We recently connected with Alex Ferrara and have shared our conversation below.

Alex, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your career and how did you resolve those issues?

As a creative, it’s important to not be too attached to timelines – though that’s often much easier said than done. For instance, in 2020, as an actress and a model in NYC, it was so hard to see all the projects I had lined up for the spring go away in an instant, and watching the business and New York City shut down overnight made it feel like everything I had been building toward came grinding to a halt as well. Then, more recently, when I found out I was pregnant, it was such great news… and then, when I got unexpectedly really sick with hyperemesis in my first trimester, it pushed back the launch of my new podcast, “Glow Up And Speak Out”. Looking back on these two chapters of my life, what I’ve learned is that you can and SHOULD have intentions and goals, but you absolutely canNOT control the timeline in which they happen. And in the end, things really do come to fruition when they’re meant to!

Alex, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m an NYC-based actress, podcast host, and soon-to-be-mom!

I started my career in musical theater, performing around NYC at venues like 54 Below, the Laurie Beechman Theater, and Jazz At Lincoln Center. Soon after, I branched out into work in commercials and print ads for brands like Hulu, Summersalt, Lancôme, and Amazon, also appearing in a fashion segment on The TODAY Show. I have also found success as a fit model for well-known brands and designers like Zac Posen and Uniqlo. As a voiceover actress, I was recently featured in the hit Apple TV show ‘Severance.” In addition to my time in front of the camera and on the stage, I have also enjoyed creative work behind the scenes as a stylist and as a makeup artist, which has given me a deeper knowledge of beauty and design that I carry into all of my creative endeavors. My biggest passions are women’s health awareness, clean beauty, size-inclusive fashion, and where art meets social justice.

I’m so excited to share my new podcast all about beauty and women’s health, called “Glow Up And Speak Out”, which is out NOW on Apple and Spotify!

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Something I feel like non-creatives struggle to understand about creatives is that we’re not always driven by structure, security, and money. Above all else, we want to MAKE things. I love the creative process, whether that’s on a stage or in front of the camera, in a recording session for a voiceover or for my podcast, or in a studio with a clothing designer as a fit model. I wake up most mornings with so many new ideas that I can’t wait to bring to life! A lot of times for creatives, the creative work comes BEFORE the business plan. I think the hardest part of any creative career is that systems like taxes and health insurance were not set up for us; not having benefits from a single employer is tricky, and getting your income from a million different sources can make paperwork complicated! These are also things that no one tells you while you’re in theater school working on Shakespeare!

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I’m really inspired by multi-hyphenate, multi-faceted women who refuse to stay in one lane, like Molly Sims (model, actress, producer, skincare line founder, and podcast host), Jessica Alba (actress, and founder of The Honest Company), Gwyneth Paltrow (actress, and founder of Goop lifestyle brand), Gloria Steinem (author, activist, and social commentator), Nyakio Grieco (co-founder of Thirteen Lune, founder of her own skincare line, and podcast host), and Ashley Graham (plus-sized model, and podcast host). Four books I’ve learned a lot from recently are Glennon Doyle’s “Untamed”, Bethanny Frankel’s “Business Is Personal”, Amy Poehler’s “Yes, Please”, and Gabby Bernstein’s “The Universe Has Your Back”.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @glowupandspeakout, @alexandra_kf
• TikTok: @alexferrara33

Image Credits
JS Productions, Shani Hadjian, Shelby Alayne