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Meet Trailblazer Alexandra Walden

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexandra Walden.

Alexandra, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was immersed in rock music, fashion, art and all-around creativity from the moment I was born… having parents who were heavily involved with each… it was only natural that I’d follow in their footsteps. As I grew up, and developed my own personal style…. black was my favorite color early on. My style on the other hand, has run the gamut between rocker chic to dark gypsy to industrial goth to Victorian Gothic. Today, I think I embody all of those combined into one. Despite my outward appearance, in my daily life, I loved to cook and craft, to sew and throw theme parties. It was common for me to hear that I was a dichotomy and I was very proud of that. I loved surprising people. I still do.

I had a career in the fashion industry, but did event planning on the side as a hobby. Hosting and planning events was my true passion. I created the menus, the design, the themes, the decorations, the invitations… I even created the music playlists. I loved having my hand in every aspect of the process and final product. When I moved to Atlanta a few years ago, I left both my job and my hobby behind. When trying to figure out what I was going to do next, a lifestyle blog seemed to make sense for me. It would give me the opportunity to showcase my talents and still dabble in all of those things I felt passionate about. I hit a few bumps in the road early on in my journey but eventually, rebranded and successfully launched a blog dedicated to a subculture community.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has definitely NOT been a smooth road. When I started the blog, I had not done the due diligence of branding myself, thinking thru my goals or creating a business plan. I just jumped in and posted content that I thought others would want to see, assuming an audience would just magically appear. It didn’t. I tried branching out to social media in an attempt to reach a wider audience, but my frustration was higher. I got so caught up in trying to do what I thought the masses wanted that I forgot to be myself. I had convinced myself that there wasn’t an audience out there for the real me…. who was going to pay attention to the girl that wore black platform boots and black nail polish but liked to bake and craft.

Only a few months into launching the blog and I didn’t recognize myself anymore. The dichotomy I had always been so proud of was nowhere to be seen on the pages of my site. I hit pause and regrouped. I spoke to anyone and everyone that I thought may be able to offer some advice… and boy, did I get it. The overwhelming reaction was “where’s the real you?! Where are the skulls? Where is the edginess? Anybody can bake a cupcake…. you’re the girl that bakes one with a skull on it.” Everyone was right! I went to a blogging workshop hosted by Hollis Gillespie to gain a bit more perspective and gained a piece of knowledge that changed everything for me – not only to be my authentic self… but to dig deep and find the most unique part of myself to share with the world. Instead of trying to appeal to the masses, do just the opposite. Create the kind of content that appeals to my unique self and the audience will come. Hollis was absolutely right!

I rebranded. New logo, new blog categories, completely new content – a newly invigorated me. I kicked it all off with an article about my path to rediscovery… http://www.meandannabellee.com/there-will-be-skulls-a-bloggers-lesson-in-self-discovery/. From that moment on, every post has been authentically me… dark, edgy, gothic, rock ‘n roll me. And to my surprise, the audience came. And now, I absolutely love what I am doing. I put an insane amount of hours into my work, but when people reach out to tell me how much they love what I’m doing… there’s just nothing more rewarding!

If I could give other women advice…
• I know it may sound cliché, but I would say the most important thing is to be true to yourself. Don’t get caught up in what you think this world needs to see or hear or read. Be wonderful, unique you in everything you do and you will be so much happier… not to mention and success will follow.
• If you are going to start a business, do your homework… a lot of it. Start with a business plan. Know your brand. Know your customer. Have a vision and stick to it. Be prepared to work hard…. very hard. Hold yourself accountable. I put in more hours running my own business than I ever did with my corporate job. I often work all hours of the night to meet deadlines… even though, I’m the one setting those deadlines… because I hold myself accountable. Results don’t come overnight, but the hard work does eventually pay off. Know that what you are about to do may take a year or two to get off the ground and plan for that.
• Regardless of the journey….. find a sounding board. Whether it’s a group of girlfriends, a mentor, a teacher, a spouse, a business group or all of the above. When I tried working in a vacuum, I lost myself. It’s amazing how much knowledge and inspiration you can gain from talking to other people.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Me and Annabel Lee – what should we know?
I run a lifestyle blog called: Me and Annabel Lee. The blog is dedicated to all things Gothic, Victorian, Macabre, Unusual, Halloween and Rock ‘n Roll. The content includes home decor, cooking, event planning, DIY, style, holidays, shopping, travel, weddings, and more.

Over the past year, it has become apparent that I am becoming best known for my DIY projects or what I call “Goth It Yourself” projects. I commonly find items at thrift stores or garage sales and transform them… giving my readers a way to turn trash into treasure. I am constantly researching and teaching myself new crafting techniques and then, using those techniques to create “dark” projects and tutorials for my readers.

For people with a gothic or dark aesthetic, stores just simply do not cater to us unless it’s Halloween time. And even then, a lot of what stores carry is just so cheesy. Decorating a home or buying personal items can be such a challenge. Even something as simple as black dishes are hard to find unless it’s September or October. It can be very frustrating. There are also not a ton of blogs dedicated to folks with a darker taste and even fewer that have tutorials and project ideas. As that audience has found me, I get a lot of people thanking me for offering the community a way to create their own home décor by transform ordinary objects into something truly unique and special.

Besides the DIY projects, I like to offer ideas on using easy-to-get items to create table settings and theme party set ups. I also create shopping lists to help my readers with gift giving ideas or find the perfect summer accessories or swimsuits. Sometimes, I take a break from the projects and step into the kitchen to whip up some macabre treats.

Eventually, I began getting requests from readers to buy some of the objects I was making on the blog, so in addition to the blog, I decided to open an Etsy Store: MeandAnnabelLeeShop. I currently sell some home décor pieces, jewelry and digital images. A lot of the jewelry I make stays in line with my trash to treasure approach – as I take antique salvaged bits and pieces and create unique accessories. This year, I am planning to expand my Etsy store with more product lines and will even be featuring a line of Christmas items this Fall.

March 13th will mark one year since I rebranded myself and my business. I am so proud of what I have accomplished in that year, having gone above and beyond many of the business goals I had set for myself. I am looking forward to 2018 and can’t wait to see what I am able to accomplish with yet another year under my belt. I have so many exciting ideas and projects coming up… I’ll be adding a lot more gothic and halloween wedding ideas. I’ll even be doing some collaborations with some other amazingly talented bloggers! All signs point to a fun and successful next year!

Finding a mentor and building a network are often cited in studies as a major factor impacting one’s success. Do you have any advice or lessons to share regarding finding a mentor or networking in general?
When I started this journey, I didn’t know another soul who had started a blog, so I didn’t really have anyone to turn to for specific advice or tips. I ended up signing up for a blogging workshop which was a huge help. There are so many classes and workshops offered all over Atlanta (for any area of interest). If I had the time, I’d probably sign up for as many as I could.

I also sought help from a close friend who was on a similar path as me. She was starting her own manufacturing business around the time that I was starting Me and Annabel Lee. While our businesses were different, we were both females trying to create a brand and launch a business. We began a cadence of working lunches and shopping trips to see if we could help each other. We offered inspiration, shared our findings on marketing or branding, bounced ideas off of one another for design concepts and most importantly, gave each other pep talks when we were second guessing ourselves. It was beyond valuable.

I have most recently relied heavily on social media to meet others in the blogging community…. thanks to some of those connections, I was invited to join a group called the Samhain Society and I’m so excited about it. It’s a group of halloween and horror bloggers and vloggers working together. We ask and answer each other’s blogging/video questions, share helpful links and articles, receive feedback on our work and share each other’s latest posts or/videos. Ultimately, we act as mentors to one another and help each other to grow our followings and our business.

Contact Info:


Image Credit:
Alexandra Walden

Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

2 Comments

  1. Sue

    March 29, 2018 at 4:26 pm

    Alexandra and her incredible blog are a constant source of inspiration, both home and abroad. Not only to those looking to live a gothic lifestyle all year round, but also those of us who dabble on the fringes. She is indeed a trailblazer!

  2. bayern trøje

    May 23, 2018 at 11:39 am

    Wow cuz this is excellent work! Congrats and keep it up.

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