Meet Alexandra

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Alexandra. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Alexandra below.

Hi Alexandra, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.

I believe that being optimistic is the only moral choice. The mind is a sponge, and it expands itself to behave based on the ideas, experiences, thoughts and so on, that you feed it – if you feed it purely negative thoughts based on some negative experiences and ignoring hope then your option list is a lot shorter. Things can get cynical, bleak or even stagnant very quickly. On a physical level, it’s also healthier to be optimistic. Where would we be without optimism, think of the first doctor who didn’t just give up and let his patient die.

When there’s hope, there is possibility and where there is optimism, there is creativity. Why is that important? Creativity helps us to invent new solutions, discover new things, enjoy new ways of living and pivot when things aren’t going our way. My optimism comes from the overall understanding that people need optimism, the result of most things I’ll ever touch or be involved in will only benefit from an optimistic mindset/approach and being optimistic doesn’t mean you can’t be realistic as well – I prefer a healthy combination of the two. I also enjoy being able to feel the pulse in the room and steady it, it takes a lot of optimism to be able to give others a good experience, to believe in yourself after you failed, give someone the benefit of the doubt or even change their tides of experience. At the core my optimism comes from a deep love in caring how I treat and inform others while also being a reflection of my understanding and values in mental health.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’ve built my life on the back of things I enjoy. My passion, natural gifts and the best way I can describe it, is a gravitational pull, that’s how you know. I’ve found the career or careers that bring me to life even on the most stressful days.
The big reveal: I’m a model in NYC. I also create content + have a background in legal advocacy and health/wellness as a fitness instructor -swimming and soon Pilates. Training on physical level brings me a lot of joy, is productive to my modeling career and most importantly it’s my greatest outlet to release stress, regulate my nervous system and fosters a healthy mental state. I feel positive, empowered, strong, curious, confident, healthy and supported through fitness.

The whole point to why I do what I do. Some may think that fashion is silly or that chasing your dreams is a pipe dream, that a better life is far away and unreachable. I’ve experienced much in this one life and one thing I’ve found is people need inspiration, hope, a way forward. I hope to be a way forward. Someone people can see at their lowest point, and they can feel supported by me, my content, writing or they may become encouraged to pursue a goal that felt out of reach, go to the gym, work on personal development (whatever that looks like for them, it could be something as simple as learning to make matcha or as big as learning to love themselves, or going to nursing school). I’d like the materialization of goals and a more sustained and enjoyable life to be viewed as attainable. I want to empower people to rise beyond their circumstance, being an influencer is so much more than being a brand and marketing products – it’s actually not about that at all. It’s about being authentic and showing what’s possible, being a role model, sharing what you’ve learned and hoping it helps to influence others positively along the way. There’s a lot of suffering in the world and whatever I can do to alleviate that I’ll do.

The most exciting part of modeling is the commitment to personal development. To be a successful model, you push the barriers physically, working out and learning your walks, your style. Entrepreneurship is a skill you can’t avoid learning when identifying your ideal client base and market, collaborating with photographers and aligning yourself with the right agencies of representation. Emotionally you need to have a tougher skin, not because the fashion industry is mean (although it can be) but because they may be too honest in feedback, but that’s a great thing – you soon come to realize. When you don’t book the job it’s usually not personal. Mentally you mature in new ways, challenged by meeting new people from all over the world and travel schedules that can weigh on you if you aren’t mindful. On a soul level: finding yourself more and more as you explore deeper into the creative world all who you could be and all that you’re discovering you are. It truly is a blessing to love what I do and to be able to pursue it with tenacity.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back, there were definitely three qualities that helped me and were most impactful on my journey into the fashion industry. First one is networking, somewhat instinctual for me at the start of my career but makes a HUGE difference. If you can network well, you may never use hiring sites again that’s how impactful it is. Going hand in hand with networking, a positive and social personality has helped me to maintain a well-kept professional reputation and create fulfilling relationships with other creators and models/entertainers. Lastly, the one no one likes to hear – consistency. This doesn’t mean you can’t take strategic breaks or automate things for a time. Consistency compounds over time and wherever you put the most consistency, is where you’ll see the most growth. Growth can be bad sometimes like bacterial growth but most times it’s good – depending on what you’re consistent about.

My best advice:
Striving for and enjoying self-education has set me apart and is a game changer – I also attend college, but I consider myself an autodidact. Education and knowledge are such an important tool and continuing to stay “in the know’ within an ever-changing industry is important. The leading cause of my most notable clients or successful shoots is this advice, self-managing most of my career, it’s proven these qualities to be consequential to success and hitting goal markers.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I’m always looking for new creators and brands to work with! You can take a look at my Instagram profile @iamalexandraes to check out my overall content vibe and modeling portfolio. Ideally, lifestyle, travel, fitness, and beauty brands are who I look to work with most and are all niche areas for me. One day I think it’d also be really cool to be work with an organization that travels to other countries or states to work on missions, something similar to doctors without borders or church missions.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

@lianaphotography
@authenticdestinypictures

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Highlighter Series
Local Highlighter Series

We are so thrilled to be able to connect with some of the brightest and

Highlighter Series
Who taught you the most about work?

Society has its myths about where we learn – internships, books, school, etc. However, in

Highlighter Series
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?

We asked some of the wisest people we know what they would tell their younger