Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexa Boggio.
Hi Alexa, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’m originally from Atlanta, GA, where I grew up riding horses and competing as a nationally ranked-equestrian. I grew up on a 60-acre farm where I was constantly outside and in nature, which I think gave me the more creative eye I have today and gave me a strong appreciation for aesthetics.
I was very interested in art from a young age and loved to create, ranging from painting, writing stories, drawing fashion designs, making photo boards, etc. I was also always making things I could sell – from cutting up my old jeans and making them into purses, making jewelry, knitting scarves, and creating custom art – which I would walk around and sell at horse shows.
I went to Southern Methodist University where I had a dual bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Strategic Communications & Public Relations, with a minor in advertising. I competed on scholarship for the NCAA SMU Equestrian team, and worked as the Digital Producer for the SMU Daily Update, the campus news broadcast.
From there I’ve done a variety of work both within the creative agency environment and the corporate environment – ranging from marketing, videography, graphic design, photography, website design, sales, and public relations. I’ve always been most drawn to creative work. It’s what’s always come most naturally to me, and I love the feeling of sharing anything I create and seeing the finished product come together – whether that be a completed marketing campaign, a video I shot and produced, a design, etc.
I’m currently based in Austin, TX, and I have experience working in marketing and media – and with the technology industry growing so rapidly, I decided to go into technology sales for Oracle Corporation. I eventually moved into a marketing role for Oracle Corporation in late 2019, which I worked in until 2022. My primary responsibilities were marketing campaigns and project management, and I’m grateful for the opportunities I had there and the encouragement I had to take initiative – in 2021 I created the Oracle Guest Blog Program, a service offered to Oracle Technology Partners to guest author and publish their blog stories to one of Oracle’s various blog platforms. This was particularly exciting because I was able to create something from scratch, and it gave opportunities for smaller companies to gain higher visibility and share their new technologies to a larger audience to help them grow.
My current focus is marketing and graphic design, and perfecting my skills in the Adobe Creative Suite. I’ve currently been freelancing and building my portfolio, which has been a welcomed change of pace because I can flex my more creative muscles for that work. For future endeavors, I’m very interested in the music industry and would love to work in that space, especially with its prevalence in Austin.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Because I have experience in a variety of different creative fields, it was difficult to choose which path I thought would be best suited for me. I also felt a lot of pressure to take a more traditional, less creative career path. I struggled between what I thought I “should” be doing and what I wanted to do. However by choosing marketing, I was able to integrate more traditional business skills with my creative skills, and it gave me a nice balance within my career. I’m also grateful for the experience I gained in areas I wasn’t always most comfortable in, and now love. This ultimately changed my perspective on what a traditional career path looks like and strengthened my skill set overall.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I currently do graphic design, however, I also specialize in Marketing. I’m currently building my professional portfolio, where I’ve been able to integrate the different skills I’ve learned throughout my career – videography, design, marketing, campaign management, branding, photography, web design, etc.
I’m currently most proud of the portfolio of designs I’ve created in 2022, which I created primarily with Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop. Additionally, I’m also most proud of creating the Oracle Guest Blog Program during my time working for Oracle. The program provides a service for their technology partners to guest author a blog article on one of Oracle’s various blogging platforms. I lead the project, and it took about 6 months to create from ideation to finish. What I loved most about the service is that it gave a much larger, international stage for smaller companies to showcase their new and innovative technologies. Providing a platform that reached millions of people internationally helped smaller companies reach a much larger audience they would have otherwise not had access to, helping them grow. It also brought higher awareness to technologies that could help the audience it was reaching. The project felt very purpose-driven, and I’m grateful for the ability to bring it to life.
I believe what sets me apart from others is my experience in both the more traditional aspects of business & marketing, and the creative fields. By combining these areas of work, I have a well-rounded skill set and an eye for creativity. My creativity keeps me motivated to provide new ideas, and my experience in marketing and business gives me the skills to execute those ideas and bring them to life strategically.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
My advice would be to trust that what you want and what calls to you is also aligned with what the universe wants for you. That inner voice is there for a reason, and it should serve as your guide to what path you want to take. If you’ve always been more drawn to art, then that’s a good guide to know you would most likely thrive in that field.
I also would say to push past the discomfort that comes with learning a new skill, and keep going even if something seems too challenging. In the long-term, the learning part is just a small step. Once you’re familiar with something, that’s when the fun begins and you can truly enjoy the experience and reap the benefits of what having that skill brings.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.theboggioportfolio.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/lexdesignsofficial?igshid=Zjc2ZTc4Nzk=
Image Credits
Horse Showjumping Image: James Parker Photography
Graphic Design Images: Alexa Boggio
Professional Photos: Sandy Gregory Photography
