Take notes on this beauty and lifestyle guru’s blueprint for success—and staying vibrant at every age

To celebrate women embracing their power at every age, our “Better With Age” series with MitoQ—a mitochondria-supporting super supplement that powers your cells to fuel your ambitions as you age—is telling stories of inspiring women who have loads of game-changing advice for generations behind them.

Ever had a dream statistics said you’d never achieve? Not all of us are lucky enough to beat the odds, but you can increase your likelihood of accomplishing your goals with a bit of well-timed inspiration.

That’s why we’re taking notes from Ty Alexander, a badass entrepreneurial woman who’s accomplished her dreams by defining success—and beauty (she’s rocked naturally gray hair almost her whole life)—for herself. Her definition of success? Being continually open to growth and change, a process that can’t happen without taking time for self care.

“For me, wellness…comes first in order for me to live my dreams out,” Alexander says. “Prioritizing self care is beyond necessary. I have to be in the healthiest state of mind and body to be able to create content that I love.”

“For me, wellness…comes first in order for me to live my dreams out.”

Storytelling is her content of choice, and her dream was always to be a writer. From a young age, she filled up pages of diaries and read as many books as she could, imagining herself as the author.

Fast-forward to today and not only is she the best-selling author of Things I Wish I Knew Before My Mom Died (with a second book in the wings), but she is also a trusted blogger who inspires women all over the internet with beauty and lifestyle advice.

And those long odds she beat? Arriving at her dream despite following an unconventional career path to get there, and dealing with a few curveballs along the way.

If that sounds similar to your own career situation, keep reading for advice from Alexander on reaching for the next level in your career—and intel on feeling her most vibrant has been a vital component of her success.

Harness your inside-out beauty

Even though Alexander has had grey hair since she was 14 years old, her skin-care routine has evolved as she’s started to notice her age on her skin. “When I was younger I was more rebellious with my skin care,” she says. “These days I don’t go a day without washing my face. I never had any huge issues with my skin, and I want to keep it that way.”

Now, Alexander takes special care to incorporate youth-supporting products into her routine, like a vitamin C serum, a hydrating sleep mask, and MitoQ Skin Support Complex, which is a unique form of CoQ10—an antioxidant that helps the body fight free-radical damage associated with aging.

Her self-care routine doesn’t end with skin care, though. To be able to write about emotionally gripping topics like the death of her mom, Alexander leans heavily on her wellness practices to help keep her spirits up. “I meditate often,” she says. “I also administer guided meditation which not only brings me joy, but allows me to connect with so much good energy that I feel is needed to keep me sane.”

Any time she’s feeling self-doubt? She hits up her support squad and reflects on her past success. “I thrive off of good energy, so I look to my personal relationships to inspire me. My tribe is the reason why I don’t quit,” she says. “When I wrote my first book, I felt like I had arrived. I felt invincible and from there I started to create more within the wellness space—I knew I had found my calling.”

Nurture your ambition

Depending on your goals, your definition of career success might look different from your BFF’s. But one common denominator in finding that success is looking to your passions to guide you—even if you’re not sure where they’re taking you.

Alexander had a son at 18 when she was in her first year of college, and she ultimately entered the workforce rather than continue with school. Her focus was on her baby, but that didn’t stop her from stoking the passion for writing she had held since she was young. Writing in her diary evolved into live journaling with the popularization of the internet, which later grew into a blog that launched her into the next phase of her career.

“I love that I have been capable of whatever my mind drums up—there is no limit.”

“I had no clue [my blog] would lead me to become an editor for a top black women’s site and write a book,” she says. “Being a young mother, all I thought of in the beginning was providing for my son. Once I saw that the internet was a real way to make money and create magical content, I fell in love. I love that I have been capable of whatever my mind drums up—there is no limit.”

In partnership with MitoQ

Photos: Ty Alexander