Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexandra Tucker.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Alexandra. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I graduated from Georgetown University in 2014 with my BA in Mathematics, a minor in Women’s & Gender Studies, and no idea what I wanted to do next. At the time I was working as a receptionist at a hair salon and decided I just wanted to take some time to figure out what it is that I wanted to do. Ten months later, I decided to pursue a position with a federal consulting firm based in DC. I worked on their contract for HUD for about a year and quickly realized that working for the federal government was not for me. I needed a change – not only in my career path but also in my scenery. Six months later I moved to Atlanta, without a job lined up and against the wishes of my family (who believe you should have something lined up before you make a big change like that).
Two weeks after moving to Atlanta I secured an analyst role with Nielsen (after months of taking online courses, networking and being rejected from a million other jobs), a syndicated data and analytics company, supporting their Coca Cola business. After about a year of doing that, I fell into my current role and quickly moved up to managing the Insights & Analytics function for Goody Products Inc (a hair accessories manufacturer). Since working with Goody, I’ve gained a ton of experience – mainly centered around project & database management, leading qualitative and quantitative research projects, developing stories & decks that help visualize my findings, and building out strategy & pitches for our top retail partners.
Still, I’ve found that I want to do more! Recently, I began thinking of how I can use my experience and skill set to help others grow their businesses, and began doing ad hoc projects that utilize my skill sets for small minority & women-owned businesses. Additionally, I joined a group of amazing people at Stocks Rising – a small, but growing group that teaches others how to trade forex. I’m continuing to place my focus on pushing myself to passionately pursue the little ideas that pop into my head and to stay true to myself. My only hope is that others can see my story and realize that it doesn’t always have to be cut & dry and that you can still be successful without having everything figured out.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has not always been smooth – but for the most part, I’m an optimist, so I try to find the good in any situation. When I first moved to Atlanta, I received a lot of push back from my family, which was discouraging. Not only that, I was making a total career transition and could not get a job offer to save my life, prior to moving to Atlanta. However, I’m a stubborn person, so push back and rejection has never really stopped me from going after what I want.
After leaving Nielsen, I put in a lot of work to rally my promotion into my current role. However, I had to make others believe that I deserved it, despite all of the behind the scenes efforts I was putting in. It was frustrating but so worth it in the end as now I’m a trusted resource and the team subject matter expert when it comes to anything data and insights related.
Now, my struggle is figuring out my next direction and believing in myself 100%. I’m interested in everything and am dealing with some apprehension to really go for it. However, I’ve done a lot better about setting any fears to the side and just putting in some time and effort to truly practice the new skills I want to learn. Now it’s all about finding balance.
Please tell us about Goody.
I currently work for Goody Products Inc., a hair accessories manufacturer based outside of Atlanta. Goody has been around for 100+ years but has recently been struggling due to transitioning from one parent company to the next. We are trying to figure out who we are as a brand, while still maintaining business as usual with our retail partners.
I specialize in all things insights & analytics, which lends itself to project management, deck design, and a lot of presenting my findings and ideas to others. I love what I do because I get to have a voice on the team, I’m well-respected, and I truly work with some amazing people.
I’m most proud of the culture the team I’m on has developed, and our tenacity throughout the ups & downs that our company has faced in the last year. There has been a lot of uncertainty, there still is, but we still manage to have a great time and do an awesome job at what we do. We have seen some small milestones in the last month, but I know there are more to come and it makes me extremely proud to be a part of that.
That, in large part, is what sets us apart from others. I think our positive mindset, go get it attitude, and tenacity are hard to come by for a team as a whole.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I had to start over, I would have taken figuring out what I wanted to do professionally more seriously in college. I pursued a lot of opportunities that I knew weren’t for me just because I knew they paid well or were easy to obtain. I would have taken more advantage of the resources that I had at my disposal and been more involved in college groups.
Post college – I don’t think I would change much. All of the decisions I’ve made have led me to where I am right now, and I think I’m in a great space. I have a lot of opportunities surrounding me, and now it’s up to me to go get it.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.goody.com
- Email: alex.tucker@goody.com
- Instagram: @alexandratucker_
Image Credit:
Main Picture – @shotsbyr1z, Stocks Rising – @vics.vibes
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