Exploring Life & Business with Alexandria Kelly of Alexandria’s Socials

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexandria Kelly. 

Hi Alexandria, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to share your story and how you get started.
My story is quite complex – but beautiful when I really look back at it. I started as an extremely extroverted, and yet always somehow a special type of sensitive, girl. My whole life I’ve had BIG things – big goals, big emotions, big feelings, a big drive – and channeling what to do with it and how was especially hard for me. 

There’s been a lot of struggle in my life, but joy nonetheless at the end. Whether it was an abusive relationship, trauma, family deaths, etc., I always felt some sort of struggle was trailing me. But in the midst of it all was, Jesus. 

My journey to where I am today started with being a dancer at a young age. Channeling my emotion and energy as a kid was hard until I started to dance. In the long run that lead me to pageantry – which really changed my life and my outlook on life. 

I competed in Miss Michigan Teen USA for the first time in 2012. I was 15, almost 16, at the time. After my first experience, I kept going back. It was truly the one thing in my life that brought me into what I felt was my “purpose.” It also made me feel confident and whole. I kept competing, in the midst of battling a chronic illness and an abusive relationship, and pageantry really felt like home to me. 

Pageantry was the base I needed for my life. It helped lead me to my purpose, it helped me network, it helped my confidence and stage presence, it helped me realize SO many things I felt I was missing answers to. 

I’m 25 now, and still competing in the organization. My goal is to compete at Miss USA, and I plan on doing so. 

In between then and now, I graduated high school in 2014, went to Grand Valley State University and graduated with my Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Multimedia Journalism in 2018, and really honed in on my career. Don’t worry, I did leave my abusive relationship in 2016 after 5 years of the trauma. So that was a happy ending. 

Once I graduated college, I actually continued my retail job at Ulta Beauty, becoming a manager, loving it, but still really trying to find my purpose in life. I was pursuing things outside of retail, and continuing to try and pursue pageantry, modeling, and somehow to use my degree. I’d say the summer of 2019 really gave me a glimpse of my potential. 

People underestimate pageantry and how it can change your life, and change your view on life. In 2019 I competed in my first National pageant – Miss Grand United States. I represented Michigan and place 1st Runner-Up. I was shocked, proud, and enthralled to say the least. Long story short it really sparked something in me, that I knew I had more potential than doing the same retail job all day every day. Not that it was a bad job, I just am a girl who loves change and movement. I felt like once I had hit my peak, I couldn’t find my change and movement anymore. 

It wasn’t long after that when the pandemic hit, and we were on lockdown. Once lockdown hit, I tried to get into becoming an influencer and creator, and really hone into my creative side again. It worked in the long run. I realized I wanted to be my own boss, chase my dreams, and I knew God had something big in store for me. That’s when I got the call… 

I got a call in 2020 about becoming Miss Eco USA – and heading to Egypt in March 2021. I was scared, as this was a fairly new system, and I hadn’t heard about Miss Eco International before. Long story short, I took it. This was almost “my big break” you could say. It changed a lot for me. 

I started to realize the weight representing the entire United States internationally held. But being a full-time retail manager was honestly holding me back – and a lot of people at my job did not believe in me, and it was super discouraging. 

So, one day, I kind of realized (after a great group of friends helped me do so) that I was just over it, and I quit my job. I had no good financial backing, no real plan (besides door dash and some influencing stuff here and there), and I was really just needing to go. So, I did, I quit my job and said screw it, I trust God. 

I spent the next month’s training harder for Miss Eco International in Egypt than I had ever trained for anything before. Quitting my job was insane to some, even me, but it allowed me to be free. I was free from corporate America, free from the negativity, and just able to figure out what fed my soul. 

I went to the gym 5-6 times a week, went to Chicago to train, got sponsors, did appearances, had a personal trainer, and really did everything I could to make me prepare for Egypt. Boy did that pay off. I got 2nd Runner-Up at an International pageant in EGYPT representing our entire country – I was so emotional and proud of myself. It was some of the hardest 23 days of my life, but worth it. 

In the background, I knew I had to get back into serious full-time work once I was home. I couldn’t rely on the little gigs anymore to help financially here and there, or state funding, or family, etc. I had to really take my future seriously. Miss Eco USA really did help me get the platform for all of it. 

I have been working my own social media and helping my friends with theirs, for a long while now. I really became a businesswoman for myself and my own manager and marketer… so why couldn’t I do that for businesses? I knew I wanted to be a Social Media Manager and Marketer, but I didn’t know how to start. 

It wasn’t until I was getting my hair done at a salon where I was talking to my amazing stylist about my career goals when the owner of the salon literally hired me as her personal Social Media Manager on the spot. It was kind of insane, and more of a partnership than anything, but it was my first real social media gig. I was making $100 a week… that is not enough to live off of… but I had to start somewhere, right? 

That’s how it all started. Next thing you know I’m working hard, she is recommending me, I’m marketing myself, and I start REALLY working. It was insane. It IS insane. 

A year later I finally have my LLC – Alexandria’s Socials. I have clients, I have my own business, I am busy, and soon I will be outsourcing to hopefully hire people to help me. That is literally insane to me! How do I have my entire own business where I get to decide who I work with, how I work, etc.? 

Honestly, it took a lot of change, struggles, hard work, and lots of Jesus to get here. 

But if I can do it, you can, too. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely has not been a smooth road, but when is it ever? 

I faced a lot of things, like: 

– Depression 

– Anxiety 

– Abuse 

– Trauma 

– Financial Struggle 

– Chronic Illness (Ulcerative Colitis) 

– Harassment 

– Negativity 

and more. 

But in the end, I trusted God and leaned in on my incredible support system to help me through it all. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I kind of dabble in a lot of things and have a few different jobs. 

I run my own business, model here and there, do influencer/creator jobs as well, etc. I like to dabble in things. 

But to really hone in on Alexandria’s Socials – I am a Social Media Manager and Marketer. 

My niche is beauty/wellness. 

I am known for my hard work, knowledge in the industry, experience, and creativity. 

I am also known for being real, raw, quirky, fun, and honest. 

Social Media can be a good and a bad place, but my goal is to bring lots of light to it. 

I am most proud of how fast I grew my brand and how much my clients enjoy working with me, and me with them! A fun little success I had recently with a client is one of the TikTok’s I made for them go viral, and it brought them lots of business. It was so rewarding, and still is! 

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Faith, Family, and Friends. 

In the midst of anything negative, trying, or painful – those are the three that have always shown me so much grace and support. 

I genuinely would not be afloat without my friends and family who have continuously supported me, cheered me on, lifted me up when I have been down, and more. Especially my dogs, they are the best. 

My faith is also super important to me. It was when I found Jesus that I really felt like life made a bit more sense and that I had something and Someone I could truly trust. 

Contact Info:

• Email: alexandriakellywork@gmail.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/alexandriakelly96
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alexandriassocials

Image Credits
Ahmed Arafa