Embarking on the entrepreneurial journey at just 12 years old, Alexa Curtis has since evolved from a fashion blogger into the founder and CEO of Be Fearless Inc., a beacon for ambitious women seeking to mesh career success with personal fulfillment.
In our latest interview, we sit down with Alexa to dissect her daily routines, her evolution in achieving work-life balance, and how she maintains her mental and physical well-being amidst the chaos of startup life.
From her morning rituals to her evening wind-downs, Alexa shares the subtle yet powerful shifts that keep her grounded, productive, and, most importantly, fearless.
Let’s start with your background! Can you share with us your career journey and what you’re currently up to?
I started as a fashion blogger back in 2011 (when I was 12) and built the site into a lifestyle platform for young people inspiring them to be fearless. Over 10 years, I managed to cold pitch a show to Radio Disney (using my media list!) which I landed and hosted called Fearless Everyday. Now I run Be Fearless Inc. which is a company I started post-Disney and includes reinvented career fairs, networking and a powerful community of ambitious women.
We’d love to know what a typical day is like for you. Could you describe a recent workday?
Everyday is so different. If I’m home in LA, I have a very strict routine I hate to stray away from (I’m neurotic!) which includes a 5-7 AM wakeup, lemon water, reading & meditating before heading to the gym. I’m obsessed with saunas and try to get in one for 20 minutes a day.
After working out, I go home and make my morning latte and proceed to either work with my team on building the next career summit, edit a podcast, talk to potential sponsors and create content. I watch TV most evenings. I know people would be shocked, but it calms me down. I don’t feel relaxed listening to podcasts – I feel like I’m working. I’ll throw on SVU or Sex and the City and watch dinner!
Can you define work-life balance for yourself and share with us your approach in maintaining it?
In my teens to early 20s I had no balance. I struggled to balance living life and trying to build this company. Now I understand the benefit of taking time off. I understand the benefit of working 5 hours a day and not 15 because I know how to get what I need to get done in a day and be able to LIVE my life!
My routine is important to me so when I’m travelling it can be hard, but I like to implement as much of my home routine into my travel one. Lemon water, reading, working out – simple things help keep me grounded.
Change is constant, and it’s essential for growth. Have you made any lifestyle changes in the past year to improve your work-life balance?
So many. The past 6 months have been full of monumental life changes and lessons for me. One habit I cut back on a bit is working out if I don’t have the time to. I used to be riddled with anxiety if I didn’t workout and now I give myself a break and go for a walk or do 10 push-ups.
I don’t go on my phone for the first 2 hours of my morning and the last 2 hours of my evening. And I don’t jump towards an opportunity with good money if I don’t have the time or mental capacity to do it.
We’re always on the lookout for new resources! Can you recommend any books, podcasts, or newsletters that have helped you in your journey towards balance?
Limitless by Jim Kwik, The New Unfiltered (I’m biased!), The Sweaty Startup newsletter, and How To Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie.
Before we wrap up, do you have any final words of wisdom or insights on work, life, or balance that you’d like to share with our readers?
You must slow down and be more present. If you need to take 2 weeks off of work to find a way to work 4-5 hours a day and not 14-15, take the time off. Research shows you get less done when you work, work, work, so slow down, go on a walk, and implement strategies to get more done in less time.
