Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwfH4KS4TAE&list=PLOQvdw7d0cd9RZZkd2lZy2hmrnJv-cfLI&index=80
Evan: We are back here on the Choose 954 podcast with good friend Alexa Rose Carlin. If you guys didn't know about Choose 954, we started a social movement to cultivate culture and community in Broward County where I'm from. So we aim to keep people in the know with all the cool things that are going on to make this a better place to live and not just a better place to vacation. And with the podcast, we like to connect you with amazing people in the community, like her, who are doing great things like the Women Empower Expo. So without much further ado, thank you for joining us.
Alexa: Thanks for having me!
Evan: And tell us a little bit about yourself.
Alexa: My name is Alexa. I am the founder and CEO of the Women Empower Expo. The hair is covering the shirt, so I started WEX in 2016 with the mission to create a thriving community of female leaders, entrepreneurs, and executives to really come together to connect and collaborate. And it really was born because I saw a need in the community in South Florida specifically, where there are tons of women doing amazing things but nobody knew each other. Everyone just stayed within their own industry or own paid membership group. And I wanted to create this one-day event that really brought women together because I believe that in order for us to create a positive change in our own lives, in our community, or in the world, we need to connect and collaborate. And so since 2016, hosting the first event at the Fort Lauderdale Choose 954 Convention Center, we've gone on to host it in Washington, DC twice, and on November 10th, we're gearing up for the third annual WEX in Fort Lauderdale.
Evan: Awesome! And then for those that don't know you, what's the short version of who Alexa Carlin is?
Alexa: So, I'm a public speaker, and I got started speaking after a near-death experience that I had while I was in college. It really changed my entire life, but it wasn't like I had this crazy near-death experience and then started a business. I started my first business when I was 17 years old. So I've always been on this mission to make a difference in at least one person's life every single day. And since then, my journey has evolved. My first business was designing jewelry for an LA-based fashion company. Then I went on to start a blog called Hello Perfect to help instill confidence in young girls and women. Through that movement, I got in touch with people like Mark Cuban, Steve Madden, Shaquille O'Neal, and Rebecca Minkoff—amazing celebrities who joined this movement to redefine perfection so it doesn't cause you self-doubt. Instead, you redefine it to help you become the best you possible. But through that, a few months before graduating from the University of Florida, I had this crazy near-death experience. And for years, I kept asking myself, "Why did this happen to me?" And then I finally changed my perspective and gained a passion to share my story and figure out why it happened for me, not to me.
Alexa: So, through public speaking, I traveled the country speaking at conferences, colleges, and corporations, and I run the Women Empower Expo. And throughout that journey and the beginning stages of my speaking career, that's how we connected.
Evan: Absolutely!
Alexa: Yeah, when I gave a talk at a monthly breakfast lecture series, and I recall it being your "aha" moment.
Evan: Exactly.
Alexa: Yeah.
Evan: You were speaking on the topic of language. And it wasn't just that we speak the language of English, Hebrew, or Spanish—it was the idea that if you speak the language of positivity, you'll be positive. If you speak the language of negativity, you'll portray negativity. But the part that I took from it was to be genuine, be authentic, and pursue your passions. And that "aha" moment led me to start a food blog because I was going to restaurants, taking pictures of food, and not really doing anything with it. Food blogging got me invited to events, media things, and tastings, which led me to meet marketing and PR folks. Meeting those folks made me realize I could do these events too, and lo and behold, that laid the groundwork to start the Choose 954 social movement, Art Fort Lauderdale, the Art Fair on the Water, Fort Lauderdale Art & Design Week, and a lot of other things—including our own monthly breakfast lecture series called AAF Creative Zen.
Alexa: Yes! How about that?
Evan: And I was so happy to make you stand in that talk!
Alexa: Yes, I remember being so nervous! It was Creative Mornings, and I was so nervous because they chose the global theme of language, and I remember at 11 o'clock the night before, I was like, "How am I going to incorporate this theme?" because I only speak English! Then at midnight, it just clicked: "Oh! We don't just speak one language in all parts of our life."
Evan: In context, that was January 2016. That was before WEX, before you became a public speaker, and before you really had that shift in your career. It's been a beautiful thing to watch you grow and flourish into this powerful female entrepreneur. So going back to 2016, before you started WEX, why don't you tell us a little bit about the "why" behind starting the Women Empower Expo?
Alexa: There are a lot of reasons why I wanted to create this event. The main one was personal: seeing how much community empowers you. I truly believe that community fuels empowerment. When you feel supported, you can do anything because you know people have your back. Think about it: when do you feel most confident? When you're with your friends, when you're not alone, when you're in a familiar environment. So as a solopreneur at the time, running my own company as a public speaker and blogger, it could get very lonely. Even if my team's virtual and spread all over the world, it's still about having a community of support. When I was struggling with my autoimmune disease, which came on after my near-death experience, I started sharing on social media through Periscope, which was before Instagram and Facebook Live. I was too sick to be out in public and speak, so I had to figure out a way to make it happen. I started sharing vulnerably and authentically, live streaming Monday through Friday—10 a.m., "Morning Motivation with Alexa." There was this beautiful community of support that showed up every single morning and was there for me, even on days when I said, "Hey guys, I don't really feel like I can motivate you right now." They were still there, and that fueled me every morning to keep going.
Evan: Sure.
Alexa: So I wanted to take this online community offline. I had seen what community can do for others. The why on a personal level was that I can't see myself doing anything else. When I'm not pursuing my dreams, I don't find as much joy as I do when I am. So that's my personal "why," which I think is important to have. You need a personal, selfish "why" that drives you during challenging moments, and then you need the "why" of why you're doing what you're doing for the community, for the world, for your industry—whatever it may be.
Evan: Absolutely. And around that time, as we were starting Choose 954, we found that there wasn't a strong sense of community in Broward County. People were very siloed. When I started Choose 954 before the Art Walk in June 2016, many people didn't even know about the Art Walk. I wanted to show them through social media, visual storytelling, and live streaming all the cool things happening.
Evan: So I wanted to show them through social media, visual storytelling, and live streaming all the cool things that were going on, specifically the people I grew up with in Coral Springs. I felt if they could see all the cool new things happening, it would give them reasons to choose 954. And lo and behold, two and a half years later, now the Art Walk has grown from about 1,000-2,000 people a month to about 4,000-5,000 people a month. It is our greatest community event of the month, and it happens to be tonight from 6 to 10 p.m. in Flagler Village, which is fabulous, and in MASS District. Now, I’m constantly reminded and told by artists, supporters, and community members of the impact of connecting people and sharing these experiences. We don’t live in South Florida to just go to work and go home. You need that play element of live, work, play.
Alexa: Absolutely.
Evan: Throughout Alexa's transformation and growth, and through our friendship, it has had a profound impact on me as a community builder. Now sharing with you guys on the Choose 954 platform, I can tell you the impact of community and being connected and engaged. I really feel now, we’re so much further along than we were in 2016 in terms of people engaging with the arts and with community growth.
Alexa: Yeah, I’ve seen your growth too since we met. It’s been amazing! I mean, you’ve really put Fort Lauderdale on the map so people don’t have to go to Miami for these things.
Evan: Yes, that was one of the goals.
Alexa: Yeah! You want to have cool stuff to do in your backyard. It’s not every day that you can drive an hour or so into Miami or West Palm for this kind of thing.
Evan: Exactly. You want to be able to take pride in your community. You want to ride your bike or walk to cool things to do. So you never know the kind of impact a speech from Alexa or a local event can have in shaping your community. I’m really glad to pay it forward, and now we have people like Greg Young, a good friend of mine, who started the Backpack Barber Foundation. He’s giving back through his craft by giving haircuts to the homeless with a backpack full of hygiene supplies. You never know what the impact will be.
With that being said, what can people expect to see and find at WEX this year?
Alexa: So, before I jump into that, I want to touch on what you said. You never know the impact one person can make, and that really is what WEX is all about. You have no idea—one connection can literally change your life. It’s about getting out there, meeting people, and sharing what you’re doing. And so at WEX, that’s what you can expect. I always say WEX is not just another networking event where you go home with a bunch of business cards. You’ll go home with business cards, but you’ll also have a connection to each one. It’s more than just saying, “I’m Alexa, I’m the founder of Women Empower Expo.” That’s great, and it’s great to say you’re the founder of Choose 954, but who are you beyond that? If I’m not sharing my story behind it, there’s no real connection.
At WEX, you can expect to see thousands of empowered women—and men are welcome too, and I encourage men to come out and support powerful women! You’ll find real connections. We’ve had stories where people say that since they attended WEX last year, their business and life have completely changed. Some met business partners, others created podcasts together, and there was even a woman who invested in another woman’s business while sitting next to her during a session. It’s that positive energy, and everyone wants to know, “Who are you? Let’s connect and see how we can support one another.” That’s how business is made. It’s not just a one-day event; it’s a conversation that can change your life for years to come.
Evan: Absolutely.
Alexa: You never know. That’s why you need to come. It’s about getting out there. So logistically, what you can expect at WEX: we have over 60 speakers, from keynotes to breakout workshops to panels. We have over 30 educational sessions that you can choose from based on your own passions, from how to invest in cryptocurrency and blockchain to the balancing act of how to be a thriving entrepreneur and a mom. On top of that, we have 80-plus businesses in our marketplace, from services to products to pop-up shops. You can explore local businesses and support them. Some of your favorite businesses that you can only find online, you can now meet in person, which I think is so cool. You definitely want to take time to explore the marketplace.
We also have a mindset stage, sponsored by Urban Wonder. We have a Zohar photobooth, a beautiful flower wall built by Paper Blooms Forever, and keynotes from speakers like Elena Cardone, Marci Zaroff, and Miko Branch. There will be book signings by these authors—there’s so much going on!
Something new this year is the VIP experience. If you’re further along in your career and want to get that intimate connection with our speakers, sponsors, and one another, definitely look into the VIP ticket. We have a Friday night party at Stache, from 5 to 7 p.m., where you can meet our speakers and other VIP guests. At the event, we also have a VIP lounge with a candy bar, a massage and reflexology station sponsored by Flexation, lounge furniture, and Miko Branch is giving all our VIPs gifts. Plus, there’s a swag bag for all VIPs.
Evan: Wow!
Alexa: Yeah, it’s going to be a lot of fun!
Evan: So, needless to say, this is something you don’t want to miss. And I can speak from experience having attended the last two years and being a speaker on a panel last year. It’s not just another expo or conference. There’s so much thought and care put into curating the layout, the flow, and the programming. It’s really a great experience. And it’s not a super expensive thing either. How much are tickets?
Alexa: Tickets start at $30 for general admission, and that gets you access to all the speakers and the entire marketplace. We also have a social ticket for $54, which gets you a free t-shirt and access to the VIP party on Friday night. And then the VIP ticket, which includes everything I just talked about, is also available. You can find all the details at womenempowerx.com or wexftl.com.
Alexa: Exactly. We want to make it accessible to as many people as possible. We know that when you’re a startup or just getting into your career, you have limited funds, and we don’t want that to be a barrier. You never know what amazing things can happen when people who are further along in their career connect with those just starting out. It’s that exchange of ideas and knowledge that benefits everyone. Some of my mentors have told me that I’m a mentor to them, even though they’re much more established in their careers. It’s really about sharing knowledge and growing together.
Evan: I love that. And there's also the Female Founders Pitch Competition, right?
Alexa: Yes! This year, the Female Founders Pitch Competition will take place on the main stage at the end of the day, around 3:45 p.m. It’s hosted by PS27 Ventures, which is an amazing incubator and accelerator in Jacksonville. We have some amazing judges lined up for that, and it’s going to be a great opportunity to see female founders pitching their businesses and ideas.
Evan: Awesome. It really is such a well-rounded event. You’re getting a lot of value for the price, and it’s great to hear about the collaboration and connections that happen there. Last year, we raffled off tickets on the Choose 954 platform, and I think we’ll do the same this year. Stay tuned for that!
So, obviously, WEX is a big focus, but aside from that, what else is next for Alexa Rose Carlin?
Alexa: Well, aside from WEX and my speaking engagements, I recently launched
BeAPublicSpeaker.com. I get asked a lot of questions about how I built my business through public speaking and how to become more confident as a speaker, so I created this platform to teach entrepreneurs and leaders how to grow their business as speakers and create impact while adding an additional revenue stream. I’m really excited about that, and I’m working on adding new content and products to the program. I’m also doing some one-on-one consulting with leaders in different industries.
Evan: Very cool!
Alexa: Yeah, and we’re also planning to expand WEX into a third city next year, which I’m really excited about. I haven’t announced the city yet, but stay tuned for that. There are some other projects in the works as well, and within the next five years, I’ll definitely have my book out. So lots of exciting things to come!
Evan: That’s amazing! I love hearing about all the growth and expansion. So for everyone listening, save the date—November 10th for the Women Empower Expo at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale. You don’t want to miss it! Registration opens at 9:30 a.m., and the event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The first 150 attendees get a gift bag, so make sure to get there early!
Alexa: Yes! And you can find more details and get your tickets at WEXFTL.com.
Evan: Perfect. And where can people find you online?
Alexa: You can find me on all social media platforms as Alexa Rose Carlin, and you can learn more about the Women Empower Expo at WomenEmpowerX.com.
Evan: Awesome. Well, thank you so much for joining us today, Alexa. It’s always a pleasure to chat with you and hear about all the amazing things you’re doing.
Alexa: Thanks for having me! It’s always great to connect.
Evan: And thank you to everyone for tuning in to the Choose 954 podcast. We hope to see you at the Women Empower Expo.
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