Meet Jordon Alexander

We were lucky to catch up with Jordon Alexander recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jordon, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

I don’t believe my resilience comes from any one thing, and it certainly didn’t just appear one day. It’s something that’s been built—strengthened with every passing year. In many ways, I was forced into resilience through hardship and survival. At times I’ve been bitter about that, but more often I’ve chosen to use those challenges as fuel for my fire.

While I don’t share the details of my childhood struggles, they absolutely shaped who I’ve become. I carried many of those hardships into adulthood—some leading to poor decisions, others to great ones, with the poor ones creating even more resilience along the way. Through it all, I’ve learned to adapt, to fight for what I need and want, and to understand that working hard was never optional.

Now, as a parent, I face a new challenge: how to teach my children resilience without troubled hardships that require years of healing. I want them to know strength, perseverance, and adaptability—but to learn it in ways rooted in growth and love rather than survival. That can be tricky when the only model I know is mostly the wounded way, but I believe my husband and I are navigating it well together.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I’m the owner of Lemons & Dough, a family-run food truck that serves fresh-squeezed flavored lemonades and hot mini donuts (with plenty of fun toppings). What makes our brand most special is that it’s truly a family business—my husband, Chris, and our three daughters all play a part in bringing it to life. Our truck has become more than a business; it’s a way to connect with communities, bring joy to people, and create experiences families remember together.

What excites me most is that our menu is both nostalgic and creative. A simple lemonade and donuts can remind people of childhood, but with 20+ flavors and seasonal twists, we get to surprise them too. I love that we can brighten someone’s day with something as simple as a cold drink and a warm donut.

Beyond serving events and festivals across the Carolinas and beyond, we also partner with schools, neighborhoods, and nonprofits. We often give-back, serve during treat days for teachers and staff, and collaborate with other small businesses. To me, it’s not just about selling food—it’s about building community. We’ve met so many incredible people along the way.

We’ve also been rolling out new seasonal items—like apple cider donuts, “caramel apple” lemonade, and fresh-sliced green apples that can be topped like donuts (perfect for gluten-free friends). Looking ahead, we’re focused on expanding our presence locally and at large festivals, introducing new products under our spin-off brands, and continuing to build a business that blends creativity, community, and family.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Looking back, the three qualities that have been most impactful in my journey are adaptability, work ethic, and creativity.

Adaptability: Things rarely go as planned, whether in business or in life. I’ve had to learn how to pivot quickly, adjust my mindset, and find solutions when obstacles show up. My advice: practice flexibility by intentionally stepping outside your comfort zone. Small risks, repeated often, build confidence in handling bigger challenges. I often tell my girls, “Get comfortable with being uncomfortable—that’s where you’ll grow the most, and that’s where you’ll learn the most.”

Work Ethic: Hard work is non-negotiable. There’s no substitute for showing up consistently, even on the hard days. I’d be lying if I said I’ve never slacked at times in my life—whether in health, personal matters, or work—mainly because of self-doubt. But I’ve tried to use those moments as lessons and to keep my goals in sight. For those just starting out, I’d say: don’t chase quick wins. Build habits of discipline and persistence; they will carry you when motivation fades.

Creativity: Creativity isn’t just about being “artistic”—it’s about finding new ways to solve problems, connect with people, and keep things fresh. I’ve leaned on creativity to shape my businesses, push limits, and even turn hardships into fuel. For anyone early in their journey, nurture your creativity by staying curious and giving yourself permission to try things that might not work. Some of the best ideas come from experiments that look like failures at first.

Together, these three qualities have helped me not just survive challenges, but also create opportunities from them.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

I’ve read my share of self-help, business, and finance books, but honestly, none stick out to me as much as the practice of unfollowing, blocking, and clearing out the useless social media noise—and instead filling my feed, time, and mind with real people doing real things.

I’m enthralled with people’s journeys—what they do for a living, how they got there, the failures, the successes, and all the messy in-betweens. There’s so much wisdom in watching people think differently, color outside the lines, and challenge themselves. To me, that’s more impactful than any single book—it’s like having an ongoing library of lived experience at my fingertips.

The biggest nugget of wisdom I’ve pulled from this is that there’s no single “right” path. Success is usually a mix of missteps, pivots, grit, and courage. Seeing that play out in others gives me the freedom to write my own story without feeling like I have to follow a script.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Lemons and Dough
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lemonsanddough

Image Credits

Family Photo Credit: Rebecca Todd Photography, Loris, SC