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

Alexa, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. undefined

If I had to try to define my “career path”…I couldn’t. If I try to predict where it will go from here…I can’t. For most of my working life I worked for someone else. I worked towards the company goals, needs, and wants. I’ve been in many different industries and had many different roles. I sought promotions, new challenges, and it never felt right. I always had an itch to leave. It took losing my career and industry during the pandemic for me to realize the only career I wanted…was me. I want to work towards my goals, I want to prioritize my own needs, I want to challenge myself. I didn’t know immediately that I would start my own consulting business and become my own boss. What I did know was that I wanted to work with people I knew and liked, but be in charge of my time and not follow the corporate life rules. I began to reach out to trusted friends and colleagues to see if they needed operational support. They did and they began to recommend me to their trusted friends and colleagues. And then all of a sudden, I had several clients and I was a freelance consultant getting to choose my hours, choose my workload, and travel whenever and wherever I wanted to. I did NOT know this would turn out this way. It could have failed. I could have been sucked back into corporate America. I could be working 60+ hour weeks right now and missing trips, missing time with family, missing myself. But I relied on the one thing that has always been true for me…my relationships. The relationships I have built and continue to build are my true north. I don’t know if I will continue on this current career path, but I do know I will trust my community and trust the people I care about most.

Alexa, 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 am incredibly organized and efficient with everything I do. Really, you should see my google calendar, my inbox (no unread messages), and my many different to-do lists (that actually get done). I’m great at doing this for my own life and I’m great at doing this for other people’s businesses as well. I like to work with small business owners, preferably women and minorities, who need help getting shit done. I’m an accountability partner, a cheerleader, a task-master, and occasionally a strict coach that will help you accomplish the goals that really matter to you and your business. As a consultant, everything I offer is customizable. I meet you where you are and we figure out together how I can support you. And you’ll find that this clears up so much space that you get to create possibilities for your life you couldn’t see before.

Has your business ever had a near-death moment? Would you mind sharing the story?

I think it’s really important to know that almost ALL small business owners go through several times of oh shit, I’m not going to make it. This is part of the journey. If everything was easy and money just flowed in from day one, everyone would have a business and it wouldn’t take courage or determination or originality. It really takes something to go out on your own. So when you hit those moments, take a breath, and realize you will get through it and you’re on the right path. And remember it will happen again! But you have to keep going. I have had many moments where I didn’t think I could pay rent, pay off my loans, or plan for the future. But I’m still here. And I’m still going. You will too.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I don’t know anyone else who is doing or offering exactly what I’m doing. And I think that makes a difference. If someone could hire so many other people doing the same thing, how could you stand out? How could anyone? It sometimes makes it hard for me to explain what I do or why someone would benefit from working with me, but once they get it, they realize I might be their only chance. It helps that the clients I work with are still running, still successful, and are willing to give me a referral or reference at any time. Building that trust and relationship is the key.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.alexabishop.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandrahbishop/