Alexa talks about modeling, her non-profit, and self love

This gorgeous gal is Alexa Phelece. I met Alexa briefly at a self love event we hosted at Biz Babez! A month or so later I got a sweet message from her saying she loved Dazey and if we offered plus sizing she would buy everything. As luck would have it we had just began rolling out plus sizing! Alexa mentioned wanting to shoot at Biz Babez too so I figured this was the perfect opportunity to feature her! She is a model, blogger, and self love advocate who recently started a non-profit around that topic. We’re starting off with 2X in all our tees and are slowing adding new sizes and styles as soon as we are able. Being inclusive is so so important to us and adding more sizes has been a project we have been working on a for long time. As a small business adding additional sizes in all styles is very expensive and has a lot of moving parts, but we believe it’s well worth it!

Alexa is one of those positive and vibrant people that just light up a room! We had so much fun, it felt like we were little girls playing dress up. She brought the most adorable clothing to pair with the tees, so on brand for Dazey! She recorded some behind the scene videos for her YouTube channel and we ended up having an impromptu interview where we basically interviewed each other for her channel and my Instagram Live Story. Those are always the best kind!

On top of doing traditional modeling Alexa does fit modeling for plus brands so she was a huge help in describing fit to me. We get questions about the fit all the time so this was perfect to better help my curvy customers find the right size! Alexa is 5’8 and normally a 2X, but we tried on a variety of styles and sizes based on what we had in samples. In the turtlenecks she’s wearing the M/L sample. We are currently working on adding a L/XL size but luckily with the baby-rib fabric they have a lot of stretch and looked great. Alexa said it could be a little larger, but still felt very comfortable and actually took one home with her :) The Love More tee is shown in size XL, it looked really great semi-fitted with her high waisted pants! It was a much more tailored look.

Lastly we have her wearing the proper 2X in the Speak Up tee! This style looks really great slightly more relaxed with her adorable bell bottom jeans.

I hope this helps anyone on the fence about ordering or questioning what size to get. Always feel free to ask us questions!

Below we have Alexa’s stellar shoot along with full Q & A! 

We got to chatting and you opened up about your childhood and feeling the need to overcompensate. Why did you feel that way?

I felt the need to overcompensate because I was always trying to make up for the fact that I was fat. I felt like if I was the MVP of my basketball team, the president of ASB, the employee of the month, or basically excel in any aspect, it would make up for the fact that I was fat. I felt like I had to more because I wasn’t “good enough”, now I work hard and I have a lot on my plate because I truly want to succeed and help others through my success.

What did you go to college for and why? 

I went to college for an education in helping people, I know it sounds silly, but I always knew I wanted to get a degree in how to better the lives of others. When I went to Cal State Fullerton, I learned about a program called Human Services. Human Services caters to any community in need. In May 2018, I will walk to get my Bachelors of Science in Human Services with a specialty of Mental Health and a Minor in Psychology.

What was the turning point for you to stop self loathing and start self loving? 

The turning point for me is when I decided to become a model. Being in front of the camera was scary, but also fun and so empowering. From that moment, I saw myself as beautiful.

So after college how did you fall into the social media world? You mentioned helping managing other peoples media platforms early on and still now.

I currently work as a social media influencer on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. I also have my own social media management business. I currently manage 3 social media brands and their Digital marketing. I truly have a passion for social media and the opportunity it gives us to have a positive voice in the world. 

What made you want to become a model and influencer and how did you get into that world? 

It kind of just happened! Opportunities kept presenting themselves. This year, I just want to focus on giving social media more attention and building my brand. I truly love my community and the support system I have online.

As an advocate what does self love mean to you? Why is it so important? 

Self love to me means taking my dog out for a walk every day and cuddling with him for an hour straight before I go to bed. Working out every morning, watching the sunrise, traveling….doing what I love. To me, self love is all about making yourself a priority.

You recently started an amazing non-profit @everybodydeserveslove_. What inspired you to start this and what work are you doing to spread awareness?

It all started with a hashtag. I knew I wanted to lead a movement and do good in the world. So I started using #everybodydeserveslove on my own INSTAGRAM and Facebook. I’ve always wanted to help people. From a hashtag in grew into so much more and now we have self love events for adults and youth. Visit the website.

As you're beginning to shift into working full time on your blog and non-profit what are some of the biggest obstacles you've faced from a business perspective?

Being a young entrepreneur has been the best decision I ever made but it comes with a lot of hard work and dedication to your craft. Finding balance is one of the most important things to focus on, but also the most challenging. There’re financial obstacles, emotional obstacles (having the confidence to believe in yourself and your abilities).

What are your plans for the future!? Business wise and personal! 

I want EBDL to be a self sustained self love machine LOL I also want to be educating myself more on emotional growth, career growth, and leveling up as a model and public figure.

What does being a Dazey Lady mean to you?

Being a Dazey Lady means I get to express myself freely. I also love supporting small business, being a small business owner myself. I love knowing that I’m a part of a brand that believes in feminism and women empowerment.