Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Powell.
Alex, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Originally, I had no idea I’d end up where I am right now. I actually attended the University of North Texas and graduated in May of 2018 with my B.S. in Mechanical and Energy Engineering. Immediately after graduating, I got a job as a mechanical engineer and job consultant in the HVAC industry. After just six months on the job, everyone on my team, including the VP that hired the person still training me and me, all quit going start their own business in direct competition with us. Naturally, I had to compensate for the missing personnel by covering all the empty positions. Still, I tried to see it as an opportunity to prove myself and show my worth with the company. However, after months of talking about a pay raise or extra help and hearing nothing back from management, as well as a series of key individuals also taking their leave, I decided I need to get out before I sunk with the proverbial ship.
I was so excited for my next gig, which was with a small oil & gas company. I was going to be a more critical part of a small team, get more money, and learn about the energy industry, which I’d hoped I could later leverage to get into green energies! However, yet again, my job failed me. After just four months, my employers ghosted me. The accountant that got hired alongside me, as well as myself, were strung along for months an extra two months without pay or the ability to work and discovered our benefits had been canceled as soon as the accounts were opened.
After both of these experiences, I decided my life needed a refresh. I took some time to reflect, and it didn’t take long for me to realize that I needed a job that was going to allow me to utilize all my soft skills, take me out of my comfort zone, and allow me to work with new and interesting people. That’s when I reached out to, the one, the ONLY, Jewels Clark. I’d met Jewels several months before, and knew she had a vast network of people she interacted with regularly, so I asked if she knew of any jobs that we’re hiring in marketing/sales. A few weeks later, she asked if I wanted to help grow her start up business as a sales person. I was hesitant at first, but I had nothing to lose, and it was one of the best decisions of my life.
Now, I work at How to be Social as the Experience Manager, where I get to host events, meet loads of fascinating people from an array of different backgrounds, and help turn starving artists into creative entrepreneurs. I work personally with a tight-knit team that constantly pushes each other to get better in every way possible. Since so many amazing and inspiring creatives have surrounded me, I’ve even started to pick up photography! I’ve never had an opportunity like this before, where I get to grow myself and network on a daily basis and craft projects that not impact the larger community. I truly feel like I’ve found a calling here that allows me to utilize all the best parts of myself, and I couldn’t be happier.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
My road has been bumpier than a Denton side street. Words can’t describe the disappointment of pursuing a particular future for yourself and realizing all of the efforts was fruitless. Before even graduating, I had an inkling that engineering might not be the real path to my most joyous future. Even so, it was the smart, sensible choice according to everyone I knew. I was so assured that I’d graduate and be able to find a job immediately and make a 6 figure salary by 25, but that’s a joke!
It wasn’t until I finally took a chance on myself and my own happiness that I began to see my true potential. and that’s exactly what I did when I joined the How to be Social team.
Please tell us about How to be Social.
How to be Social is in the business of creative problem solving. Our overall goal is to transform starving artists into creative entrepreneurs by bringing in some of Dallas’ best photographers, models, videographers, and graphic designers, and pairing them with a high profile company’s that need a creative solution to boost their business. During this process, we teach the creatives in our portfolio about the business side of the creative industry, so they know how to run themselves like a business and ensure they get paid for the incredible work they do. On the creative problem solving side, we offer a myriad of options that are uniquely tailored to the pain points of the client, ranging anywhere from content creation to event planning and even website and brand redesigns. It’s really fun to be able to pair clients with their brand-preferred creative and figure out the best, most innovative way to help grow their business! I think that’s what makes us so different as a company because we don’t offer one particular service, but more so the collective expertise and imagination of a highly driven team and expertly skilled creatives.
Within the team here at How to be Social, my role is the Experience Manager. We modeled this role after the Chief Experience Officer position that has become popular among many businesses. On the day to day, I help manage the team, keep track of projects, ensure our brand is properly represented, and keep track of the overall experience of our clients and creatives. If anyone that interacts with HTBS is unhappy, it’s my job to fix the problem as soon as possible. Additionally, I get to do a lot of event hosting/planning. Just this past weekend, I partnered with an Austin company, ThriveOnLife, to put together a strategic networking workshop that was quite successful. On March 18th, we’ll be working with the Virgin Hotel Dallas to host a runway workshop that available for anyone, and I’m incredibly excited about it! I think events are where I find the most joy with my job because it’s where I get to feel the most connected with my community.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I’m not quite sure what I would have done differently if anything at all. It’s easy for me to say I wish I’d chosen a different major, or worked at different jobs straight out of college, or gotten immersed in the creative community sooner, but everything in my life has brought to exactly where I am today. It’s hard to think that I’d have had this opportunity if I hadn’t taken the path I did in life. I firmly believe, whether it was God or mere circumstance, that I went through exactly what I needed to in order to be as successful as I could possibly be. It’s the lows in life that make you appreciate the highs, and it’s the struggles that give you the drive to always do better.
Contact Info:
- Website: HowtobeSocial.com
- Email: alex@howtobesocial.blog
- Instagram: @howtobesocial_
- Twitter: @howtobesocial_
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