Joining us today is Alexandra Radford, the inspiring Owner and CEO of The Edge Agency, a highly regarded branding and marketing firm based in Buford, GA. Alexandra’s story is one of resilience and triumph as she transformed from a teenage mother into a successful business owner. Overcoming the odds stacked against her, she obtained her bachelor’s degree in consumer journalism from The University of Georgia and embarked on a flourishing career in sales and marketing.
In 2016, Alexandra took a leap of faith and established Edge Marketing Company in response to the increasing demand for branding, design, and marketing support. This venture evolved into a partnership known as The Edge Agency, which, in 2022, accomplished the remarkable feat of entering the 7% of businesses earning seven-figure revenues. Today, as the sole owner of The Edge Agency, Alexandra has steered the company to become a recipient of the prestigious Best of Gwinnett award, serving a diverse range of clients across more than 40 industries since its inception.
Beyond her professional achievements, Alexandra finds purpose in her personal journey and endeavors to inspire women to embrace faith and obedience in pursuit of their own meaningful paths. As Owner and CEO, she approaches her role with a heart of ministry, prioritizing the well-being of her team and clients. When she’s not immersed in running the business, Alexandra cherishes her role as a mother to her two boys and actively advocates for clients at a Crisis Pregnancy Center, reminding them that their lives are a work in progress with boundless potential. Alexandra’s ultimate mission is to empower women with tools for personal growth, offer moments of prayer and encouragement, and share the message of Jesus, reminding them that there is a good, prosperous hope and purpose for their future.
We’re honored to have Alexandra Radford join us today to delve deeper into her incredible journey, gain insights into her experiences as a business owner, and learn from her inspiring perspective on life and faith.
Can you tell us about your experience as a teen mom and how it has shaped your life?
When I found out I was pregnant at 17, I had 2 choices. I could avoid consequences and make the unexpected situation “go away” or I could face the consequences of my actions and let it shape me into the next dimension of who I was destined to be. While it wasn’t an easy choice, it was the right choice for me. That single decision has impacted my future in so many ways. It grounded me and humbled me. It meant that I had to take action and work harder than my peers to make sure I did not become a statistic. I guess this is where my grit and drive was born.
I refused to get lost or fall behind in life because of one circumstance, no matter how great. Being a young mother matured me early in my career, which served to advance me because I connected with a much older client base because we had similar lifestyles. This taught me that every trial can be used for good. I am PROUD of my choice, my story, my degree and my career because I had to work really hard to achieve it. I am proud of who I am when I look in the mirror because of the good, hard things I’ve overcome.
How did you find the courage to start your own business despite the challenges you faced as a young mother?
Being an entrepreneur wasn’t something I envisioned for myself originally.
A successful career in real estate is where I learned that I had a knack for building relationships through business. I was sought after for employment by competitors but realized I was hitting a glass ceiling in my industry.
When a client believed in my ability and asked me to do freelance marketing work for them, I realized that there was a much larger audience out there that I could serve outside of the real estate industry.
This realization led to a name, a logo, a website and business cards nearly overnight. Then, I slowly started talking about my business. I told people about this exciting thing I was trying and asked for feedback and I met with a lot of mentors to glean some wisdom from them. And then, I got my first client. And then, 2nd. 3rd. 4th. I didn’t know everything but I knew how to start and I knew how to ask for help. I knew how to get my hands on resources so that I could pull off what my new clients were asking for. One happy client after another is what has encouraged me to keep putting one foot in front of the other in my entrepreneurship journey. And the opportunities came organically through my sphere of influence. The key for me was one step at a time. One day at a time. I didn’t have to choose to quit my job to be an entrepreneur on day 1. I could slowly build and leave corporate America when I was ready. And until then, it was extra income.
I’ve simply taken the knowledge that has been poured into me over the years and took a stab at it myself. Other people believing in me taught me how to believe in myself.
What lessons have you learned from your journey to becoming a successful business owner?
Every day is a new lesson! I have learned SO MUCH and continue to learn every single day.
The best way to conquer imposter syndrome is to “Do it scared.”
I’ve learned that many times in life, the most defining and confidence-building moments are not easy moments. They’re moments where you’re on the fence, doubting your abilities and you take the next right step anyways. Do it scared. Get comfortable being uncomfortable.
Be vulnerable
As a leader, it’s easy to want to appear like the smartest person in the room. But I’ve learned that collaboration and vulnerability forge deeper relationships and create more buy-in from team members and sales prospects.
Partner
Stay in your lane. Do what you do best. And partner with experts on the rest. You’re not going to have all the answers or ability – Source talent, coaches, mentors, vendors and find the right people to grow with. And then, nurture those relationships.
Do what you can do and then let go
It’s easy to stress and overwork as a business owner. Prepare for your day, time block and then live in the moment. Focus on what only you can do as a business owner.
Communication is everything
Ask the right questions. Let your team and your clients speak first. If there’s a lack of clarity, there’s more to uncover.
How has your faith played a role in your personal and professional life?
I could fill a book with countless ways my faith has impacted my life. My faith is what led me to choose life and become a teen mom at 18 when I had other options. My faith is what kept me hopeful and hardworking through 4 years of college. My faith (and more importantly, God’s grace) is what opened opportunities for my career to flourish. And when it was time to leave corporate America and take a leap of faith into the world of entrepreneurship, it was my faith that sustained me. And to this day, continues to sustain me. Every day is uncertain, unknown, possibility of failure at every turn….but I trust that what God has called me to, he will sustain. I’ve had many missteps and as I get older, I’m learning to make proactive decisions based on God’s will, rather than constantly needing God to get me out of a mess I walked into without his guidance. His grace is limitless.
What advice would you give to other women who may be facing similar challenges in their lives?
Life is full of curve balls. And the people who look like they’re navigating so easily are all facing their own challenges. That’s life. Get excited about the possibilities in each day. Focus on today. Look for the good and the opportunities and stay present – today. And when opportunities come, you don’t have to have all the answers right away. Just take the next right step. And if you make a mistake, the door will close and you’ll go again. One of my favorite quotes is ABC by ABC. No one judges the guy in the ring. Just get in there.
Can you talk about a particularly memorable moment in your career as a business owner?
Before hiring our first full-time employee, our clients were used to talking to an owner about their marketing plan each month. As business increased, we hired a full-time and employee to take over client account management. When I saw how happy the clients were and that we were able to maintain the client without my assistance anymore…It was a game changer and really showed me what it looks like to scale. It was a proud moment early on of, okay…Okay, I can trust other people to lead this business.
How do you balance your responsibilities as a business owner and a mother?
I’m still working on that! Lately, I’ve adjusted my calendar to where I work on specific tasks on specific days so that I can be more productive throughout the work week. I’ve found that the more prepared I am for the day or the week, the more accomplished I feel at the end of the day from fruitful labor and the more present I allow myself to be at home after a day of productivity – rather than busy-ness.
What message do you hope to send to women who may be struggling to find their purpose in life?
Rome wasn’t built in a day. It’s not your job to discover your purpose. It’s God’s job to reveal your purpose to you. It’s your job to seek Him. He will reveal the next right steps for you to take by opening and closing doors that push you forward in life. Your purpose is multifaceted and found in your identity, you’re your role. Your role as a mother or business owner is not your identity. Your purpose lived out through your roles.
Know that the detours ARE always leading you closer to your purpose. Hindsight is 20/20. I wanted to quit my first job out of college within the first few months. I hated it and thought it wasn’t for me. My mom told me to give it a little more time before quitting prematurely. I took her advice and ended up thriving in that role and ultimately, that role, led me to where I am today, as an entrepreneur.
Sometimes the roles you hate are actually doors that will ultimately lead you into the next season of your life. It’s not immediate. It takes time. Just focus on the next right thing and how you can serve other people where you are. Practice gratitude, it will open doors.
How do you differentiate The Edge Agency from other marketing and branding firms in the industry?
We serve our clients with a blended method of creativity and business smarts to bridge the gap between strategy and design. We are tireless in our effort to create a positive experience for our clients. We put people and values before profit.
And we stay in our lane and serve our clients best in our area of specialty, which is branding and content marketing. Many of our clients need a more diverse set of marketing expertise when they’re elevating their brand and that’s why we partner with niche experts and bring our resources to our clients to serve them at optimum level.
What challenges have you faced as a business owner and how have you overcome them?
As we’ve grown from a team of 1 to 10 and worked with over 200 clients, we’ve faced many growing pains and challenges. At one point our team was running our of bandwidth, and we restructured the way we operate as a team by changing a few roles. We hired an agency expert to help us iron out the kinks we were experiencing. As we’ve grown, we’ve gone from working with solopreneurs to billion-dollar brands and our knowledge needed expanding. We hired marketing strategy partners to pour into us for this. We’ve increased our service offerings, which means we created new alliances with industry experts through vendor management. You’ll notice a recurring theme: Partnerships have been key to our success.
How has your experience in sales and marketing helped you in your role as CEO of The Edge Agency?
Sales is a people skill. And people skills may be the most important skill for any entrepreneur. Whether you’re leading a team, serving a client or selling to a prospect, people are what make a business operate. At the end of the day, a business owner’s job is to keep revenue coming in the door and people in the right seats. Sales skills have taught me to know my strengths and weaknesses, communicate effectively, get the resources I need for my shortcomings and lead with heart at home and at the office.
Can you talk about a particularly successful campaign or project that The Edge Agency has executed?
We branded, launched and marketed the inaugural Lake Lanier Boat Show at Lake Lanier Islands. This was a campaign that we are particularly proud of because it was a local community partner with a big goal and we were able to spearhead the entire project from start to finish. We strategized the brand development, launched the brand and marketed the event with an omni-channel campaign, which turned up thousands of people in attendance and resulted in over 100 boat sales.
What impact do you hope The Edge Agency will have on the business world and your clients?
I believe impact happens one person at a time. One message to millions of people can be inspiring. But the way to really create change in someone’s life involves an active and alive relationship with them. I hope to set an example of this that trickles down through my company and one day, when we have hundreds of employees, I hope there are countless stories of impact and change because someone on the team, believed in another person on the team. I pray that relationships run deep and connections are strong and that our team supports each other and that THAT is the lifeblood that edge runs on. That is what keeps good reviews, referrals, and repeat customers coming our way and it expounds and compounds over time.
![From Music to Perfume: How did your background as a music teacher influence your transition into perfumery, and how do you incorporate your musical sensibilities into creating fragrances? I’ve always thought in terms of metaphors, and music has many that can be related to perfumery! Beyond just thinking in terms of top, middle and base notes [soprano/alto/tenor in choir], I approach each fragrant idea as a composition. When documenting my ideas, song structures often come to mind. As the scent brief is visited, I meditate on what the fragrance should convey - do I want to create an accord or a “chord” of fragrance note combinations? Do I want an a capella soloist (a particular ingredient to stand out more than others?) Many of my thoughts regarding song composition transfers to my scent formulation process, with me treating each note as an intentional soliloquy at some point.
Brand Origin: What inspired you to start Pink MahogHany in 2005, and how has your vision for the brand evolved since its inception?
An avid lover of all things pleasantly scented (with slight modesty), looking back in retrospect, it’s no huge surprise that I’ve created an indie perfume house with just an idea to provide unique options for those who may be sensitive to unnecessary pungency. Initially, I just wanted to evaluate various blends to note their aroma profiles when “played” together…it wasn’t until I had friends and family asking if I knew of brands that catered to those who may be on the more olfactory sensitive side, that I really began to take my research more seriously. In the almost 20 years that Pink MahogHany has been in existence, our micro visions for the brand have evolved to larger territory. Where Pink MahogHany used to only be a personal brand, we are now also a bespoke formulation service provider to other indie brands seeking unique fragrance offerings for their products. These products range from (but are not limited to) perfumes, candles, body butters and lip balms. Ingredient Transparency: You emphasize transparency and the use of desirable ingredients in your products. How do you select your ingredients, and what challenges have you faced in maintaining this standard?
Being an indie brand often comes with a set of assumptions and misconceptions - one of them being more negative than positive as it relates to ingredients used. There is a lot of “fluff” in the industry with labeling falsification. Because fragrance formulas are a trade secret, not every molecular breakdown of a material has to be noted on the ingredient label (it would be incredibly long), but we at Pink MahogHany™️ adhere strongly to the IFRA [International Fragrance Regulatory Association] regulations that state for common and potential allergens to be listed on our ingredient label. We’ve taken this a step further to also include these ingredients listed on our website to promote further transparency, all while protecting our intellectual property. Unfortunately, we’ve had companies to unethically sell lesser expensive “dupes” of our artisan perfumes, so as a way to create a better authenticity stamp, we make it our duty to be honest about our claims. If our perfume says “Rose Bulgaria”, it is in fact just that and not a component of rose being passed off as the source material. Collaborations and Custom Scents: Can you share more about your work with private label clients? What excites you most about creating custom scent solutions for other indie brands? I could easily sum this up in one word and say “Funding.” True, there is money out there, but I’m always thinking outside the box. Having a program that has an “Each One Fund One” mentality doesn’t exist (that I’ve been made aware of). Bootstrapping can be quite the challenge, even when you’ve reached the 6-figure mark annually. Competition to be seen and set apart is extremely high, so having quality packaging and branding is a must. There are lots of factors to consider, though when desiring to make upgrades. If there were a unique, tier-geared funding operation available, it would help perfume brands offset packaging and bulk material costs in the beginning stages.
Industry Challenges: What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced as an independent fragrance house, and how have you overcome them to grow your brand? As the brand continues on the path of organic growth, I would like to expand our reach into schools, offering perfumery as an arts elective for middle and high school. I’d love to partner with botanists, farmers and horticulturists directly to grow and source raw materials for the students to work with in the creation of tinctures. My passion is getting back to nature as best as possible, as nature was my first “scent experience” as a child. We would also love to witness our fragrance creations being used to scent model homes, our focus diffuser blends being used in automobile dealerships as well as partner with Air Bnb and boutique hotels that specialize in highlighting minority, indie brands. Personal Journey: How has your personal experience, particularly as a divorced mother and someone who has experienced the loss of a child, shaped your approach to life and your work in perfumery?
Because I homeschool my twin sons, we are together a lot more than most, so one thing we all do is have moments of sharing where a neutral “floor” is laid to converse about anything. Though they are quite communicative by nature, I realize that sometimes I can be in work mode so much that it spills over into what should be our quality time. My sons see the authentic me and learn how to communicate through seeing authenticity. I’ve learned not to feel as if I have to be the epitome of perfection but allow them to see my imperfections vulnerably but with discernment. Having had two traumatic experiences pretty close together has taught me how to truly slow down and enjoy the simplicities of life - igniting a spiritual aspect that I’ve always carried but never fully explored…until Kenji’s sudden passing (2018.) Grief has a way of catapulting us into a quest for more meaningfulness in both life and business. After Kenji’s passing and my processing through the initial stages of grief, I was able to incorporate our spiritual bond into Pink MahogHany by way of essential oil diffuser blends for both focus and sleep and most recently aromatic perfume elixirs. It’s been quite the process channeling the void of his physical presence, but I also have peace knowing he can be honored in a great way through scent. I noticed once I began to be more open and receptive to spiritual signs, synchs and “winks”, more ideas began to flow. It’s been this way since his transition. Emotional Expression: Fragrance is often tied to memories and emotions. How does your personal life influence the fragrances you create, and do you have a particular scent that holds special meaning to you? My creative process is much more alchemic now, and I include Kenji by talking out loud to him, believe it or not. I’m a firm believer that when our loved ones transition from the physical plane, they are still present - just in another form. I choose to keep his memory alive by not pretending he never existed (even if for a brief period of time). I am working (slowly) on a book and accompanying fragrance, but I know it will require me to revisit some memories I’m not quite ready for, so until then, his big brothers will launch their debut fragrance, The Peaceful Tiger (they chose the name.) I’ve learned that even in what we consider “small things”, our transitioned loved ones want to be recognized and acknowledged. When the twins and I designed their fragrance label (with a designer out of the country that didn’t know anything about me personally), we had issues with the graphic - so much so that the designer asked if they could rework the design. When they sent the proof for approval, the Tiger was not only younger but sleeping, with an uncanny, angelic resemblance to baby Kenji! Becoming more aware and being more sensitive to my intention for launching a fragrance has definitely made room for more divine situations like these to occur. Healing Through Scent: In what ways has creating fragrances been a form of healing or expression for you, especially after the loss of your son, Kenji Mwamba? I know my sons may not necessarily want to be perfumers, but they definitely have an entrepreneurial heart. My desire is that whatever they decide to pursue (acting, script-writing, music or architecture), they know that anything is possible with the right amount of determination, grit, belief and immersion. One reason I chose to homeschool is so they could enjoy learning without restraint and have ample time to devote to their own separate passions and it still be fun. They know Pink MahogHany is theirs if they want it (many, many years from now - lol), and we are already discussing business structures for whatever they choose their role to be once I retire. Work-Life Balance: How do you find balance between your professional responsibilities and personal well-being, and what self-care practices do you prioritize? I’m not just a perfumer; I’m also a consumer, and self-care is huge for me. I often take salt baths to reset my energy and clear my mind after being around large groups of people or free a long day. I’m a habitual perfume sampler, and I have so many to choose from to wear as my “nightcap.” Even if just for 10-15 minutes, I cherish each moment I’m able to have some “me-time.” When time and co-parenting schedules permit, I’m definitely on a flight somewhere to indulge in some delicious food and mouth-watering mocktails!](https://www.womenontopp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_3812-1200x720.jpeg)
Join the discussion!