Welcome back to circle back Vol. 2: Electric Boogaloo. Or something.

We had an overwhelmingly positive response to the first edition (ICYMI, you can read it here) so we’re back, baby! Unlike preambles, today’s topics are fresh and fun, so let’s dive right in.

Table of Contents

• Helping Hand: I’ve met someone…

• Data Deep Dive: Alix Earle isn’t really a hot mess

• Fun & Flirty: Low Effort Life Savers 😵‍💫

Helping Hand: I’ve met someone…

We’re here to help you as a professional. This segment is dedicated to enhancing your professional workflow through innovative solutions and best practices.

Data Deep Dive: Alix Earle isn’t really a hot mess

We’re here to help you as an employee. This segment is built to inspire you with the transformative power of data in marketing growth and problem-solving, based on industry success stories.

We live in the age of the influencer. You know it, we know it, everyone knows it. People are following trends like never before; things start fast, and they burn out even faster.

That’s why it’s all the more impressive when influencers become popular and stay popular. Alix Earle, a 23-year-old TikTok personality, started posting videos as a college freshman over four years ago.

She first gained traction on her college lifestyle content, most known for her chaotic “get-ready-with-me” videos. She had around 5 million followers on TikTok when she graduated from the University of Miami in the spring of 2023.

Alix graduated with her degree in marketing and it’s reflected in every business decision she makes. After graduating college, her fame didn’t fizzle.

We see it all the time in influencer culture. When you stray from what made you famous, you risk losing the connection to your market. It’s like when corporate TikTokkers quit their 9-5 jobs to become full-time influencers. They alienate their following because they abandoned ‘the thing’ making them interesting. Alix could have easily fallen into the same trap after graduation, having risen to fame from making college content.

But she didn’t.

When it comes to having a social media presence, Alix has the formula on lock. She maintains an authentic on-screen relationship with her audience (though she now makes more than our salaries for just one video).

She rightfully recognized it was her infectious personality and relatability that made people follow her, not the fact that she was in college. It didn’t matter where she was - she was seeing success, so long as she didn’t lose touch with her audience. Her transparency is her selling proposition - she continues to talk openly about her struggles with acne and to destigmatizing plastic surgery. Alix has built a strong presence on channels beyond TikTok, like her podcast “Hot Mess“, where she showcases her openness and charm.

Today, over one year post-grad, Alix is rocking a TikTok engagement rate of well over 5%. For context, most other Gen Z creators with similar following sizes don’t perform as well (Tara Yummy and Haley Baylee each have 3%) in this category. Despite all the fame, Alix is still the same girls-girl who orders Domino’s when she’s hungover and posts nights out on her Instagram stories like any other chaotic 20-something-year-old you’d know.

The only difference, she now makes millions doing it.

Fun & Flirty: Low Effort Life Savers 😵‍💫

We’re here to help you as a person. This segment offers a lighthearted exploration of life beyond the workplace, focusing on cultural and lifestyle topics.

Hiii friends! I knew when we started this newsletter I wanted to make this a fun segment early. Corporate attire feels like the biggest scam in the world sometimes.

Over the last few years, between business school and workplace events, I feel like I’ve worn a thousand different business casual outfits. Certain pieces have made their way into more outfits than anything else, so I thought I’d give you my top three wardrobe must-haves.

1) White sneakers and a white top: A casual white sneaker and classy white top pulls together almost any blazer/slack combo. So cohesive, and so comfy, especially if you’re going to be on the move.

2) Your favorite pop of color: having a tie, a heel, a slack, a belt, or a shirt that on its own makes you say “woah” is one of my most relied-on essentials. This is sure to enhance any neutral outfit.

Bonus points if there’s one *type* of piece you really like to wear colored - I’ve probably worn the same black blazer, black top, and black loafers a million times. Yet, when I elevate it with pink or green pants, it looks like a different outfit every time!

3) Those dress pants: having one pair of neutral slacks that works for you is very girl-who-is-going-to-be-okay core. You’ll wear shirts and shoes to dress an outfit up or down. But, if you have your old faithful dress pants, you can handle whatever the workday throws at you.

You read ‘til the end? Stop, we’re blushing. Dare ya to do it again next week!