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Marketing in Progress is a spinoff of Work in Progress that digs into what’s moving the needle in B2B. We feature marketing leaders, sales leaders, and agency owners sharing real stories, smart ideas, and no-filter perspectives—so you walk away with practical guidance to help you do your job better.
Julie Alexandria (00:00):
What I learned is that people will treat you differently when you present being put together, having those things that make you look fabulous, and it's really truly the confidence. And if I can give a little bit of confidence with this jewelry, my job is done.
Gayle Kalvert (00:17):
This is Work in Progress. I'm your host, Gayle Kalvert, and yes, I'm a work in progress. Julie Alexandria has reinvented herself multiple times from Broadway performer to sideline reporter, to now the founder of her own successful jewelry line. I'm wearing one of her pieces here. She's overcome career setbacks, including challenges after the 2008 recession and has maintained her self-confidence throughout. In this episode, Julie emphasizes the importance of confidence, especially in male-dominated industries and offers advice to women facing career changes or risks. She discusses the creative freedom she enjoys in her jewelry business and the pivotal moment that led her to take the leap into entrepreneurship. Julie, I'm so excited to have you here. Welcome to Work in Progress. Tell me why you hesitate when I asked you what your name is, what is the story?
Julie Alexandria (01:13):
Oh, no. So I am the self-proclaimed Puerto Rican Jew from Queens. And so my actual legal last name is Julie Alexandria Schwartz. But I was doing a lot of theater growing up and it was very important said a teacher of mine to be ethnically ambiguous, and I thought my last name was very telling. And so I wanted to have something a little bit broad that ends in a vowel. And so I went ahead and used Alexandria. And it was funny because my mom, I grew up in the theater. My mom was a stage manager then she was a prop mistress. So theater has truly informed everything I do for my entire life. So to those parents whose kids say, mom, I want to be an actor, don't freak out because it is hard and chances are they may not. But if you give your kids theater training, it will inform every aspect of their life and they will take it with them. And so my mom gave me the middle name Alexandria because she thought that if I ever were to pursue, by the way, this was before I was born, but in utero, if I was ever to pursue a career in theater, that my name would be at the top of the cast list in alphabetical order with an A middle name.
Gayle Kalvert (02:28):
I love that your mom was thinking that, right? Instead of being like, no way. Not over my dead body. I remember telling my mom, I want to be a model because at some point in the eighties, I don't know, does every kid want to be a model? And my mother said, I don't really want that kind of life for you, which is hilarious because I was not going to be some super successful model what that was. We don't want that kind of life for you. So who knows where I could have been, Julie, if my mother thought like you and really made all those preparations for you? That's amazing.
(03:01):
Alright, well, let's talk about that. Broadway, right? You've reinvented yourself a bunch of times, but I would love, I think it would be great for the listeners to hear how you got started. You went off to college and then you made a pretty courageous decision. Tell us what happened.
Julie Alexandria (03:17):
Yeah. I was doing summer stock after my second year at college, and I had this director who never gave compliments. He was so harsh and everybody was kind of afraid of him. And one day at lunch, it was one of those watershed moments when he casually said to me almost as an offhanded backhanded compliment, he said, you're pretty good. You should go to New York and make something of yourself. And it was like the world stopped. And I heard him and I felt his words and it was like this aha moment. And I thought to my, I just remember hearing him say that, and he didn't even make eye contact. I think he was picking at a sandwich during lunch and he was like, yeah, you're pretty good. You should go to New York and make something of yourself. And I was like, yes, yes, I'm going to do that right now.
(04:05):
And I went home and I want to say it was a matter of weeks later, I told my parents, I'm not going back to school. I'm going to New York and I'm going to make something of myself. And I went there with two suitcases and I did not have a plan. I just knew that I was going to go and audition and I was to walk in and one of those suitcases was full of headshots and resumes in black and white. This is the early aughts. LA was doing color, but New York was still serious theater and we were still doing black and white. I moved to New York and it was within three or four weeks that I booked my first tour and I didn't have a backup plan. Maybe it was just my naivete of being 20 years old that there was not even an inkling of what if this fails, what if I can't?
(04:56):
And I think that is attributed to my parents because I truly believe that next to “I love you” and “you are loved”, the most important thing that a parent can tell a child is “you can do anything”. And my parents always said that to me, you can do anything. And so in my mind, why can't I be on Broadway? There's nothing stopping me. And I just had this mission and I felt it, and I did it for years and had a great career and it was great, but it started very much, I didn't know anybody. I didn't have connections in the industry. There was no nepotism. I did not have an uncle who was a producer or somebody who had gone before me. It was truly eldest child, I am going out on my own and we're going to figure it out.
Gayle Kalvert (05:46):
That resonates with me. We'll just figure it out. I think with a lot of people, if you don't have a role model or haven't done it before, you're just going to figure it out. And sometimes the best things come from that. Right? But then you went from Broadway to being a sideline sports reporter, Julie, what happened there?
Julie Alexandria (06:04):
The economy crumbled and the subprime mortgage loan crisis happened and all of the...
Gayle Kalvert (06:10):
That was a really good time for a lot of us. Yeah, memories.
Julie Alexandria (06:15):
2008, it was the summer of 2008, so I was doing a show on CBS, and at this point I have kind of pivoted from already doing theater. I was doing theater from 2002 to 2007-ish, and then I started doing commercials and voiceovers and TV work, and I was doing a show at CBS and I knew that we were getting canceled after our episode run, and there was nothing happening. Usually the shows are auditioning. You hear buzzes, your agent gives you a heads up like, oh, they're casting for this. We want to put you up for this. There was nothing and there was nothing on the horizon. And I knew everybody was losing their jobs, and it was just sort of mirroring what was happening in the economy and all the job sectors. But sports was recession proof and that was proven. And so my agent was like, you know sports, right?
(07:06):
And I'm like, yeah, of course. Yes. I came up in a baseball household and I was a competitive figure skater. I can do this. And basically became a sideline reporter, and I did not go to journalism school. People would ask me all the time, and I thought, I'm an actor. I'm an actor and I'm going to approach this the same way I would any show and life in general, which is I'm going to be a good listener. I'm going to observe and I'm going to move within the space based on the information I'm given. And I took the perspective of what would a fan want to know in this moment? What would a fan want to ask this player or ask this coach? And it proved to be kind of a successful hedge on becoming a sideline reporter. It was just when ESPN and Fox were hiring women to be on the sidelines as sort of, and call it what you will. Some people see it differently, but it was a wonderful opportunity and I had an incredible career. It was a lot of fun.
Gayle Kalvert (08:09):
And you did that for a number of years. How long were you on TV doing sports?
Julie Alexandria (08:14):
From 2008, and then I believe my last sports commentate, 2023.
Gayle Kalvert (08:21):
Okay.
Julie Alexandria (08:22):
Yeah.
Gayle Kalvert (08:23):
Yeah, that's a long time.
Julie Alexandria (08:24):
Yeah.
Gayle Kalvert (08:25):
That wasn't a little quick stint in sideline reporting. Okay. What other shows were you on? This is so fun.
Julie Alexandria (08:31):
So I was a TV host as well. I was a VJ on MTV. I host.
Gayle Kalvert (08:35):
Amazing. Oh my gosh.
Julie Alexandria (08:37):
People were like, well, what show is it like? Well, it wasn't TRL, but it was in the same time slot, and it was also live at five, so it's called The Seven, and it was like the seven things you needed to know. So I was a VJ on MTV. I hosted a lot of red carpet shows. I did the Oscars, the Emmys. I did an entertainment show called OK! TV for two years, which was like an Entertainment Tonight. It was syndicated nationwide, had my face on billboards and sides of buses, and we filmed in Times Square. It was a wonderful glamor job. Super fun.
Gayle Kalvert (09:08):
That must've felt unreal. We talk about this a lot on the show. It was like when you're in it, you're not necessarily celebrating all the moments. These seem like moments that you would fucking celebrate. I'm in Times Square, my face is in Times Square. You told me your face was on a bus. What did that feel like?
Julie Alexandria (09:26):
It was great. It was like everything I had ever wanted as a performer was to be bigger than myself. And I literally was, I mean, I would see the buses go back and then I have friends text like, oh my gosh, your bus just went by. And then in every, okay, magazine every week, the glossy ones you read at the manicure spot, there was my picture and it would say the show. And I did celebrity interviews and I interviewed everyone from Steven Spielberg to James Cameron to Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Bruno Mars, all the celebrity interviews you can imagine for the time. And I hosted for Spike, I did NBC sports, I did ESPN, I did the US Open for ESPN in New York for tennis, college football on Big Fox, which was the game of the week, the Washington Nationals baseball team. And then most recently the San Diego Padres sideline reporting. That's what brought me out here to San Diego.
Gayle Kalvert (10:20):
Okay, okay. That sounds amazing. And I have to ask you, because I'm sure everybody's thinking, can you tell us anything about these celebrity interviews? Was there somebody who was really surprisingly kind or funny or whatever you're comfortable with, but you give us something?
Julie Alexandria (10:37):
Oh gosh. Everybody was really, really nice. There was only one situation, it wasn't to me personally, but there was one performer during the MTV days who, now mind you, this was a live show. So this is live TV. We go on at five and we cut off at 5:30. And this performer was contracted to give a live concert in the middle of Times Square. We had already loaded in the audience, the stage was built, the jib, which is the big camera to get the aerial views, was set up. So this is, we're talking of hundreds of thousands of dollars of production budget gone into this performer doing two songs at the, I guess it would be called the D block of our show at the end of our show. So we're in the A block, and this performer says they're not going on, the performer is already in their trailer, they're in Times Square, they're literally steps away from the stage and the performer says they're not performing.
(11:34):
So we have it in our ear that this performer's not coming out. We get to the B block after a commercial break, and I hear inside the director and the showrunner are losing their minds. What can we do? What can we do to get her to come out, put up her umbrella and get on the stage and do the show? And this performer, I want to say, waited until the last commercial break before the D block. We didn't know when we got back from commercial break whether or not she was going to go on or whether we would have to tap dance and figure out something to do. So it was myself and another co-host and nothing prepares you for that. Again, I go back to live theater because live theater's live theater. It's no different from live TV. What are you going to talk about? What are you going to do? Always have something in your back pocket.
(12:30):
And so I was fully prepared. I was like, you know what? She doesn't want to go on. I got a story. It's Standup Comedy Hour. It's just the D block. It's going to be okay. And I want to say she waited to the very last minute. So then part of me thought maybe she just does this, but she did go on, she did do the interview before the show, and then she did the concert of her two most famous songs of 2010.
Gayle Kalvert (12:55):
What an unbelievable relief. I feel the stress right by everyone on the crew. You might've had a plan B, but I'm sure everybody else was like.
Julie Alexandria (13:04):
No, I mean jobs. And that's the thing. When I hear about celebrities throwing fits and acting a certain kind of way, there's so many people that make the TV and the entertainment and the concerts and the live performances that we consume as audience members, as consumers. There's so many people's jobs that are on the line. And to act that way and to be so selfish, and I understand that people have their reasons, but when you have a full understanding of what everyone else does on a TV, a film set, on a theater stage, I don't think those performers that act that way have a true understanding that these are human beings who are showrunners, stage managers, sound and light designers, utility guys, cameramen, jib operators. And I think having that full understanding makes you a better performer. Knowing their names makes you a better performer, and having a great reputation in the industry makes you a better performer. So that was something I learned early on.
Gayle Kalvert (14:06):
Yeah, absolutely. I lived in LA for a while, so I have a lot of experience too being on set and these kinds of things. And it's like the sheer amount of people that it takes. And like you said, the jobs, it's so much more than just the celebrities. That's why when the fires happened in LA, I was like, my heart just breaks because it isn't, LA isn't about just celebrities and rich people. There are so many regular people just trying to make a living in a lot of industries, but specifically in entertainment. And it's just, I feel my heart breaks still. We digress. But let's go back to your career. We had to dive in a little bit there. Okay. What happens when you go from being a sideline sports reporter to the founder of your own jewelry line?
Julie Alexandria (14:55):
Oh my gosh. So motherhood and the pandemic kind of were there.
Gayle Kalvert (14:58):
Two pretty small little things.
Julie Alexandria (15:00):
Just some life shifts. So I came out to San Diego 2016 to work for the Padres, ended up meeting my husband out here and really made the conscious decision that if I were to go back to New York and continue the trajectory that my career was taking, who knows where it could have gone, but on the personal life side, it would've been pretty empty. That is something that a lot of women unfortunately have to make a choice in the industry, which is to have a personal life and to have a family or to continue being on camera every day and doing a daily show or being on the sidelines. And so I made that decision and I wanted to have a family, and I wanted to explore what that was. So I got off the hamster wheel and I decided to set down roots in San Diego, the last place I ever would've imagined.
(15:52):
But we did. And then I was able to work remote for a few years. And then during the pandemic, so we got married, I had my son in 2018. I took some time off. I was filming all the way up to the day before I was doing ESPN gaming, so Professional League of Video Game Players. I was filming at LA Live three days before giving birth. So I was huge on ESPN talking to gamers. And so had my son Kingston and was just in Momville, which was really difficult transition, much more than I ever would've expected. Took a year off and just was in mom life. And then that was 2019, and then the pandemic hit. And towards the end of 2019, I booked a job doing baseball remote for a company called La Vida Baseball. And I was able to do that throughout the pandemic, which truly I think kept me sane. It gave me something to wake up for in the morning to put makeup on for in the morning. It gave me something to sink my teeth into while I was also raising my son, who was two years old at the time. Being at home in COVID with a toddler and working full-time remote was, I'm sure a lot of people can relate to it.
Gayle Kalvert (17:07):
Absolutely. I mean, even now, right? We're post COVID and still it's like the toddlers and the working from home thing is very, they're not in alignment. Nothing about that is in alignment like a toddler and working from home, that's difficult. And then you add on the pandemic and all the uncertainty and et cetera, et cetera. Yeah. So not an easy thing.
Julie Alexandria (17:29):
No, it was so hard and so many times I would think to myself, am I doing the right thing? Am I still trying to hold on to something that's not there? Because when I made the decision to stay here in San Diego, my agent basically dropped me because he was like, what am I going to do with you in San Diego? Do you want to do local news? And I'm like, oh, no. And he was like, he was like, okay, well then what are you going to do? Because you’re too far from LA to do a daily show. You're way too far from New York to fly out for auditions. He's like, so what are we doing here? And essentially broke up with me. And it was awful. And I was pretty much on my own after that. And it was a very steep fall from having had all of the support on the business end to truly having to advocate for myself, put myself out there, eat some humble pie, and basically get my resume in front of those remote jobs that I would be right for.
(18:26):
So that was really hard. It was a really tough transition. But I was grateful for the work. I was grateful to have something to, like I said, get up for every morning that required some semblance of my old life because of course, I had my son to wake up for every morning, but he didn't care if I was wearing false eyelashes or not. And it gave me some sort of hint of what life used to be like when people cared about your appearance and what you're wearing and how you looked. And so I found comfort in that because it felt familiar to have that routine. And things just kind of went back to work. Everyone was going back on the road and that's when I had to say, okay, I now have a 4-year-old and I can't get back on the road. I can't be away for 81 games and do spring training in Arizona or Florida and do the postseason.
(19:25):
I no longer have the ability to travel on the team plane and be working those crazy hours and traveling all over the country. And I wanted to be home with my son. So I just needed to step away. And it wasn't until 2024 when I decided I'm going to start something of my own where I have a little more control, a little more, all the control, and that I truly get to be my most authentic creative self. And nobody can tell me that I'm in the wrong place or that I am not bombshell enough. I am not this or not that, or their idea of what I need it to be, and that I want to create something authentic to me. And if I believe in it, if I live it and it's my truth, I believe others will see the beauty in it and others will want to be a part of it.
Gayle Kalvert (20:20):
Hey there, quick pause. If you're enjoying this episode, drop a comment right here on YouTube or Spotify. It could be a moment that stuck with you, something you related to, or maybe you have a question that you'd like us to answer. When you do, you'll be entered to win some Work in Progress swag. We're talking super cozy hoodies. It's free, it's cute. And who doesn't love a good hoodie? Alright, let's get back to it.
(20:45):
Well, we can shortcut to the end and say that yes, many people are enjoying what you think is beautiful. And I'm wearing your jewelry now. Your business is doing so well. But when you talked about doing the show, leaving that and then starting up this business, was there a gap there or did you know, okay, this is what I'm going to go do? I know our listeners want to hear because so many people are thinking, should I go out on my own? Should I have a plan? What does that look like or what did that look like for you? How did you decide?
Julie Alexandria (21:16):
I definitely had a gap. I had a lot of time to think about. And the baseball job remote ended 2022. 2023 I did... So voiceovers is the other part of my business that I do. I do a ton of voiceover work, and that was kind of what I strung along to still have that little bit of the industry that I could still do that was always remote. And the pandemic, I think really solidified that for the voiceover industry, which was wonderful, which is definitely an upside to that. So I was doing voiceovers, and it really wasn't until New Year's Eve, I just had this idea.
(21:54):
I had been making jewelry my whole life. I realized this as I was doing sideline reporting in the budget of these big major networks and regional sports networks. There's no budget for the female sideline reporters. Wardrobe, just not something they think about. There's no budget for dry cleaning when you get hit with the Gatorade. There's no budget for anything on the road if your shoe breaks or if you need a repair or anything like that. So unless you're in the studio and you're at the top of the game and you are the Aaron Andrews at Fox Sports, you not getting a stylist. You are not getting a wardrobe allowance and you do not get a costume department. So in the world of internet trolls, if you wore the same outfit, people would be like, oh, didn't she wear that dress back in Cincinnati? So I realized I didn't have a lot of money for a huge wardrobe budget, but I could buy a black dress from Target and I could just change up the accessories and it looked completely different. And then I found the beauty of accessories that could be multifunctional. And so I would get the most out of my jewelry, and a lot of times that meant buying something and then reconfiguring it myself. So I had to learn on the spot, learn on the job, but I would make these really fun creations. And I made 'em for friends and family. And it wasn't until New Year's Eve 2024 that I told my husband, I just want to invest $500. That's what I, $500.
Gayle Kalvert (23:19):
Amazing. That's fantastic.
Julie Alexandria (23:20):
Yeah, $500. And I said, I want to invest $500. I want to come out with a little capsule collection just to see how it goes. And he's like, yeah, you should do that. And mind you, I was like, two Negronis and a Martini in. And I'm like, this is going to be cool.
Gayle Kalvert (23:33):
The best decisions are made at the bar, Julie. That would be a new headline.
Julie Alexandria (23:41):
That month of January, 2024, I just put my head down and I was like, I didn't look at trends. I didn't look at inspiration. I just went from what do I want? What's the jewelry that I want? And of course all the jewelry I want I can't afford, which is also a thesis statement of my pieces and part of the brand ethos, which is creating pieces that look like a $20,000 piece that maybe cost you 150 to $350, seeking out those materials that look super high-end but are not going to break the bank. And the fact that my tastes change all the time. I didn't have the ability when I was younger to get those investment pieces. I mean, even now, the cost of gold is insane. Who can afford investment pieces? We have deals and housing payments and all these other car payments like, okay, but that should not stop us as women from getting a little something that makes us feel like a million dollars.
(24:38):
And so that's what I wanted to create. I wanted to create that feeling of gaining that piece. And so I created all of those things. I came out with 13 pieces. I only put them on Facebook because I thought, well, if this sucks and nobody buys it, at least my mom's friends who follow me on Facebook will buy it. And so I sold out in a week. I think I made $200 profit on that first collection, and I rolled that into the next collection. And every week it just came after that. And then it became fast and furious, and then people started buying them here in La Jolla and then women wearing them out, and then people would notice them. And it just became word of mouth. I still to this day don't have a website. I don't have e-commerce. I don't even accept credit cards.
Gayle Kalvert (25:28):
I love it. You're totally doing this on your own terms. You're doing pop-up shops, which yes, we can be honest, Julie. I mean that's a ton of time, energy. It's physical, it's exhausting. I'm sitting there watching you on social, how is she doing this? And I know you're going to tell me, it goes back to your days on Broadway or your theater. You must be built to do these physically demanding things. Is this how you can do it?
Julie Alexandria (25:54):
Totally. It's a show. You come to a popup, you get a show, and it's my way of still performing. People come to the popups to see me. They come to the popups to get their perfect next stack. We take into account, I do customizations. We take into account all of their body proportions and what they usually wear and what they want it for and what events they have coming up or if they just want an everyday stack. And I just love it. I love every part of presenting. I love every part of giving people that gratification of at the end of the performance, they get to leave with a fabulous piece of jewelry and everything is custom. Everything is one of a kind. And I literally handmake every piece. So you are getting something that is made with intention and love, that is made to make you feel like you have the armor to walk into any situation. And that is my goal, is to outfit and to give these women these incredible pieces so that when they walk into any situation, I don't care if it's the pickup line or if it's the board meeting or the big sales meeting or showing someone a home, or if you're up for a promotion, I want you to feel unfuckwithable. When you wear this, you are unfuckwithable. And that gives you the strength because if you feel it, others will feel it.
Gayle Kalvert (27:12):
I, like you, love jewelry. So I've been doing that my whole adult life also. It's like what do we need to put on to help me in whatever scenario that is, right? Sometimes it's to maybe dress down or be comfortable, but more often than not, it's like I need confidence that maybe I'm not feeling and I need to pretend. You put the red blazer on, whatever that is for you. And jewelry definitely does that for me also. And that's amazing. And so do you want to ever expand and scale or are you looking at this as like you're going to keep making everything yourself, doing everything yourself, popping up places, performing. I mean, Julie, what's up?
Julie Alexandria (27:51):
I know what I'm good at and I know where my strengths lie, and I know where my weaknesses are, and I'm not a technologically savvy person, so I would really need someone to come in and build all that stuff out for me. But right now, I'm just having so much fun with it. Would I love to scale it and make it huge? Yes, but not if it meant losing the personal touch. I just started manufacturing some of my own components and my own pieces, which has been a really interesting journey. So they're stamped with my initials. This hook necklace is mine. I also do it in a bracelet. And so I've been manufacturing those and it's just been a really fun journey to kind of check out that end of it. And yeah, I think at some point I would love to and maybe just do, I mean I say yes to all of the markets.
(28:44):
I think I need to probably cut back on that. They are exhausting. I didn't get home until one in the morning last night from this party we did because I'm still a mom and I want the creative process to still, I'm always thinking about new designs and new pieces, and I've started to implement a lot of vintage antique pieces, which is my other passion in love is Victorian, Edwardian, Georgian lockets and watch fobs and metals and to put those onto new settings. So every piece is one of a kind and it just becomes wearable magic.
Gayle Kalvert (29:20):
Yeah. Let's talk a little bit more about, because you mentioned how there was no budget for your wardrobe when you were working. And I think this is super relevant today, no matter what our listeners are doing in their life, right? Prices are high and we're probably all feeling that. And I love some of the ways and ideas and thoughts you have around mixing the inexpensive with the expensive or no expensive. We don't have to have any expensive, but look expensive or feel expensive as sort of how I think about it. Can you talk about how you've been doing that? You've been doing that all along, trying to make it in New York City as a Broadway performer. Let's get into that a little bit. How do you look fabulous all the time without spending a ton of money that might not be there?
Julie Alexandria (30:10):
Yeah, I feel like I could write a book on that. I mean, I booked a job because I had gone to Chinatown and picked up a knockoff Jimmy Choo bag that looked really good. And I went into the audition with the bag, and I swear to God, this woman hired me just because the bag. And people, what I learned is that people will treat you differently when you present being put together, having those things that make you look fabulous, put together, confident, and it's really truly the confidence. And if I can give a little bit of confidence with this jewelry my job is done, but I think I always had an interest in fashion. I always had sort of that, and this is before Instagram, there were no influencers. It's like if you wanted to know what was on the Paris runways, you had to get an issue of Vogue at the bodega.
Julie Alexandria (31:05):
I was scrappy. I was resourceful. I did the best with what I had. And I did not have a budget to go out and get all these insane clothes. And I remember going to auditions early on when I was not as successful yet, and I would see these girls show up in Isabelle Morant and Chanel, and they would be rocking the Hermes belt with the Big H. And I thought, how do I look like that without buying that? So there was a Lowman's, if you remember that, off price retailer. There was a Lowman's around the corner from my apartment. So I would scour, scour for the clearance bins. I would go down to Chinatown and I'd buy the knockoff stuff. But what's funny is that if you mix some of the knockoff stuff with the real stuff, nobody can tell.
(31:53):
And when you have the confidence, you are 50% of the equation. So when you walk in and yeah, you may be rocking that knockoff Jimmy Choo bag or that fake Louis, it doesn't matter. You look like you own the real thing. And that perception becomes reality. And I think that's truly what got me through when it came to a lot of these auditions. And it came to a lot of the perception because you walk in the room and you need a job, so you better be dressed for it. You better look fabulous and be memorable. And I found that a lot of my outfits, a lot of these bags and jewelry that I would source and create made me memorable. And it also became a conversation starter. I call these icebreakers, especially if you work in networking. I tell girls like, you need a conversation piece. People ask you about it. It gives you something to go off of. Everybody has a relationship to coins. Oh, my dad used to, my grandma gave me one. Oh, my uncle collected… something that's universal. And you have that piece that starts the conversation and allows you to meet people. And so there has been finders.
Gayle Kalvert (33:05):
Yeah, that's a good one.
Julie Alexandria (33:08):
But no, I think there is something to, you could be wearing a yoga outfit or athleisure, but you throw on a necklace, people are going to treat you differently. People are going to respond to you differently. And some people may say, oh, well, that's not fair. And it's like, yeah, but that's human nature. When you're wearing something sparkly and fabulous, people are going to want to know. They're going to take notice in a good way. And I think being memorable, standing out, being different, having something that is not what everybody else is wearing, definitely a key to my success in performing and auditioning and just in life.
Gayle Kalvert (33:46):
And I can translate that to the corporate world where I live, which is mainly digital. I love to travel for business and there are events and meetings, but not as much as before. So largely the entire corporate world is digital. It's LinkedIn or Zoom, and I can speak for myself. People make themselves memorable based on what they wear to a meeting or what they might look like or have on in a post. It's a similar… you have the same challenge digitally as in person. You need to break through, you need to be memorable. And that can help you as well, because like I said, we are just visual by nature people. And so how you show up to not just an audition, but a meeting, an interview, anything, right? A video on social media is going to make you more memorable. And that reminds me or brings us to how you market your business. You do an amazing job, your Instagram feed and the content is so great. Like I said, I met you through a friend, but even if I hadn't, like I said, it's really memorable to me. I do get upset that you don't put your face in your media more often. How do you decide? How do you learn? How do you know what to do? Is it your gut? What can anybody learn from how you are creating your own marketing? Like you said, without a website and everything else.
Julie Alexandria (35:10):
I go on feel, it's all intuitive, and I kind of had to get over the cringeyness of it where I had to just not give a fuck what people would think, and I just go for it. I don't care. It's one of those things. I have my own personal account, which I barely use anymore because it's like all the focus has gone to Julie's Gold Coins on Instagram. And I try to come out with content every day, showing the collections, showing what I have, because it's the only way for people to shop. So if I'm not posting what's available, I'm not selling because I don't have a website. Everything is done through DM on Instagram. And so I'm constantly photographing pieces. I'm constantly going to estate sales, I'm bringing in new pieces, making new chain configurations, buying new medallions and metals and all sorts of stuff.
(36:01):
So I'm always trying to showcase that in the best light possible. My husband gave me the best advice, which is use your resources. I use my house. I can show you. I mean, I have a little end table banquette that I set up and I bought antiques and a couple perfume bottles and it looks cute. And I photograph all of my pieces there. I don't have a Lightroom, I don't have a stage or anything. It's very grassroots. I try to keep it as realistic as possible. I don't use Photoshop on any of my photos. I don't use AI, I don't use any of those tools. A lot of my customer base is, I would say 30 and over. So I think they appreciate that. And no, I don't like to show myself in the photos. I don't want people to associate me with all of the pieces.
(36:51):
I just want them to see the pieces for what they are. So I try not to... Also, it's hard for me not to be emotionally attached to my creations. People are like, what's your favorite style? And I'm like, whichever one I just made because I have, and I sold one, oh God, I sold one last night that it felt like giving a child away. It was a vintage war medal and I knew it'll never come again. But I hope she loves it and it's her a lot of joy. So that's important. But as far as my setups especially, I was thinking about this the other day. I looked at my setup for the Tablescape when I do my popups, and I thought to myself, I got all of these pieces because there was a clothing shop that was going out of business in my neighborhood that my girl friend was like, they're selling their displays.
(37:39):
Get over here right now. And so I went over and I bought a bunch of their glass displays and necklace tea bars for $10. And I've invested little by little, but it was all based on feel and it just flowed. It came so naturally to me. And whenever I'm having a shit day and I'm like, I'm not getting anywhere with this design, or I'm not really liking the way this is coming out, or I'm having a difficult customer interaction or whatever it is, and I feel like quitting. I think back to the fact that all of this came really easy. It flowed because it's intuitive and because I love it, because I truly love it. And when you have a passion and you truly love whatever that craft is or whatever, it's like you are made to do it. And so I never even consulted like, well, what are other jewelry designers doing with their tablescapes?
(38:34):
And no, it just came as like I took a piece of a curtain, a brown velvet curtain that I had hanging in the back. That's my tablecloth. And then all of the displays I literally got from this going out of business sale. And it just lets the jewelry speak for itself. And I think having that flow, that creative flow, it doesn't matter what you're doing, but I think it's two-sided. Having the creative flow, being able to put it out there, but also having the creative control to put out what you want to put out on your terms.
Gayle Kalvert (39:08):
And I'm thinking, well, we all have to be thrifty when we have startups. I am still, I'm in my closet. So when you talk about your voiceover booth is like a reformed closet, it's like, yeah, we do what we need to do to make it all work. One thing that resonates with me, you mentioned a couple of times that when you started your business, your jewelry business, you didn't look at what the trends were. You really went based on your own gut and your feel, which I do as well. I don't have a roadmap. I never had one when I started my business and where was I going to take it and what would it look like? And a lot of it has really happened organically, like you said. I mean really I go a lot based on my gut. Sure, there's other things you need to do and look at if you're running an agency, but at its core, you really need to understand your customer and what do they need and go with your own vibes, if you will, can be your best guide.
Julie Alexandria (40:03):
Yeah, it's really going on intuition. And at this point, having done it, I'm in now almost two years doing it. And it's so funny because at the beginning of the summer, I went really big on hearts, which you're wearing. I was like, something about hearts is really calling to me. And of course I saw that it's the summer of the heart and then it was about pre-fall and I wore this medal that was in the shape of a star and I thought, okay, stars, it's going to be star fall. Stars are going to be huge this fall. And also working with different lengths and taking into account what kind of clothing do we wear seasonally? What kind of necklaces can I make that maybe are a little bit bigger and a little longer that can fit over a chunky cable knit sweater or cow neck or turtleneck?
(40:57):
What can I create that is going to work well with a long dress and when we're getting into holiday, what can I create that's going to be super shiny and catch all the lighting at the parties and the candlelight? And that's really going to shine for these women when they walk into a fabulous holiday party. So keeping in mind your environment and sort of what we're creating for and the woman who we're creating for. I know my customer because my customer’s me and what I realize is that I am making for me, but just a heightened version of me that other women want as well. Because at the end of the day, we all want to feel special, appreciated, beautiful, and one of a kind. And that's what I'm creating are these one of a kind embellishments that will just give you the extra. You are already amazing. Let's make it even more. Let's turn it up a notch. Let's give you something that'll make you unforgettable. And so that's truly where it all comes from. And having that intuition and trusting the intuition, I trust my gut. I used to not. I think that comes with age. I think that comes with experience and it comes with doing something in the arena that you feel so confident in. I feel very confident in my taste in jewelry.
(42:23):
I feel I can go to an estate sale and I'll pick out for me for my taste, the best thing that will serve my collection. But yeah, I mean I think it's so much is based on intuition and self-trust.
Gayle Kalvert (42:38):
I think that's a perfect place to end, Julie, because you just encapsulated everything that you're trying to do and are successfully doing with your jewelry line. You're onto something really good. I know it's only going to get bigger, so I'm ready. I'm ready to see my next pieces come out for fall, winter and on and on. So before we end, though, we always have some fun questions, Julie. So we're going to change it up a little bit here. You don't know our questions, but we ask all of the guests on Work in Progress. Are you coffee or tea?
Julie Alexandria (43:08):
Coffee all day, every day. Six cups.
Gayle Kalvert (43:10):
Oh, six cups of coffee a day! Okay. Do we need to talk about hydrating or are you also hydrating?
Julie Alexandria (43:17):
Nope.
Gayle Kalvert (43:19):
I've clearly hit a nerve. You're like, don't fucking tell me to hydrate. I'm good. I love it. What's your coffee jam? Do you switch it up?
Julie Alexandria (43:26):
Piping hot coffee. I love it with just a dash or splash of milk, 2%. I don't do the nut milks. Give me 2% from the cow. It's good. And I love a medium roast.
Gayle Kalvert (43:43):
Okay, I love it. When you need to feel motivated, maybe you're not feeling it, you're having a block with the jewelry. Is there a song that pumps you up? Some people call it a hype song. I've been told that's no longer a term anymore. What is, I don't know. What is your song? We have a playlist, Work in Progress, so we share songs from all our guests and the team here. What would you add?
Julie Alexandria (44:06):
Oh man. So my son asked me this the other day, what is your favorite song? And there's an expletive in the song so that I could not, I didn't want to say the full name, but my favorite song, two-pronged answer. My favorite song is Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis by Tom Waits.
Gayle Kalvert (44:24):
Okay. I dunno that one.
Julie Alexandria (44:27):
Give it a listen. Give it a listen.
Gayle Kalvert (44:30):
It's going on the playlist, Julie, so everybody can take a listen.
Julie Alexandria (44:34):
But see, my caveat to that is I don't know that it's an actual hype song. It's actually quite depressing, but it's, it's a beautiful song. God, I want to say Hall of Fame because it brings me back to my sports days when a team would win. If you're working for a team and they win, and after the post-game interview, you go into the clubhouse or the locker room, they're blasting music. Not so much if they lost, but if they win, they're blasting music, whether it's home or away. And there were certain songs that would always be playing that was like that team's victory song. And so I think Hall of Fame just comes to mind as far as the hype up song.
Gayle Kalvert (45:18):
Alright, you're popping champagne.
Julie Alexandria (45:22):
Hall of Fame. And it speaks to my sports background, which is full of so many good memories. So I would say Hall of Fame.
Gayle Kalvert (45:28):
Right. I like it. I like it. And we're okay with having some not hype songs on the mix, right? There are times when I want to get really broody or romance or whatever the vibe. Yeah, we can.
Julie Alexandria (45:43):
I mean.
Gayle Kalvert (45:43):
I support that.
Julie Alexandria (45:44):
Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis, the live version. I have another one. Can I have three?
Gayle Kalvert (45:50):
Yes. Love music. The more the better.
Julie Alexandria (45:52):
So I will say that you mentioned New York and New York has such a special place in my heart and is such an integral part of who I am out here. People would say I make it my whole personality, whatever. I do, guilty. But...
Gayle Kalvert (46:11):
As you should, Julie, as a New Yorker, I'm like, fuck that. Nobody knew what to do with me in LA because I was like, I'm a New Yorker. I'm sorry.
Julie Alexandria (46:20):
Same. I will say that Empire State of Mind and Billy Joel, New York State of Mind. When I am flying into JFK, I get emotional. I see the skyline and I play that song as we're descending and it just brings up all the feels. All the feels. Billy Joel's New York State of Mind is just... I would play it after coming back from road trips when I was on the road with the teams and I was missing New York and I play it now. I get back to New York about three times a year and I play it as I'm going into the city or coming up over the bridges and that feeling just nothing beats it.
Gayle Kalvert (47:01):
I totally agree. I have to say when you take a picture of the skyline out from the airplane. Awesome. Well, Julie, thank you so much. Really fun. And where can everybody find you?
Julie Alexandria (47:13):
You can find me on Instagram at Julie's Gold Coins.
Gayle Kalvert (47:17):
Okay. I love that you're like, this is the one place, make it so much easier. See, when you run a business, you don't have to do it a certain way. That is a really great statement from this interview, right? It's like just do it your own way and your own way is the best way.
Julie Alexandria (47:33):
Just the things I like to do.
Gayle Kalvert (47:35):
That's it. Amazing. Awesome. Thank you so much. Okay. We'll see everyone soon. I hope that was helpful. If you know someone that you go to for this topic, send them my way. After all, we're just figuring this out together. See you next time.