#awinewith Al Graham
MEET Al
Al is the Founder of Alexandra Graham Professional.
Find Al here:
Alexandra Graham Professional website or Instagram @alexandragrahamprofessional.
Transcript
Danielle Lewis (00:10):
Oh my god, Al, welcome to Spark tv. I'm so excited to have you here.
Alexandra Graham (00:14):
Thank you. I'm so excited to be here. And I know I mentioned this to you, but you are popping my podcast Cherry, so be gentle with me today. This is my first time.
Danielle Lewis (00:24):
Absolutely not. I'm going to grill you. No, no. I'm so excited about that. I don't know if I've ever done that before. So super excited to see how it goes. I'm sure you're going to be absolutely fabulous. I've been a longtime stalker of yours on Instagram, so I'm so excited that I get to chat with you and share your story.
Alexandra Graham (00:47):
Oh, thank you. Well, likewise. I've always followed what you've done and it was, I've listened to some of the podcasts and interviews and I forget that I'm a female founder, so it's like when people ask me to have these conversations, I'm like, oh, I guess I have done some pretty cool stuff worth talking about.
Danielle Lewis (01:03):
Absolutely, yes. But it's so interesting because not everyone always resonates with the female founder tag. I think we just start businesses wanting to solve a problem or work in a space and we don't think about ourselves as founders.
Alexandra Graham (01:18):
Yeah, for sure.
Danielle Lewis (01:20):
What do you call yourself?
Alexandra Graham (01:21):
So look, I do 101 things
Danielle Lewis (01:25):
Professionally. I love it already
Alexandra Graham (01:26):
Personally. So I guess the easiest term has always just been a consultant, but particularly this year I have launched a couple of new businesses, so I guess I need to embrace and be proud of and excited by the term founder. I guess it's that age old imposter syndrome where I'm like, oh, am I? No, it is. And if anything, maybe today is the day that I really start embracing that title for myself.
Danielle Lewis (01:52):
Oh my God. Well, if I leave you with that one thing, I'm so happy. So let's start there. So let's talk about the thousand things that you do. Tell us about your businesses and then maybe the journey to how you actually got there.
Alexandra Graham (02:09):
Yeah, cool. Of course. So I moved back from overseas late last year, so back to Brisbane where I was born and bred, and I'll backtrack in time and tell you a little bit about my time abroad after, but I now kind of describe what I do in several lanes. So the first lane being I represent and manage a portfolio of talent, of content creators and creatives within a few different fields, including fashion and beauty and wellness. They're kind of my bubbles. So all Queensland gals except for one who is a para space gal. But that came about really organically. My best friend, who I'm sure Annabel Falco, her and I have worked on and off together and we're like family for many, many years. We, in fact had an agency together pre her starting a family and me moving overseas. But when I moved back to Australia, I was really open-minded about what I was going to do professionally.
(03:08):
I had no plans, and I just took a look, took a look, took a look business and all the incredible stuff that she was doing, and I just knew that I was going to be able to support her and play a part to really help her scale, to really make sure she was paying, she was being paid what she deserved. I kind of helped that more behind the scenes and strategy side of her brand. So it started managing her, and from that then grew to me managing a few other profiles, which I absolutely love, but a very new area for me that's Lane one. Lane two is that I work as a consultant and I don't really call myself a stylist anymore, but I do still do quite a bit of styling, a fashion styling work. Everything I do has a little bit of a fashion thread, even when I'm trying to get away from it.
(03:58):
Somehow I'm pulled back into the fashion arena. So I do still do some styling projects, whether that be personal or editorial or campaign-based stuff. But what I'm really passionate about is working with brands and businesses on VIP clientele, experience and strategy. Oh, cool. Which what I've done for many years abroad, working for Matches fashion in London, working for the LVMH group in Paris. It's been about, I've really worked in the teams who look after the top collective of clients and really look at how they're looked after, what experiences and events are they offered, what's the service they're provided and how do you surprise and delight those amazing customers? And I joke with clients, yes, I've worked in high luxury and that was my lane abroad, but every business has a VIP. Kohl's have vip. Every business has top spenders or their most valuable percentage of customers.
(04:53):
So there's an opportunity to really create a strategy for those people across all businesses. And that's the main lane that I stay in where in my consultancy. But I can also then dabble in the areas of e-commerce and online services as well, because I very much serviced my clients from all over the world based in those positions in these big e-commerce platforms that I worked for. So that's slide two on there, I guess. Then there's the two new businesses. So Armor is a accessories collection, which I am developing and launching with Annabelle, my Alpha mentioned bestie, which will be ready to go live hopefully early next year. So that's a super exciting creative project. We always wanted to create something that wasn't our service, so service-based professionals, but it was about creating something that we could create and grow and it be something that can sit away from us and that one day somebody else can run for us so we can bring other people into the fold.
(05:59):
And then the fourth or the fourth lane, the second business is a business called the Stylist's Edit, which is a business I founded with a long-term friend and collaborator of mine in Melbourne. He's a private client stylist, has been for many, many years looking after really a real luxury clientele. And that kind of has two folds. We play host two brands and businesses to host beautiful private shopping events and experiences, but we also have an online platform, which is all affiliate marketing powered, where we basically curate beautiful online edits from all of the options there are out there in the world so that clients can come and just see our top picks and the things we're recommending for them. So they're my professional lanes, but my newest and latest and final, which I in, it's very new for now. For now. And let's not forget, I'm a mom as well, so that should probably have its own lane. But my latest venture and something I'm unbelievably excited and passionate about is I've actually just been appointed chair for a brand new philanthropy committee in support of the Children's Hospital Foundation.
Danielle Lewis (07:13):
Wow. Oh my
Alexandra Graham (07:14):
God. We just launched it on Friday. Thank you. I'm just so inspired and in awe by the hospital and the work that's done here in Queensland, which I don't think enough people know about, but they will. They will when I'm done with them.
Danielle Lewis (07:27):
Yep, that's right. I love that.
Alexandra Graham (07:30):
That's me. That's me today. That's what it looks like for me today.
Danielle Lewis (07:33):
Oh my God. So then how the hell do you do it all? That's my first question.
Alexandra Graham (07:41):
I'm not sure. No, I think, look, I thrive busy and I thrive with variety. I've always done a lot of different things. At the one time, I started out as a journalist, I worked in fashion publishing, but then I also always dabbled in PR and events. And all the while I was always a fashion stylist, so I worked for style magazines for many years in Brisbane before overseas, but I was also a private stylist for Westfield. I've kind of always juggled multiple hats. I just think that's what keeps me really engaged and really excited about showing up for work every day. So I think I'm just good at the juggle, but I also think I organize my time so that my calendar focuses on different things when it needs me, and it's not everything all going all at once. There's highs and lows for different seasons and different events, and I guess I just try and manage it that way so that everything's getting the best of me, but just not all at the one time.
Danielle Lewis (08:36):
Yeah, I love that. And it's interesting that you say that as well, because sometimes there are seasons of life where we are just go, go, go. Or if you work in a seasonal industry, you have your highs and lows. So kind of being okay that sometimes it's out of control and other times it's a little bit quiet and just to with the flow,
Alexandra Graham (08:56):
That's it. Anyone in fashion knows that that run from September through to November, December, it's high of spring, summer, it's lead up to Christmas, it's go time. But the privilege of being self-employed is that I can wind down and take time in December and Jan and switch off and hang out with my family, which is what I'm promising them after a very, very busy year. So I hold myself through to that point, but I keep saying, oh, it's about to slow down, and then something else comes up.
Danielle Lewis (09:24):
Oh my God, I love it. I am also crossing my fingers that I get time off over Christmas. I'm hoping. I'm hoping it's going to happen. I'm good intentions for the both
Alexandra Graham (09:32):
Of us. That's good. Let's manifest that. Yeah,
Danielle Lewis (09:35):
So you mentioned then being a fashion stylist and definitely PR and all of those things. So yeah, so I guess that's my next question is what's the backstory here? So how did you actually get into, I mean, it sounds like you have made just great relationships, so things have happened a little organically, but I know that there would've been lots of steps leading up to it. So talk to me about how you got here, how
Alexandra Graham (09:58):
I got there. Sure. So as I said, look, I wasn't one of those girls, which as a young girl was obsessed with fashion or knew that I wanted to be fashion. Fashion for me was something that I kind of fell into a little bit later in life. I actually wanted to be an actress. I love that. Which is funny because in what I do now, it is quite performative a lot of the time anyway. But fashion wasn't something that I was born to want to do, and I giggle because I often listen to my friends as I will constantly talk about Annabelle. We're basically like a joint at the hip, but she was the young girl who used to rip out fashion magazines and dress up, and that wasn't me. But I think what I really fell in love with was working with women and clients.
(10:44):
And so throughout uni I worked in retail and then I loved that element of not necessarily the selling, but the service. And then I think just that really instilled for me the power of relationships and the buzz I got from interacting with people, helping with people, serving people, performing for people in a certain way. So I guess that was my start into fashion. I studied journalism and my first role as a journalist, as I mentioned, was with Style Magazine. So I started out as an intern and worked my way through. My final role with them was as digital manager. And so it was at a time where we fully launched a new site, and really it was the first lean into social media. It was a really exciting time, and I was quite young to get that role, which was awesome.
(11:34):
And then whilst I was with Style, it afforded me some other really amazing opportunities to kind of build my fashion profile. So I was elected the first every year that Brisbane Racing Club had a fashion committee. I was elected the chair. I started to connect with a lot of the shopping centers and brands and became a stylist for Westfield. So I sort of did my journalism, but kept my fashion thing going. And honestly, the rest of my story is very much like that. I feel like every opportunity has just opened new doors for me, and I've really prioritized showing up for the relationships that I've built and maintaining those relationships because that's what's opened doors for me. And there are still girls that I have worked with since we were interns that are now all over the industry that we can still tap into each other's network or skillset or that to this day is still a really amazing function for me.
Danielle Lewis (12:32):
Yeah, I think that is so important. I think that relationships are undervalued. You have what has been, I know it's easy to say focus on relationships and that be the tip, but how have you done that? Have you managed that? Going from different roles, different industries, living overseas, coming back? How have you actually maintained those relationships?
Alexandra Graham (12:57):
Well, as I've said, and I feel like I've been saying this a lot recently, I think it's really about showing up for people. And that doesn't need to mean spending hours of your day, but I think it's just about recognizing that the check-in every once in a while, or that congratulations every once in a while, or the, oh, I thought of you with this opportunity, or you might like this. I think that is just something so can be so impactful. And so I think I apply that on a professional level rather where when I'm maintaining a portfolio of clients, and I deliver a lot of this in trainings as well to business about how you can really deliver an amazing hyper-personalized, intuitive service. It's about really thinking about that person's life and what would be meaningful for them for you to show up for show. And I practice what I preach. So it could be as simple as on a LinkedIn poster, congratulations for a new job or an introduction to some people that you think would really get along. I think I've always really tried to do that because it was what was done for me and it was what gave me the opportunity to build my own network. So yeah,
Danielle Lewis (14:09):
I love that because it doesn't have to be complicated. It doesn't have to be I have a spreadsheet and I'm tracking all my things. It's just just being
Alexandra Graham (14:16):
Human, being organic. And it's funny, it is human, but also it can be so easily forgotten. The power of a check-in a power of a, how are you going? A power of a, I saw this campaign you did, and it was amazing just wanting to say bravo. And don't get me wrong, I still to this day, especially coming back to Brisbane after so long away, have people that are a bit like, why is she doing that? What does she want out of me? Which I think is really sad. Yes, totally. We live in a world where it's like, what? I can't be kind, or I can't make an introduction, or I can't offer you an opportunity with wanting something in return. So that's an interesting one to navigate. But when people get to know me, you quickly, I think quickly learn that I get such a buzz out of creating an opportunity for somebody else.
Danielle Lewis (14:59):
Yeah. Oh, that is amazing. Okay, well we need more of that in our lives. So that is
Alexandra Graham (15:04):
Show up for people. Think about those people you haven't thought about in for a while and just slide into the dms.
Danielle Lewis (15:09):
Totally. I love it. You said the power of the check-in, I'm so
Alexandra Graham (15:13):
Simple. So simple, so
Danielle Lewis (15:15):
Good. So how did you go from, I'm interested because you had all of those amazing experiences and are now business owner title or female founder, whatever we're going to call you. How did you go? What was the process like from going, I'm an employee to now I am out there doing my own thing.
Alexandra Graham (15:35):
So I guess I'm lucky that I had a taste test of that before I moved overseas. So Annabel and I launched an agency. It was a styling, PR and publishing agency. I want to say in 2014, oh, I probably, my dates very, very wrong. But again, it happened really organically because we were both, I was with a PR agency at the time who I'd moved on from Annabel, I think had just maybe stopped working with style magazines or she'd also left a big job. We had some personal goals. I wanted to move abroad. Annabel wanted to start a family, but we did have this block of time where we weren't quite ready to make those really big, bold life jumps. So naturally we just started to have people reaching out and wanting to work with us and we're like, hold on. We're onto something here.
(16:20):
We could really make something of this. So we operated this agency for about a year and a half, and it was unbelievable. It was really successful. It was so fulfilling. It was super cool. We really built a great little business for ourselves, and even to this day, we run into people who still remember a and a collective, but it was sort of, we didn't even realize what it could have been because it was almost like we're doing this right now because we've committed ourselves to some other really big goals. I knew what it was like to work for myself and to be self-employed and to run my own business. I'd also worked with a lot of smaller businesses. So I kind of really got that view of what it was like to wear lots of hats and be the payroll through to keeping the lights on through to the tech guy to the, so I got that.
(17:09):
I had that understanding of a business, which was then what identified for me what there was a missing gap. I needed experience in big business, big organization, innovation and tech. I really wanted to go away from small business and the kind of small operations I was doing and get the exposure of really these big unbelievable businesses such as matches fashion, such as the LEMH group. So I did that and that has then empowered me to be able to come back and feel super well-rounded and I can really deliver back to clients such a well-rounded, I guess, set of expertise because I've done both sides. And so I can speak to my experience having been having had my own business, having worked in small operations right through to being in really humongous ones. And yeah, I think I didn't promise myself to anything specific when I was to move back home, I wanted it to just land. I wanted to just sort of feel out what was getting me excited and what I wanted to work on. And I've been super lucky that it really has played out that way.
Danielle Lewis (18:18):
That's so cool. And I love that so much because sometimes I feel like as business owners, we get stuck on this idea of being a business owner and you've got to do that. Or if you go into working for somebody else or you go into freelancing or you go into something else, you've kind of not failed, but you haven't. You're worried about what people will think. I absolutely love that. You're like, no, I identified my gaps. I went out and I got that, that experience. I worked for literally the best companies on the planet and then could bring that experience into my next venture. That is unreal. Was that a conscious decision or organic or, I love you saying, I identified my gaps and I went after it. Was that a process or? It
Alexandra Graham (19:05):
Was definitely conscious. It was definitely the plan and I'm so of the thought process that you are never done learning. You're never done innovating as a personal or a professional. So I'm not done. There's so much more, I guess for me, this new role in philanthropy, this is my next gap that I've identified where I haven't sunk my teeth into something charitable and I really want that and need that in my life. So I think that's probably just a little bit of me always looking at what I want to do, but I don't know and learn. But yeah, it was definitely conscious. I definitely knew that I wanted to broaden my horizons and equip myself with really amazing experience to make sure that when I was ready to come back to Australia, I had an awesome toolkit.
Danielle Lewis (19:54):
Yeah, well you do. That's incredible. So what lessons have you learned? It sounds like you have had literally every experience under the sun
Alexandra Graham (20:04):
Feels like it.
Danielle Lewis (20:06):
As a business owner, what have been some of the biggest lessons you've learned over the last few years?
Alexandra Graham (20:12):
Do you know what? I feel like the last year has been one of the most telling on a really, I guess when I'm considering the trajectory of my future and really finally considering myself this founder and this sort of success in whatever lane that might be. I think some of the key lessons I've learned, which have really then informed my absolute philosophy and life is that it doesn't cost to be kind. And especially in fashion, it can be a pretty tricky and a pretty hard industry. Most industries are, let's be fair. But yeah, what's the saying? You attract more bees with honey than vinegar. Honestly, kindness is worth its weight and gold. My God, I'm just rattling off my, I love it though.
Danielle Lewis (20:59):
I just seeing the Instagram quote tiles now
Alexandra Graham (21:01):
I'm just captioning myself here. That's hideous. No, I think that's something that I've really learned the hard way and from amazing people. I've learn the power of being kind through, having people not be kind to me. And then I've learned that also from having amazing, uplifting people that have kind of given me opportunity. So that's one of the biggest ones I think is a big learning for me that I remind myself of every day. I think the other one on the topic of showing up that we've just sort of discussed is that not everyone is going to show up for you. You show up for them and you can't actually be disappointed in people if they don't. Just because I prioritize it doesn't mean the next person's going to, and it's a little bit like love languages. Just because that's my way that I show loyalty and support doesn't mean that's how everyone does. So I think that's a lesson that I'm continually learning where I spend so much of my time trying to give and collaborate and support others, and then I can sometimes be left disappointed if it's then not reciprocated or there's something I've needed support on and someone hasn't met me at where I would've met them. That's a bit of a personal realm of discovery for me.
Danielle Lewis (22:16):
Well, and I love that as well, because as much as we try and separate our businesses from ourselves, I think that's impossible. It does form such a core part of our identities, and as business owners, we are human and we have emotions. And at the end of the day, sometimes it is hard not to get cranky when we get a nasty email or feel disappointed when somebody doesn't quite show up for us or list of things. I think it is hard to separate your personal sense of self.
Alexandra Graham (22:53):
Yeah, absolutely. And I think you just sprung the last thought to mind on that topic of what have you learned? I think one thing I've really learned, and again, it's probably in the last year, the power of no and understanding that saying no to opportunities, projects, events, invitations, whatever it might be, is really important as to keep yourself sane. And I think when you asked before about how do I do it all, it's that I am doing a lot, but I am still being selective and there are certainly things that I am declining or that I can't be a part of in order to give myself the space and the time with my family on a personal level and to fulfill the commitments that I've already committed to. So that's a big one.
Danielle Lewis (23:37):
So right. I literally like hilarious. Speaking of Instagram tiles, I read something on Instagram today that was all around that, the price, the cost of your mental health and that sometimes if it means your mental health and it means that you can show up in your business and it means that you can show up for your family saying no and letting people down for an event or a social situation or whatever. Sometimes you actually have to do that.
Alexandra Graham (24:05):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And it almost sounds like I'm saying that to contradict what I just have been talking about.
Danielle Lewis (24:10):
No, no, no, no. I
Alexandra Graham (24:11):
Get that there is a difference. There's definitely a difference between saying no and saying from the outset, not available for this versus still being.
Danielle Lewis (24:22):
Yeah, absolutely. And so on that topic, you mentioned being a mom as well. Was that before or after you started businesses or halfway? How have you navigated
Alexandra Graham (24:33):
Staying in the middle? Because again, I just can't sit still and I can't not, I'm, my friends laugh that I am such a sort of, can be so spiteful in the sensitive, somebody says, you can't do it this way, I'll do it that way. I just like to prove people. No, it's not prove people wrong. I like to surprise and delight. But no, I had my beautiful little boy Finney. He was born in London and he's now four.
(24:58):
So it's working with Matches fashion at the time. And I returned from maternity leave, continued on at matches, but then I think I was probably only back for maybe less than a year. And then I had the amazing LVMH opportunity pop up to move to Paris for that role. And again, always looking to diversify and fill the feathers on the cap and continually evolve as a professional. I'd been with matches for over four years. It had been my one and only really professional place in London, and I wanted, before the consideration of coming back to Australia, I knew I wanted one more, something different, a view into another business, another role, another project. So Finney was born kind of in the middle there, went back, and then when he was, well, what was that? It was sort of two years ago now, so he was two and a bit. That's when we moved to Paris.
Danielle Lewis (25:54):
Oh my God. Incredible. So really, I love that we've kind of come full circle. The lesson there again is really understanding what is important for you in your life and showing up for that and kind of ignoring a bit of the rest.
Alexandra Graham (26:09):
Yeah, totally. I mean, we were bonkers to have a kid by ourselves on the other side of the world with no support, but also God, what a story to be told, what a life he's had. And yeah, I wouldn't change it for the world.
Danielle Lewis (26:24):
So good. So good. So last question for you, if we could leave the Spark community maybe with one nugget of wisdom. So a lot of people listening in very early stage, or maybe they're just thinking about taking the leap into business. Is there any piece of advice maybe you wish you had have known before you got started? Or even, I know we've done a bit about lessons or something where you just go, no, if I was talking to another woman in business and she was having a hard day, this is what I would say.
Alexandra Graham (26:57):
Oh, good question. I wish I'd thought about that, but I guess it's better when the answers are really off the cuff. Put you on the spot.
Danielle Lewis (27:04):
That's right.
Alexandra Graham (27:07):
Do you know what? I think it would be identifying people in your peripheral that you think are amazing and inspiring and are doing an incredible job at what they're doing and ask them for a coffee. That honestly would be my piece of advice and have confidence in doing that. Because nine times out of 10 people will make space to chat and to share a little bit of wisdom. And I think there's several folds to that. You are creating your network, you are getting incredible advice, but you're also, it's very flattering to do that to somebody else. And in return, you don't know what kind of doors that could open. And I think I really love to believe that no matter what kind of person we are, deep down, we all love to help one another, help others. So if a coffee could lead to an email intro or an idea or a suggestion, that will then lead to the next coffee, to the next meeting, to the next suggestion. That's how you build a business. That's how you build a community, and that's how you run a successful business by having a great community.
Danielle Lewis (28:14):
Oh my God, I love that. That's such a good note to end on. You are so right. I love how the theme for today has been relationships, kindness, showing up, creating your community. You are spot on. You are incredible. Al, thank you so much for spending your time with me. Pleasure
Alexandra Graham (28:31):
Today.
Danielle Lewis (28:31):
And
Alexandra Graham (28:32):
It wasn't as scary as I thought. I think I'll do this whole podcasting again. I
Danielle Lewis (28:36):
Hope so. I hope so. No, and your story is incredible and I absolutely love it too because some of the things you talked about today, no one's ever spoken about on the podcast. Cool. Sometimes when I talk to people about, okay, well what lessons have you learned in business? They're like, cashflow and this,
Alexandra Graham (28:54):
Oh, I mean, my husband had been literally seething in his office being like, wish she knew a bit more about cashflow. Yeah. That's not my lane. I stick to what I know. And then I ask others in the things I don't know, but oh, that's
Danielle Lewis (29:06):
Cool. But the reason, and that's why I love it. Right? And that's why I love having so many different guests because everyone has their own insights, their own nuggets of wisdom that we can all apply to literally every business on the planet. Totally. Literally, I've been writing notes while you've been talking. Ah,
Alexandra Graham (29:22):
Awesome. Good. Great. Love
Danielle Lewis (29:25):
It. Thank you again for hanging out.
Alexandra Graham (29:28):
My pleasure. It was fun.
