Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexa Brynne.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
When I graduated from college in 2010, I wanted to be a writer. I got a little sidetracked in my career, as a lot of people do, but nearly ten years later, I’m back at it. After a few years of writing daily deals (remember when Groupon was hot?), I landed a gig at a marketing agency. While working on the account management side of a hip company sounds cool and glamorous (sometimes it was), most days were spent frantically replying to an insane amount of emails, trying to keep projects on track that were definitely not going to meet their deadline, fielding minor issues that a client would deem a “fire,” and scheduling client call after call after call. While my job was to keep my clients happy I, on the other hand, was definitely not. For the first year or so, it was exciting and kept me on my toes. But as the months dragged on it became mundane and exhausting.
Like most companies, mine tried to help fuel their team and keep morale up through endless treats like coffee and bagels. Donuts. Pizza. Chips. Soda. Often, I would get to travel for work and got to go to swanky restaurants, upscale wine bars, party buses packed with alcohol, and was allowed to order room service – all on the company card. Well boo hoo, right? These perks were fun at the moment but didn’t help with my sleep or energy levels which were both seriously messed up.
During this time, I started listening to podcasts. Actually, scratch that – I became obsessed with podcasts. With my day job not satisfying my desire to learn something new, health and wellness episodes were there right when I needed them. And I would listen to them over and over again. They were fascinating! I made the decision to take some nutrition classes and ended up enrolling in a certification program through Bauman College (https://baumancollege.org/). They have a campus in Northern California and offer their nutrition consultant course online, which was perfect for my situation. For 18 months, I hustled at work, and during nights and weekends, I was studying. The program was really fast-paced and covered everything from macronutrients to biochemistry, digestive physiology, liver detoxification, stress and the endocrine system, mental health and more. It was an outstanding, really thorough program and I would recommend it to anyone interested in getting into a career in health and wellness!
After the program was finished, I took a few months off to chill. But the end goal was to quit my office job and do something with that nutrition certificate. Recently, I did just that! While many nutritionists take one on one clients, I would rather drop some knowledge on a wider scope. Through freelance writing and corporate wellness seminars, I can share what I learned at Bauman College with a lot of people all at once.
Great, 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?
No, definitely not! I’m a procrastinator and spent many Sunday nights doing hours of homework that was due the next morning. It honestly took me a few months to find my groove balancing work and school. By the time I was finished with my work day, and my workout, it was around 7 p.m., and all I wanted to do was relax and eat dinner, not dive into another 2-3 hours of reading. Instead, I woke up at 6 am and put in a solid two hours of study time before work. I was so happy that I had already accomplished something by 8 am that it improved my mood and I became more focused at my job. And because I was so busy with school, I didn’t have time to obsess over my job during the weekend – so that was a win, but it took a while to get there.
I also got engaged a few months after I started the nutrition consultant program, so a good amount of time was spent wedding planning too! Luckily my husband kicks ass and helped out a lot, along with my sister in law. Now that I think about it really, all I did was find a dress and show up to the ceremony…! No, I had to have done more than that.
My advice to others thinking about changing career paths is to take baby steps. I spent weeks researching different schools and nutrition programs and even chatted with a few practicing nutritionists before making the decision to enroll at Bauman. Going back to school is a serious commitment, it takes time, money, and so much focus. A few women in my cohort worked full time, had families, and were killing it in our classes. They were total badasses! Interviewing professionals in the field you are interested in is always a good idea. If going back to school is on the table, you might be able to sit in on a class session or two for free. Personally, I wish I had read a few more introductory books on nutrition before I started my classes – I’ve got a list of my favorites on my website (https://alexabrynne.com/treats/).
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I love making something that could be really boring and dull funny and memorable, so that’s what I aim to do when I write. And as someone who spent many years freaking out at work and chugging coffee in an attempt to be a more alert and accomplished employee, I can relate to a lot of people who are experiencing the same thing. The coffee/bagel/donut cycle will always backfire. At the bare minimum, everyone’s practically asleep a few hours later after their sugar rush. Eventually, people get sick and have to skip out on work, which doesn’t really benefit the company. My goal isn’t to judge people or push a certain eating regimen on them. I deliver the facts and they can do what they want with that information. While I’m happy that eating healthy is really trendy right now, there are a lot of influencers marketing products that look pretty, sound great, but could end up being a waste of money. I teach my clients nutrition basics, so they have a better idea of what’s a legit product and what’s a bunch of BS. What I do is similar to a personal trainer; they are a great resource for a while, but you don’t need one forever. They show you the ropes so you can crush a workout on your own!
There’s a wealth of academic research that suggests that a lack of mentors and networking opportunities for women has materially affected the number of women in leadership roles. Smart organizations and industry leaders are working to change this, but in the meantime, do you have any advice for finding a mentor and building a network?
Finding a mentor is easier than ever thanks to my favorite app ever – podcasts! Whatever field you’re in, there’s an expert out there sharing their knowledge for free. Sometimes, networking sounds as much fun as a root canal. Luckily, networking has shifted from stiff conferences with name badges to happy hours, brunches, group hikes, and more creative activities and there are plenty of options to choose from here in San Diego.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://alexabrynne.com/
- Phone: (619) 344-0030
- Email: hello@alexabrynne.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexabrynne/
Image Credit:
Horse image credit https://sosacphotography.com/
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