Enterprenuer
Alexis is co-CEO at Alexis Jae, a direct-to-consumer jewelry business.
Alexis was previously employed by Dyal Capital, Alwyne Management, and J.P. Morgan in various finance roles.
Summa Cum Laude graduated from Washington University, St. Louis, with a B.S. Business Administration.
Where did Alexis Jae get the idea?
For over 75 years, our family has been making jewelry.
This meant that jewelry was made for designers who sold it to stores who then sold it to people like you.
This means that it will be heavily marked up by the time it reaches you.
Our family and friends have asked us to make jewelry for them.
It was more affordable, and they could customize it as much as they liked.
We realized that we should make jewelry for everyone.
We do.
You can now customize any piece and save up to 50% on traditional retail prices.
You can also feel good because all of our gems and gold are recycled.
A portion of the profits is donated to breast cancer research.
How do you stay productive?
Our day is busy, which is the only consistent thing.
My mom is the first thing that I do every morning.
Both of us go over our goals and prioritize them to be productive.
We often work with our Thai production manager in the morning.
We speak with customers throughout the day.
We often spend a lot of time shipping orders to our customers.
We create new products, adjust our marketing strategy, price products, and write copy.
How do you bring ideas to life?
Our customers are the source of most of our product ideas! Any piece can be customized.
Customers may want to modify the products we offer (e.g., change the size or gemstone).
Customers can also create an entirely new item. We work with a graphic artist to help the customer visualize the piece.
After the customer confirms it, we begin working on it.
We will often take a photo of the completed essay and post it on our website for customers to purchase.
What’s your favorite trend?
Pearls! My mother joined a pearl company that my grandfather owned.
To make pearl earrings, I glue pearls backs onto posts as a child.
It is excellent to see pearls being a big trend for this season. They are a wonderful gift for a bridal shower.
What habits make you productive?
It would help if you always did something.
My activities other than my full-time job were limited when COVID was launched, so I started working on Alexis Jae.
I took classes in marketing and learned how to create a website.
While I was working in finance, my side-business was built, and I was able to leave my job in May to pursue Alexis Jae full time.
My family and friends may find my inability to sit still annoying, but it benefits when I’m running a business.
On Sundays, I am unable to watch TV. Instead, I will be working on Alexis Jae.
What’s your advice for the Noob?
It will all work out. Because I was so determined to work hard, I went to a great college and got a job as a finance professional.
I got a job at J.P. Morgan after college and worked at a hedge fund and a private equity fund.
Although I achieved the goal, I was not fulfilled. Every day I wake up feeling passionate about my work and content with it.
I love helping our customers create unique pieces.
It’s a great feeling to own my own business and support breast cancer research.
It all worked out in the end, and it was worth all the stress.
What is one thing we can all agree on?
It’s the best thing to work with my mom. Many of my friends and family members have told me they cannot imagine not working with their mom.
Nothing is better. Our skill sets are very complementary – she is the salesperson, and I am the operations person.
It’s not difficult to agree when our opinions don’t align.
What do you recommend as an entrepreneur?
Ask questions. Every person brings a different perspective to the table.
I am constantly refining and changing my business ideas based on my knowledge.
What’s your rich strategy?
We keep no inventory. Our customers can enjoy lower prices, which helps us grow more quickly.
We take a photo of a customer’s new piece of jewelry and upload it to our website.
How do you overcome Failure?
Instead of researching, we chose a marketing company that was highly regarded because of its track record.
It was not a significant setback. We have learned that we enjoy working with freelancers who share our passion for the brand.
We learned how to vet partners more effectively.
Can you share a business idea?
This is a gift I could not refuse to give—a private jewelry label.
Stores often ask us if they would be willing to white label our products to resell them.
It’s easy to start your own business with no minimums.
We also allow people to use our photos.
They’ll design more pieces as their stores expand.
What’s your recent best buy?
Citibike membership. It is the best way to travel around New York City.
What are your favorite Softwares or Apps?
Shopify. Squarespace was my previous platform.I couldn’t be happier.
Shopify makes it easy to create a store, integrate ads, and grow organically through SEO.
Which book would you recommend?
This question is a bit out of my control, but I took Isaac Rudansky’s Ultimate Google Ads Training 2020 – Profit with Pay Per Klick, and I highly recommend it.
This is an excellent way to deepen your knowledge about Google Ads.
What’s your favorite quote?
You can choose to start on day one or later. It is easy to excuse yourself and say that I will start when I’m done. There is never a perfect moment, so get going.
TL;DR by Alexis Taub
- Never stop learning new things and refining your opinions
- Passionate about something?
- Do not make excuses, get started
