Alexandra Gater was 25, riding high as the Home Editor at Chatelaine magazine, and creating a hit home makeover YouTube series until the morning she walked into work and got laid off. What could have been the end of her story turned into the beginning of something entirely her own.In this episode of The Real Stuff, Alexandra shares how she went from feeling devastated and directionless to launching her YouTube channel, landing a $25,000 brand deal that changed her life, and growing a full-fledged media company with 11+ employees. She opens up about the dark personal chapter she was navigating behind the scenes, the pressure of trying to “fake it ‘til you make it,” the mean-girl trolling she endured from fellow editors, and how she slowly built the self-confidence to bet on herself.Alexandra and Lucie also bond over their shared history in the digital media world and dig into what it felt like to leave behind a job that once felt like everything. Lucie opens up about her own exit from Refinery29 and how she knew it was time to move on from “Try Living with Lucie,” sparking a deeper conversation about identity, ambition, and trusting your gut.It’s a candid conversation about losing your dream job, building something better, and what it really takes to grow through discomfort, even when you don’t have it all figured out.Follow AlexandraInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexandragater/?hl=enYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/alexandragaterTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alexandragater?_t=8goJbfFKKBR&_r=100:00 Lucie’s opening thoughts01:44 how Lucie & Alexandra got connected03:13 our similar career paths06:20 Alexandra’s layoff story08:14 the complications of being a corporate creative employee 13:09 the slow success of Try Living with Lucie14:25 why Lucie left Refinery2920:42 early brand deals23:32 the work it takes to start a YouTube channel27:24 a dark chapter in Alexandra’s life35:02 dealing with negative comments from people you know52:10 deciding how personal to get online55:20 imposter syndrome & faking it until you make itWatch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story. I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone. Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod Find Lucie here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfinkWebsite: https://luciefink.com/ Executive Producer: Cloud10Produced by Dear Media.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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