At PepTalkHer, we’re on a mission to empower YOU to know your worth and to understand your value in the workplace. And what better way to start than by asking our favourite women in business?
We chatted with Alexis Monson of Punk Post Co. to discuss all things career. Without further ado, let’s get started!
Meggie: Hey Lex, thanks so much for agreeing to chat with us today! To start us off, how would you describe yourself in one sentence?
Alexis: Working on & building @punkpostco all day, every day.
Meggie: Love it! For our next question, can you tell us about a day from your career journey that has been super memorable for you?
Alexis: Oh god. Probably the day we launched it was a nightmare. The app was crashing left and right. I wanted to hide under a rock. But I couldn't do that. So instead. I personally emailed each and every person who downloaded Punkpost, thanked them for trying us out, apologized for the bugs, let them know we were working on it and I would follow up as soon as we had fixes for them. I had such a great response from this. People are actually very kind when they see the human in your product. Also... it's so easy to remember the hard days and not as easy to remember the great days. That's why an app like PepTalkHer is so important and useful. It helps you focus on the positive and be grateful for those good moments, which, that sort of gratitude and positivity just leads to better, more authentic and more productive work.
Meggie: Thank you! I’m glad that you have found the app to be helpful. Okay, next question: What advice do you have for anyone looking to build their own brand?
“Be authentic”
Alexis: Be authentic. For Punkpost, it's been easy because the product is something that all of us legit use and so we are really just marketing it to ourselves and what we like to see in a product. But I know not everyone who is creating a brand is marketing to themselves or people like them, and in that case, just know your customer so well that you can empathize and identify with them to the point that you feel like you are them. And the only way to do that is to continually talk to your customer (and I mean in real life) and ask them questions.
Meggie: Some great advice! Shifting gears a bit, how do you prepare for negotiation conversations? We'd love to hear all your hacks & top tips or awesome advice you've received!
Alexis: Practice. Practice in front of people who you trust and who have been there. Get their feedback. Incorporate their tips. But don't go too wild with it. There does get to a point when you're trying to perfect your pitch... and if you get too caught in that loop it can be detrimental. So I would say get two rounds of feedback... and then just go for it.
“Practice in front of people who you trust and who have been there”