ABOUT THIS EPISODE
She's so back, angels. After 186 episodes and a 10-month break, Alexis is returning to the mic for good, and we're all the better for it.
After burning out hard and spending the last 10 months writing on Substack, Alexis learned some things. Actually, she learned a lot of things. About what it means to run toward something you want to enjoy versus running away from what scares you, about why agency determines everything, and about the core commandments that make ambitious material girls successful without sacrificing their sanity.
In this episode, Alexis breaks down the Ambitious Material Girl Commandments that are shaping this next era of Too Smart For This. We're talking about never looking like your problems (and why that's about reminding yourself who you want to be, not vanity), the "isn't this fun?" commandment (because you work hard so you can actually enjoy your life), and why women need to stop apologizing for wanting more when we've literally always run the world.
Plus, Alexis introduces the six weeks of refinement we all need — AKA The Alignment Edit — a six-week series designed to help you turn your "good enough" life into "great" with intentional ambition. This one's for the ambitious material girls rebuilding their foundations and refusing to settle for less than extraordinary.
See you every Monday at 5am ET!
What You'll Learn:
Why "never look like your problems" is Alexis's #1 rule for ambitious living
The real reason she took 10 months off from podcasting (and what she learned from her Substack era)
How to shift from running away from your circumstances to running toward something you want to enjoy
The difference between agency and victimhood — and why this determines everything
Why wanting material things doesn't make you shallow (and why Alexis stopped beating herself up about it)
What's coming in the Alignment Edit series and how to follow along
EPISODE CHAPTERS
[00:25] - Welcome back: 186 episodes, 10 months, and why I disappeared
[03:00] - What I learned from my Substack era + the articles you need to read
[16:44] - Never look like your problems: the #1 rule for ambitious women
[21:55] - Running from vs. running toward: what really drives ambition
[29:35] - Commandment: "Isn't this fun?" — you work hard so you can enjoy your life
[32:05] - Agency is everything: how successful people think differently about problems
[37:20] - Women have always run the world — it's time to stop apologizing for wanting more
[39:17] - Introducing the Alignment Edit series + how to follow along on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify & YouTube
WHERE TO FIND ALEXIS & TOO COLLECTIVE
Follow along with Alexis:
Instagram:
@alexisbarber: https://www.instagram.com/alexisbarber/?hl=en
@toocollective: https://www.instagram.com/toocollective/?hl=en
Substack:
Too Smart For This Newsletter: https://toocollective.substack.com/
TikTok:
@alexisbarber_: https://www.tiktok.com/@alexisbarber_
YouTube:
Subscribe here: http://www.youtube.com/@alexis_barber
Shop the Episode: https://shopmy.us/shop?Curator_id=250549
Book Office Hours: Work with Alexis Here:
https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=22112790&appointmentType=79833937
Get the Journal: Too Smart For This: A Guided Journal Here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/761193/too-smart-for-this-by-alexis-barber/
Questions, thoughts, or want to collaborate with Alexis or Too Collective? Email Alexis at hello@alexisbarber.com
ABOUT TOO SMART FOR THIS
You're ambitious. You're overwhelmed. And you're definitely too smart to keep sacrificing your well-being for someone else's definition of success.
Too Smart For This is the show for ambitious material girls just like you who are learning how to channel their chaotic energy into a more intentional and fun life.
Join your host, Alexis Barber (author, Wharton MBA, former Google/YouTube strategist, and certified ambitious material girl), every Monday for the frameworks, authentic conversations, and tangible tools you need to build a life that's both driven and deeply enjoyable. Because self-care is part of the business plan—and you're too smart to settle for anything less.
Subscribe now and follow @alexisbarber and @toocollective for more.
ABOUT YOUR HOST
Hello, love!
I'm an ambitious material girl obsessed with wellness, business, consumer culture, and the creator economy. I write from New York City, where I'm busy enjoying being young, gifted, and Black, oversharing online, and remembering that self-care is part of the business plan.
My career TLDR:
Bounced from Google Marketing to YouTube creator strategy before getting my MBA from The Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania.
Started and ran a premium bathrobe brand that collaborated with Rare Beauty & Bumble, and I'm the author of Too Smart for This: A Journal to Build Self-Trust and Stop Settling for Less Than You Deserve, published by Tarcher Books.
Been a lifestyle influencer for 5 years, collaborating with 75+ brands across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, and was named by the American Influencer Council as a Trailblazer in the microinfluencer category.
This show is supported by Other Kind Media — otherkindmedia.com
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit toocollective.substack.com/subscribe
