Nina Alexis is building a beautiful business based on personal expression, self-care, and immersive art experiences, and this woman has big plans in terms of providing an amazing experience and scaling her business. You can find her very soon at her website: https://freeflowcreatives.com (you can sign up for her upcoming classes there!) and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/ninaalexisartist.
First things first – what is your walk-on-stage music?
When did you start your business, and why did you create it?
I started my business during the midst of the COVID 19 Pandemic to assist with providing mental health techniques for small business owners and entrepreneurs to be self-expressive and have a creative outlet while social distancing. The FreeFlow Experience, owned and operated by Nina Alexis Simmons, is dedicated to a creative and immersive experience through art for Atlanta, Georgia, the surrounding community, and virtually online via Zoom.
Our concept is simple; we provide our guests a venue or safe space where, with the help of our talented instructors, they have the opportunity to create their own works of art in the form of a painting, drawing, and other creative art mediums. It is our plan to create an atmosphere of relaxation, fun, and inspiration by our local artists who will guide our guests step-by-step through the featured painting or creative art technique. Guest will be allowed to BYOB. At the end of the night, guests get to leave with their very own masterpiece.
Tell us about your business and what makes you unique in your field.
We strive to develop a successful, national brand, provide unmatched support to our local artists, and bring the magic of The FreeFlow Experience to consumers nationwide.
Our mission is to allow our guests to explore their innate abilities, and creatively express themselves without judgment or restraint, through the creative arts.
We facilitate Live and virtual instructional classes that focus on creative art processes that
- Encourage self-care practices
- Educate about the power of creativity
- Create an open and collaborative environment
- Passionate about personal development
- Committed to partners and the community
If you could magically give all of your community members one thing in this world, what would it be, and why?
Since I was a small child, I’ve enjoyed and appreciated art in all its forms. In school, I learned the basic techniques and how to start the creative process. It wasn’t until I went home and played around with different mediums and spent hours researching or practicing those techniques that I became a true artist. Art is about playing and experimenting with how you are feeling and putting it into a form that is outside of yourself. I’ve always had a passion for art and working with my hands while also having fun being spontaneous. Music, Visual Arts, Dance, Acting/Performance Art are all wonderful forms of expression. I love all the creative arts and find myself exploring each one every time I am able.
I developed a Live immersive experience where I share my love of the creative arts with others. FreeFlow was placed on my heart a few years ago. Something that is free-flowing is able to move without anything stopping it. I desired to create a safe space that would allow for creativity and conversation to happen in a continuous and natural way. I strive to explore and continue having new adventures as I help others creatively express themselves without judgment or restraint.
Creating art and hosting parties have always come naturally to me. I created this paint and creative expression event as a way to show others how to bring forth their inner artist. I want to teach everyone how to take time out to self-love, provide artistic self-care activities and have them leave self-satisfied with the knowledge of what they can accomplish.
Did you create your own website or hire it out? Do you use WordPress?
Our website is currently in development by a local website development company and will be using the WordPress platform.
Do you have an email list? If so, did you start it when you launched?
I didn’t start my email list initially. I have steadily grown each month with the referrals I’ve received from clients/attendees.
What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about starting their own business?
Having a work-life balance is essential for being happy, staying motivated to keep growing, and thriving in business. I have worked in my industry for over 15 years and I’ve learned that I have to continually recharge or risk burnout. I had to also come to the realization that it was okay to do so. We are groomed to believe that we need to work hard at all times, have 60 plus hour work weeks, and being able to buy really nice things will make it all worthwhile. I initially didn’t understand that I was not staying driven and motivated every week because I did not take the time out for self-care. I started to work on the weekends so therefore my work week was never-ending. I was missing out on spending time with friends and family because I felt I had a million deadlines.
My life changed when I stopped trying to do it all. On my own, I could accomplish a lot, but it wasn’t until I started networking and having deeper conversations that I realized most executives and entrepreneurs are facing the exact same dilemma. We are not sharing our struggles and we feel we can only post about our wins or the fun experiences that are going on in our lives. Once I started having more and more virtual coffee calls (because of COVID) and was open and honest about what was truly going on in my world, I felt better. I was sharing more than little quips or fun stories and I wanted to delve deeper and be authentic. I had to be honest with myself first and foremost, I had to change the way I was operating because as we see every day on the news… life is simply too short to be miserable every day.
I feel that by taking care of my mental health I am becoming a better person. I am healthier, well-rested, and I care more, I desire to learn more and connect with other people. By deciding to spend more time painting, cooking, getting pampered, or taking time to simply walk outside and be one with nature, I am taking back my time. I decided to give myself grace and take the time to breathe and meditate. I’ve become someone that appreciates the small things and I desire to share this epiphany with anyone that is looking to be a truly balanced individual.
Who are your favorite bloggers or podcasts right now?
https://www.colormecourtney.com – Color Me Courtney (Courtney Quinn)
https://jennakutcherblog.com/goal-digger-podcast/ – Goal Digger with Jenna Kutcher
https://jaistone.com – Brand & Hustle Podcast with Jai Stone (The BrandMother)
https://bosslocksmedia.com/ – Boss Locks with Walter Gainer II
