Author. Writer. Business Owner. College Student. All of these roles describe a young woman I’ve had the pleasure of knowing for the last year by the name of Alexis Teichmiller. I was blessed with the chance of meeting Alexis through a fundraising event my sorority sisters and I hosted last spring. With Alexis being a college girl herself, there’s an instant connection felt not only by myself, but by all of my sisters, towards her. Seeing what she’s done with her business while maintaining her college gal persona, has been nothing short of inspiring. From the way she gets down to business to her refreshing light, she’s lit a fire in me to always be striving not only fashionably but professionally, since the day I’ve met her. Being able to not only know Alexis on a professional but on a personal level as well, I knew I had to pick her girl-boss brain on all things business and PR.
ATR: Whats a typical week like for you in your career?
A: I usually sit down on Sunday afternoon and line out what I need to do that week and when I needs to get done. So wether that be to order new inventory, add inventory to my website, schedule photoshoots, set social media schedule, etc. My week days are filled with class and work. I usually get up early in the mornings to send out emails and set appointments. My photo shoots are typically on Fridays since I don’t have class. My weeks are always jammed packed with meetings, photo shoots, and deadlines! They seem to fly by!
ATR: Tell me about a project that you are especially proud of.
A: A project that I am especially proud of would be my Pay It Forward program. I’ve teamed up with a local photographer to seek out girls who may not have the best home life, with limited finances. We then reach out to them and invite them to a private photoshoot just for them, they get free professional photos of themselves and free A T avenue clothing. This project encompasses everything my business is about, helping women feel beautiful and confident in their own skin. It’s so important to give back and help others, that’s what life is all about.
ATR: What do you do to keep current in the PR industry within your career?
A: Reaching out and communicating with others is what I love most about A T avenue. I am always researching new ways to communicate with my clients and actually interact with them too. Adding a personal touch to social media is what makes A T avenue different because I love commenting on my followers pictures, letting them know we care about them! I am a huge fan of instagram and recently began blogging. Connecting with opinion leaders on IG and bloggers and getting them to rep A T clothing on their accounts has been extremely successful and I have gained several followers from this tactic.
ATR: What do you wish you knew about PR prior to starting your business?
A: I wish I would have known how important it was to style each post and image to represent your brand. It took me several months to create a look that fit the A T brand. It’s important to have all of your branding and PR be constant and that was something I struggled with in the beginning. Planning out a social media schedule would have helped me in the beginning to make my posts more efficient and communicate the right message.
ATR: How important is writing in your business?
A: Writing is life. Seriously. Writing is so important in my day to day tasks, but also I get to make up fun and creative product descriptions for all of my products. Writing creative and compelling posts and write ups draw people in. Humor is huge in business writing right now. If you can connect with your audience using humor about every day life, it makes you ten times more relatable.
ATR: Three tips you’d offer someone starting out in PR?
A: 1) Don’t be afraid to be creative. If you have a hunch on a new or innovative way to communicate with your readers or clients, act on it. 2) Make yourself relatable. No one likes to read about someone who has it all together. So wether it be website content, product descriptions, press releases, or even a blog, connect with your audience using real life material. 3) Find your unique voice. This world is filled with talented, ambitious people, just like you. Find a way to make yourself stand out and have a unique voice that will attract people to you like a magnet. And most of all, be a girlboss. Don’t take no for an answer and keep pushing for everything you want out of life!
ATR IN PR 