What is Hustle Global?
An online magazine and newsletter sharing the stories of entrepreneurs around the world who are hustling to accomplish their dreams, big or small. Plus, occasional notes on my personal experience as a solopreneur.
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About the author: Alexis Damen
Hey. I’m Alexis. A solopreneur, padel enthusiast, daughter, girlfriend, sister, friend, and the chief hustler here at Hustle Global. My entrepreneurial journey began in 2014 when I was secretly developing my own clothing brand while working full-time in the corporate world of fashion. I ran back and forth between my office cubicle and New York City’s garment district on my lunch break to check samples and monitor the production of my first collection.
In February 2015, I launched my Shopify store, quit my job (before I had made any sales, oops), and dove head-first into entrepreneurship. Being naive and fearless was my superpower. If I knew then what I know now about growing a clothing brand, I would have never started.
I grew my athleisure brand (Alexis Mera) to 6 figures in 16 months (by the way, 6 figures in sales, not profits — I was still broke — just keeping it real). I sold products through my ecommerce website, to boutiques, and at pop-up shops. I even worked on private-label programs for SoulCycle. That was the highlight!
Then I burned out.
I was the designer, product developer, product manager, salesperson, marketing manager, photographer, shipping and returns coordinator, model, and the list goes on.
Here I am modeling my last collection in Brooklyn, NY.
Even though letting go of my first business was a tough and emotional decision, I’m so grateful for this experience. It brought me to where I am today.
In the summer of 2018, I was lost and confused about what to do next. I knew I didn’t want to go back to fashion or the corporate world, so I asked an acquaintance who was a freelance writer for Shopify how all that worked. How could I write for Shopify and share my expertise as a former Shopify merchant and retail professional with over a decade of experience? She put me in touch with the Shopify Retail blog content marketer. I started with a paid trial piece, it was approved, and then I started receiving more assignments.
Fast forward to today, now I have a freelance content marketing business. I help SaaS companies with content strategy and production for SEO blog articles, landing pages, case studies, thought leadership, long-form guides, monthly newsletters, email nurture sequences, and more. And I am 100% self-taught… in more ways than one.
I believe I’m succeeding at growing my business because I’m a get s#*% done kind of person. I didn’t study business or finance, but I’m resourceful, persistent, and reliable. Not every choice I’ve made has worked, but by not giving up, I’ve been able to test different strategies and service offerings, learn fast, and gain confidence. As far as writing, after I started working with Shopify, I learned a lot about improving my writing during the editing process and I also read On Writing Well by William Zinsser and How to Write Short by Roy Peter Clark. I used to run all my drafts through Grammarly before submitting them. I read blog articles from Yoast, Neil Patel, and Semrush to learn about SEO.
My freelance business model is based on quality versus quantity. My ideal clients are companies that have products for ecommerce or retail merchants. For example, Shopify, Photoroom, and MONEI. And I aim to work on long-term projects.
Hustle Global is my way of networking with like-minded entrepreneurs, providing valuable insights, connecting people, and being creative on my terms.
Thanks for being here! Now, let’s hustle together!
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