We had the good fortune of connecting with Alexandra Ferrara and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alexandra, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I grew up in St. Louis, MO, which has an incredible creative community, and both of my parents chose creative, entrepreneurial careers, which definitely had a huge impact on me! My father started his own chain of Italian restaurants and also had his hand in his other hobbies, music and local politics! My mother started her career as a model and transitioned into commercial and VO acting, as well as working as a makeup artist and a producer. Recently, in her 50s, she started her own non-toxic nail polish line, K.Ferrara Color. I grew up watching my parents follow their passions and create their own careers, instead of being beholden to someone else’s ideas and structures, which inspired me to do the same!

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
I love to MAKE things. Whether that’s on a stage or in front of the camera as an actress/singer/model, in a recording session for a voiceover or for my podcast, or in a studio with a clothing designer as a fit model. I just adore the creative process, and I wake up most mornings with so many new ideas that I can’t wait to bring to life!

It has not all been easy! I think the hardest part of any creative career is that systems like taxes and health insurance were not set up for us; not having benefits from a single employer is tricky, and getting your income from a million different sources can make paperwork complicated! These are also things that no one tells you while you’re in theater school working on Shakespeare!

What I want people to know is that I hope my passion for body acceptance and women’s health come through in all of my creative endeavors. As a size 12 actress and model, I represent most women in America, yet growing up, I did NOT get to see myself represented in anyone doing the things that I wanted to do. I am also always making an effort to highlight issues related to women’s health and reproductive rights on my podcast and social media platforms because if one person learns something new about body acceptance or women’s health that sparks a conversation, then that will be mission accomplished for me.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in New York City, and I absolutely adore my city! Here is what I would recommend to my best friend (or to anyone, really!):

Restaurants: Manhatta, Shuka, Morandi, Dante West Village, Frankies Spuntino, Via Carota, RH Rooftop

Museums: The Whitney, MOMA, The Tenement Museum

Shows: Go see both a play and a musical (either on Broadway or off, there’s a lot of great shows in smaller theaters too!), and then also a cabaret at 54 Below!

Also! If you’re visiting during the summer months, I would highly recommend spending a few days in Montauk, about 3 hours away from Manhattan on Long Island! Go during the week to beat the weekend crowds (like Tuesday-Friday), and make sure you visit Duryea’s Lobster Deck, Gurney’s, Crow’s Nest, and Lynn’s Hulu Hut.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d love to dedicate this shoutout to my mother, Kathy Ferrara! She has always inspired me to follow my curiosity, to go where my passions lie, and to not take “no” for an answer! She is the ultimate entertainment industry “multi-hyphenate”, working as an actress, a model, a stylist, a makeup artist, and a producer, and she’s now the founder and CEO of K.Ferrara Color, her amazing clean nail polish line!

Website: https://www.alexandrakferrara.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexandra_kf/

Other: “Obsessed With The Best” on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/obsessed-with-the-best-w-alex-tina/id1529711040

Image Credits
Shelby Alayne Antel, Shani Hadjian, Tereza Janakova, Patrick Lanham

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.