Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexandria Walker.
Alexandria, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’m Alexandria Walker and I’m originally from Hughes, Arkansas. I’ve been in Metro Atlanta since 2009. If you ask my family and friends, they will tell you that I dabble in quite a few things. I’m an Alumni of The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. I’m a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Spring 2003. I think I’m a well-rounded individual. I love running. I found my love for running in 2012 and I’ve been nonstop every since. I also enjoy bike riding. I’m learning to swim (well when COVID allows us to safely return to the pool). My goal is to do my first triathlon once I learn to swim. I have also found a love for yoga. I hope to become a certified yoga teacher in the very near future. When I’m not doing some type of physical activity, I enjoy cooking (yes, I can cook), reading, writing and traveling. I love international travel and the opportunity to learn about other cultures. My favorite vacation thus far has been Rome, Italy.
I made my way to Atlanta in June 2009 after I received a promotion with my then-current job and it required me to relocate. I’ve gotten where I am today with a lot of praying and hard work. Atlanta has been the adventure that I didn’t know I needed.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Nothing about my journey has been smoothed. I wouldn’t say it has been unusually hard either. I still struggle with marketing my books to get the sales that I want. It’s always a learning curve for me. I’m an introvert at heart, so getting out in crowds and networking is one of my challenges for both marketing my books and promoting 4 The Culture Tees. I’ve learned that I have to do things even when I’m fearful. Fear isn’t an excuse not to do something.
There are the other normal struggles – capital to make things happen behind the scenes. You have to have the capital to buy equipment, create websites, run ad campaigns, merchandise, marketing & promotion, etc. There have been times when I felt like it would be easier for me to give up as opposed to trying to figure out how to make all the behind the scenes stuff work. Then there has been the challenge of writing the book, editing, marketing, promoting, book cover design, hosting events, attending events, etc. Regardless to the many challenges, there is always a way to get things done. It may take some flexibility in the method but the goal remains the same.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I’m a self-published author. I write under the pen name of Xan Tucker. I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. My love for writing was fostered by my mom’s writing. I was inspired by the many stories she would write and read to my siblings and me when we were growing up. I didn’t know those Friday and Saturday nights sitting in my parent’s bed would birth my love for writing. I’ve self-published six books. My first published book is a compilation of poems. I decided to make this my first published work because I figured if I could share something so intimate as my poems, I wouldn’t have an issue publishing my romance novels. After such a good response from my poetry book, I decided to publish my romance books: The Love Series. This series consists of five books: Conquering Love, Conquered by Love, Running from Love, Protected by Love and Trusting Love. All six books are available on Amazon, Kindle and Smashwords. As an author, I’m most proud of the work that I have created and the excitement my readers share with me and others after they read my books.
In addition to being an author, I’m the owner of 4 The Culture Tees. I make custom statement tees. This idea was birthed after I reached out to a particular business to get a few t-shirts made and didn’t hear anything back for days. At that moment, I decided I would research the process to press my own t-shirts. When I realized how simple it was, I decided to start advertising the t-shirts on my social media. Soon enough, I had a website, social media pages, and orders were coming in. I pride myself on the customer service and the quality experience that I am able to provide customers. I strive to make every interaction with 4 The Culture Tees a personal and great experience. It has been learning with both being an author and a business owner.
I’m a strong believer in multiple streams of income. While I am an author and press t-shirts, I’m also employed full-time as a Business Analyst. I’m happy to announce that I’ve added another position to my resume as a real estate agent. I’m a licensed Real Estate Agent with Solid Source Realty, GA. Anyone looking to buy, sell or rent in Georgia, I would be happy to assist you with your real estate needs. I know it seems like I have a lot going on but I hustle and grind like this because I’m looking to break generational curses. I want my nieces and nephews and younger cousins to know that nothing is impossible and there’s no such thing as too much. Find the things you are good at and capitalize on them (legally, of course).
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I had to start over with my books, I would learn more about marketing and promotion. I also would not try to do everything myself. The latter was the most overwhelming aspect of being an author. As a business owner, I would definitely learn more about the business side of things and make sure that I understood the technology side of things as well. Not that I need to be a subject matter expert but a working knowledge is helpful. Again, I wouldn’t try to do everything myself. I would have surrounded myself with a team that I think would have produced better results with both businesses. Last but not least, I would find a mentor in the industry. Mentorship is very important and is one of the best decisions to make as a business owner.
Pricing:
- Most t-shirts at $20 plus shipping & handling
- All my books are available on Amazon, Kindle and Smashwords for less than $5
Contact Info:
- Website: www.4theculturetees.com
- Email: 4theculturetees@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/4theculturetees
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/4theculturetees
- Other: www.authorxantucker.com
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