people in the industry. 99% of people I meet or correspond with are fake and rude, but Gretta is someone who has never changed. Regardless of where in the world she is, or what she’s doing, she’d be the first person to give you honest advice.
Gretta invited me to attend the launch of her boutique on Newbury Street last week, and I spent the day in the store + salon getting pretty by her team. The spa is located inside the Westin Copley Hotel, and I couldn’t think of one place that’s more “Gretta”! It’s chic, clean, and elegant. My stylist and I decided to go a bit darker for fall, and I couldn’t have been more impressed with the Gretta Cole team. The salon and the store are unpretentious and genuinely interesting places that you’d have a blast venturing to with your girls or alone. I got to dress up in the coolest clothing, and for someone who is constantly surrounded by cool clothing, the Gretta Luxe store offered everything and more. With brands like IRO and Rag & Bone, you’d literally never get bored shopping here.
HUGE thanks to my girl, Gretta, for giving me a chance when I was 16 AND give me a chance years later. You are my inspiration!
Xo,
Take a trip to somewhere new that you’ve always wanted to go to.
Charles Victor dress, Primark sneakers
I never used to want to be spontaneous. Being different freaked me out, and being spontaneous was always an even scarier thought to me. Up until I stopped modeling, I was scared of eating something that could make me gain one pound, scared of changing my hair in case my agent hated it, and scared of what the future was going to hold.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m still scared of what the future holds, but I’ve realized that you only have one life to live. If you’re stressed, or sad, during the majority of that one life, you’re going to wish you had decided to do something differently. The next time you can’t decide whether to buy a plane ticket, or whether to get up and drive somewhere, stop thinking and just go. Even if it’s something as simple as eating a piece of cake that you want to eat, just keep thinking “what’s the worst that can happen?” In the scheme of things, you might only have until tomorrow or next week to live. Might as well start living it to the fullest now.
P.S. I’m not implying we’re all going to die, but with global warming, you never know! Now go eat that cake!
Xo,
Alexa
