Starting In The World Of Startups

A Recap of Be Fearless in NYC and a statement from me.

On April 27th, Be Fearless premiered in New York City to a sold out crowd of 75 ambitious women. I was close to tears as I watched young women meet their dream mentors and admirable speakers like Anne Mahlum, Meghan Houle, Alex Snider and more share!

3 Ways To Prove Your Startup Idea Works

1. Test Your Idea First

Make sure your idea is something people actually want before going all in. Run some surveys, make a basic version of your idea (your MVP which is minimum viable product) and see how people react. Case studies are what prove to you you’re on to something and it’s important to know the audience you’re targeting because they’ll be the ones buying your first items!

2. Get Your Squad Together

You need a killer team. Find friends or people who are just as pumped about your idea as you are. Make sure they've got different skills, too, so you guys can handle everything from making the product to selling it. You’ll need help with marketing, accounting, PR, branding, and someone computer savvy to help you set up web content. You can’t do it all yourself but keeping costs low at the beginning is critical to maintaining the life of a startup. Most founders don’t take any salary for the first year (at least) so you’ll want to prepare to put almost every penny back into the biz!

3. Keep An Eye On Cash & Burn Rate

Money troubles can kill your startup fast. Figure out how much you’ll need to get going and keep the lights on. Have a plan for where that money’s coming from, whether it’s saving up, getting help from family, or finding investors. And always know how long you can keep going if things get tight. It’s smart to have 6-12 months of costs put aside in case it takes that long to start generating income. That’s why I always say don’t quit your day job before you need to. Remember you’re going to make mistakes along the way and the more mistakes you make, the more you’ll learn.

A Statement From Me

This week has been very heavy and intense. Many of you may have seen what transpired about me in the media. I made a public apology, donated to the incredible charity that put on the race and did as much as I could to fix the mistake I made. I also want to be honest and say I had no intention of this going viral nor had I ever heard of the term people were calling me. I was ignorant and owned up to my ignorance. What I went through since Monday morning is a nightmare and something I wouldn’t wish upon anyone.

I did not take into account the work of the race organizers, the charities, and the city that worked together to put this event on. That is a huge fail on my end. I have since had my eyes opened to the situation, and will never again take for granted running a race without properly registering.

After the race, I posted about my experience on social media. It was a heartfelt moment for me, as I had been going through personal and business stress recently, and felt that the run was important for my mental health. What I didn't take into account was the effect that my race “bandit”-ing would have on the community. My post went viral and by Monday morning, 9 million people had engaged with what I posted, many very positive responses and many incredibly negative. I was quick to jump to defend myself as I was blissfully unaware of the community of runners and how they view their sport. It took time and reflection for me to stop reeling from the hate and take away the real impact of my action: running a half marathon without signing up. Within 48 hours, I was being slammed in the media on every outlet you could imagine and every word I said was twisted.

It only took me a few minutes to craft my original tweet, and it took members of the community even less time to call me the worst names imaginable for my mistake. I am not claiming that I shouldn’t have been held accountable for my actions, but it is very difficult to see messages and responses so hurtful that target my moral standing. I received 1000s of death threats, my family and friends did, and I believe this brings up a deeper conversation.

I issued a statement apologizing for my actions and explaining that I had made the appropriate donation to the charities involved in the race. I take accountability for my mistake. I should not have run the race without registering. But it also taught me a huge lesson about social media, going viral, and the effects it can have on a person and their loved ones.

As a society, we must remember that everything we post on social media is out there including both successes and mistakes. Many people will have something terrible to say about both. When you see a viral tweet, please remember that the person on the end of it is human, and makes mistakes. There is a way to call someone out on their actions without spewing hate and death threats.

As you grow your business and personal brand, keep in mind that you are putting yourself in the public eye, and not everything you say or do will be received in the way you intended it. And, if you do find yourself in a situation like mine, take a moment to step back and understand the perspectives of everyone involved before jumping to respond.

I wanted to be transparent about this experience with all of you because being authentic is critical to me.

I have two options: let this define me & end my career or keep going. I wouldn't be too fearless if I let this end me.

I want to continue to be fearless, to promote authenticity and fearlessness, and to do that I had to communicate and keep moving forward. Thank you for reading.

Stay fearless or die trying,

Alexa