Inspiring Conversations with Alexa Stone of The Pressure Company

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexa Stone. 

Hi Alexa, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
As a kid growing up, I always loved sneakers and a good graphic tee. I remember in middle and high school I wore out Rue 21, Hot Topic, and Pac Sun with how much I shopped there. I always was super into fashion but also a bookworm. I graduated top 10% of my high school graduating class and was also a first-generation high school graduate. I went on to become the first in my family to graduate college and first to receive my master’s degree. I enjoy a lot of things but what gets the most love from me is music, art, fashion, sneakers, and SPORTS with basketball being my favorite! I like to think of myself as just a lover of dope things. As stated previously, I’ve always been into fashion/streetwear but it didn’t necessarily have a name when I was putting my Quoted Pac shirt with a pair of vans together back in high school. I’ve always had in my mind that I wanted to design dope items and make people feel as good as I do when I put on a nice outfit! As “streetwear” began to get more traction/ a name (especially within the last few years) I started to think more – why not start my own brand? You’ve been doing this for years! People would ALWAYS DM me asking where I got certain outfits, t-shirts, sneakers, and etc. so it only felt right to design my own things. Plus, also, it wasn’t many women that I knew at all who had their own streetwear brand. My last year of graduate school I was going designing different things and finally landed on the one I wanted to start with, prayed over it, then launched!

My brand has grown a crazy amount, especially with taking a huge hiatus trying to finish graduate school and along with Covid, but I’m grateful that it’s still growing. I can’t wait to see what’s next!

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?
Nothing in life that you want comes easy! Being a first-generation high school graduate, college graduate, and grad school graduate – I had to figure out A LOT on my own because I was the first one to embark that path! There were many times I was working 2-4 jobs along with being a full-time student just so I can stay afloat and get my degrees. It was also many times I wanted to say F it and quit everything but I didn’t. Having to work so hard and adapting to challenges to knock out my goals made me strong enough to step out on faith and become an entrepreneur. With being an entrepreneur, YOU’RE GOING TO MAKE MISTAKES! As someone who ALWAYS tries to make sure my I’s are dotted and T’s are crossed – making mistakes were hard. Losing money in the process is even harder. I remember when I first started, already stretching my money as far as I could, I had made 1-2 orders with a vendor, and my 3rd one I didn’t check the items before leaving. Huge mistake. The shirts were so bad I wasn’t able to sell them and I was upset for at least a week especially since the vendor wasn’t willing to work with me on a refund or redoing the order. I had to tell myself that this wasn’t an L as in Loss but this was an L as in lesson learned so keep going!

When you’re growing and doing new things, the road will never be easy. Like Nipsey Hussle said “That’s the only distinguishing quality from me and probably whoever else goin’ through this is that I ain’t quit. I went through every emotion with tryna pursue what I’m doing. And I think that what separates whoever’s gon’ try to go for something is that – You ain’t gon’ quit”.

The difference between someone who makes it and who doesn’t is usually who sticks to the process, adapts, and perseveres!

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
The Pressure Company is my streetwear clothing brand that I launched in February 2020. I try to have items that reflect my personality. SO, I try to design and offer items that “stand out” and maybe deemed as “different”. I definitely try to be different or stand out with whatever I actually wear also. Currently, I have t-shirts, jackets, hats, and accessories! I am working on a Fall launch that I am excited to release. At the end of May, I dropped my “No More Free Game” Collection and it’s been going strong all summer (I’m super proud of it). My logo is a dripping X because I didn’t want my brand to be gender-specific – whoever wants to rock it…PLEASE ROCK IT! The dripping aspect is because it is literally the drip!

I think I was already known for having sneakers and being able to dress but now having my own brand, especially streetwear, I think what sets me apart is being a woman doing streetwear fashion. Being a woman in streetwear can be a struggle at times because it is male-dominated but I look to women like April Walker who is a true pioneer/legend in streetwear and I know that I can also achieve whatever I put my mind to!

I just want to design, be creative, and put out dope items for the world!

How do you define success?
I define success by adaptability and consistency! When you set a goal, if you’re able to adapt to any challenge or adversity and still continue on to accomplish that goal – then that is success. Success is setting high goals and standards for your Plan A and sticking to Plan A because you aren’t going to quit until you have reached those goals. Of course, things are never going to go the way you plan but again, that’s where adaptability and being consistent is most important.

I know a lot of people think a certain amount of money is success but if you’re chasing money, you’ll never feel truly successful. You’ll reach $100K and then want $200K, reach a $1 million, and then want $2 million – so how are you able to measure that as success?

Chase your purpose and the success will come.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: thepressureco.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/LexMadee
• Instagram: instagram.com/shoppressureco