Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian Alexis.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Brian. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Growing up, I thought I’d be a professional athlete. My father played in the NFL for a couple of years, so naturally I thought I’d be next. When we think about the future, we often don’t take into account that our interests may change or life might nudge us in a different direction.
I grew up in Fort Worth, Texas and decided to attend Texas Christian University for their growing sports program. I played football for my entire career at the university where I earned a scholarship and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Communications in 2012 and a Masters in Liberal Arts in 2013.
College is where my passion for entrepreneurship first developed. I had dreams and visions of businesses that I wanted to startup and manage. Like most people, I didn’t know how or where to start, and I didn’t have the money to actually invest in anything worthwhile. Post-graduate school, I decided to move to Jacksonville, Florida to attend law school. I was there for only a brief period before realizing that it wasn’t for me. It’s never a good sign when the only reason you’re going to class is to see your friends!
My time in Jacksonville really shaped me and forced me to grow up in ways that I didn’t know I hadn’t already. I found myself struggling financially and missing the support and camaraderie that you gain while on a competitive sports team. The struggle only fueled my fire, however, and had me up writing out business plans and brainstorming new ideas at 2a.m. every morning.
I moved out to Los Angeles, California in 2017, in hopes of becoming more financially secure. I never envisioned myself on the west coast, especially in Los Angeles. However, after being out here and seeing young people my age doing big things, I knew this was the place for me. I quickly found a job in a call center for life insurance and worked to save up money for business projects I wanted to invest in. After a year of learning the ropes, ins/outs of L.A., I realized it was time to make a move on my own dreams. I drafted an idea for an app called LinePlz while in Jacksonville and knew this was the project I wanted to start with. Apart from some research I did online, I knew basically nothing about how to build an app and bring it into the market. I remember the night I called the developer that would help me bring the app to life. I was so nervous to reach out to them because I didn’t know how to explain my vision to someone.
Mainly I was nervous that they wouldn’t like my idea or have the same passion for it as I did. I learned so much about the app world and what it takes to build from concept to design through months and months of working on the app. We would start, stop, go in a different direction, make modifications and repeat. A little over a year later, the app was finally complete. It was hard to fathom that my idea had been brought to life and it was sitting right there on my phone. For a couple of months after it was complete, I didn’t do anything with it. I questioned myself, doubted if it was a good idea, and wondered why I had just spent so much money. After a healthy dose of encouragement from my family and friends, I decided to release it. LinePlz can now be found in the Apple Store.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Smooth road? LOL. If everything in life was smooth sailing, then nobody would be able to grow or appreciate the things they want to accomplish. Challenges and tests were coming at me daily while working on the app. At times, those challenges weren’t even created by the app, but by me in the form of distractions. I’d get on my computer to look something up about the layout and would find myself on YouTube (for hours…).
The scariest thing for me was not knowing how to do something. I doubted many moves I made and if the idea was even going to work. I would leave the project and focus on other things when it wasn’t going my way. I wanted to quit so many times, but the thought of letting myself down was not an option for me. Throughout the process, I had to understand why this vision and dream was given to me. I don’t want to ever have to look back and think what I could’ve done. Taking on your dreams and purpose is more than just being able to envision your victory. You have to be able to adapt to the road you must travel to get to that victory and understand why “YOU” are the one that is best positioned to take your dream on.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with LinePlz – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
Specifically looking at my app, LinePlz is a social app that offers users a library of conversation starters called “lines” to aid in effectively communicating with friends, family, and significant others. The app is also interactive, giving users the opportunity to screenshot and post personal messages to the LIVE section where other users offer advice in real-time. Why just send a screenshot to your friends when you could have an entire community at your fingertips?
What I’m most proud of is being able to start a company and create an app that can benefit people. I find myself struggling to come up with the right thing to say over texts, especially when it comes to dating, and wanted to develop something that I personally could benefit from. I think that’s the best approach to anything you pursue—is the thing that you’re creating something you would use or purchase?
I’m an entrepreneur by heart, so I love coming up with new ideas that could turn into businesses one day. I currently work for AppleOne Employment Services in Beverly Hills. When I’m not working my 9-5, I’m an app developer, personal trainer, Realtor, Hollywood club promoter, and actor. Working in multiple fields sets me apart from others because I’ve been able to develop a diverse set of skills and cultivate relationships with different types of people.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
No big changes, I have a lot of things I want to do and get started. I know I have a long journey ahead, but I know if I’m determined, then I’ll succeed. I’ve lived in multiple places, but I definitely think L.A. is a great place to start out and chase my dreams. If it weren’t for L.A’s “go-getter” spirit, it would’ve taken me a lot longer to start a company and build my app. I think it’s important for all of us to see people diving into their dreams headfirst and making it work. I’ve had some of the hardest days, felt the most doubt, felt the most pride, and met some of the most amazing people in our city. Let’s just say, I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lineplz.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lineplz/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LinePlz/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Line_Plz
- Other: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lineplz-ask-assist-repsond/id1448329822
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