Too Smart For This

Monique Rodriguez went from being a registered nurse to building Mielle Organics, an organic multicultural haircare brand that was acquired by Procter & Gamble in a 9-figure, non-controlling deal — making her the first Black woman to secure this type of investment. And she did it with no business background, no MBA, and years of bootstrapping. If you're trying to figure out how to start someth...

If you're tired of waiting for the right job, the right opportunity, or the right moment to finally feel powerful — this episode is your wake-up call. The truth is, power isn't something you build from scratch. It's not waiting for you at the next job title, the next salary bump, or the next milestone. The power is already within you — you just need to stop giving it away to circumstances, externa...

Ladies, grab your notebooks, this episode is an absolute masterclass. This week’s guest is Pauline Brown, the former Chairman of LVMH North America, a board member who's worked with companies like Estée Lauder, Carlyle Group, and Neiman Marcus, and now an author, professor, and entrepreneur building a life and career entirely on her own terms. She's also one of the most thoughtful people you'll he...

This episode is about power, and we're not apologizing for it. Ambitious women are taught to serve everyone else, be the good girl, and never admit they want to be powerful. But your power is already within you, and this episode is about how to stop accidentally giving it away and step into your full power as a woman. Power isn't the money, the titles, or the degrees. It's not even the relationshi...

If you want to build a powerful network without draining your social battery or working the room like a used car salesman, this episode is for you. Phoebe Dodds is a global connector, ecosystem builder, co-founder of Social Capital, and the woman Harvard Business Review, Vogue, and Forbes turn to when they want to talk about the future of relationships and business. She's built connections across...

Happy Valentine's Day my beautiful friends! Jodie Taylor is back, and this episode couldn't have come at a better time. Jodie is a Senior Director of DEI at Sony Music Group, Northwestern alum, and one of the most followed voices in the ambitious women space. She's been featured in the New York Times, Vogue, and The Cut — and she's one of the first people Alexis has seen put into actual words what...

Hiiii angels, surprise! I'm back with a bonus episode with the one and only Julia Cabral, Senior Director of Product Marketing at LinkedIn. We chat about her career pivot from finance to marketing, why today's job market requires you to take agency over your own career path, and how building your personal brand on LinkedIn isn't optional anymore whether you're a creator, corporate girly, or entrep...

ABOUT THIS EPISODE We’re back for Week 5 of the Alignment Edit and this week is allll about your look. And before you think this is going to be some superficial beauty standards thing, it's not. Well, mostly. This is about the mental energy you're spending every single day either actively criticizing how you look or passively not showing up the way you want to because you haven't figured out what...

ABOUT THIS EPISODE  Hii angels! Welcome to Week 4 of the Alignment Edit, where Alexis is talking about your space and why the environment you live in matters more than you think. Alexis has been obsessed with beautiful environments since she discovered a Pottery Barn catalog in her aunt's bathroom at age 6 (she’s obviously been an aesthetic icon ever since). Growing up in chaotic, difficult s...

ABOUT THIS EPISODE Hello Angels! Alexis is calling in from Miami (at the EDITION hotel, living her best life, obviously) to talk about the hardest part of the Alignment Edit: money. Money has been the biggest thing in her life since she was a kid — growing up on food stamps, being the scholarship kid at boarding school, then taking out six figures in student loans at Wharton. After graduating into...

ABOUT THIS EPISODE Welcome to Part 2 of the Alignment Edit, where we're tackling health and wellness. But this isn't about becoming an Olympic-level athlete or a wellness queen, this is about shifting from viewing wellness as punishment to seeing it as a practice that protects your mind, your energy, and your ability to show up for the life you're building. After all, we are nothing without our he...

ABOUT THIS EPISODE Your problem isn't that your life is a disaster. Your problem is that you have a pretty good situation, and you want a great one. Welcome to Week 1 of the Alignment Edit, where we're tackling personal systems — the foundation for everything else. Most of you are already killing it. You're smart, you're capable, and you're checking all the boxes. But you're stuck in what Gay Hend...

ABOUT THIS EPISODE She's so back, angels. After 186 episodes and a 10-month break, Alexis is returning to the mic for good, and we're all the better for it. After burning out hard and spending the last 10 months writing on Substack, Alexis learned some things. Actually, she learned a lot of things. About what it means to run toward something you want to enjoy versus running away from what scares y...

According to my extremely hyperbolic mother, I was a “child genius” who taught myself to read when I was three. According to childhood developmental statistics, I highly doubt that this was true, but I do have proof that I listed “author” as my dream job in kindergarten. By second grade, I took great pride in my daily struts to the fifth-grade classroom to get new chapter books, sporting pigtails...

We’re diving deep into my goal setting process for 2025, which consists of 3 steps: Reflection, Excavation, and Dreaming. I jam packed this guide with all the tips and resources I’v gathered from a year of doing it all! I hope that by the end of it you have a clear idea of how you want to experience your year and have an action plan for goals that you feel connected to and inspired by. Get access...

They say going to grad school in your 20s is a cop-out. Maybe it is: the shield of academic prestige has certainly been a comfort, but today I can say that the whirlwind of personal growth my master’s degree has prompted has left me with no choice but to surrender. Yeah, it’s that bad, but that’s (unfortunately for my nervous system, fortunately for the stories my home friends get to hear) ultimat...

As the eldest sister of eight, I pride myself on being a master gift-giver, and in this episode, I’m sharing my TOP picks and all-time favorites—perfect gifts for everyone on your list this holiday season! Preorder the Too Smart For This Journal here Buy one get one 50% on all too collective robes until 12/7 Get custom embroidered robes as a perfect holiday gift Skincare * Sulwhasoo Gentle Cleansi...

Listen, I’m not above a petty internet trend that allows you to bash your ex. I am (I think?) Gen Z after all!!! When I first saw the “women in male fields” TikToks, I immediately resonated and hopped on to make my own . Social media is nothing if not a reinforcement that none of us have ever had a unique experience ever , evidenced by my group chats exchanging countless versions of this trend wit...

Earlier this year I saw a TikTok from a girl talking about how she’s the first woman in her family ever to live alone. I’ve been the first in my family to do many things - go out of state for college, not have a child by age 25, or make six figures - but living alone wasn’t an accomplishment I prided myself in. I suddenly swelled with gratitude as I looked around at my girly apartment full of pink...

In this episode, we’re diving into “The Winter Arc,” a time for setting new goals, developing new habits, and building discipline for self-improvement before the New Year.  6:04 - 4 types of rests report 11:06 - creating your winter character 12:47 - time management 15:00 - journaling 17:06 - using ai as your personal assistant 19:06 - redefine your relationship with social media 22:00 - wellness...

almost every episode of Too Smart For This returns to the theme of external validation. but today’s perspective shift helps us interrogate our goals so we can be less skeptical of them and more in tune with ourselves. if your current life missions are starting to feel a little less resonant, this episode will give you the tools to help clarify what really makes you tick. EPISODE NOTES Quote: "I ha...

when you’re being pulled in a million different directions, you need systems for managing life’s curveballs. in this episode, I dive into the frameworks I use to manage my time, energy, and emotions in the insane life I live! this was highly requested, so I hope you enjoy! Shop the Too Chill Robe Follow Too Collective on Instagram Follow Alexis on Instagram Follow Alexis on TikTok This is a public...

Over the last 10 chaotic days since we’ve launched the Too Chill robe and had our first community event in NYC, there’s been little room for relaxation or reflection. Personal issues big and small bubble into my inbox hourly, leaving my head spinning from the good and bad. While my reality looks like overgrown nails, frozen Trader Joe’s meals, and staring at a (brand new because mine broke the day...

I’m the first woman in my family who has not had at least one child by my age. Yes, I’m only 25, but the culture I grew up in prioritized having a relationship and children above all else.  When I decided to go to college out of state, move to New York City, start my own business, and even go to graduate school, I was the only person I knew who did anything of the sort.  But every time I returned...

Nothing soothes a Type-A girl’s spirit more than a plan. A calendar invite for your girls’ dinner? Iconic. An organized grocery list with the exact right amount of ingredients? Sign me up. Back-to-school planning has always been my favorite time of year. I was, in fact, that child After months of unstructured hot days filled with the expectation of “FUN! AT! ALL! COSTS!” it feels refreshing to ret...