Alexa Hailes Smith is an entrepreneur and owns a freelance creative direction business in Washington, DC. Alexa’s business started as a journey of self-improvement after college, which led her to become a health coach and produce holistic wellness content on social media. Pursuing this path, Alexa found meaning and purpose in helping others through her social media presence, saying:
“With knowing more about myself, I see I’m able to work best by empowering others, collaborating with others…”
Seeing an opportunity in social media management, Alexa used a loan from Life Asset to invest in educational courses, which allowed her to establish a business helping companies effectively market their own products and services. Alexa helps businesses establish and maintain a strong social media presence with an emphasis on effective storytelling, consistent messaging, and creative brand promotion.
Alexa credits Life Asset for providing the resources and training needed for her career transition in addition to providing an environment of collaboration and mutual support that has helped her stay focused on her own professional goals. Through Life Asset’s collaborative model, Alexa has found that showing up for fellow entrepreneurs has made it easier to show up for herself in her personal life and in her business. Referring to Life Asset’s social collateral model, Alexa says, “…let me make sure my payment is made because I don’t want to let the other group members down… we become a whole unit… we want to keep each other accountable.” This experience has provided an increased sense of accomplishment and greater self-confidence, which has helped her business succeed.
Support and coaching from Life Asset has also encouraged Alexa to reflect on her personal and professional goals, which emphasizes the importance of supporting the emotional health and empowerment of women: “I used to over commit where I thought I needed to overwork… and I would neglect my personal health due to excessive service to others.” Offering advice to her fellow entrepreneurs about “hustle culture,” Alexa cautions:
“It’s not sustainable yet it might get you what you need in the short term… but a couple months from then, or even years from then, your mind, your body and your soul will begin to get very, very tired… You need to rest, you need to take a break, you need to breathe.”
To prevent burnout, Alexa suggests, “look at more sustainable practices like taking breaks and setting that boundary, setting a schedule if you’re just going to work 3 hours or five hours at the day and then just put it away.”
With support from Life Asset, Alexa is gaining experience and professional skills that will help her realize her childhood dream of opening a salon. Alexa sees her salon as an opportunity to promote self-care and empowerment for women, stating:
“When we feel good, we look good, we do good, when we’re relaxed when we’re heard, supported, all of those things allow our highest self to come out.”
In response to this, Alexa encourages fellow entrepreneurs to not give up on their goals and to use opportunities as steps to accomplish their bigger goals. In summary, Alexa says, that when you stay true to your goals and values, “when we make that the focus, the abundance will naturally come to us.”
Alexa currently has a partnership with Open, and is offering a free 30-day trail to anyone interested in learning more about breathwork and meditation.