Evans assigned Alexis to Urbanite Theatre, a black box venue in Sarasota that specializes in presenting independent and challenging works by emerging artists. Urbanite is close to Evans' heart. She was hired as a stage manager for her first season in 2015 and is passionate about the value it brings to Sarasota's theater scene. She jumped at the chance to promote Urbanite's milestone 10th season. Alexis was tasked with video production for the venue, including creating a sizzle reel for an upcoming performance and capturing her B-roll of the performance. One of her accomplishments was featured on a local television news program promoting her JUDITH, her one-actor world premiere in Urbanite.
“It was amazing to be able to see my work that way,” says Alexis. “Alexa [Evans] Just a great person. She is a great businesswoman and I have a lot to learn from her. She's a professional, but she's like a big sister to me. ”
Evans' journey to becoming a small business owner began when she was looking for a performance college to stay in Florida. Her mother, who trained as a ballerina in West Palm Beach, Florida, bought the book 40 Colleges That Will Change Your Life and learned about Eckerd's theater program.
The university's Liberal Arts Foundation allowed Evans to take interdisciplinary courses and participate in all aspects of the theater program, from communications to stage management. She studied abroad in London, visiting the city's historic sites and immersing herself in London's visual and performing arts scene. An internship in the education department at American Stage further expanded her skill set. As her graduation neared, Evans attended a regional theater conference with her fellow theater majors and associate dean Jessica Toonen, where she received her first professional performance at the Florida Repertory Theater in Fort Myers. was offered a job with her.
From there, she worked her way through contract work with theaters and luxury retail brands throughout Florida, ultimately leveraging her strong organizational, writing, and design skills to earn a salaried position in the fundraising department at Maltz Jupiter Theater in 2017. I got a job. Her work called out to everyone. Drawing on her previous experience including London, she was tasked with coordinating two trips to the West End with over 20 donors each. With her pandemic venue closed, Evans was furloughed and given a flowery path to start the business she's been slowly building since her graduation.
“We started working with three clients in 2021. Within a few months we gained momentum and added new business,” Evans recalls. “My liberal arts degree has been a big part of my success because it gave me the opportunity to study a variety of subjects and work on projects that gave me leadership experience.”
She named her company Untrendy Marketing because the idea resonated with clients who coach established businesses. Following trends and creating flashy, timely gimmicks are not her company's strong suit. Balanced, timeless, and positive thinking feeds her.
Evans discovered that Allie, a computer science student from Manchester, New Jersey, who dreams of becoming a user interface designer for an app developer, was of the same mind. Allie's Graphics Her design and photography work earned her a spot in her high school yearbook and made her the class spokesperson on social media. Little did she know that all of that was training for her first job in marketing.
Now, she continues to see parallels between her work at Entrendi and the lessons she learned in marketing principles from visiting assistant professor of marketing Nina Bergbrandt.
