In this Business Blast Podcast episode, host Tyler Wagner interviews Alexis Mood, a digital marketing manager who also founded Shatter the Ceiling, an organization that provides financial assistance to women of color in unpaid or underpaid internships. Alexis shares a personal story about how a college decision led her unexpectedly into the automotive industry, illustrating the value of staying open to new opportunities. She emphasizes the importance of recognizing personal biases and developing multicultural strategies in marketing. Her core business advice centers on authenticity—leveraging natural strengths rather than forcing oneself into unfamiliar roles. When reflecting on advice for her younger self, she stresses the need to relax, avoid perfectionism, and stay flexible. Alexis defines happiness as staying in her own lane, avoiding comparison, and practicing gratitude. She recommends the book "Year of Yes" by Shonda Rhimes for its lesson on saying yes to scary opportunities. Her favorite quote, from an Oprah interview with Jill Bolte Taylor, highlights the distinction between people who give energy and those who take it, shaping how she evaluates relationships. The episode concludes with her online contact points: Twitter @AlexisMood, LinkedIn, and email hi@shattertheceiling.co for involvement with her organization.
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Welcome to the Business Blast Podcast. I'm your host, Tyler Wagner. This episode is brought to you by Authors Unite. Authors Unite provides you with all the resources you need to become a successful author. You can learn more about Authors Unite and join the free community at authorsunite.com. Now let's jump into the episode. Alright everyone, welcome back to another episode of the Business Blast Podcast. I'm your host Tyler Wagner, and today I have Alexis Mood. By day, Alexis is a digital marketing manager. By night, she runs Shatter the Ceiling, which is an organization providing financial assistance to women of color doing unpaid and underpaid internships. So welcome to the show, Alexis.
Thank you for having me.
Of course. Thank you so much for joining us. And we'll dive into the first one. The first question I have for you, Alexis, is what is the best story from your life that has an underlying valuable message?
So I don't know if this is the best story, but it's kind of ironic. So when I was in college, one of my best friends came to me and asked if— she had a friend that was a recruiter at Honda and wanted to know if I wanted her to pass along my resume to her recruiter friend. And I was like, no, I'm not really interested in automotive. I really wanna focus on agency work. And it's ironic because fast forward a couple years, I've been working in the automotive industry for the past 3 years. And I just, I really feel like I've had so many opportunities that I wouldn't have had if I had gone with my original plan and went straight to the agency. So I think the lesson in that is that it's perfectly fine to have plans, but just don't be so rigid that you're not open to other opportunities that life may throw out at you. Mm.
And what is the most valuable piece of information we should know that's within your expertise or industry?
So since I kind of span two industries, marketing and diversity, I'll focus on the diversity aspect. I think just being aware, number one, being aware of your own biases, being aware that a lot of the time we see things the way that we, we see the world as we are, not as it actually is. So just really challenging yourself to think differently and being aware of that as you encounter different people and experiences throughout, you know, professional life and just life in general.
I agree. And what is your best piece of overall business advice, so not necessarily industry-specific?
I think just being yourself. It's super cliché, but I don't think we give ourselves enough credit for things that come naturally to us because they come naturally to us, so we assume they're common sense. But I found that the things that have really elevated my career are things that where I was just kind of like, duh, I mean, why are we not having a specific multicultural strategy for our MBA campaigns? Or why are we not doing this? Rather than focusing on things that aren't really in my wheelhouse.
And if you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would that be?
I would definitely have to say just relax. I think I was so— especially a lot of times with ambitious women, We're so focused on the next thing and we want this to turn out perfectly and we want everything to be perfect. And that's not always realistic. So just not being so attached to outcomes, really just relaxing and knowing that everything's going to work out the way it's supposed to.
And in your opinion, it might tie in actually, in your opinion, what's the key to happiness?
It does tie in actually. So I would say staying in my own lane. I'm generally a pretty positive person. So whenever I find myself unhappy or in a rut, I really try to check myself and understand, okay, let's just, where are these feelings coming from? And a lot of times if I'm feeling negative or just really not feeling like myself, it's because I'm trying to measure myself with someone else's yardstick. So I'm looking at what this person is doing on social media or feeling like I need to be here because I've seen someone else that's done that. And in those moments, I really just have to reset and refocus back on my life and what it is that I have to be grateful for and just lean on that.
And what is the best book that you've read and what was the number one thing you learned from that?
So many good books, but Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes is a great read, I think, specifically because it encourages you or through her story, you're inspired, I should say, to say yes to things that are scary. A lot of times we say no to things because, you know, we're afraid of them or we're afraid of what the outcome would be. But I found that the things that I've done that are most— have been most beneficial, that I've learned the most from, that I've gained, you know, the best experience and lessons from have been things that I was originally afraid to say yes to, but I said yes anyway.
And what is your favorite quote and why?
Favorite quote. So this came from an Oprah podcast. She was interviewing Jill Bolte Taylor. And the quote is, there are two kinds of people on the planet: people who bring you energy and people who take your energy away. And I think that's my favorite quote because it's really challenged me to look at my relationships through a different lens and take an inventory of the people that I keep close to me. So is this person, you know, are they bringing me good vibes and positivity and all that stuff, or are they just sort of negative and really just not really adding any value to my life. And then I also try to hold myself to those same standards. So I judge myself through that same lens and make sure that I'm bringing positivity and love and light and all that woo stuff to people that I care about.
Yes, I love it. Thank you so much for coming on. The last question I have for you before we let you go is where's the best place for people to find you online?
So, um, For my musings and rants, you can follow me on Twitter @AlexisMood for an occasional intellectual thought, or if you want to keep up with me professionally, I'm on LinkedIn as well, Alexis Mood there also. And then if you're interested in the diversity and inclusion space or getting involved with Shatter the Ceiling at all, you can email us at hi@shattertheceiling.co.
Perfect. Thank you again for joining us. We appreciate it.
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