Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexis Jacob.
Alexis, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
For starters, anyone who knows me, knows that I absolutely love food. I enjoyed eating so much that my friends and family used to refer to me as “the garbage disposal” in high school. (My stomach had no boundaries.) I ate what I wanted and as much as I wanted up until I graduated from Prairie View A&M University (May of 2016). It was a Sunday afternoon and my family had thrown an amazing graduation party for me the night before. I was set on eating leftovers for the third time that day and no one could stop me, I scarfed down an ungodly amount of cold seafood and managed to get food poisoning that lasted seven and a half days. From that point on, I couldn’t digest a lot of the foods that I once enjoyed.
For a while, it was difficult. I tried to force myself to eat the tasty foods that I once loved, in hopes that my digestive system would go back to “normal”. But it was to no prevail, body simply couldn’t take it. So, after talking to my best friend about what I should do next, she recommended transitioning to a clean, plant-based diet. Initially, I cringed at the idea, but after trying some of her recipes (and stumbling through my own) I fell in love with it! Before I knew it, I was creating recipes and making smoothies and fresh juices for anyone that was willing to try them. For months, bought books on eating clean, read research findings on plant-based eating and watched hours of documentaries on how lifestyle choices affected our bodies. I was so excited about sharing the lifestyle change that was happening that I started posting my findings on social media. To my surprise, there were a lot of people who were interested in making changes to eat a more clean, healthy diet, and my engagement quickly increased!
Last October, I made the decision to relocate from Houston to Dallas, TX. I moved with the desire to “spread my wings”. I thought I had it all figured out. I was going to ace my last semester of graduate school, land the perfect (high paying) job, move into a nice house with my dog, and life was going to be good. Unfortunately, nearly the exact opposite happened. I moved into a cozy apartment, but I nearly flunked out of my graduate program, for eight months, I only received rejection letters from companies, I spent my savings and had less than a dollar to my name, and every day I fought to keep a smile on my face. It was during this uncertain time that God spoke to me and “Alexis Brielle” was birthed.
Alexis Brielle.org began as a blog that I created to share my life experiences, as well as information on living a healthy, holistic lifestyle. I dedicated my first post about what I loved dearly, food, and more specifically, I spoke on my journey towards living a healthy, balanced, plant-based, lifestyle. Shortly after launching I started working as a nanny for the Smiths, a family that was looking for help around the house and also wanted to make moves towards living a healthier lifestyle… JACKPOT! So, we sat down and ironed out their goals and how I could help them. We decided that each week, I would create a menu, go grocery shopping, and cook meal preps for them to eat throughout the week. We tested out this method, and within the first week, they agreed to help me turn this into a business, as well as be my clients. A week later, I spoke with Janessa, (my best friend that I mentioned previously) who was preparing to take the stage at the 2018 Miss Dallas USA Pageant a month later. Despite the countless commitments she had, she also supported me and my endeavors by taking all of the pictures that you see on “AlexisBrielle.org“, along with being an encouraging friend that was in my corner. She was so supportive of my new business that she asked to be my new client and help her as she prepared to compete.
Today, the Smiths have made huge progress towards achieving their health goals and they’ve even lost weight! Janessa went on to compete a month later, and is the reigning Miss Dallas USA! Since then, I’ve decided to separate my blog and my business. “Alexis Brielle” is still my blog, however, my meal prepping business is now called “Living Healthy with Lexy”.
And to think that it all started with a little food poisoning…
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
A smooth road? Not in the least bit. But victory always tastes sweeter when you’ve been thrown struggles and you can stand tall in the end. The main struggle that I faced was overcoming criticism/rejection. When I first started sharing the information I’d found with my followers, I had countless people tell me that I had taken a dive off the deep end. I was told that I was “too extreme” and “weird” for wanting to make healthy food choices by the very people who I thought were my friends. I was the butt of a lot of jokes and, though I kept it together in front of them, their judgments hurt. When I started making recipes and sharing them on Instagram, people frequently told me that my food looked disgusting and that it was “too green”. At a certain point, I wondered if anyone would even support me and/or my business. But that brings me to my next point…
Screw what other people think. Always be accepting of CONSTRUCTIVE criticism, but don’t spend a second on people who tear you down because they don’t see your vision. There’s always going to be people who have something nasty to say, but for every one nay-sayer, there are ten times more people who are rooting for you. Cling tight to your support system because they’re the ones who want to see you succeed.
Next, quit the comparison game. Now that’s a lot easier said than done considering the nature of social media and how much time we spend on it. But actively take strides to do whatever it is that’s necessary in order to stop comparing your walk with someone else’s. There’s always room for you, and you bring something unique to the table. So, don’t dull your light by wishing you had what someone else has. God specifically designed YOU. Because of who you are and what you’ve experienced, there is someone in this world whose life will never be the same after their interaction with you. That’s your power, Own it.
what should we know about Living Healthy with Lexy? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Simply put, I strive to help my clients live healthy, holistic lifestyles that they enjoy. I have helped clients with everything from home organization projects to teaching them how to grocery shop and make their dollar stretch. Currently, a lot of my clients seek my help with meal prep, weight loss/gain, and nutrition. In the coming months, I’ll expand and offer my line of fruit blends for smoothies. With these frozen blends of fresh, locally grown, organic fruits, the only thing you’d need to do it add your favorite liquid, blend, and enjoy a fresh, nutritious drink!
What I’m most proud of (and what also sets my business apart) is that I’m not only here to provide my clients with a service, but I’m also here to teach my clients how to make good lifestyle choices even if I’m not present. While I would love to have the perfect, loyal clients who are constantly supportive and make good healthy decisions, I understand that life happens. What decisions do you make when you are presented with a full menu at a restaurant? What produce do you grab when you have to make dinner for some friends? What foods do you reach for when you’re in a rush? Instead of dropping off a few boxes of food and leaving, my goal is to put my clients in a position to succeed by giving them the information necessary to make healthy choices.
Do you have a lesson or advice you’d like to share with young women just starting out?
Go for it! If there is a dream that God has put on your heart then it’s for a good reason. Your efforts will never go in vain. It may be a little scary or intimidating at first, but feel the fear and do it anyway, sis! In time, you will be glad that you did.
Contact Info:
- Website: Alexisbrielle.org
- Email: Alexisbjacob3@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/_Alexisbrielle
- Twitter: www.Twitter.com/_Alexisbrielle
Image Credit:
Janessa Jones
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