Alexandra Lourdes
Partner, the Refined Agency
Where were you when you received your 40 Under 40 award? I was just leaving my full-time job at UNLV to start my own marketing and social media agency, the Refined Agency.
Where are you now? We have owned the Refined Agency for two years and have expanded to three states. We are now in Houston, California and Las Vegas. We also are working on opening a coffee shop called Café Lola to bring high tea to the Summerlin area, as well as gluten-free, dairy-free and healthy menu options. We are planning to open in February.
What has been your biggest accomplishment since you were awarded? Signing the lease on Café Lola. It’s been a dream of mine to open a coffee shop and I feel blessed to be able to do that now, due to the success of the Refined Agency.
What’s your favorite spot for a lunch meeting? Currently, Pinches Tacos at the Gramercy. It’s a fun environment where the staff always treats you like family, and who doesn’t like tacos?
What have you had to learn the hard way? You can’t please everyone, so instead of wasting time trying to prove yourself, sometimes it’s better to part ways and make room for better things to come into your life. I can honestly say that every time a door closed, something bigger and better was right around the corner.
What’s the best advice you have to offer? Always write down your goals and never stop learning new things about your field.
If you ran Las Vegas, what’s the first thing you would do? Create a better public transportation system that allows locals and tourists to easily move around and see all that Las Vegas has to offer. How amazing would it be to be able to jump on a train to go from Summerlin to the Strip?
Jennifer Bradley
Jennifer Bradley
Owner of JB Public Relations
Where were you when you received your 40 Under 40 award? I was executive director for the Lili Claire Foundation, a nonprofit that provided resources and medical diagnosis services for children living with autism and special needs. One of our first parents, Lynda Tache, now runs the Grant a Gift for Autism
What has been your biggest accomplishment since you were awarded? Having the courage to leave a stable weekly paycheck at a full-service agency to open a successful public relations business on my own. I am proud to have received my own PRSA awards for my clients, Save Red Rock and Lion Habitat Ranch, this year. On a personal note, my daughter is in college studying PR, and that is the biggest compliment.
What’s your favorite spot for a lunch meeting? When I want to impress clients, I always take them to Echo & Rig at Tivoli Village. If I am going to network, I love downtown’s Triple George, as you always run into fellow businesspeople.
What’s the best advice you have to offer? Stay positive, network, read, stay relevant on social media, and never burn bridges. I have lived in Las Vegas for more than 18 years and have worked with many of the same people, who all have moved around in different positions and industries, providing new opportunities.
If you ran Las Vegas, what’s the first thing you would do? Get front-row, 50-yard-line Raiders season tickets. Seriously, begin an aggressive educational campaign to generate dollars to to decrease classroom sizes, fund learning materials, and recruit and reward amazing teachers.
Who is your business hero? I admire and respect former Nevada Assemblywoman and First Lady Dawn Gibbons. She has truly been a mentor to me over the years in the Nevada nonprofit community.