Alix was working as an investment recruiter when she realized she wanted to do something centered around women. Now, her female-focused beverage company, Bev, is changing the cultural landscape around women and drinking.

SO HOW'D YOU GET STARTED?

I got started with Bev after I got sick. I was living in San Francisco and had some reproductive health issues. I was drowning in medical bills and I had to freeze my eggs, which is really expensive. So, as any 24-year-old would do, I started throwing ragers and charging people tickets to raise some money for my medical bills. I got really addicted to the idea of a female-owned social space. I found it to be tons of fun and a much better energy than the typical male-dominated social spaces. I wanted to figure out how to recreate these parties on a larger scale, and how to build a community of sorts with that same energy. To do that, I looked into all the things that go into events and parties and alcohol was the lowest common denominator. As I started looking more and more into the alcohol space, I realized I had to go into it because there was truly very little — if anything — in it for women at the time, though I know more and more are coming onto the scene. We’re really trying to change the way that women are perceived and portrayed when it comes to having fun and going out.

ACCOMPLISHMENT YOU'RE MOST PROUD OF?

The accomplishment I’m most proud of today is not necessarily starting the company itself, but what it took to overcome what I had been going through before that to do it. I think a lot of companies and ideas are started from difficult places where you’re really trying to figure out how to survive. For me, I had been going through a lot of health problems and it wasn’t the easiest time in my life. So it wasn’t so much building the company, but building the thick skin and the drive that I’m most proud of.

"What I’m doing, I’m doing from the pit of my stomach and the bottom of my soul. It sounds kind of hokey, but if I weren’t doing it in this industry, I’d be doing it in another."

HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUCCESS?

To me, success is fulfillment. It’s not a number, it’s not money, it’s waking up every day excited about what I’m doing and inspiring other people to do the same. 

WHAT ROLE DOES FAILURE PLAY IN BEING SUCCESSFUL?

Failure is everything. Failure is where you learn. Failure is where you have moments of clarity. Without failure, it’s impossible to be successful. I actually keep a notebook and I write down every time I mess something up. Every time I think I could've done something better, I write it down and learn from it.

SECRET TO PUSHING THROUGH WHEN TIMES GET TOUGH?

What I’m doing, I’m doing from the pit of my stomach and the bottom of my soul. It sounds kind of hokey, but if I weren’t doing it in this industry, I’d be doing it in another. I tell entrepreneurs a lot that it’s really important that you have an emotional relationship with why you’re doing what you’re doing and not just trying to solve a business problem — because if that’s all you’re trying to do, you’ll hit walls that are truly insurmountable. So for me, the drive is just there. It’s part of my blood and that’s really what gets me through the tough days because there are a lot of tough days.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU?

I’m inspired by people who really know why they’re doing what they’re doing and have a mission in place. People who are challenging the status quo. It’s not always an easy thing to do, so that’s probably what inspires me the most. In any way, shape, or form.

HOW DO YOU REACH YOUR FULL POTENTIAL EVERY DAY?

I don’t reach my full potential every day. But on the days that I do reach my full potential, I probably slept well, exercised, and had a little amp up in the morning. I like to give myself affirmations in the mirror and listen to Beyoncé.

GO-TO PRODUCTIVITY HACK?

My mind works best at night and I’m very pressure-prompted. I will get the most done up against the wire. I work best under tremendous amounts of pressure, which isn’t the best way to feel mentally sound all the time. But I give myself false deadlines and it makes me a lot more productive.

"I don’t achieve work-life balance. I still live in my office, so that’s not a thing that exists in my universe yet"

PIECE OF ADVICE?

Know why you’re doing what you’re doing and have a deeper reason for why you’re doing what you’re doing. Or it’s just not worth it. The other thing is that you’re never going to be ready. If you sit around waiting to be ready, you’re not going to actually do anything. Just start moving. I think about it kind of like a bowling alley with bumpers. If you just throw the ball, it will go generally in the direction even if it has to bounce off the bumpers a few times. So as long as you’re moving, you’re going in the right direction. Just don’t stand still.

HOW DO YOU ACHIEVE WORK-LIFE BALANCE?

I don’t achieve work-life balance. I still live in my office, so that’s not a thing that exists in my universe yet. But I try to create little mental separations. I leave the house every morning and come back to the office — which is the same thing. By its very definition, work-life balance insinuates that you're separating work and life. To me, I love what I do and my work gives me life. It’s definitely important to take breaks for clarity. If I’m in it all the time, it can be really hard to strategize and think bigger. So I try to take weekends away and go visit my family, so my brain can be clearer for work. But, really, work-life balance is something that’s achieved by loving what you do.

MOST UNUSUAL ITEM IN YOUR HOUSE?

Harold, my cat, is the most unusual item in my house. He’s a squish face cat with folded ears and he’s very large and red. Everyone loves him. He’s the thing I’m most worried about getting stolen.

HOW DO YOU DEFINE WELLNESS?

I define wellness as a general sense of calm, mental health, and faith. Being able to stay calm even in times of deep stress and understanding that things are going to work out the way that they should. My grandfather used to say, “Luck falls on the shoulders of those prepared to receive it.” I try to keep that in mind a lot. Prepare as hard as you can, but understand that luck will or won’t come and that’s out of your control.

FAVORITE WAY TO LET LOOSE?

Dancing my face off and drinking Bev responsibly.

WHAT'S NEXT FOR YOU?

I really want to learn how to meditate. I try and I fail miserably. What’s next for Bev? A whole bunch of big things. Building out our brand and our community is going to be really important. And getting people aligned behind our mission, why we’re doing what we’re doing, is going to be the most important next step.