Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Blair.
Hi Alex, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Fortaleza, Brazil, with three brothers and sisters. There, I attended a Catholic girls’ school and then pursued a degree in Geology at the University Federal of Ceará. Brazil is a fascinating country where people love football, samba, the beach, and Formula 1. We love all things that make us happy. In 1996, I moved to England with my newborn daughter, Alice, and husband, lived a quiet life, and studied English at West Sussex University. Three years later, I moved to Houston, where my son, James, was born, and I did some work for Petrobras America, a Brazilian oil company. Helping people in need played a crucial role in my life; I am a former Recipe for Success Foundation board member and a 2015 Fashion Gene Award recipient. I have also been involved in Let the Fashion Begin (a Texas Children’s Hospital benefit), served as a Global Committee Member and Global Honoree, and chaired the iWrite event in Houston. In the past decade, I have also served on the board of Unicef in the southwest region and am a supporter of the Houston Grand Opera and the Houston Symphony League.
As a fashion lover, I have been featured on many occasions as one of the bells of the ball for the HGO Ball and Culture Map style files and other Houston-based magazines.
My passion for fast cars started at a young age when I watched the Formula 1 season and saw our Brazilian racing car driver, Ayrton Senna, racing worldwide and winning big. I love to drive high-end cars and have been doing so for over fifteen years. In 2018, I joined the Heels & Horsepower car club, dedicated to ladies who own supercars or ultra-luxury vehicles.
In 2022, I took over ownership of Heels and Horsepower to unite like-minded women through friendship and enable them to showcase their love, appreciation, and knowledge of all things automotive.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has been smooth in some areas and highly challenging in others. English is my second language; therefore, I must constantly learn and improve. Also, as a first-time business owner, I found it challenging to understand the process of managing business operations. However, the most challenging of all was and still is managing the social media accounts, as they are all new to me.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I am the owner and CEO of Heels and Horsepower and am highly involved in efforts to help local charities. I am known for being fashionable, friendly, and for driving a more masculine car than some might imagine me in! My philosophy is and always has been “follow your dreams.” I differ from others in that I am a fighter, am persistent, and know what I want.
Heels and Horsepower unites like-minded women through friendship and empowerment, enabling them to showcase their love, appreciation, and knowledge of all things automotive. Since I purchased the club, it has undergone a few changes, shifting to a membership-based model to phase out our dependence on outside sponsors. This steadier stream of membership fees has allowed us to expand to be a more all-encompassing social group outside of our shared interest in luxury cars. With this new strategy, we look to continue growing our membership of influential women in Houston, expanding to other cities in the coming years.
Every year, our club hosts two to four official events and a few pop-ups across the Uptown and River Oaks neighborhoods of Houston. We have two membership levels, Personal and Concierge, although all members are guided by our rules and regulations handbook. Prospect members are accepted following an existing member’s referral and an application submitted through our website.
What I’m most proud of about H&H is that it creates instant communities among our members. Recently, we had a member join from out of state. She is an artist, and although she didn’t know anyone in Houston when she first arrived, she met one of our members at a local art class. That member introduced and referred her to our club, where she quickly bonded with other members and created a circle of friends in town. I am so proud of the membership we have built at H&H. I’ve known these ladies for years and am delighted to say that, not only do these women know how to enjoy life, but they are also incredibly active and generous in their community.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Luck can only take you so far; the rest is entirely up to you, your daily effort, and your ability to learn from your mistakes. Life goes by faster than we think. When you’re in your twenties, you think you’ll stay there forever, but before you know it, you’re in your thirties, and it feels too late for the things you wanted to do as a “young person.” But so long as you keep your head up and focus on what’s in front of you, you’ll be able to enjoy each day more than the last.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.heelsandhorsepower.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heelshorsepower/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heelshorsepower
- Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@heelsandhorsepower7851
Screenshot
Image Credits
Alejandro Olivares Daniel Ortiz Shane Dante
