Meet Alex Beauchamp

After creating my first highly successful personal blog in 1995, I decided there was no better way to launch a new career in the arts than by blogging about it. In 2001 Girl at Play was born as a way to chronicle what really happens when someone leaves a successful corporate career to become creatively self-employed. What began as the first dedicated artist blog on the Internet turned into a daily read for over 500,000 people each day and was the beginning of the “creative  blogging movement” online.

At first, Girl at Play focused on my solo efforts as a creative entrepreneur. My writing began appearing in national magazines and newspapers and my art graced book covers and art galleries. My ability to connect with an audience combined with my experience and passion lead me to speak at major writing and art conferences throughout America and also garnered two SXSW Web Award nominations for online community and content.

As my experience and network grew, so did my interests. In 2005 companies began to come to me to help them create community oriented content sites and also to lead and develop social media/business departments. So I began my journey back to working with amazing people and the best companies, helping them with brand humanizing, social media/business, online community development, content creation/management and creating holistic online/offline campaigns and messaging.

Since November 2011, I’ve had the best job ever as the Director of Online Marketing and Community for Direct Relief. I’ve always said my work needs to be personal, purposeful and challenging and after years of helping corporations or entrepreneurs in that mindset, I’m finally doing it with a nonprofit in a dream role, with a dream org. With Direct Relief, I get to do the things I’m most passionate about (community, content, connecting people, multimedia, creating new) to raise money and support something I’m personally attached to (healthcare for low income, uninsured or people in disaster areas/developing countries). I hope to once again chronicle the story of transformation with me now working in the nonprofit world to Direct Relief becoming innovative online. And I hope you’ll once again be along for the ride.

Personal Info

  • I immigrated to America in 1999 and have lived all over it since.
  • I’m currently based in Santa Barbara, California although I spend most of my time on the road.
  • I was one of the first personal bloggers, creating a writing site in 1995 called, alex the girl.
  • I absolutely believe in the power of the web, online communities, content and usefulness. However, I’m a little suspicious of social media marketing & gurus.
  • My motivation is that moment when I explain something to someone & see that they go from not knowing, to being able to do something
  • I’m not Australian or a New Zealander (although I lived in the latter for a year). I’ve never been to South Africa.
  • I’m a Pollyanna; I believe so much in possibility. Can’t is a word that I don’t say or accept when others do.
  • I love what I do and where I work.
  • I don’t really have a mustache.