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Alexandra (Alex) Blackwell is an attorney that comes from a family of lawyers. She grew up in Zionsville, then attended IU Bloomington before graduating from the IU McKinney School of Law. Alexandra was a Redstepper at IU and also helped coach the dance team at Brebeuf while in law school. She now works at a small boutique law firm and deals primarily with small businesses, entrepreneurs, and startups. In her personal life, she’s been a member of the Junior League of Indianapolis for over eight years and volunteers with Aspire House. She enjoys working out at The Barre Code Downtown Indy, cooking, traveling, going to breweries, and going on walks and bike rides with her boyfriend Jake and dog Winston. Turning it over to you now, Alexandra!
My Maven Superpower is … Listening and asking questions to help others work through issues. I am good at reading when someone wants to work through problems on their own with guided questions versus merely offering advice.
A fun fact about me is …I attended the International School of Indiana when I was younger and took most of my classes in French.
Best book I’ve read lately is … “The Alice Network” by Kate Quinn — I was so sad when the story ended.
My first job was … Babysitting when I was in middle school! My first job after law school I was a judicial law clerk for a judge on the Indiana Court of Appeals.
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The skill I most want to learn is … Learning to let go of things I can’t control. Why is it so much easier said than done?
My favorite nonprofit to support is … I love Junior League of Indianapolis, Aspire House Indy, and the Indianapolis Bar Foundation. Each group serves Indianapolis in their own way.
Self-care habit I swear by is … Classes at The Barre Code Downtown Indy and saying “no” when I feel that I am personally overcommitted (still trying to work on this skill as I have a tendency to always say “yes”).
The best career advice I can offer is … That it is okay to pivot and change what you want. You also don’t have to want the same things as those around you.
Favorite purchase lately is … My Rent the Runway membership. I love being able to try out different styles and trends without the expensive price tags or acquiring too many items.
I feel most confident when … I am prepared and in an outfit I love.
My favorite local restaurant dish is … The Massaman Curry from BODHI (they have the best Thai food in town)!
The thing I’ve been binging lately is … “WeCrashed” on Apple TV+. I also just finished “The Gilded Age” on HBO.
A Maven you should know is … This is tough! I am lucky to know so many impressive women in all areas of my life. First, since I have already mentioned her company several times, Jen Chow, the owner of The Barre Code Downtown Indy and Carmel. Jen and her team have created a fun, supportive space where you always leave your workout feeling better about yourself. Second, my hairstylist Abby Henke, because she is so incredibly talented. And third, Allison Marchesani Ackerman, because she manages to run her own marketing company while still being a great mom and friend.
The thing about my work that people need to know is … Lawyers can sometimes get a bad reputation because on TV we are often portrayed as being ruthless and cold. In reality, many lawyers I know, myself included, really care about the work we do and the people we help. My clients’ wins feel like my wins and their losses feel like my losses. We are helpers by nature. We are also only human — trust me when I say we try to help people as best we can in a timely manner, but sometimes life just happens and we aren’t able to do things as quickly as we would like.
The thing I’ve achieved lately that I’d like to celebrate with the Maven community is … I was recently selected to be a part of the Indianapolis Bar Association’s Bar Leader Series Class XIX.
My favorite experience in Indy is … A dinner with Culinary Crossroads, golfing at The Links at Victory Field, or a blind wine tasting at home with wine from Mass Ave. Wine (ask for three bottles of wine from a certain region, give them a price range, and ask if they’d pick out the wines and put them in brown bags for you to drink at home while you try to guess what they are).
What’s next for me is … Continuing to grow professionally and personally. I hope in a few years I am still juggling my law practice, my work in the community, and my family and friends.
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Stephanie Groves is the Executive Editor of Indy Maven.
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