photograph courtesy Alexandra Nicole Nolan
Alexandra Nicole Nolan always felt the pull to be an entrepreneur. So after several years working in the corporate world, she started her own business. Then she started another, and then another, and eventually amassed a lengthy CV full of businesses that she'd started herself or helped others to launch.
But there's no easy path to success. Juggling separate jobs and finding innovative income solutions, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, proved challenging for Nolan and plenty of other aspiring small business owners. Thanks to a decade of experience, Nolan wants to impart the lessons she's learned and help others succeed through her new book, The Unconventional Entrepreneur.
"I actually started a makeup line while I was working at International Paper," recalls Nolan. "I had manufacturers in New York that would make the line, and I did all that alongside my normal job, but I eventually decided that I wanted to go all in." Her first full-time venture into the entrepreneurial world came in the form of the Ivory Closet, a boutique clothing store that she opened on Mud Island in 2012. It flourished there for several years before Nolan moved the business to Overton Square. She eventually sold the Ivory Closet in October 2019, but one of the struggles she faced while operating her first company sowed the seeds for her future entrepreneurial path.
"When I had the store, I couldn't really afford marketing," she says. "It's super expensive, so I had to find different ways internally to make that work. I utilized social media, and started a blog for the store." Other brands took notice, and started sending Nolan requests to have their products featured on the blog. "I was a little reluctant at first, because I didn't want to cannibalize my own business. But then I thought about it some more, and thought that it could become an alternate revenue stream." So Nolan launched her current blog, City Chic Living, where she focused on lifestyle brands, beauty productions, fashion, and other similar fields.
But as she built up her brand as an influencer and digital entrepreneur, she found that there wasn't a lot of information on how to navigate that world. Many books and courses taught conventional business practices, but didn't provide much input for modern strategies involving social media. "Those traditional ideas are helpful, but business has evolved, and continues to evolve," says Nolan. "With the importance of social media, and with more people looking to run their own businesses after Covid-19 saw a lot of workers get furloughed or lose their jobs, the strategy for doing that isn't as streamlined. So I thought, maybe I should write a book to help other people along."
Alexandra Nicole Nolan
After two years of writing, Nolan is ready to release her debut book. The Unconventional Entrepreneur, slated for a September 2022 release, chronicles what worked during her journey as a business woman, and she hopes that her experiences as a business owner and mentor can help others follow in her footsteps. "Small business is a big thing here in Memphis," she says. "I think our culture here fosters a lot of creatives, and a lot of people who are wanting to strike out on their own and then need to find creative solutions to create income."
For Nolan, the three main characteristics an aspiring business owner should have are determination, adaptability, and confidence. "It can be a whirlwind," she says, "and it can change at any moment, so it's important that people are able to stay at the top of their game if they want to succeed. The foundation is that you need confidence in yourself, the determination to see things through, and adaptability."
The biggest obstacle to many people, according to Nolan, is that they doubt they have what it takes to strike out on their own. The Unconventional Entrepreneur is her way of helping people realize those characteristics in themselves. But she also wants it to be a tool to veteran business owners as well. "There's been a whole lot of change in what it means to be an entrepreneur, and there hasn't been a lot written about it. It's easy to keep doing what's worked before, even as the world changes around you, so I've included my strategies for how to adapt and stay competitive in a changing landscape."
"There's a lot of passion and determination fueling potential business owners here, and their success is good for Memphis," she continues. "And I want to pass along my experience and help them flourish."
The Unconventional Entrepreneur will be available in local stores and major retailers later this year. Click here for pre-sale access on Kickstarter.
