We had the good fortune of connecting with Alexandra Radford and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Alexandra, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
As an entrepreneur, risk is unavoidable. As entrepreneurs, we’re eternal students, always growing, and there will always be opportunities to step into the unknown, whether for the first time or the 100th time. With the unknown, often comes fear. I believe in taking calculated risks that have been weighed and considered from worst case scenario to best case scenario. I believe in pulling in wise counsel and other business leaders who have achieved what I have not to seek advice from and leaders who specialize in the area of risk I’m considering. When 3 or more leaders give me consistent advice, I take that as confirmation that there is some wisdom in the risk I’m considering. I take risks where the potential for worst case scenario is not too big to recover from if it was realized. And as I grow, my ability to take bigger risks increases and becomes a sense of adventure rather than something to fear. The more we value something, the more we are willing to risk for it because we are passionate about the possibility of the end result and return on investment. I heard recently that having passion for something really means having the will to suffer for something you care a lot about. If you are willing to suffer for something, that shows your passion for it. So, when it comes to risk, we must weigh the cost and decide if it’s worth the risk to us. Risk has played a big role in my life. The choices I’m the most proud of and the choices that have most shaped me are the ones that involved a lot of risk. And while the risk wasn’t always easy or without fear, I wanted the potential outcome bad enough to try and fail and considered it worthwhile even with a failure. The more risks I take, the more confident I become in myself and the more I’m able to encourage others who have not yet taken the leaps of faith and risk their own growth requires.
What should our readers know about your business?
The Edge Agency is a branding and marketing agency in Downtown Buford. We breathe creative life into businesses through branding, graphic design and marketing tactics. What sets us apart from our competitors is that we’re true brand specialists who care about the integrity of your brand and ensuring brand alignment across all marketing efforts. We dive into your business and treat it like it’s our own with a team that thrives working in the area of their strengths. I’m most proud of our growth through a pandemic and a cohesive team of true professionals that collaborate so well together. How we got to where we are today was by taking one small step at a time and doing the next right thing over and over. It was not overnight and it was not always easy but it was incremental. I had a skill that was worth something to a specific audience and I focused only on that audience until my knowledge and bandwidth expanded enough to offer more services to a wider range of people. Eventually, merging with a partner allowed us to go further together with my focus on sales and hers on operations. Our different skillsets allow us to bring multiple talents to our clients. The challenges required taking some calculated risks and they were successful. The lessons I’ve learned along the way are: • Risks are worth taking when the potential gain is highly valued. • Take your time making big decisions. • Trust your gut. • Don’t be afraid to say “no.” • Give yourself rest. • Prayer works. • Get wise counsel when you’re exploring new territory.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
A few of my favorite things:
A day in the city: The Roof at Ponce City Market & Krog Street Market
Shopping & Dining: Avalon, Halcyon, Downtown Duluth (LIVE WORK PLAY)
A view: Wineries in North Georgia, Hike, Chicken and Waffles at Maple Street Biscuit Company in Downtown Duluth (Bring a journal & enjoy the endless coffee)
Brunch or drinks at Chateau Elan, Nice dinner at Bottles and Bones, Oak or Cotton Calf
Pole class at Pole La Teaz in Atlanta
Comedy nights, & Pool days in the Summer
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d love to give a shout out to my business partner & co-owner of The Edge Agency, Lauren Tatum for playing a pivotal role in my entrepreneurship journey. She encourages me to seek the Lord, seek wise counsel, pray and then leap! And that’s the best any of us can really do on our own and then it’s up to a higher power to do the rest.
Website: www.theedgeagency.net
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theedgeagency/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-radford-15240038/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YourEdgeAgency
Other: www.theedgeagency.com/portfolio
Image Credits
The Edge agency