The Future of As Extra As Alena

Hey guys! So this post will be a little bit different from my other posts. This week, school started picking up and I was pretty busy, so I didn't have time to put together a big post, but I wanted to put something out still. I decided that this post was going to be me discussing ideas and getting feedback on ideas I have for my brand on social media, gaining experiences in marketing, and just a jumble of things. These are just all things that have been on my mind that I didn't know what to do with, so I threw them into a blog post.

I know a lot of people won't probably read this, but for those of you who do, I would really appreciate it if you could give me feedback or even just support with these ideas I'm throwing out. Thank you and enjoy!

Blog Posts:

I love and appreciate everyone who ever reads these posts. It means a lot to me when people tell me that they love my blog. I was so nervous starting this blog just because I feel like I got a lot of judgement when I first brought up the idea. I have really enjoyed writing this blog too. Like I had originally hoped, it is a very fun way for me to get my thoughts out, relax, and enjoy writing.

I have a LOT of fun ideas coming up these next two months. Halloween makeup, fun costumes, gift lists, date ideas, etc. That being said, please continue to tell me your ideas and requests. With all these ideas, there are also weeks that I am drawn to a blank. I actually have done blog posts that were requested, so I am open and ready to hear your ideas!

I am not really sure how long I want to keep this blog up, I know that my content doesn't really reach an amazing amount of people. I would love if it did, but with the amount of content on the internet, my posts just don't come up in searches. I would really appreciate it if you like my blog to share it with your friends!

Photography:

So with photography, obviously I started a small photography account on Instagram @alenab.photography, but as you can probably tell, it is a little hard for me to post. Mostly because it is difficult to take photos of people often. With school, work, and social stuff, scheduling photoshoots is a little hard. But, I am also still very interested in learning all I can about photography. I have some fun ideas for fall, so if you want some really quick and easy photos, email or message me and I'd love to play around.

I am also trying to figure out the best lenses and cameras for portrait photography. I currently have a Canon EOS Rebel SL2. I am very much aware that this is considered a beginner DSLR. I am just that. Beginning. I also shoot with really basic lenses like an 18-55mm and a 50mm lens. I want to learn more about different lenses and potentially invest in one especially good for portraits on Canon cameras.

Business/Marketing:

I have been working really hard to gain experience to build up my resume these past couple years. I have been lucky enough to have some really amazing opportunities. I am constantly looking into new opportunities such as brand ambassadorships, internships, lectures, classes, etc. I want to learn as much as I can before I apply to the business school here at BYU and before I graduate and go into the world. If there are any online classes, small businesses looking for ambassadors, or anything you think would help me learn new business skills, I would love to look into them! Please send them my way. Including resume reviewers, mock interviews, networking connections. Literally anything.

This picture was so awkward to take. We stood in a crosswalk, my sister held the phone from behind me between my face and hands...so weird but cute pic!

Potential Traveling:

So this is me trying to not get my hopes up, but I applied for a field study trip in New York City in Spring of 2020. Hopefully, I will be able to live in Manhattan for 2ish months and learn about media history in New York. I am really excited, and I really hope I get it, but there are still a couple things I need to do to get accepted. In the case that I do end up going to New York, what stuff would you want to see? New York fashion? Food? Photo locations?

But this also isn't exclusive to New York! I am also heading back to Seattle over Christmas break, and potentially Las Vegas for a weekend trip and could put together a couple blog posts about those topics as well if you guys want to read them, or would you rather read about other topics and less about the location itself? I know I really like finding cool places to go while traveling, so I think it could be cool to do some travel posts.

YouTube Channel:

So this idea I have been juggling for a while now. I have thought about starting a YouTube channel or at least just doing one video to play with the type of media. I don't know a lot about the platform, and I want to learn a little bit about it. A lot of people have also asked me why I haven't started a channel already and honestly because it is a lot harder to put yourself out there in front of a camera talking rather than typing, or relying on filters and being able to pick your favorite photo. I am extremely scared to have people see me in a video because it just feels much more exposed. But, I want to try it and get to know different platforms, and grow experience in the industry of social media marketing as well as my personal brand, so I am willing to give it a try. Let me know if you think I should.

I know I wouldn't be able to produce weekly content because of my school schedule being so crazy, but I am thinking about uploading one or two videos to at least try it. So, that brings me to what video would you want to see? A Q&A, a makeup tutorial, a fall haul, a vlog? Let me know. I want my first video to be introducing me for sure so I am thinking a vlog or Q&A, but after that, I am open to new ideas.

Thanks for letting me spit out my thoughts and ideas. I will be back next week with a post on my fall essentials!

XOXO

Alena