Communication sophomore Alex Slabic’s debut as a social media influencer began on a whim. When a friend needed a high school graduation banner, Slabic picked up a paintbrush, turned on her video and recorded her signmaking process. She posted it on TikTok, where“literally out of nowhere, it just went viral,” Slabic said. That spontaneous post became the spark for Signs by Alex, a custom hand-painted banner business that has since taken off on both TikTok and Instagram. In just a year and a half, the Texas A&M sophomore has gone from a high school creative to a small business owner collaborating with national craft brands. Within just seven months of launching her brand on Instagram, Slabic’s following skyrocketed to 100, 000 followers, and she hasn’t slowed down since. As of late October, her Instagram had surpassed the 500, 000-follower mark, while her TikTok account now boasts over 221, 000 followers. Like many modern entrepreneurs, Slabic’s story began online. After her first viral TikTok drew thousands of views and messages from people eager to place orders, she decided to turn her creative hobby into something bigger. “I still run it completely by myself because I don’t want it to get too big or stressful,” Slabic said. “But I recently hired a brand manager who talks to companies like Michael’s and Home Depot for me. That’s been amazing since emailing them was so scary at first.” As a full-time college student, Slabic carefully balances coursework with running her business. Between classes, exams and fulfilling banner orders for customers nationwide, her days are full. Her fast-paced life means every second of the day counts, and Slabic has managed to balance lectures and line work with great precision. Her time management skills have become just as important as her artistic talents. “I always keep my planner updated,” Slabic said. “I paint in the mornings before school because the lighting’s better. When I get home, it’s too dark for photos or videos.” Slabic has learned to treat her mornings as her creative window, dedicating her early hours to painting before the campus rush begins. She shifts her afternoons to editing videos and responding to customer messages. Her process is simple but organized: clients contact her through direct message to start things off. She then sends an order form, designs each banner about two months in advance and ships them out across the country. Her banners can vary in size and pricing with her smallest being $175 for a 5-feet-by-30 inch banner and her largest being $215 for a 6-feet-by-35 inch banner. Each order represents a personal connection from graduation celebrations to engagement parties and knowing that her role plays a part in people’s milestones keeps her motivated, Slabic said. Still, it hasn’t been without challenges. Balancing her creativity with consistency on social media can be tough, especially when every post and video must meet the audience expectations. Slabic admits that staying inspired while managing growth takes both discipline and patience. “Lighting and camera angles are everything,” Slabic said. “When I moved into my apartment, the window was on the wrong side, so I had to completely change how I filmed my videos.” Behind the colorful paint strokes and viral videos lies a philosophy rooted in faith and authenticity. Salbic often credits her success to staying genuine and not chasing any trends just for views. Her followers tend to respond most when she posts real moments of her process. “I never thought I’d be at this point,” Slabic said. “It’s just a gift from the Lord. I don’t even want to take too much credit, because I’m not in control of the TikTok algorithm or why it went viral. I’m just thankful.” Her innovation, faith and consistency have opened doors to collaborations with art brands like DecoArt, which often sponsor giveaways when she hits follower milestones. To celebrate her most recent milestone, Slabic announced a giveaway featuring one of her signature handmade baskets, a gesture that reflects both her gratitude and the close-knit relationship she’s built with her followers. “I used to be scared no one would enter,” Slabic said. “Now every giveaway gets tons of engagement. It’s crazy.” What started as a small gesture of appreciation have turned into community-wide celebrations. Her followers often tag friends, share her posts and fill the comments with supportive messages, creating an atmosphere that feels more like a family than a fanbase Even with her growing platform, Slabic stays grounded about what got her started. “My favorite part is making banners for friends and family,” Slabic said. “It’s special to give them something handmade.” Those personal products remind her of why she even began in the first place with choosing creativity rooted in connection instead of competition. Although she plans to keep Signs by Alex running as long as she can, she’s also practical about the future. She hopes to continue growing her brand while exploring new ways to combine her communication degree with her creative skills through marketing, strategy or brand management. “I don’t want to bank on doing this forever,” Slabic said. “But having the platform I have, I could definitely do something else with it one day.”.
https://thebatt.com/life-arts/inside-alex-slabics-social-media-business-journey/