Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Weiss.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve always considered myself a maker. When I was growing up in East Grand Rapids, my friends and I would always have some sort of project in the works. Whether it was a YouTube video, our next video game run, or a new arrangement for the brass quartet, we were always creating something.
Meanwhile, I was also your typical band geek and theatre kid. I loved music and stories. These experiences inspired me to want to be a storyteller myself.
While I was in high school, or even college, I don’t think I had a very clear idea of what I wanted to do with my career. I had no concept of what it would be like to find a job or work for a company. I knew some things though: I knew I liked creating things, and I knew I liked telling stories. I just wish I knew that I could turn that into something more than the next passion project.
After college, I struggled to line up the right job. I actually didn’t even want to move back to Michigan initially, but I did so I could improve my chances finding a full time role.
In 2018, I started working my first day job in Grand Rapids. It wasn’t exactly what I wanted, but it was nine to five, it paid the student loans, and could tide me over until I found something better.
In the first week of this new adult life, I left work one day and spontaneously decided to audition for a play at the local Civic Theatre. I was casted later that week. This was the moment my perspective began to change.
Before, I guess I always saw “growing up” as leaving some of those passions behind to pursue more important things. I worried that making videos, being on stage and making music would all make way for things like settling down or climbing the corporate ladder.
Boy, was I worried for nothing. The Grand Rapids Theatre Community showed me that my passion for storytelling wasn’t a lower priority, but superpower to be shared. People who participate in Grand Rapids theatre don’t do it for the money. They do it because they love it, and choose to make the time for it. I instantly fell in love with this community, and it continued to play a role (pun intended) in how I shaped my career.
Flash forward to 2025. At this point, I had worked at a digital marketing agency for a few years, and I had just accepted a media specialist role at a local non-profit… only to be let go a handful of months later.
At first, I was surprised and devastated, but it wasn’t long though before the other pieces of my life began to coalesce into my next move.
I had the passion for storytelling. I had the marketing knowledge to support it. Now I just needed the work. I turned to my community.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from Grand Rapids theatre, it’s that stories are best when shared.
That was it. I didn’t just need to tell any story, or even my story. I needed to tell the story of community itself. Thus, Weiss-Made Media was born. I created my own business to connect real stories to the communities that needed to hear them.
Since that moment, it’s been nothing short of an adventure learning how to run my own business. I love it, and I only wish I had thought to do it sooner.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As someone who likes to make goals, strategize and plan ahead, starting a new business was a challenge for sure.
I had a couple mentors tell me things like “Make hay while the sun shines”, and “Some months you make more, some months you make less. Just embrace it”, and they were absolutely correct.
When you have a young business, business is not always steady. You have to do a lot of work just to get work to do, if that makes sense. Much of my time is spent not just on capturing video or editing graphics, it’s actually spent on things like updating my website, sending emails, networking and stuff like that.
The first goal is to become steady. After that, I’m looking forward to having the space to plan even further ahead.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Weiss-Made Media is a Grand Rapids–based studio that helps businesses and individuals share their stories through thoughtful, handcrafted media. Whether it’s an ongoing marketing partnership, a new brand video, or a fresh batch of social media content, each project is rooted in collaboration and grows at a pace that fits each of my clients’ needs.
“Stories made together, shared by community” really says it all. I’m not the sort of marketer who wants to make every single decision for the client. I want to work together to create the best version of their story, and find the right people to share it with. That’s one thing that I’m very proud of myself for. I meet people where they are.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Lean on, and build up your community.
Growing up, I spent a lot of time fantasizing about “making it big” and leaving West Michigan. Now I spend more time thinking about how I can help it grow.
These days, I feel like many people have dreams that revolve around achieving some colossal thing, moving to an exciting new place, becoming famous, or something like that. Truth is, if we all did more dreaming on behalf of the communities that raised us, the world would probably be a better place.
Pricing:
- Marketing Partnerships: Starting at $900 per month
- One-Time Projects: $45 – 75 per hour, scoped to meet your project’s needs.
- 25% Community Discount for small businesses & independent clients!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.weissmademedia.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weissmademedia
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weissmademedia
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/weissmademedia
