We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lexie Wroten a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Lexie, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
I find my optimism by constantly looking for the silver lining in things. I try not to get wrapped up in perfection. When I was a child and I was faced with a difficult task, my dad would always ask me, “Well did you try your best?” and now even as an adult, that voice echos in my head as I face difficult things as an adult. Learning and trying new things also keeps me optimistic. I try to lead with the saying, “if it does not flow, let it go”. and I’m always intentionally lining myself up with things that are going to fill up cup and make me happy. Optimism is a mind set and it’s important for it to be intentional about that.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
After 6 years of climbing the corporate ladder, I finally had to admit to myself that I’m an artist, that happens to use balloons as medium. After graduating from North Carolina A&T State University in 2016, and being recruited to work for one of the worlds largest tech companies, I still wasn’t fulfilled. In 2018, I found myself enrolled in cosmetology school, but even after becoming a licensed nail technician, that void I had was still missing.
I continued to climb the corporate ladder, working in cities like Austin, Houston and Las Vegas and In 2020 my husband and I had our dream Disney World Wedding. We were a corporate power couple, I had everything that looked good on paper, but there was still something missing.
In 2021 when we welcomed our baby girl into the world, I also made it into the 6 figure club. Here I was in my mid 20’s, all the hard work finally paying off with this huge career milestone. I was often the youngest person, the only girl and the only person of color in most of my work settings. I had endured a difficult pregnancy and delivered our daughter at 33 weeks. As soon as she was out, I hit the ground running, never coming up for air. The following months after my delivery, I experienced severe post partum depression, and I crashed and burned. I could no longer give into the demands of the corporate lifestyle. I took a mommy gap year and focused on regaining my health, building a bond with my daughter and finding my purpose. The hustle of being a “corporate girl boss” had left me with emotional scars that would take years to recover from.
In 2021, around the time of my daughter’s first birthday, I discovered balloons as an avenue. My love for color was still there, and I was also making people happy. Everyone loves balloons. I started this business off of optimism, the desire to fill my cup while also bringing a smile to others.
I genuinely love styling balloons. Every single installation makes me smile. I love the fact that my daughter is now old enough to help out. Additionally, in staying true to the DIY nature that got me started with balloons at my daughters first birthday, I recently launched a Professional Balloon Kit called Air & Color. I wanted to elevate and simplify the balloon DIYers experience by providing high quality balloons in beautiful color palettes. With the roll out of Air & Color, I feel like I can reach everyone at any budget. If I’ve already been booked to come out and do a custom install, I can still offer an Air & Color Kit to the mom who just wants beautiful balloons at her baby’s birthday. Its a Win Win.
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?
The first thing that has impacted my journey is the people, and the “competitors”. My closest friends are also local balloon stylist. You catch more flies with honey. It literally pays to be sweet to your local competition. The second thing is staying true to you and what makes you happy. If you are constantly trying to keep up with others or compare yourself to others, you won’t be happy with yourself. You don’t have to offer a service that you genuinely hate doing, just because other people are doing it. Keep it simple, if you are in the balloon industry, literally, just keep it simple. Balloons are like flowers, they are suppose to bring joy and a smile. The moment you find yourself crying, angry or creating beef over something as simple as balloons, its time to re-evaluate.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
I recently read, “We Should all Be Millionaires” by Rachel Rodgers and it was so good. It helped me develop goals and KPIs for my business. It also convinced me to go back to work full time. After about 7 months in of being a full time Balloon Artist, I never saw myself rejoining corporate America until a recruiter approached me on LinkedIn. I actually ignored her for a day or two, but something told me to at least hear what she had to say. Fast forward, I’m now working as a Employee Relations Practioner for a non profit. The switch from private sector to non profit has been good for me and I’m able to get over fears and ideas I had about corporate America. That book and the financial goals it outlined was a key factor for me in deciding to return. Granted, I’m SUPER busy now as a wife, mom, business owner and full time ER person, but that void has been fulfilled now. I think it’s important to have balance. I can honestly say I love what I do now, both as an entrepreneur and a working professional.
Contact Info:
- Website: dreamballoonstudio.com
- Instagram: @dreamballoonstudios
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexa-english/
Image Credits
Henry Jones
