We recently connected with Ally Joven and have shared our conversation below.
Ally, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?
Alexandria is my full first name! Although I love it, sometimes I forget about it since I’ve gone by the nickname “Ally” all my life. So, every once in a while I need a reminder that Alexandria is my full name. In the same way, the hope is that Alexandria & Co., from first interaction to product purchase and beyond, would remind our customers of their true name as a chosen, set apart, beloved child of God.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Alexandria & Co. is a faith-based business that offers jewelry, accessories, and gifts meant to serve as reminders of one’s identity as a beloved daughter or son of God. With items such as earrings, necklaces, bracelets, keychains, and more, the hope is that our products display the creativity and beauty found in the Lord. The thing I am most proud of when it comes to Alexandria & Co. is that I am able to bring joy to my customers, from first interaction to product purchase and beyond. That joy doesn’t come from me, but from Jesus!
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
When I started Alexandria & Co. in November 2019, I sold products solely online through Instagram, and eventually, a website. It wasn’t long until Covid hit in 2020, and everyone had to stay home. This was actually a win for my business, because people started shopping online way more frequently! In summer of 2020, I had so many orders every week that we had to dedicate several hours a day just to making and packaging orders. However, when Covid died down and brick-and-mortar stores started opening back up, our online sales went way down to almost 0. I knew I had to pivot my strategy and get in front of people, so I inquired about vendor markets, pop-up shop events, and local businesses where I could set up a table to sell my products. Today, these in-person pop-ups are my main source of sales, while our website gains only a few orders a month. Successful business looked different over these two seasons, and I’m glad I was able to recognize when change needed to be had!
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
Alexandria & Co.’s primary audience is local customers. The main thing I did to build our audience on social media, which in turn built our customer base, was to advertise my business in local Facebook groups and build relationships with other local business owners! Networking in this way has brought us incredible connections, sales, and opportunities.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://alexandriaandco.com/
- Instagram: @shopalexandriaandco
- Facebook: @shopalexandriaandco