Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexis Blair
Hi Alexis, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Alexis Blair, a multi-faceted creative from Lexington Park, Maryland, has built a career defined by her passion for fashion, photography, and entrepreneurship. She holds a B.A. in Communications from the College of Charleston and currently serves as Project and Property Manager, Executive Assistant, and Social Committee Team Lead at Gomez Law, APC, where she also plays a key role in the marketing team. Beyond her professional work at the firm, Alexis is a dynamic entrepreneur, running Blair Collective, an umbrella brand encompassing ventures like Retro Mod Consignment, ishootwhatever, and her personal blog.
Blair Collective
Blair Collective is a culmination of Alexis’s creative pursuits, reflecting her dedication to quality, style, and innovation.
Retro Mod Consignment
Retro Mod Consignment started with a high school sale of Lacoste flats and has grown into a thriving consignment boutique with over 1,900 curated listings. Offering a mix of vintage gems and high-end designer pieces, Alexis ensures each item is meticulously cataloged, creating a seamless shopping experience. The business also provides personal styling, creative direction, and photography services, adapting to the diverse needs of her clientele.
ishootwhatever
Under her photography brand, ishootwhatever, Alexis specializes in capturing a variety of subjects, from portraits and events to product photography and creative direction. She combines technical expertise with an artistic eye, leveraging her skills in Adobe Creative Suite to deliver polished and impactful imagery. Her portfolio showcases her versatility and commitment to high-quality content.
The Blog
What began in 2018 as a personal fashion blog has transformed into a platform where Alexis shares her love for writing, styling, and editorial content. Her blog connects readers with her insights and creativity, offering a deeper look into her journey and inspirations.
Personal Interests and Philosophy
Alexis’s personal passions include scuba diving, rollerblading, true crime, thrifting, and tackling word games and puzzles. Her creative endeavors extend beyond fashion and photography, underscoring a versatile and adventurous spirit. Through Blair Collective, Alexis combines her entrepreneurial drive with her artistic talents, empowering her audience to embrace style, sustainability, and individuality.
Her story is a testament to her adaptability, creativity, and relentless pursuit of excellence across all her endeavors.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road to building Blair Collective and balancing multiple creative and professional roles hasn’t always been smooth. Like many entrepreneurial journeys, Alexis Blair’s path has been shaped by challenges that have tested her resilience and adaptability.
Key Challenges
1. Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic
The pandemic disrupted many aspects of Alexis’s business ventures. Freelance photography work was significantly affected, making it difficult and even impossible to book events or collaborate with clients in person. Additionally, Retro Mod Consignment saw a dip in sales as shifting priorities and economic uncertainties impacted consumer spending. This period forced Alexis to rethink her approach, adapt her services, and find creative ways to keep her business afloat despite the limitations.
2. Balancing Full-Time Work and Entrepreneurship
Juggling a demanding full-time job while managing multiple business ventures is no small feat. It requires careful time management, long hours, and constant focus to keep each project moving forward without sacrificing quality.
3. Mastering Photography & Lighting
Photography has been a cornerstone of Alexis’s business, but the technical side, especially mastering lighting, has been an ongoing challenge. Achieving the perfect balance of natural and artificial light for various projects often requires trial and error, which can be time-consuming and frustrating.
4. Maintaining Online Operations
Running an online boutique and maintaining a professional presence requires constant attention to detail. Broken links, updating product listings, and ensuring the website is functional can be tedious and often feels like a never-ending task.
5. Creating the ishootwhatever Photography Booking Site
Recently, Alexis took on the challenge of creating a dedicated booking site for her photography brand, ishootwhatever. This required designing a user-friendly platform, integrating her portfolio, and optimizing the site to streamline the client booking process. Balancing the technical work with her other commitments was a significant hurdle, but the new site has helped elevate her photography business.
6. Organizing Businesses into a Spreadsheet
As Alexis’s ventures expanded, keeping track of tasks, inventory, and finances became overwhelming. She recently tackled this challenge by organizing all aspects of her businesses into a comprehensive spreadsheet, allowing her to better track progress, manage operations, and stay focused on her goals.
7. Content Creation
Content creation can be one of the most difficult parts of running a business because it demands a combination of creativity, strategy, and consistency. Business owners must not only craft engaging, high-quality content but also stay updated on ever-changing trends and platform algorithms to remain visible to their audience. Additionally, producing content can be time-intensive, often requiring skills in photography, video editing, graphic design, and copywriting—roles that may be overwhelming for small business owners managing other aspects of their operations. Balancing these demands while ensuring that the content aligns with the brand’s goals makes it a challenging yet critical component of modern business success.
8. Instagram’s Evolution After Facebook’s Buyout
ishootwhatever saw significant growth in 2019 thanks to Instagram’s visual-focused platform, which showcased her work to a large audience. However, Facebook’s acquisition of Instagram brought noticeable changes that impacted small businesses. Algorithm updates began prioritizing paid ads and larger accounts, making it harder for creators like Alexis to achieve the same organic reach. These shifts forced her to adapt by exploring new strategies, such as increasing engagement through stories and reels to stay competitive. The buyout highlighted the challenges small businesses face when relying on platforms that can change at any moment, emphasizing the importance of diversification in digital marketing efforts.
Overcoming Struggles
Despite these challenges, Alexis’s determination and resourcefulness have kept her businesses thriving. By prioritizing quality, seeking continuous improvement in her craft, and embracing creativity, she has turned obstacles into opportunities for growth. Her story reflects the perseverance required to build something meaningful, even when the road gets rough.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Alexis Blair is a multi-talented entrepreneur, creative professional, and manager whose work spans fashion, photography, and marketing. Through her Blair Collective, she has cultivated a brand that celebrates sustainability, creativity, and individuality while offering diverse services to her clients.
What Alexis Does and Specializes In
Alexis is the founder of Blair Collective, which houses her ventures: Retro Mod Consignment, ishootwhatever, and her personal blog. Her specialties include:
• Fashion & Styling: Curating sustainable fashion through Retro Mod Consignment, which features over 1,900 listings of vintage and designer pieces. Alexis also offers personal styling and shopping services.
• Photography: Operating under ishootwhatever, she specializes in portrait, event, real estate, product, and creative photography. She blends artistic vision with technical expertise to deliver high-quality results.
• Marketing & Content Creation: A key member of the marketing team at Gomez Law, APC, Alexis brings her expertise in branding, public relations, and creative direction to every project she undertakes.
What Alexis Is Known For
Alexis is known for her ability to combine style and storytelling. Whether it’s through a meticulously curated vintage find, a compelling photograph, or a blog post, she brings a thoughtful and unique perspective. Her commitment to sustainability and creativity has earned her a reputation for excellence in both fashion and photography.
What Alexis Is Most Proud Of
One of Alexis’s proudest achievements is the growth of Retro Mod Consignment from a high school side hustle into a thriving boutique with an expansive inventory. She also takes pride in her ability to pivot during challenges, such as building the ishootwhatever photography booking site and organizing her businesses into a streamlined system, ensuring they continue to thrive.
What Sets Alexis Apart
• Multifaceted Expertise: Alexis bridges the worlds of fashion, photography, and marketing with ease, offering a rare combination of skills.
• Attention to Detail: Whether cataloging inventory or editing photographs, her meticulous approach ensures a polished final product.
• Commitment to Sustainability: Through Retro Mod Consignment, Alexis promotes recycled fashion, showing that style can be both timeless and eco-friendly.
• Adaptability: From navigating the COVID-19 pandemic and diversifying social media channels to balancing full-time work and multiple businesses, Alexis demonstrates resilience and innovation at every turn.
Why It Matters
At the heart of her work is a desire to inspire others, whether through a beautifully styled outfit, a powerful photograph, or thoughtful writing. Alexis’s dedication to quality and her authentic passion for her craft set her apart, making her work truly one-of-a-kind.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I started selling clothing in high school, and my very first sale was a pair of Lacoste flats. What might surprise people is that this small transaction sparked a passion for fashion and sustainability, eventually growing into Retro Mod Consignment, part of the Blair Collective.
Another surprising fact is my early love for photography. In high school, I used to shoot Polaroid film when it was off the market, using a plastic adapter to make it work with my first land camera. That ingenuity and love for capturing unique moments laid the foundation for my photography brand, ishootwhatever.
While I’m deeply involved in creative industries, I also have a strong analytical side. Organizing my businesses into spreadsheets and meticulously cataloging over 1,900 items for Retro Mod Consignment reflects my love for structure and efficiency alongside my artistic pursuits.
Lastly, I’m passionate about scuba diving, an activity that offers a completely different perspective on life. It’s a surprising contrast to the fast-paced energy of running multiple businesses, but it reflects my curiosity and drive to explore, whether through fashion, photography, or underwater adventures.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Blaircollective.com
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/alexisishome
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/alexisishome
- Twitter: https://X.com/goaskalexis
- Youtube: https://YouTube.com/alexisishome
- Other: https://book.usesession.com/i/V97FTTZUx0
Image Credits
ishootwhatever
