We at HEYBOO love all things pretty and, of course, we love tools that make our everyday life easier – that’s why we had to chat to Jen, of Alexa Lily, to find out more about how she started her brand of planners and calendars.
To put it simply and straight from Alexa Lily itself – ‘Alexa Lily was born from a basic need. Unable to find a planner to guide her through her weeks both effortlessly and stylishly, Jen – a mother of twin girls – decided to create the definitive planner, the one that knocks all the others out of the park.’
Take a look below as we chat to Jen about business, daily life, and what advice she has for aspiring entrepreneurs 🤩
Tell us more about what Alexa Lily is and how you got started?
Alexa Lily is all about navigating your days, weeks and months effortlessly and effectively with our collection of planners and accessories. We believe in creating products that are beautiful to look at, highly functional and of course of quality.
We started our first collection in 2017 and have grown our offering significantly. Our focus and attention have always been on the customer.
Our customers say that this is not just another planner and they’re absolutely right. It’s a means to help you plan your time, inspire change, map your goals, cue healthy habits and set in motion the future you desire and deserve. It’s a mechanism toward a better life.
As an entrepreneur, what is a typical day in the life for you?
At this stage in my life and especially with small kids in the picture – it’s definitely a balancing act. For me, it’s all about planning ahead of time to try and eliminate the extra stress and unnecessary delays (if that is at all possible :-)).
Getting a basic to-do list together helps me to focus on what is key, first. The day always begins with getting the kids ready for school and a fresh cup of coffee (always). Once the kids are packed + dressed and off to school. I’ll start to prep for the day. I run all my social media content, so this is usually my first priority in the morning. I love the styling aspect of the business – so if needed I’ll also take a few shots depending on the light. I’ll then make my list for the day in my Daily Edit. It’s truly become my lifeline. I never thought I would get so excited about using a planner every single day but I do. There is nothing that compares to writing down your daily to-dos on a piece of paper vs on your laptop.
Once my daily list is complete I’ll tackle what is of priority first. I try to section out my day because I can be most productive in the morning vs in the afternoon/evening. So in the morning, I’ll spend time doing things I can’t really incorporate with kids or items that need focus and lots of attention. The day usually consists of emails, wrapping orders (which can take a full day), responding to any DM’s, tags or posts on social media, suppliers and new products ideas.
I’m always thinking about ways of improving or adding in new products. This can take a long time so one has to always be on top of it. I take a new launch quite seriously, and really believe that less is more and this extends to my range. I would rather include fewer items that add value vs a lot of items that don’t necessarily get used.
The day always ends with my family, cooking dinner, hanging out in our pj’s and getting ready to unwind in the evening. I am not an evening person and believe in getting some proper sleep before the new day starts.
Your 2021 collection just dropped – which is your favourite item?
Oooooh, this is SO tough because I love them all. I would have to say the Daily is still my favourite. But to be quite honest I don’t know what cover I am choosing for 2021 yet. I LOVE them all and I still cannot decide. The new Monthly Edit is however so beautiful and so practical especially for someone who is just starting out using a planner. It’s not daunting. It’s simple yet functional. Plus it’s a lovely complimentary product to the Weekly or Daily. I adore the extended range of notebooks and notepads too and find they work so well alongside the planners.
Any advice for aspiring female business owners out there?
GO for it. You will never regret starting something you believe in or are passionate about. Having said that – passion is key. I have never been a stationery addict (if that’s a thing) but I am someone who values practicality as well as beauty. I don’t see the point in having items in your home or office space that do not provide value or do not spark joy in your daily life. Life is too short to not enjoy what you have. I am also a firm believer that having the right tools in one’s life opens up doors to be better and do better. Edit your life, your way as we say. And live your life with intent and purpose.
Quickfire Questions:
Pizza or pasta? Pizza
Fav place in the world? New York
Rain or sunshine? Sunshine
Quote you live by? Less is more
Thank you Jen! Check our Alexa Lily’s Instagram below 🌸
