We recently connected with Alexis Collins and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Alexis, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

I started Lexie Writes in the summer of 2020, as everyone knows, this was in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. I was laid off from my job and was dealing with a lot of personal struggles. The year prior, I had a nudging feeling that I wanted to start a freelance writing business and assist those who either had issues brainstorming written content; didn’t have the time to write; or who had multiple ideas, but had writer’s block when it came to conveying them through text. Since I was a child, I absolutely loved writing. My parents fostered a love of reading and writing in me before I could even talk, I would write mini books on folded notebook paper and read them to my younger brother or my second grade class; there was even a time when my friend and I created a newspaper publication in 5th grade and wrote about a variety of hard news and feature topics. In high school, I took a creative writing class, which I used as an outlet to express my thoughts and feelings. I took that passion with me to college, where I majored in Broadcast Journalism with a minor in Business at Penn State University. During my sophomore year of college, I served as a tutor in English, History, Statistics, and Spanish. For most of my life, people have asked me to help them with their writing, whether it was for a flyer, newsletter, or other content. I always loved seeing people’s faces brighten whenever I helped edit and refine their wording. Their excitement and enthusiasm made my day and I decided to transform that into a business. My mission is to help people further enhance and amplify their business and their brand through professionally-written and captivating words. I want the expertly-worded content I write to open new doors for my clients and make them a powerhouse for audiences and consumers. It’s always a wonderful feeling bringing someone’s vision, enriching stories, and ideas to life and being part of their business journey. It’s remarkable connecting with so many talented and creative people as well and capturing a snapshot of their story through writing. Although I was laid off at the time, through God’s grace and timing, I thought now that I had ample free time at home, I could launch my business.

Alexis, 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 26 years old and I’m a Penn State graduate with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in Business. I’ve always been passionate about writing and interned at numerous publications, so starting a freelance writing business came naturally to me. I specialize in content writing and copywriting, providing innovative content in any field or industry. I write press releases, blog posts, hard news and feature articles, resumes, cover letters, website content, social media content, and CVs just to name a few. I assist in not just providing content, but characterizing your business so it’s a brand leader and industry trendsetter. The content is enticing, informative, fresh, and has prime keywords that boost SEO. I also guarantee that the content is well-rounded and researched, therefore generating sales and making it easily readable and relatable. The tone is in alignment with the client’s brand. Furthermore, I offer impeccable customer service, ensuring there are quick turnaround times and timely submissions. Clients get an instant return on their investment by not having to stress themselves out or worry about not having their deliverables met on time, by outsourcing the content to me, they can save time and focus on other aspects of their business. Our partnership together can also build long-lasting professional relationships. I have several long-term clients, some of whom I’m still working with since my business was initially founded. I make sure every project is interactive and collaborative, meaning I keep constant direct correspondence with my clients, and emphasize that I value their input, questions, outlook, comments, and concerns. I want them to know that the content is an extension of their business and that I’m all ears in addressing and applying their concepts and opinions. I’m proud of making my clients happy. I love witnessing their joy and excitement when the project is completed and they express their satisfaction. Another major milestone and source of pride for me is when I published my poetry book, Embracing Changes, on Amazon and was able to make it available in digital and hardcopy versions around the world. It took me four years before I proceeded to publish and it has been wonderful hearing people’s feedback on my book, along with them sharing their own testimonies and stories in conjunction with my poetic material. I just want my clients and followers to know how much I appreciate their love and support when it comes to my work, and being able to put a smile on their faces with my writing.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

For me, it was simply starting my business and growing from there. When I was laid off from my full-time job, I felt lost and defeated and temporarily slipped into a deep depression. It was my first entry-level job post-college and I was unsure how I was going to come back and recover. After much contemplation and prayer, I slowly got our of my slump and began earnestly working on Lexie Writes. Starting a business was never initially in my train of thought, it was only a faint idea that I visualized in the back of my mind in 2019. I feel like that was God speaking to me and giving me the strength and initiative to embark on my dreams, and the timing was now. When I was picking out brand colors, He provided me with the vision to use purple and gold, which indicate royalty, power, and ambition, along with generosity and compassion. I then created my website on my own from scratch on WordPress, it was very basic and rudimentary in design, but I wanted to have something to market my skill set, portfolio, and expertise. My design was simple as well, it was just my business name with a glittery pencil. After announcing the launch of my business on Instagram and Facebook, I was twiddling my thumbs in anticipation and nervousness. There was a slight notion of fear that I believe every business owner has when first starting out, “Am I going to get any clients? Are people going to be satisfied with my services? Will my business have longevity?” These questions were spinning in my mind until finally, I received an email inquiry, someone found me on Twitter and needed a blog post for her business. I was ecstatic and anxious and gladly accepted the project proposal. She loved the finished product and things took off from there. My clientele began to steadily grow and I started expanding. I obtained my LLC, booked a professional makeup artist and photographer to take professional brand photos, and contracted a professional web designer to revamp my website. The funny thing was, I was contemplating what I outfit I wanted to wear for my business photoshoot and my mom recommended I wear this yellow jumpsuit I bought a long time ago. To me, that was also divine intervention because the yellow went perfectly with my brand’s color scheme. I also hired one of my old college friends who’s a graphic designer to create a new logo for me and I updated my business cards. I was doing interviews about my business on various podcasts and publications and continued my expansion. I was also seeing an increase in sales for my book, Embracing Changes, and did a brief video session where I read and explained excerpts from my book. The amount of love and support I received from my family and friends was tremendous. It’s still surreal that I went from taking pictures of me wearing a Lexie Writes T-shirt and taking phone pics for my business launch in my mom’s sunroom, to achieving the growth and momentum I have now. I’m thankful to God for blessing me and creating so many milestones in my business. I would have never thought that any of this would be possible a few years ago, but I was always taught to never give up and continue aiming high. When it’s something I’m truly passionate about, I’ll stop at nothing to obtain it. There’s beauty in the journey and you learn more things about your business and yourself along the way; it’s even more rewarding when you think about how much work you put in to get to this point. I’m truly humbled and grateful.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Positive client testimonials and reviews. When I’m conducting services for my clients, they’re never merely transactional, but relationship based. I often follow-up with my clients and accommodate to their needs. I think it’s important to have that relatability factor and be able to connect with your clients through transparency and consideration. I always step into their shoes and see how this project could best be completed from their perspective. I ensure that each project is seamless and covers all questions, suggestions, and concerns, while handing deliverable items in a timely manner and making adjustments as requested. It’s awesome that my clients often ask me for my advice and opinion on the logistics and content of the project because it helps establish me as a brand leader and an expert in my field. I’ve received plenty of client referrals and have had people tell me that they heard about my business through word-of-mouth. Social media has also been a huge help, a large percentage of my clients come from Facebook group chats. It’s good to remain personable and easily accessible with your clients, I’ve had many clients tell me that they appreciate how quickly I return their emails and how thorough I am with making any changes. I take immense pride in my work-ethic, professionalism, and approachability. I take the time to genuinely get to know my clients so I can better engage with them and tell their brand stories through their lens. I also take my clients through each project step-by-step so they have insight into the process. Projects are highly collaborative and I want my clients to know I value their input.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lexiewrites.com/
• Instagram: lexiewrites2020 (https://www.instagram.com/lexiewrites2020/)
• Facebook: lexiewrites2020 (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100066666743079)
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexis-collins-0206/
• Other: Embracing Changes Book: https://www.amazon.com/Embracing-Changes-Alexis-Collins-ebook/dp/B082Z9BX1H/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3A3N778IAYPJ6&dchild=1&keywords=embracing+change+poetry&qid=1591204488&sprefix=embracing+change%2Caps%2C141&sr=8-3

Image Credits
Greg Townes