our mission
SHE x SHINES is for multipassionate entrepreneurs to create community around their own business.
Whether you're already a full-time entrepreneur, dabbling with a few passion projects along with your career, or juggling multiple businesses and roles in your life, we are here for you, girlfriend! We want to connect you with the "how-to" and your fierce crew through our coaching, TV show, and Podcast, so we can all grow together...
...with a glass of champagne in hand!
our story
"We went out to coffee - turned drinks - and knew right then we wanted to do something together... We just didn't know what that would be."
SHE x SHINES is a combination of Anna Laura & Alexandria's shared mission in the power of women supporting women and dreaming big.
Alex and Anna Laura met through Instagram, connecting over speech therapy, health and fitness, and their shared love of social media.
Over the next eighteen months, each went on a parallel journey pursuing various ways to serve women in their community: Alex through her SHE events, connecting local career women, and Anna Laura through her brand photography business, The Shine Studio, where she serves women-led brands. They continued to meet up for their business meetings, sharing resources to help one another grow.
"We were doing two separate things, but the one common thread was we both had a passion for helping other women find their own niche and passions."
In 2018, in the spirit of Connection, Community, and GirlTalk, the two women combined forces , and SHE x SHINES was created!
Keep reading to learn more about these multipassionate powerhouses!
meet the founders
Anna Laura Sommer
Born an Arkansas farm girl and now serial entrepreneur & brand photographer at her company, The Shine Studio, Anna Laura loves helping female entrepreneurs create community around their businesses.
After losing her oldest brother in Afghanistan, Anna Laura went through years of feeling lost and alone, until she personally experienced how being in community with other women helped her heal. That's why this Introvert felt called to foster that space for other women, leading her to join forces with Alex to create SHE x SHINES.
Currently, Anna Laura lives near Austin, Texas and loves to connect with other bosses: whether in a photography sesh, SXS event, or just a good ol' coffee date!
Loves: champagne and a good photo op!, her hubs & fur babies, and saying "y'all" - like any true Southern gal!
Alexandria Wynter Russell
As an NYC native and Philly transplant, Alex has made a new home in the city of brotherly love as a speech-language pathologist and entrepreneur.
As a proud career woman scrolling the 'Gram, Alex felt there was a space missing in the social media world for career women with an entrepreneurial drive and women working multiple jobs or businesses, so she launched a networking club & social list for professional women in the city. Shortly after, Alex combined SHE with Anna Laura into SHExSHINES.
Alex continues to work full time as a medical speech language pathologist, in addition to helping women who work full time find their confidence to launch their business, along with a fierce community that supports their brand!
Loves: Her preferred method of hanging out includes champagne, bacon, and anything that glitters.
so girlfriend...
If you:
Have a million ideas, but no clue where to start...
See the value in community, and want to create your own...
Know you have expertise to share & serve others...
Don't know what step to take first...
That's why we're here for you!
We'll show you how to build connection that's authentic to you and continues to grow... without the overwhelm!