Many are jumping into the real estate world not knowing that it is more than selling and buying a house. Why do what everybody else is doing? How do you rise above everyone else? Alexandria Reed talked about how her passion for hospitality coupled with authenticity brought her most of her clients. She believes that more than buying the house, people are buying their future home so she makes sure that she is able to connect to them by being herself. Aside from this, she is also a blogger and a mom of two incredible girls. Learn more about how she does everything so well.
Alexandria’s Website: https://www.mrsalexandriareed.com/
Instagram: instagram.com/gladiatebeautifully and instagram.com/mrsalexandriareed
Katie Brinkley 0:02
Hey there. This is Katie Brinkley and you’re listening to Rocky Mountain marketing. This podcast is all about helping Colorado based small business owners, entrepreneurs and professionals discover the strategies and systems that take their marketing to all new heights. Let’s dive into today’s episode. Welcome back to Rocky Mountain marketing. My guest today is Alexandria Reed. Alex at her core is a storyteller. Her storytelling comes from several sources including a joyful career in real estate, her accessible and inspirational lifestyle website and blog, plus her practical and refreshing re human podcast gladiate beautifully, whether she is mentoring other moms on being resolute and self compassionate, intentional parents and wives and bosses because you can be all three or staging a home to tell the seller story she gets to share in someone else’s journey. Alex, thank you so much for coming on the show today.
Alexandria Reed 0:57
Thank you. I’m so happy to be here. I’m honored to be here. Honestly.
Katie Brinkley 1:01
Thank Yeah. And I’ve been following you on Instagram for a while. So I feel like this episode is going to be between two old friends. But yes, listeners. Let’s start back at the beginning. Tell us a little bit about where you grew up and what your life was like growing up.
Alexandria Reed 1:16
Yeah. So I grew up in I guess, I was born in Memphis, Tennessee. So southern girl at heart. I love me some sweet tea and some cornbread. But for the most part, I really was raised. I think the latter part of my childhood was really based in Colorado. And I come from a I hate the word broken home. Because I think for me it was having a healthy parent being able to have like a healthy parent was better than having two unhealthy parents lived together. So I was wondering, for the primary purpose I was raised by my mom had great other driving forces between my my older siblings and my family. I went to school here in Colorado I am I’m like fast forwarding to this piece of life. Sorry. I am a wife to an amazing husband. We’ve been married for 12 years, almost, almost 12 years. And that’s been awesome. And then I am a mama to two, like vivacious sassy, strong, well, little girls one has one. And the fact that I can see how strong willed she is already is. Pray for me. And send drinks and help. And then I have an eight year old who is just, she’s awesome. And I mean, you said I’m I do podcasts and I love being able to connect with people and tell people stories. And I love, love, love, love real estate. It’s the way I believe it’s an opportunity for me to serve my community and those around me. And what Yeah,
Katie Brinkley 2:46
yeah, I love it. And what do you think about your upbringing that really impacted your eventual career and professional journey here? Like what led you to being a podcaster and a real estate agent?
Alexandria Reed 2:57
I think the desire for connection, honestly, I love being able to serve people. And I love connecting with people. And I love to know their story like, Okay, how did you get here? Or you know, why? Why are you looking for a new home? Or how did you get from A to B. And that’s so intriguing to me. I believe I learned so much from people around me. So I think that growing up, it was very much, you know, I guess a lot of African American culture is that of what happens in this house stays in this house and everything was very close knit. Everything was very, very private, like our stories weren’t shared. Like I didn’t know a lot about my, my grandfather was a black panther. And it was something I know, right. But it was something that was net like those, I didn’t get those stories growing up. It was kind of like this show, like I did that, you know, like, growing up. So I think that my desire to know things kind of pushed me into all of these different spheres of wanting to be able to connect with people through stories. And whether that be again, I know it said in my bio as well. But the story of you know why you fell in love with the home. And then being able to tell and convey that story through a listing description and through making sure the photos are able to capture those little things that made you fall in love with your home, allows me to then tell the story of your home, you know, your home has a story to and then I get to do personal stories, of course in the podcast into the blog.
Katie Brinkley 4:26
I love that. And before I jump into my next question, I do want to talk about how you approach your listings and the photography because it is something that I think that a lot of people might not even really think about when they’re listing their their home as a real estate agent and telling the story of the home because that’s that’s what people are buying as a home not just a house. Yeah. Talk to us a little bit about how you’ve really kind of tried to make that part of your overall real estate strategy.
Alexandria Reed 4:53
Absolutely. Honestly, I haven’t phenomenal support. My brokerage I am I am with western Maine. and they just, they’re just incredible people. And they are incredible visionaries of just the way they want, the way they decide to show up on that in the internet. And I think that their influence and that allowed me to really sink my teeth in the ability to okay, how do we tell your story? So when talking to you know, a photographer for listing, I give that feedback, okay? You know what, they love the detail in the granite, because there’s little fossils in the Greg, these little fossils in the granite. And that’s one of the reasons they love the home, and making sure that that’s captured in the photography, because those details do matter. And then also connecting the photos with the listing description. So those things kind of mirror and they kind of marry and it kind of sticks out in someone’s mind as well. Maybe that’s the reason they can fall in love with the home too. Does that answer your question? I feel like I went on a tangent for that one. Yeah,
Katie Brinkley 5:51
no, that was that was awesome. Because like I said, it’s one of those things that I think a lot of people might not really realize that and they might just get caught up in the habit of this is a four bedroom, three bath house located, you know, and yeah, what are you going to do to make someone that’s just 99% of millennials start their home search online? So what are you going to say in your listing that appeals to the people that are not even reached out to their realtor that that are just reading the listing on, you know, Zillow, or Redfin, or Trulia or whatever search platform that they’re using? How tell me story and out? Yes, exactly. I love it. I love it. Well, back to you. Let’s get through your career journey where you started out the different professional stops along the way and how it led to where you are today.
Alexandria Reed 6:39
Yeah, so hospitality is my jam. That’s what I went to school for hospitality is my jam. So that was of course, in wedding planning. I started in wedding planning, so much fun, so many hours. But I got, I did that for a while. And then I got pregnant with my first daughter and kind of had to like back up because you know what, I can’t work, sign up to sign up. It’s just not realistic. So it kind of phased that back. And then I went back into like hotels, and doing hospitality within the hotel sphere. So did that for a while. And then something that I always wanted to do was work for nonprofit. And so I decided, I got an opportunity to work for my church, and an administrative capacity and be the campus administrator for the Aurora campus of our church. And that was, that was great because I got to serve people. And I had the opportunity to just see that side of things, you know, I mean, really work that was rewarding. And then as our economy shifted, you got to kind of have to shift to where the money’s at, which is back in the corporate side of hospitality. So I got back into the corporate side of hospitality. And then I always wanted this whole time blogging and everything anyways. But this whole time I had really, I always loved real estate always loved it, and those kind of like in my back burner, and so I started taking classes and got my license. And then finally I had the opportunity just to jump, jump in. And as like, alright, well, God, this is what you want me to do. I’m jumping in. And so I’ve been in real estate and kind of mirroring and marrying all of the different things that I do into one it’s kind of where I’m at now from a marketing standpoint, is being able to put my real estate brand with my blog and lifestyle brand as well and kind of trying to figure out how to marry those two. So that’s where I’m at now.
Katie Brinkley 8:36
I love it because it’s that is something that you don’t really a lot of people in your industry might not be even realizing of there’s so much more to just feeling being a realtor on social media. And that’s something that I think that you do really well with bringing in you Why do yes, you have your homes that you’ve sold or just listed or coming soon on there but you have an entirely different sort of perspective on your social media account because you’re putting so much of you out there and again, you have your your personal blogs but you’re also still showing that you are a real person and trying to have a way for people to identify with you so that they would hopefully want to use you as their realtor in some capacity. Talk to us a little bit about how you even started down that kind of unique approach to your your Instagram and social media account.
Alexandria Reed 9:31
So for me I there’s this um, what is her name? I went to this conference a couple years back and her name is Amy Jo, Amy Jo Martin I’m not sure if you’re familiar with her but she talks about like she used to do like social media for like Shaq when like Twitter first opened and or it started and like all these things about people want to know the person behind the brand. And this idea used to have this idea that my my blog Unlike my brand had to be separate from like, my personal accounts and realizing that that’s not how I consume, I like to buy from people that I know. Or that I feel like I know at least or, you know, like, it’s like I don’t know, like, it’s, I just feel like people want to know who they’re buying from. And a lot of the times, especially like, with a sales background to and hospitality, people don’t necessarily, they may love the space, but the reason they read the contract is because of you, because they want to work with you. And so I want to really be able to through my socials connect with people, so they see me and you know, like, even down to one of my mentors in real estate, her name is Allie, she told me, like, I was like, panicking about like, what to wear one day, and I was like, I don’t even know what to wear with these buyers, she was where what you want to wear. And if they have a problem that you have jeans on, then they’re not your people. And being okay with that, like, I want my people to find me and for me to find my people. And that be okay, there’s enough to go around. So I just want to be able to a lot of myself, as Alex is Alexander reed to be on the forefront opposed to, I can help you buy your next home, or I can sell your home for you know, like I want to get to know you and I want you to know me. And then you have a trust that I’m going to be able to deliver what you need me to deliver.
Katie Brinkley 11:23
Exactly. You’re building those relationships, those lifelong relationships, because you that you might be helping someone find their first home. And after they have, you know, they might need to find another home and they want to use you again. So you’re building those lifelong relationships with your clients. And that’s something else that you said, too, that you’re like, I didn’t know what to wear. I wear jeans. I mean, like, should I wear a dress, I don’t what these people and your mentor had such a good point. Because even you know, throughout all industries, you need to find your ideal client. And I know this was something that was a little bit hard for me to do is narrowing down because I was like, kind of like it was like I’ll work with anyone. Yeah, you know, I’ll help you. With your social media or you know, for you, I’ll help you buy a house. But if you can find the people that you really click with, you’re all going to be better off and you’ll be able to find a better house for them. And you’ll hopefully be their realtor for life. I love it.
Alexandria Reed 12:14
How do you do that? Like so when when it comes to your socials? How do you How did you decide to show up the way that you show up on socials?
Katie Brinkley 12:21
Yeah, that was something that for me as a social media strategist, I didn’t even have a social media account up until this year, because I was focused. I know, I was too focused on helping all of my clients with their Social Media, my business, my brand got pushed to the backburner. And I mean, in hindsight, you know, that’s you, I need to I need to be putting myself as one my best customer, because I’m most passionate about my business succeeding, so I need to be putting myself higher up on the list. So have to. Yes, exactly. And that that was something that I worked on, you know, in 2020. And I have my professional photos that I’ve had taken, I have professional graphics that I make, you know, on a weekly basis and monthly basis. And I mean, if once you start putting yourself first, then it’s not really so much of having to go out and try to find a new client, the clients see you and they see it, how you’re showing up on social media and on all these different channels, and they want to work with you. So that has been a big game changer for me this year. And like I said, for you, I think that you’re doing that consistently with your social media in their Instagram feed, especially keep it up, I think and I think that well. And that’s one of the things to the, you know, I mentioned before is that you’re showing up authentically as you but you’re still putting out that what you do for for money, you did that for real estate and that you are a realtor. So I love that you’re able to combine the two so seamlessly. What do you think that that some of the biggest mistakes that business owners make when they’re trying to grow and sustain a successful businesses? I mean, I said one of my biggest struggles was social media for myself. What do you think that other business owners might struggle with?
Alexandria Reed 14:01
Honestly, I think I see, I think pushing out this same exact content constantly. So it’s from a social media perspective, is what you’re asking, right?
Katie Brinkley 14:11
In general, I mean, like social media, I mean, it’s definitely my jam. So I noticed it a lot more. But I mean, there’s so many other things too, where business owners might I had a guest on who said Well, the first thing that they do is jump into getting a private office space instead of trying to just work out of their home so I mean, there’s there’s a number of things that other people might have noticed along the years where they’re like, oh, man, that’s one thing I need to keep in mind that I don’t do so. And I mean, like so for me again, it was I didn’t take advantage of showcasing my own social media talents on my own social media channels. So that was where I needed to step back and bro
Alexandria Reed 14:46
Alright, well then I also just general I mean content I think yes, when when it’s the same exact content cuz you don’t want content where there’s going to scroll keep scrolling past because it all looks the same. So I think there’s that but outside of that on a on a larger scale, I think where entrepreneurs or business owners really struggle or where I see the I don’t want to say failure, but there’s a burnout is the lack of honestly, just the basics are just taking care of themselves and taking that time like they would they roll over in the morning and go straight for emails. No, no, no, no, that is something I think we struggle with. I think there’s, if we don’t take care of ourselves, there isn’t any space to dream when it comes to building your business. So I think you can serve those around you and serve yourself better when you have made yourself the person not the entrepreneur, a business owner and priority. And so that’s just something as small as get up and move your body get up and do I am obsessed from a real estate world, the miracle morning. Um, so I don’t know, if you’ve ever read it, it’s so good. But take time to write out your affirmations in the morning, take time to visualize, you know, like, what today is going to look like for yourself and do that the night before, or I think that’s where we fail is we’re always like in this like rat race, if you will, that we forget to take care of ourselves. And when we don’t take care of ourselves. I think that’s more limiting and debilitating than trying to get all the things done every day all day long. opposed to just setting some boundaries for yourself when it comes to being a business owner. And taking care of yourself personally.
Katie Brinkley 16:26
I love it. Yeah. And that’s it for me. And another thing that I had to work on in 2020 was my mindset and having that type of daily affirmations and just getting your mind right for you. And your business is so huge and so important. Now talk to us a little bit about finding clients, what kind of model do you use to find and engage and sell to your ideal client and customers these days? What type of marketing Have you found works best for you?
Alexandria Reed 16:53
Yes, marketing that is client focused, but focus in a way that a hey, like I have this, let me help you. Hey, like, do you want this? Like we’re not expecting anything in return? Just giving, giving, giving, giving? So for me on the sole on socials, I focus on like, Hey, do you want me to check your home value like something super easy, like I can send you a monthly home digest from home bought to not to you monthly and that comes to you monthly or
Katie Brinkley 17:20
and you’re showing up in their inbox every month. And they’re that constant reminder. That top of mind. Yeah, and that home bot I’m telling you, it’s I get one every month too. And I love opening like oh, did it go up or go down is now the time to sell.
Alexandria Reed 17:35
Exactly. And it’s it’s useful information. And it takes me no time to do. But that way I can say top of mind for them. And it’s something that I can give them. I don’t expect anything in return. But it’s something that I can give. If I get something in return fantastic. If I don’t, that’s okay. You’re you’re putting that good energy out there. Another way I do is I like to educate people, especially I think, the millennial generation. And there’s a lot of misinformation or lack of information out there. When it comes to how to build wealth, or how to purchase a home, even to some simple how to, like what do I do, there’s a lot of misconceptions that the generation has on how that works. And so putting information out there that allows them to get the information themselves in like a shame free environment, and then gathering their information. So hey, like, how can I help you like, what questions do you have, so really just positioning myself as a resource and to give, give, give, give. So I think that’s another thing. And then another thing I do and this is probably also in touch with the miracle morning as well. I send I love gathering addresses. They sound like such a weirdo when I say that, but I swear, like not in a stock really way. But because I love snail mail. I love handwritten notes. It is so lots of subtle, it’s like a lost art form. But I send 10 cards a week, in order to be in touch with just people with my community to be Hey, you know, I saw that, you know, so and so started school. Just thinking of you guys have a great week or you know, I saw you posted that you had a rough day. Here’s a Starbucks gift card coffee on me. But I make it a point to send 10 handwritten notes every single week, regardless of what I’m doing or what the content matter is, but I believe in just like putting that good energy out there and like sowing those seeds of just like intentionality and true genuine connection, I think is really, really important. And I think that’s what that’s how I’ve been able to get I think more clients that come to me naturally even like through again, they come through socials I’ve got I get leads through social all the time.
Katie Brinkley 19:47
I love it. Yeah. And I mean that’s, that’s such great advice to just reach out and send that thoughtful snail mail that Starbucks gift card. I love that you do that. What is the best piece of advice that you’ve ever received, but To send a handwritten note or what piece of business advice have you or life advice have you found really impacted your business? Or your life?
Alexandria Reed 20:08
Yes, Allie again, God, she’s such a gift. She told me this one day. And it just, it’s like the trainings that she’s provided to me and everything too. But it’s something that works is stay in flow. And my stay in flow. That means stay in flow with your sphere, stay in flow with your community. And that is whether that be you know, a handwritten note whether that be sending DMS and just personalizing those DMS and I know our inboxes can get crazy, I am there. But sending the DMS, sending your newsletter once a week, if you have a custom newsletter that you send out to your sphere, sending that but staying in a constant flow with your people, you should never fall out of flow with your community. And so figuring out ways in order for you to stay in flow through your handwritten notes through your DMS through pushing out content that allows your community to interact with you like on your stories, I think is so big. And especially like the little like I’m answering questions about XYZ, like Dr. Question here below. That has been really, really great for me, but just finding different ways to stay in flow and being intentional about staying in flow every single week, and then finding from a business perspective, finding ways to automate that flow. So whether that be you know, a monthly like, I don’t know, like, what do they call it boomerangs? Are you familiar with boomerangs where they send like the coupons out to your mailing list, those that go out like bi monthly. But that goes That’s automatic. You don’t have to think about it. But it’s another way for you to stay in flow with your sphere. And then you’ve got your newsletter that goes out every week. It’s another way to stay in sphere that’s automated where you build in. But exactly, it’s staying in flow constantly and figuring out what ways you can automate. So the short answer, again, to your question is the best advice I think I received and that I could provide to somebody else’s stay in flow all the time.
Katie Brinkley 22:07
And you know, I think that you brought up something too. And in the middle of your advice there was you ask questions on Instagram stories. And that is a great way to using those questions, stickers, where you can go and be like, hey, what questions do you have that I can answer? And then that gives you like, three to five, however many people answer, ask questions, that gives you more content to push out because they’re asking that question. And then you can craft craft and create an entire post or blog or IG TV or anything about what their question is. And again, that’s that’s more content for you to push out. And again, staying in front of them and staying on top of mine and showing that you are a resource for them. I love it. Yeah. Now, before we finish up, is there anything that I didn’t ask you about today’s discussion that you think is important to share?
Alexandria Reed 22:54
Oh my gosh. I don’t know if you’ll agree or disagree with this. But I think one of the biggest advice or pieces of information that I would love to share is just show up authentically. The version of yourself like don’t feel like everything, especially on your I think your stories is a really great way to show up authentically. So every post doesn’t need to have like your beautifully curated photo that you took you hired a photographer like for ladies, it’s okay if your bare face. You don’t need to have your makeup on and everything in your story but I think people are in touch with that authentic version of yourself. And I think just figuring out what that looks like how do I show up authentically and I think something that you can think of before you post is this is this is an authentic love
Katie Brinkley 23:42
it yeah, I love it and like you said showing up their stories is a great way to do that because then I feel like stories is just more off the cuff. The Instagram grid is your gallery Mr. Show your your best of the best. And then the stories is where you can just be real with people. And yeah, like I said you said before ask questions put out your authentic self. I love it now how it’s this has been such a great conversation where can we find out more about you and your business online?
Alexandria Reed 24:11
Oh my gosh, it has been a great conversation thank you again for having me but you couldn’t connect with me at Mrs. Alexandria read and that’s like on majority of the platforms I think actually but yeah, Mrs. Alexandria read I pretty much live on Instagram. So that’s another conversation for you and I to have about my other networks that I feel like I neglect but But Mrs. Alexandria Reed is my Instagram but I also have gladiate beautifully, which is the podcast and then Mrs. Alexandria read.com is where the blog lives, all the things from real estate to fall home decor to podcast, he things all they all live there, and they’re waiting for you.
Katie Brinkley 24:55
Well, thank you again so much for coming on the show today.
Alexandria Reed 24:59
Thank you so much for having me by.
Katie Brinkley 25:01
And if you’re ready to take your social media to the next level for your small business, head over to my website and check out my free video training the three biggest mistakes small businesses make with social media and how to avoid them. Discover how to make your social media marketing stand out from the crowd online. Thanks so much for listening to this episode of Rocky Mountain marketing. As always, I’d love to hear from you. You can visit my website at www.nextstepsocialcommunications.com or connect with me on LinkedIn and Instagram. Just look for Katie Brinkley. Let’s keep taking your marketing to new heights