Alexis Teichmiller is the Affiliate Manager at ConvertKit, an email marketing provider for professional bloggers. She is a content creators for hospitality brands as well as the host of The Laptop Lifestyle Podcast. Helping entrepreneurs tell their story and grow their businesses are two of her biggest passions.
Can you share a typical 24 hours with us, Alexis?
A typical day for me starts with coffee of course. I wake up around 7 am, make coffee and breakfast and I’m online, working by 7:30 am. I’m the Affiliate Manager for ConvertKit. an email marketing tool for online creators. Since ConvertKit is a remote company, my team and I all work from home.
I usually have 3-4 calls a day, ranging from an internal call to calls with top partners and affiliates. Ending my work day around 4pm, I head to the gym to get my sweat on! Working out is especially important after working all day at home. Once home from the gym, I make dinner and start working on my side hustles. I’m the host of a podcast, The Laptop Lifestyle, and a content creators for hospitality brands and tourism boards.
After spending all day looking at a computer screen, I like to end my day with a warm cup of tea and a good book!
Can you talk to us about the Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities class you started out with?
Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities was a class I took my senior year of high school, along with 20 other students. It’s a county-wide, application-based class, so there were students from all school districts in my area. Over the course of the year, we heard from 60 different small business owners, including business tours. It really taught me the inner workings of a business and what it took to run your own business at a young age.
The biggest challenge for each student was starting their own business. By the end of the year, we had to all start and run our own businesses with a real product offering. This led me to write my first non-fiction book at the age of 17. It was named Investing in Human Capitol and it was based on the relationships and mentorships that helped mold me throughout my adolescent life.
What do you think the key elements are to building a successful business?
There are many aspects to running a successful business. A few keys are truly knowing your target market, understanding the “why” behind why you created your business, and the systems you put in place in order to grow, scale and delegate.
What do you think are the common problems millennial entrepreneurs are facing today?
Two big challenges I think we face are distractions and patience. It’s easy for us to get distracted by the next big thing or social media sales tactic. And we all struggle with patience. It’s something I struggle with, along with many of my fellow creators. We want success and growth right now. We long for things to fall into place exactly the way we picture them that falls into our timeline. We need to be okay with big things taking time.
What inspired you to start The Laptop Lifestyle?
As a remote worker, I knew I couldn’t be the only one. I knew there was a community of creative, digital nomads longing for a community like me. So I started a podcast that shined a bright spotlight on location independent people who were creating communities and businesses from their laptops.
What about any challenging times you have had to overcome? When were they and how did you learn to overcome them?
One of the biggest challenges I faced was moving away from home to Nashville, TN where I live now. I didn’t know anyone and had zero community. I remember wanting to move back home after a few months of living here, but I pushed through. I knew I had to give it a real shot, so I promised myself I would stay for a least a year. By the time a year rolled around, I had made solid friends and truly found a creative community. When you make a promise to yourself, it’s extremely hard to break it. Because once you break it once, it gets easier. And I never want it to be easy to break promises.
Have you ever had to deal with any doubts of contention or lack of support from relatives or friends? If so how did you push through?
My friends and family have always been very supportive of my creative and business endeavors. However, at times they haven’t always understood what I did or how important it was to me. That’s when communication becomes a big part of your relationships. It takes time and energy to fully explain what you do, how you earn a living, and how important it is to you.
Earning a living online is unconventional and being a blogger/Youtuber/podcaster is pretty obscure to most people. That’s why when someone doesn’t fully understand what you do you should take the time to explain it to them.
Did you have a mentor or a coach that advised you whilst getting started?
I’ve been lucky to have many mentors throughout my life. My biggest mentor was a teacher of mine named Mr. Craig Lindvahl. He taught me the importance of integrity and character. One of my favorite quotes from him is that “no one cares about the storm.”
Meaning that when life hands us storms, not everyone wants to hear about them, they just care that you got the ship safely into the harbor. This is especially true in business.
Who has been your most favourite guest on your show so far?
This is a hard one to answer! I’ve had so many incredible people on the podcast that I greatly respect. One episode that really sticks out to me is the one with Madison Hedlund. She’s a life coach and on the episode, she opens up and talks about ego, shame, vulnerability, and the importance of giving yourself permission to be who you are. It was a very powerful episode and she’s a dear friend of mine.
What does success look like in your eyes?
Growth. Growth is the most important thing to me and it’s how I measure success. If I’m growing, I feel successful.
What outlets do use to market yourself?
The biggest tool that’s helped my brand is my podcast. The podcast has created this really tight-knit community of creatives. I connect with my community via Instagram. On every podcast episode, I encourage the listener to find me on Instagram and direct message me what they thought of the show. This is how I start a conversation and keep the conversation going.
What are the top 3 social media platforms you use that are the most effective to bring in clients and extend your network?
Instagram – This tool helps bring personality to your brand. With things like Instagram stories, you have a chance to show the behind the scenes of your life and business. There’s an extreme visual element to Instagram that allows you to spotlight your aesthetic and style.
Youtube – This tool is great for tutorials, long-form stories, testimonial, and travel content. With the right keywords and titles, you can gain a lot of views and traffic to your content. There’s a common misconception that you need all the best equipment and such in order to start building a Youtube channel, but you just need to create videos people are already searching for.
Facebook – This tool is something I recommend for generating traffic to your website/product/etc. Facebook ads are incredibly powerful. I encourage anyone who needs paid traffic to utilise them!
Best advice you could give to our audience of newbie founders and entrepreneurs just getting their foot on the ladder?
It’s easy to lose sight of who you are and why you got started when the going gets tough. The key to be is vulnerable. Through the good and the bad, share it with your community or at least your close friends.
Are there any other inspirational leading female serial entrepreneurs that you resonate with?
A few of my favorite female entrepreneurs are Melyssa Griffin and Jenna Kutcher.
What Youtube or online space channels are watching currently for inspiration?
A YouTube channel I consistently go back to watch is Casey Neistat. I love the way the simplest of vlogs feels like a big video production. He’s incredible!
We love Casey as well! Now, what is a good article or book you have read recently?
Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown.
How do you wind down?
This might sound strange, but I wind down by planning/getting organized. I rest easy knowing I’ve got my ducks in order and a plan. I also wind down with a nice glass of red wine and a good cheesy movie. The cheesier the better!!!
Lastly, what do you have coming on the horizon?
Something I’m working on right now that I’m pretty excited about is a new email course on vulnerability names Unfiltered: Seeking Vulnerability in an Online World.
Twitter: @alexisteich | Instagram: @alexisteichmiller
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alexisteichmiller/
Website:http://alexisteichmiller.com
