For this interview, Scy goes back to her alma mater, USC campus to interview a fellow Trojan grad! Alexis Jones was born and raised in Austin Texas. By age 25, she was a top finalist on the reality TV show SURVIVOR, obtained a Masters degree in Communications, and started her own female empowerment company, I Am That Girl (IATG). Alexis talks about her inspiration for IATG, the new "Bellism" beauty movement and advise for the 21st century female.
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Tell us about your USC experience I had an incredible USC experience, my Sophomore year I did the Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler, it was the first time I was ever humbled and humiliated at the same time, I didn't realize there were so many issues going around the world. I hosted a tv show on red carpet, decided to come back for Grad School and ended up hosting blog called InsideUSC on the Trojan Football Team
So you do inspirational and motivational speaker, at what point in your life made you think you're a leader? It happened organically, I was always that girl my friends came to. We started a discussion group, started talking about issues that mattered. And especially after doing the Vagina Monologue, I knew I was passionate working with girls and women.
Tell us about your company, I Am That Girl (IATG) It is for the 21st century women, we didn't think things were as mutually exclusive as they were in the past so why not have a fun, cool, hip, trendy company that combines intelligence, confidence, independence with sexy, beautiful and feminine. We wanted to start a company that promote smart is the new sexy.
Why did you decide to empower women, why not young entreprenuers in general or just people in general? I think for me, it's what resignates with me the most and all isues facing women are personal, I am certainly not above it so there is that authenticity in it.
What are some most defining moments for I Am That Girl? Where do you see yourself taking the company in the future? We were recently highlighted in the LA Times, we started new movement called "Bellism", and to see a word we coined in a major publication made us really excited. We also flew to Cambodia and worked with a group of women for 2 weeks, which is one of the most inspiring opportunities IATG has had.
Tell us about your trip to Cambodia We launched an International Leadership Program, it was more of a pilot/test run for us. Scott Neeson who was the President at 20th Century Fox went over to Cambodia, saw the atrocity that was going on, sold his multi-million-dollor house, and started an all girls school there. He got in touch with me and asked us to work with the girls.
We went ove there with a curriculum with for girls in the states dealing with body image, confidence and self esteem, so we showed with that and realized that none of it was relevant to them because they're really in "survival" mode, they're worried about eating and shelter. So for us was like on the spot training, throwing out our curriculum, and thinking "how can we be students of their world".
Tell me about Billism Bellism is the 21st Century empowerment movement for women. We did a bunch of different surveys and focus groups with women asking if they believed in this and that, which were tenets from the feminist movement, they all said YES, but when asking if they were a feminist, 9 out of 10 girls said NO.
We thought instead of deconstructing the negative stereotypes of the "feminist", why not start a new movement and a new word that embodies the values wonen our generation hold today, being smart and sexy, fierce and feminine, bold and beautiful. It is a beauty revolution. We want to redefine beauty and remind chicks "we are on the same team". We do so much more when we collaborate than compete. Our big mission to get women coming together.
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