Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexis Eckler
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up in Springfield, Ohio, with a strong creative edge. I was involved in band, elective art classes, musicals, talent shows, and by high school, I took a big leap by attending a STEM school. Although I had always excelled in academics, attending a STEM school with a completely new group of students, classes, and rules—at a school that had only been established three years prior—gave me the chance to reinvent myself and how I viewed both education and personal growth.
When it was time for college, I attended The Ohio State University on a full academic scholarship, graduating in 2023 with a Bachelor’s in Human Sciences, with a focus on the business of fashion. Throughout college, I consistently worked and always had a job. But by my junior year, surrounded by a community of entrepreneurs and a diverse student body of over 60,000, I realized I wanted to become an entrepreneur myself. I launched an e-commerce business, a boutique with my sister, called Truly A’deja. It did well and taught me invaluable lessons, especially when combined with the business, fashion, marketing, and management courses I took at OSU.
In addition to running this small business, I began freelancing as a social media manager. Having always been active on social media, I realized I loved marketing, especially the psychology behind it, and found joy in outlets that allowed me to be creative while making money. This work, plus a brief role as office manager for a children’s dance company, equipped me with many skills. I pitched myself successfully, and after proving my value, transitioned from office manager to virtual assistant when I moved to Atlanta.
It was actually my gym trainer who introduced me to my now mentor, colleague, and close friend, Jauntel, who gave me the opportunity to work at her marketing agency, run and founded by Black women. All of this transformed my small-town mindset and showed me I could be so much more than just someone who clocks in every day to build someone else’s business. Today, I direct, write, and produce for small businesses, create content, manage social media for seven different clients, and still make time to develop my own ideas and content creation.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. One of my biggest struggles was figuring out how to find a balance between trading my skills for opportunities without allowing myself to be taken advantage of or drained of my time and energy. Moving from office manager to virtual assistant wasn’t too hard, but the real challenge came when I asked for a raise—from $15 an hour, which I earned sitting at her desk, to $25. My role had grown from creating Canva announcements to managing invoices, running her CRM, and ultimately giving her the space she needed to almost double her student list for her small dance company in Ohio. Since then, I’ve moved on from that role, but the experience gave me so much insight.
The next hurdle came when I had to pitch myself as a professional in Atlanta. It was tough not to internalize rejection and take it personally when people didn’t see my worth. That’s why I’m especially thankful for the businesses and people who trust me now and give me the creative freedom to help turn their ideas into a reality.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
The title I carry most often is social media manager and content creator. I’ve had the chance to work with such a variety of businesses, from restaurants to doctors, which is amazing in itself. But the coolest part is collaborating with people who are experts in their fields—brilliant, savvy business moguls—who see me as someone just as intelligent and resourceful. That’s probably what I’m most proud of: the skills I’ve gained that allow me to move seamlessly between different industries and environments while staying true to my creative side.
Any business I work with, I love going above and beyond for. I’ve gone from making simple reels for restaurants to writing scripts and directing full-blown, conceptual ads for some pretty unique brands. The confidence that comes from taking something I used to do for fun—like editing videos of my favorite bands—into something that makes me an important part of a growing marketing agency is unreal.
Growing up, I went to all PWIs (predominantly white institutions), and it’s hard to explain how being in environments where few people look like you, even fewer see you, and almost no one hears you, can impact your sense of identity and self-worth. But every chapter, even those filled with mistakes, has shaped who I am now—and for that, I’m grateful.
What’s next?
I’ve always been a big dreamer. My dreams range from launching my own activewear line to dropping an R&B album. But more than anything, I’m focused on becoming my most efficient self. Time management, I’ve realized, is one of the most underrated skills, and I’ve come to see that work is just as much a part of my identity as play. I want to be someone people can depend on, the first person that comes to mind when opportunities pop up. I want to manage my time so well that I can show up for others while also being fully present for myself and my creative goals. I believe those two things fuel each other. I’m really looking forward to becoming the most creative, efficient, versatile, and confident version of me.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamlexiejade
