Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Freddie Smith and Alyssa Tabit

Freddie Smith and Alyssa Tabit are a powerhouse duo who have seen a lot of success in their careers. In 2014, they started their first e-commerce business and have continued to expand their empire, which now includes speaking engagements and events, a book, a YouTube channel, and a blog. But, their rise to the top has seen its fair share of adversity. They’ve taken the lessons they’ve learned and created the new podcast, The Freddie & Alyssa Show, where they hope to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs.

PC: How did you discover your passion for entrepreneurship?
Freddie and Alyssa: Ever since we were young, we forged our own paths. We have always enjoyed the idea of creating, making our own schedules, and inspiring others to follow their dreams. In 2014, we partnered with a brand and started our first e-commerce business in the beauty space to generate a second stream of income. We have found that stepping out of our comfort zones, meeting interesting, like-minded people, and working on personal growth is the foundation of building a business. Ever since then, we’ve branched out to create a book, podcast, blog, YouTube Channel, events, and much more. Finding your true passion is a gift, and we feel extremely grateful.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Freddie and Alyssa: Once we dove into personal development and self-education, we found many like-minded individuals online, all of whom were posting tricks, tips, and inspiration for free! We spend two to three hours a day learning new skills all from YouTube, Google, and podcasts from social media gurus like Gary Vaynerchuk to the all-time great Tony Robbins and everyone in between. We are grateful for their authenticity and knowledge to help us grow and learn.

PC: Tell us about The Freddie & Alyssa Show. How did that come to fruition?
Freddie and Alyssa: The more we became obsessed with learning, the more people we wanted to have conversations with. What better way to learn and provide an education for others than by interviewing people? That’s when we decided to create The Freddie & Alyssa Show. We have fun conversations with guests with the goal of learning something new and for the audience to feel like they are having dinner with us. We will also do solo podcasts when we have something fun to share, something important, or something inspirational.

PC: What’s been the key to success when it comes to this partnership?
Freddie and Alyssa: We credit our friendship to the success of our relationship and business ventures. We met in 2010 and built a friendship before we started dating in 2011. Relationships and partnerships can succeed in many different ways, but for us, building a friendship first helped. We also see ourselves as one, which is rare unless you are partnered with a significant other. There is no ego, jealousy, or conflict because we share every piece of success. Whether it be an accolade or finances, any win is a win for the household. Lastly, we just so happened to grow at the same time. Sometimes, couples and partnerships can grow in opposite directions, but we got lucky to grow together.

PC: You started your first business venture together back in 2014. What’s been the most surprising part about this journey? What’s been the biggest challenge?
Freddie and Alyssa: The biggest surprise was the need of people skills. I think many entrepreneurs could agree that the greatest skill you can acquire is the ability to communicate correctly with other human beings. We have always been outgoing and good with people, but building a business is next level. That skill has helped us become better in business, with friends, children, and co-workers because we understand people.

The biggest challenge is when building businesses, you have so much failure every week. At the beginning, it really hurts and takes strength to understand that the micro failures are imperative for growth and education. Once we realized that failure and success through the journey is normal, we relaxed and now enjoy the process of celebrating our wins and learning from our failures.

PC: Knowing what you know now, what do you wish you knew back in 2014?
Freddie and Alyssa: Spend less money on luxuries. Every penny outside of food, shelter, and health should be saved, invested, or reinvested back into the business.

PC: You both have experienced a lot of success in your career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that sticks out?
Freddie and Alyssa: We have endured many tragedies during our journey—from a nearly fatal car accident, to money being stolen, to businesses failing, to deaths in the family. Through these sad and trying times, we stuck together. We didn’t make excuses. We didn’t play the victim. We faced them head on and that made us stronger.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Freddie and Alyssa: MTV’s The Challenge

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Freddie and Alyssa: Romantic comedies

PC: Favorite book?
Freddie and Alyssa: How to Win Friends and Influence People

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Freddie and Alyssa: Rent

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Freddie and Alyssa: Billie Eilish

PC: Last show you binge-watched?
Freddie and Alyssa: Schitt’s Creek

To keep up with Freddie and Alyssa, follow them on Twitter (Freddie/Alyssa) and Instagram (Freddie/Alyssa), and subscribe to The Freddie & Alyssa Show.