Soul Work is the absolute best use of your passions and purpose. Alexa Curtis never settled for anything less.
In an interview this summer, we dug into how she skipped college and transformed her passions and purpose into a successful blog and podcast, a Disney radio show, and a flourishing personal brand. Ironically she now leads pop-up college summits with high-profile universities. Her venture is called The Be Fearless Summit.
How did she get here?
At 16, clutching a rejection letter from NYU, she realized that her parents had no money for college. Her family was still reeling from her father going to prison for a crime he did not commit. So, on a whim, Curtis moved from smalltown Mansfield, Connecticut, to Brooklyn, New York.
Figuring out how to pay the first month’s rent, she went to a local beauty supply store, photographed the brands they carried, then pitched them directly for social media marketing, landing $1,500 for one of her original ideas.
As a fresh arrival to a big city, Curtis kept going, not taking no for an answer, nimbly moving from one thing to the next until something stuck. She exudes a big city courageous spirit despite being from a tiny town.
Fueled by her relentless work ethic and a knack for cold emailing, she developed a blog she had started years earlier into a profitable lifestyle website and podcast called Life Unfiltered With Alexa Curtis. Curtis used this platform to open the curtains on sensitive issues teens and young adults face daily, candidly recounting her own struggles as a young entrepreneur.
On the heels of her blog, podcast, and a few TV segments, she ambitiously pitched a radio show to Disney called Fearless Every Day. Her pitch was well-received, and suddenly, she was awarded a one-year deal to do the show.
Chock-full of entertainment and allure, Fearless Everyday rambunctiously documented Curtis doing one thing each day that pushed the outer limits of her comfort zone and encouraged other young female entrepreneurs to do the same.
On one particular “Fearless Friday,” Curtis went skydiving. “I was thinking if I die, they better (blanking) know I did this to inspire them!” she said.
Even a Disney radio show didn’t slow her down. Curtis kept rolling out new ideas and pitching them to whoever she could.
Her latest idea was a pop-up women’s summit called The Be Fearless Summit that traveled to universities, pairing burgeoning students with seasoned local mentors. After successfully launching at Drexel, UC Berkeley, Vanderbilt, and UCONN, Curtis got in touch with a woman named Heather Miller, who had found her own similar venture called GrasshoppHer.
Today, Curtis and Miller are diligently working on launching a perfected model of their women’s summits and mentorship programs.
“The mission is to walk away feeling like you have a mentor and a friend and a new identity for your personal brand,” says Curtis.
When I asked her what advice she would give a 16-year-old today, she said, “figure out your niche and why you want to do it. You might have an idea, but are you really willing to sacrifice everything and all stability to do it?”
Today, Curtis continues building her business while being an advocate for therapy, social justice, fitness, and alone time. In addition, she is a gifted speaker and mentor and recently spoke to a group of teens from around the world at Dream Lab who are discovering how to find and follow a Soul Work path.
Article Credits: Forbes
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