Meet Alexis Collins

We were lucky to catch up with Alexis Collins recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Alexis , appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
I believe that a lot of my resilience comes from my faith in God and my parents. When there are difficult chapters or transitional moments happening in my life, I’ve learned that God will never leave me nor forsake me. I also give credit to my parents. From a young age, my dad always instilled in me the importance of hard work and never giving up on my goals. He used to say that the only person who could kill my dreams is me and that I’m a competitor. There were times when I was unsure of myself and wanted to throw in the towel, but his words of wisdom, encouragement, and positive affirmations became a constant reminder to keep striving to be the very best version of myself. Meanwhile, my mom taught me that through fierce persistence, determination, self-assurance, and ingenuity, the possibilities are limitless.

Setbacks only mean that something greater is on the horizon. For example, when it came to my poetry book, Embracing Changes, it was my mom who incentivized me to gather up all the poems I had written during my teenage and adolescent years and transform them into a cohesive book. I was finishing up my senior year of high school and didn’t know the first thing about book publishing. I combed through stacks of notebooks, deciphering my bubbly handwriting that was smooshed up against the paper’s margins and contemplating which poems were worthwhile enough to include in the book. I sporadically had moments of inspiration and would write a new poem on the spot to add to the composition, the ink often staining the sides of my palms as I scribbled endlessly on the page. It took months, but I finally had a working rough draft of the poems I wanted to incorporate. I then tediously transcribed them into Microsoft Word, doing a series of final edits along the way. My mom suggested we get the poems copyrighted. We discovered it could take anywhere from three to nine months for The U.S. Copyright Office to review them. I was discouraged by the long wait time and eager to get my book out to the world, but my mom cautioned for me to be patient.

We went forward with the submission process and I went away to college, almost forgetting about this dream. When we finally obtained the stamp of approval from The U.S. Copyright Office, I was swamped with exams and other work and didn’t have the drive to compose the book now. Then three of my grandparents passed away nearly back-to-back and I became too submersed in grief, stress, depression, and other personal struggles to even think about finishing the authoring process. Finally, a few months after I graduated college, I sat down and came to the resolve that I would really get the ball rolling on completing the book. I knew that’s what my grandmother would’ve wanted, she was always big on the power of reading and loved hearing my poems. I gathered enough willpower and self-published a digital copy of my book on Amazon. I was now a first-time author and was immensely proud of myself, I knew my grandma was smiling down from heaven too. This was a monumental achievement for me and three years later, I made the book available in paperback format as well.

Although I’ve fostered a strong sense of resilience by prevailing over numerous hurdles, moments of vulnerability and doubt still occasionally seep in. For instance, when I first founded my freelance writing business, I was worried about attracting potential clients. I was starting out in a highly competitive space where I was virtually unknown at the time, and wasn’t sure where to truly begin in terms of marketing. I began grilling myself with questions, “was it worth launching this business? Did I have what it takes to gain customers? Should I even do a large-scale launch of my business in fear that no one would want my services?” I had previously been laid off from my job and felt very self-conscious and insecure about my capabilities and career at the time. Despite these emotions, I was determined not to let this circumstance incapacitate me and instead used this newfound time as an opportunity to get my dream in motion.

I started reading books on how to start a business, compiled my portfolio, and built my own bare-bones website on WordPress so I could display all my services and work. I created my first logo (it was a bit basic at the time – just an image of a glittery pencil), and made my own business pages on Instagram and Facebook. Then, it became a waiting game. I launched my business in June 2020 and was eagerly teetering on the edge of my seat, checking my phone and email notifications like clockwork to see if I had any inquiries; initially, there was nothing. The fear and hesitation crept in again, and I questioned if I was good enough or if my business could withstand the test of time. Nevertheless, that inner fire returned and I refused to let those fears freeze up my motivation. I continued creating virtual ads and spreading my business through word-of-mouth. Thankfully, I had an overwhelming amount of love and support from the online and local community and within a few days, I had received messages from two people interested in my writing services. I was ecstatic! They were both amazing clients who ended up loving the work I did for them. After that, I got an influx of service inquiries and new clientele!

On top of focusing on increasing my clientele, there was a time when I wasn’t sure what type of content to post on my business socials. Since I didn’t have any physical products I was selling (other than my book), I had to get innovative and decide how to engage people and get them interested long enough to interact with my page. For a several months, I was at approx. 200 followers, which I was grateful for. In order to boost my numbers organically, I consistently posted multiple times a week, researching various social media strategies and conceptualizing writing tips to give to my viewers. I created and posted colorful and eye-catching infographics (which sometimes took me hours to do), along with reviews from satisfied clients, reels, and random fun stuff about myself so people got a glimpse into the person behind the brand. If I only got a few likes on my posts, that didn’t discourage me from continuing to release content. I would study my analytics to determine how I could improve. By January 2021, my follower count had more than doubled and has been growing ever since.

Ultimately, I took a chance and invested in myself, and the results paid off. Had I given any energy to my former questions and inhibitions, I would’ve never made it as far as I did. I’ve come to the understanding that it’s better to try something and fail at it than to never try at all, that only leads to missed opportunities and regret. Once I’ve developed a passion and desire for something, I won’t stop until that vision is executed.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m the founder of Lexie Writes, a freelance writing business that offers innovative and dynamic writing services. I pride myself on capturing the essence of the client’s brand and vision, while ensuring that the words align with their tone and messaging. Some of my specialties include resumes and cover letters; social media, website, and blog content; product descriptions; and articles. I love assisting others with their writing projects and seeing how enthusiastic and thrilled they are when they view the final draft. I’ve had so many spectacular clients over the past three-plus years since I’ve been in business. Their satisfaction in my work brings me absolute joy and pushes me to keep going. Just as my writing brings a smile to their face, they bring a smile to mine. I feel so much gratitude and appreciation whenever I recall some of my past client reviews and reactions.

Writing has always been a favorite pastime of mine since I was a kid. I was inspired to write more after my elementary school librarian, Ms. Dobbins, told our class we should have our own personal home library. My parents built a two-piece bookshelf in my bedroom and purchased books for me to read; however, I would also make my own “books,” folding together pieces of notebook paper and writing imaginative short stories in them. I would then draw cover art on the front and sometimes gift them to family members. One time, I even handed one of these short stories to my 2nd grade teacher to read to the class. Besides writing short stories, my friend and I co-founded our own school newspaper that we sold for 25 cents per copy in the 5th and 6th grade. I later became a feature story writer for my high school’s newspaper and a writing contributor for a couple publications in college. I also have a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Penn State University.

I launched my business in the summer of 2020 after I was laid off from my full-time job due to the pandemic. I was in a slump, struggling to find my purpose and searching for something that would fulfill me. I believe that Lexie Writes was part of God’s plan for me. I’ve always loved writing, so I thought, “why not transform my treasured hobby into a way to help others?” I ordered business cards, built a website, chose my brand colors, and took off running. My business’s mission is to help people who may have writer’s block or simply don’t have the time to carry out certain writing projects. I’m here to connect those missing pieces while raising the client’s brand awareness and credibility, solidifying calls-to-action, amplifying audience engagement, promoting page stickiness, and boosting lead conversions. I love providing fresh, high-quality content that further enhances and colors the client’s brand.

Some people believe that writing doesn’t have a prominent place anymore given the popularity of video and audio content, but writing is still necessary in many forms. Copywriting and content writing still have the ability to shape, persuade, and convey what you want to communicate to the public. I’ve had the honor of doing notable written work in multiple niche industries, such as home improvement, hospitality, motivational speaking/coaching, education, gardening, website design, nonprofit work, and news/feature publications. I never imagined my business would expand as much as it did and I’m still in awe, it just shows that God will take you to new heights that you could never envision to be possible.

It has been an immense blessing getting to form awesome working relationships with people from across the country and all over the world. One of the highlights of my business was attending an annual awards gala hosted by the African American Chamber of Commerce in New Jersey. I was there on behalf of one of my clients, which was a news publication, to cover the event. I was able to meet some fantastic people who were trailblazers in their respective fields, it was a surreal experience for me because I was able to look at how far I’ve come. I went from pouring over books in the confines of my bedroom, figuring out how to start my business, to now being in this prestigious setting. Another proud moment of my career was being one of the featured interviewees on the Implausible Podcast and giving advice to upcoming and aspiring entrepreneurs. I’ve greatly enjoyed coming on to various publications and podcasts and encouraging fellow business owners on their journeys as well.

In the future, I plan on adding some new writing services and revamping my blog, so please stay tuned… In the meantime, please read my book, Embracing Changes, which is available on Amazon! The book is a series of poems about faith, love, and coming of age. I love making a lasting impact on people through writing, it’s been wonderful to hear people’s stories and to witness the change I’ve made in their lives and businesses using words. My clients’ wonder and excitement at how exceptional writing can take their brand to new heights motivate and inspire me to keep going.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Three qualities that were, and still are, integral to my journey are transparency, integrity, and character. It’s important to never sacrifice your morals, values, and principles for anyone, and to be honest about your boundaries and limitations. These qualities also garner respect and credibility for your business.

As a business owner, always remain true to yourself and the core tenets that your brand stands for. Make sure you ask the proper questions and vet the project before accepting it. If something feels wrong, trust your gut and bring it to the person’s attention. It’s also imperative to be honest and transparent with yourself and your client about how much work you can take on and what’s within your capacity to complete. You don’t want to pile too much on your plate and now you’re frantic and overwhelmed. As a new entrepreneur, you may be eager to take on as many clients as possible and are reluctant to turn down certain projects, but it should be quality over quantity. You want to be able retain and forge long-term client relationships and don’t want to spread yourself too thin where it’s now affecting the outcome of the project.

Additionally, don’t lose sight of why you got into business for yourself in the first place. If you find the love or passion for your craft dwindling, take a break and reassess why you feel this way and how you can bring those feelings back. Apply creativity by making some updates every now and then to keep your business modern and unique. For instance, I reworked my social media content services package to also offer scripts for reels because of how increasingly popular they became. Instead of being apprehensive about reels potentially replacing infographics, I was able to effectively pair them with writing. A stagnant or dying business is one that doesn’t make any modifications to align with current consumer tastes and trends. Conversely, cut out some business models or practices that seem outdated or are no longer working for you. Keep improving and trying new things, like taking a new course to sharpen or broaden your skill-set. And don’t compare yourself to others, everyone has their own journey and as the saying goes, it’s not a sprint, but a marathon.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
This past summer was slightly slower and quieter for me than usual. Things have relatively picked back up again workload-wise, but I’ve learned that freelancing can be unpredictable; sometimes you’ll have super busy months where you’re booked for a multitude of projects, other times there will be a lull with very few inquiries appearing in your inbox. Even with the uptick in assignments, frequently asking about potential projects has become a lot more of a common occurrence than before.

To overcome this challenge, I’ve been setting aside time during certain points in the month to reconnect with past clients to see if they need a project done, or circling back to existing/recurring clients who have pending, upcoming projects or are considering starting new ones. Reaching out to clients during specified dates on my calendar allows me to stay on top of things and eliminate any feelings of burnout. For potential clients, I’ll leave my pitch and contact information in various Facebook group chats in case there’s someone searching for writing services. I understand that people have their own packed schedules and lives, and can easily get preoccupied with other action and agenda items, so any writing tasks they had for me might get lost or delayed. That’s why it’s critical to follow-up and check in; although, I avoid bombarding people with emails. Oftentimes, a friendly reminder will go far, and clients will appreciate you for your organizational methods and keeping them on track.

Maintaining professional relationships is also key for me in overcoming inactive periods. I make sure to keep contact details and referrals from previous clients on file. I continue to do solid, timely, and consistent work that not only impresses my current clients, but potentially leads me to gaining new ones through recommendations. I also use social media as a networking tool to interact with prospective clients by following them, engaging with their content, and actively responding to their DMs or comments. If they would like to have a longer talk, I’ll drop my scheduling link so we could have a phone chat. It’s good to continue strengthening those connections because you never know if somewhere down the line, they may need an assignment completed and they’ll remember your name.

I’ve learned not to panic if I have a dry spell, and to use those moments to be strategic in sustaining my business growth and development. This might include consolidating or reinvigorating certain aspects of my business model/plan, or mapping out new marketing techniques. I’m constantly fine-tuning my brand to guarantee that it’s still best serving current and future clients, while navigating a rapidly changing niche market.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Greg Townes

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