Be patient, growth takes time — After being in one place for many years, making the transition to a new role is exciting but there’s also an adjustment period. Give yourself the grace to lean in and learn. I was offered the opportunity to help create and grow a department, and for me, it was new territory. There are days I must remind myself that Rome wasn’t built in a day. As someone close to me once said, slow and steady wins the race.
Many successful people reinvented themselves in a later period in their lives. Jeff Bezos worked on Wall Street before he reinvented himself and started Amazon. Sara Blakely sold office supplies before she started Spanx. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was a WWE wrestler before he became a successful actor and filmmaker. Arnold Schwarzenegger went from a bodybuilder, to an actor to a Governor. McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc was a milkshake-device salesman before starting the McDonalds franchise in his 50s.
How does one reinvent themselves? What hurdles have to be overcome to take life in a new direction? How do you overcome those challenges? How do you ignore the naysayers? How do you push through the paralyzing fear?
In this series called “Second Chapters; How I Reinvented Myself In The Second Chapter Of My Life “ we are interviewing successful people who reinvented themselves in a second chapter in life, to share their story and help empower others.
As a part of this interview series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Alexandra Anastasio.
Alexandra Anastasio is a seasoned communications strategist and lifestyle journalist. As Head of Content at JMG Public Relations, an award-winning New York City PR firm, she transforms complex ideas into engaging narratives for B2B and B2C startups. With a diverse portfolio spanning health and wellness, travel, food, and entertainment, she brings a unique perspective to her writing. A skilled interviewer with a knack for building rapport, Alexandra has conducted in-depth interviews with A-list celebrities and industry leaders. Her expertise also extends to ghostwriting for C-suite executives with her work featured on Good Morning America, the American Kennel Club, and BELLA Magazine. She is also a regular contributor to New York Lifestyles magazine.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we start, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
Growing up, and still to this day, I’ve been an avid reader. I buried myself in those books and I believe they helped to develop my love of storytelling. When I was a young kid in school, we would have the opportunity to order books through the Scholastic Book Club. The excitement I felt when the catalog was handed out was memorable. One book I always ordered was a diary. I loved recording every nuance of my day and I never missed the opportunity to write down everything that happened. Looking back, I realize this is where my love of details in a story comes from!
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
My favorite quote, one I kept printed on a piece of paper taped to my computer in those early days, is from Quincy Jones. It read, “It takes 20 years of hard work to become an overnight success.”
You have been blessed with much success. In your opinion, what are the top three qualities that you possess that have helped you accomplish so much?
Tenacity -> My determination and persistence are unwavering. When I want something, the word no, or it’s not possible is not part of my vocabulary. If anything, they push me harder. An example is having the job I have right now. My role, as well as my department, did not exist until I began laying the foundation for it. I had a vision and was fortunate enough that the founder and CEO of the company believed in it as strongly as I did.
Communication -> I believe communication is everything. When we commute with our team, and our clients, we’re building trust and creating those relationships needed to find success. I also believe when we speak out into the universe what it is we want, it listens!
Faith -> Believing in yourself and your abilities is so important. Yes, there are days I question myself, am I doing a good job, do I have what it takes? I think we all have some semblance of imposter syndrome at times, but it’s in those moments I take a pause and reassure myself I belong right where I am.
Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion about ‘Second Chapters’. Can you tell our readers about your career experience before your Second Chapter?
I spent the first half of my career working in two different departments at ABC Television, both in Network Sales and Daytime. I grew up watching soap operas, specifically channel 7, so to be part of that world was something I never imagined.
And how did you “reinvent yourself” in your Second Chapter?
I’ve always been creative and love telling a story, preferably someone else’s. After years of putting it on the back burner, I started writing again. Between writing for a handful of media outlets and ghostwriting, I realized I wanted my days to be filled with work that would allow me to help other people through the skill I knew I was good at.
Can you tell us about the specific trigger that made you decide that you were going to “take the plunge” and make your huge transition?
My days were spent working my full-time job while my nights were spent writing. In those moments, exhausted from the day, I still looked forward to my writing. I realized my freelance work brought me more fulfillment and I knew it was time to follow my passion.
What did you do to discover that you had a new skillset inside of you that you haven’t been maximizing? How did you find that and how did you ultimately overcome the barriers to help manifest those powers?
Along with telling people’s stories through my writing, I started to realize that I also enjoyed putting my creativity behind helping people distinguish themselves in their field. It all began when my friend (and now boss) Jenna Guarneri, Founder and CEO of JMG Public Relations, told me she was writing her first book. At that moment I asked her, “How are you promoting this huge accomplishment?” It was then the wheels started turning and I realized my creativity expanded beyond just writing articles.
How are things going with this new initiative? We would love to hear some specific examples or stories.
It’s been a year and a half, and I haven’t looked back. I made the smartest decision when I took a chance on myself. For the first time in my career, I’m working at a company with a leader who truly cares about her team and provides us with the tools needed to succeed in our roles. In terms of my day-to-day, I love the fact that no two days are alike. I get to work with clients on their thought leadership as well as work on initiatives that will help elevate our agency. One of my recent projects is creating a newsletter geared towards young professionals. One of the many things I enjoy is being able to share the wisdom and experiences I’ve had these past 20+ years. I would have loved to have had more information and mentorship when I was getting started, and with this newsletter, I hope to be able to establish our company as the go-to source for guidance, inspiration, and expert advice.
Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
While I’ve had some good mentors to date, Jenna believed in my talent, believed in my vision, and without her support, I would not be where I am today. Who would have thought a conversation over dinner would set me on the path to where I am today?
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started in this new direction? -
Years ago, I interviewed Jillian Michaels for a feature article I was writing for a magazine and loved the inspiring conversation we had. To this day, I still reference a quote she shared that was inspiring, “Collaboration over Competition.” It was a phone interview, so we didn’t meet in person. Fast forward to early 2024, and I had the opportunity to meet Jillian when we were filming some content with her for JMG PR and NY Lifestyles Magazine. She was as gracious as the first time, and we even chatted about the original interview. It was a full-circle moment for me.
Did you ever struggle with believing in yourself? If so, how did you overcome that limiting belief about yourself? Can you share a story or example?
Until I began this new role, I had never experienced imposter syndrome. I think that’s because I was working a job that didn’t require the creativity or level of responsibility my new role entailed. I remember thinking to myself, you manifested this role, Alexandra, now what?
For the first half of my career, I was not responsible for leading a team or running a department. I was the assistant to someone higher than me. Launching a department in an already successful company is not a responsibility I take lightly. At the start of this year, a member of the PR team moved over to the Content Department. I was thrilled she wanted to be a part of my team, but I also felt an even bigger responsibility to ensure she would feel as fulfilled and creatively challenged in helping me grow the department.
In my own work I usually encourage my clients to ask for support before they embark on something new. How did you create your support system before you moved to your new chapter?
I am fortunate to have people in my corner who believe in me, including a supportive partner who encouraged me to not be afraid. Even though the opportunity was one I had worked hard for, I was still a bit nervous to make such a large life change. He reminded me that there was nothing to be nervous about and that sometimes to succeed in life you must step outside your comfort zone.
Starting a new chapter usually means getting out of your comfort zone, how did you do that? Can you share a story or example of that?
This new chapter was not the first 360-degree turn I’ve faced in life. Sixteen years ago, I went through a challenging life change. I’m someone who likes consistency and familiarity, the unknown scares me. But what I also know is that time is fleeting, and if we aren’t brave enough to take chances, we’re robbing ourselves of the opportunity to succeed. So, I threw caution to the wind and decided it was time to make the second biggest life change. In the words of author Stephen Richard, “You don’t manifest dreams without taking chances.”
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me before I started” and why?
1 . Be patient, growth takes time — After being in one place for many years, making the transition to a new role is exciting but there’s also an adjustment period. Give yourself the grace to lean in and learn. I was offered the opportunity to help create and grow a department, and for me, it was new territory. There are days I must remind myself that Rome wasn’t built in a day. As someone close to me once said, slow and steady wins the race.
2 . Be flexible — I’ve learned that when you’re a part of building something, you’re going to wear many hats. Flexibility is key, and while at times it may feel overwhelming, the opportunity to learn and grow is incredibly rewarding.
3 . Be prepared to learn all over again — I might bring 20+ years of experience with me but that doesn’t mean I’m done learning. No matter how seasoned you are, stepping into a new company and a new position means learning new skills and a new mindset.
4 . Embrace the discomfort — Growth happens when you step outside of your comfort zone. For too long, I was comfortable. Comfortable with the job I was doing and the people I was working with. Change is good; it helps you grow, adapt, and discover new opportunities you may never have imagined. When you allow yourself to be uncomfortable and embrace new experiences, you open yourself up to finding success on a whole new path.
5 . My experience is valuable — Even when switching careers, that doesn’t eliminate your years of experience. I may have been starting over in a brand-new field, but I still brought with me the skills and life lessons that would help me thrive. When I first started in my new role, I lost sight of that for a moment. I had not been the “new” person for many years, and I was a bit unsure of where I fit in. Trust in your previous experience(s)to help you move forward in your new one.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
I would inspire connections among communities. We live in a digital world, behind our screens for most if not all day. This virtual environment has taken away a lot of those in-person opportunities and replaced them with what often feels like an isolating experience. Encouraging face-to-face communication and establishing in-person events would help in building those relationships.
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them. :-)
I’d love to sit down with Mel Robbins. After interviewing her for a feature article a few years ago, I was moved by her story. Her resiliency in turning her life around is inspiring and is a great reminder that anything is possible. I look forward to her words of wisdom, both in her social posts as well as her podcast.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
They can follow me on LinkedIn.
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
About the Interviewer: Wanda Malhotra is a wellness entrepreneur, lifestyle journalist, and the CEO of Crunchy Mama Box, a mission-driven platform promoting conscious living. CMB empowers individuals with educational resources and vetted products to help them make informed choices. Passionate about social causes like environmental preservation and animal welfare, Wanda writes about clean beauty, wellness, nutrition, social impact and sustainability, simplifying wellness with curated resources. Join Wanda and the Crunchy Mama Box community in embracing a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle at CrunchyMamaBox.com .
