Around the World in 80 days? How Lexie Alford Turned Travel into a 7-Figure Business

Summary

Summary of "Around the World in 80 Days? How Lexie Alford Turned Travel into a 7-Figure Business"

Networth and Chill with Your Rich BFF, hosted by Vivian Tu, features an inspiring conversation with Lexi Alford, also known as Lexi Limousine. Released on February 19, 2025, this episode delves into Lexi’s remarkable journey to become the youngest person to visit every country on Earth, her entrepreneurial ventures, and the financial strategies that transformed her passion for travel into a thriving business.

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Early Life and the Seed of Adventure

Lexi begins by sharing her early exposure to travel, influenced heavily by her parents. “My mom has her own travel agency that she started when she was 19,” Lexi explains ([03:16]). Growing up, Lexi often accompanied her parents on scouting trips, allowing her to stay in luxurious accommodations at little to no cost. These experiences ignited her love for exploration and instilled a sense of independence from a young age.

Family Dynamics and Financial Foundations

Discussing her family’s financial situation, Lexi highlights the advantages of traveling as a family of three. “Traveling as a family of three is a lot more affordable. It literally doubles everything once you're four,” she notes ([06:37]). Her parents’ entrepreneurial spirit and practical approach to travel enabled Lexi to experience diverse cultures without the burden of excessive costs.

Setting the World Record Goal

Lexi’s ambition took shape unexpectedly during a spontaneous trip to Morocco. “I was laying in bed and... I just ended up counting 72 [countries]... It dawned on me that if I wanted to break this world record, I had over six years to do it” ([12:26]). This realization propelled her to set a Guinness World Record goal, driven by a mix of determination and a desire to stand out in a competitive world.

Challenges of Global Exploration

As Lexi advanced in her quest, she encountered escalating challenges, particularly financial constraints and logistical hurdles in less-visited countries. “The farther I got along, the more and more expensive the countries I had left were getting” ([24:22]). She candidly shares the hardships of budget travel, including staying in basic hostels and dealing with health issues like malaria and food poisoning.

Budget Travel Hacks and Financial Strategies

Lexi offers valuable tips for aspiring travelers aiming to stretch their budgets:

• Utilize Points and Miles: “Transportation, long-haul flights is the number one most expensive thing in every trip... learning how to utilize points and miles is a big one” ([18:48]).
• Responsible Credit Card Use: She emphasizes the importance of managing credit responsibly to maximize rewards without falling into debt.
• Free Accommodations: Lexi advocates for couch surfing and other cost-effective lodging options, stating, “If you really want it more than anything else, you can find a way” ([18:08]).

Turning Point: From Despair to Opportunity

At a critical juncture, Lexi considered halting her journey due to financial strain. However, a chance encounter with a talent agent led to a lucrative modeling job with Moncler, earning her $10,000 and allowing her to continue her travels. “Throughout so many points in my journey... I was like, very protected by like, a higher power” ([26:38]).

Achieving the World Record and Beyond

By age 21, Lexi successfully broke the Guinness World Record. Her relentless pursuit didn’t stop there; she embarked on a new challenge inspired by explorer Aloha Wanderwell, aiming to circumnavigate the globe in an electric vehicle. This endeavor highlighted the complexities of modern travel, especially regarding sustainable practices and technological limitations. “In Zimbabwe, there's one charger in the entire country. So... I had to rely on something called domestic charging” ([40:44]).

Reflections on Highs and Lows

Lexi reflects on the most rewarding and challenging aspects of her travels:

• Highs: “The best part for me of travel in general is always the people” ([31:34]). She bonds with diverse individuals, fostering lifelong friendships and cultivating a global perspective.
• Lows: Loneliness becomes a significant challenge, especially during solo travels in remote locations like Tuvalu. “I was so lonely, and that was really like one of the hardest things” ([34:35]).

Practical Advice for Aspiring Travelers and Entrepreneurs

In a lightning round, Lexi shares her top recommendations:

• Splurge Wisely: Invest in first-class seats, five-star hotels, bougie food, and local guides when possible.
• Avoid Unnecessary Expenses: Skip high-end luggage as it’s prone to damage.
• Embrace Persistence: “Never take no for an answer... Cold emailing is a very practical and very overlooked place to start” ([45:18]).

She underscores the importance of proactive efforts, such as crafting meaningful cold emails to create opportunities, which was pivotal in her rise to prominence.

Final Thoughts and Continued Journey

Lexi’s journey exemplifies how passion, strategic financial planning, and relentless determination can turn dreams into reality. She encourages listeners to overcome limiting beliefs and seize opportunities through preparedness and initiative. As her adventures continue, Lexi remains a testament to the power of goal-setting and entrepreneurial spirit in the realm of global exploration.

Where to Follow Lexi:

• Instagram and YouTube: @exilimitless
• Documentary Series: Charge Around the Globe available on Amazon Prime (Europe) and YouTube (US).

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This detailed summary encapsulates Lexi Alford’s transformative journey, highlighting key discussions, insights, and practical advice shared during the episode. Notable quotes are integrated with proper attribution and timestamps, ensuring a comprehensive and engaging overview for those who haven’t listened to the episode.

Transcript

[Lexi Alford]

The farther I got along, the more and more expensive the countries I had left were getting. I had been to around 175 countries out of 196. So I was getting towards the end.

[Vivian Tu]

You're so close.

[Lexi Alford]

So focused on just finishing that continent. I was planning the trip. I was running the numbers for every flights and the visas and everything and I just didn't have enough.

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[Vivian Tu]

What'S up, Rich friends? Welcome back to another episode of Net Worth and Chill with me, your host, Vivian Tu, AKA your rich BFF and your favorite Wall street girly. Today we're going to talk about travel. I'm sure you've seen the headlines about how millennials love to spend their money on experiences and that stuff. And honestly, I feel like, frankly, that's an everybody thing these days. I'm no exception. I feel like I'm on a plane every three days. And while a lot of that is for work, sometimes it's for fun. I love traveling, exploring new places, even if it's just a little weekend trip to a town that I've never been before. Some of my favorites have been Shanghai, China, where my parents grew up, Phuket, Thailand, for some of the best beachside relaxation I've ever had in my entire life. And if we're being honest, my love affair with Italy is unrivaled. It makes sense, right? I did get married there. This is all to say, I would consider myself decently well traveled. But today's guest puts my travel list to shame. 76% of Americans have visited another country, but only 26% of Americans have been to five or more. And today's special guest, well, she's the youngest person to have ever visited every single country on Earth. Yes, Earth. She's been to Antarctica. She's an incredible content creator, world record breaker, and a close personal friend of mine, Lexi Alford, AKA Lexi Limousine. Welcome to Net Worth and Chill.

[Lexi Alford]

Thank you for having me. What an introduction, Lex.

[Vivian Tu]

We actually are friends and it is crazy to me that we only see each other every couple, what, months? Because both you and I Have such crazy travel schedules. But I'm super excited to pick your brain. We can talk all things travel, but to set the scene, can you, like, talk to me a little bit about your childhood growing up? Like, what's the first trip you remember taking?

[Lexi Alford]

Ah, it's almost hard for me to even remember since I've been traveling for so long. But I think potentially at least the first real trip that I can remember was actually to Kenya. I have some very adventurous.

[Vivian Tu]

Oh, we just. We just hopped straight to Kenya. There wasn't like a, oh, we need to go to Maine or.

[Lexi Alford]

Well, I have some very adventurous parents, which kind of set the tone for my life very early on. My mom has her own travel agency that she started when she was 19. And thankfully my parents are the type that would always take me with them on their adventures. So I think one of the very first memories I ever have from traveling was being in Kenya. I was probably like five or six years old.

[Vivian Tu]

You're literally a wild thornberry.

[Lexi Alford]

Yeah, something like that. And we got to see all of the wildlife close up, the lions, the elephants. And we actually got to go to a wildlife orphanage where they had all of the, like, little babies. So I had these like, little baby monkeys and being able to see all of that in person. I also remember my dad, basically the Masai Mara, which is a tribe that lives in Kenya. One of the traditions that they have is that they drink a mixture of both. Like, I think it's either cow or goat milk with blood in it. Oh. And I remember my dad trying that, like, and seeing him do that for the first time, like, when I was that young. So they really, really started to show me the world at such a young age. And I think it really made a lot of a difference for, like, how mature I got as quickly and having such a bigger idea of how much is out there. I've always said that whenever I have friends that have kids or anybody that's, you know, starting to raise a family, if you have the means and the opportunity to travel with them, it really does teach them so much more than you could learn in school.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah, I mean, it's so cool. They were both so open minded, but also so adventurous. I love that the apple does not fall far from the tree. But you talked a little bit about means. Can we talk about your families? Like, were you guys traveling and staying at the Four Seasons or, you know, ballin on a budget instead? Or, like, what was the financial situation like growing up?

[Lexi Alford]

It's a really unique one because my mom has her own travel agency. And back in the day, before there was influencers and comp stays and stuff like that, like the real travel influencers were travel agents. Because the. The ability for a travel agent to have like an on site inspection, they comp your stay.

[Vivian Tu]

Oh, like a scouting visit.

[Lexi Alford]

Exactly. So my mom did a ton of scouting visits when I was growing up, so we got to stay in some really luxurious places for free. My parents aren't. I mean, we're a pretty middle, upper middle class family. Both of my parents are entrepreneurs. So I kind of grew up seeing both of my parents and especially my mom hustling so much at their own businesses. Honestly, neither of them went to college, so they actually really discouraged me from going to college as well, which is a whole nother story. But I grew up with my mom really being able to finesse all of the perks of working in the travel industry, which is why we were able to travel for so long when I was young. And also, if you only have one kid, I have spent so many days, months, potentially even years of my life being just the three of us traveling. And you don't have to get an extra hotel room. So the costs really.

[Vivian Tu]

You were always on the cot.

[Lexi Alford]

Yeah, exactly. So I don't have any other siblings. So traveling as a family of three is a lot more affordable. It literally doubles everything once you're four.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah, because you got to get the second room.

[Lexi Alford]

Yeah, exactly.

[Vivian Tu]

And it gets pricey. Okay, fun little sidebar. I need to know because there are two types of families. One type of family where you will walk 25,000 steps in a day on vacation. Or another type where don't yout Dare Miss the Complimentary Breakfast is part of the family bible. Which of the two was your family?

[Lexi Alford]

Oh, you know what's funny is because it's a mixture of both, really. My mom is the type that never misses the breakfast. She's very frugal. She really likes the more luxurious side of travel, the spas, all of that kind of stuff. And then my dad is actually really adventurous, so he's the one that can go skydiving and try all the crazy local foods and all of that. I feel like I kind of got a little bit of Best of Both Worlds with that.

[Vivian Tu]

I love that so, so much. But you know, we talked about you traveling with your parents as a trio, but it's a very different conversation when your teen daughter looks you in the eye and is like, I'm gonna go travel by myself. Like, what was your parents reaction when you first started being like, hey, I wanna travel and you guys aren't invited.

[Lexi Alford]

Well, I actually had this plan much younger than probably most people do, because time in Australia, when I first tripped to Australia, I saw these probably mid 20 year olds. I was maybe 12 or 13 at the time, and I saw these people that were living out of vans on the beach.

[Vivian Tu]

You wanted to be a van person?

[Lexi Alford]

Yeah. And they looked like the most free people I had ever seen. And I'm like, I want to experience whatever they're experiencing. So literally at 12 years old, I. I knew that one of my massive life goals was to experience what one year of life would be like if I didn't have to go to school and I didn't have to work. But I also had enough of my own money to do whatever I wanted to. So that became my financial goal. I've always been a very, very goal oriented person. And so I started working really young and I actually graduated from high school two years early so that I could work more full time and go to college online.

[Vivian Tu]

So you did end up going to college even though your mom, your parents discouraged you?

[Lexi Alford]

Yeah. So I only got my associate's degree because one of the loopholes that California had is a program that allows you to graduate from high school two years early.

[Vivian Tu]

Okay.

[Lexi Alford]

So that you can just go directly into college, but it only applies if you actually do commit to going to college.

[Vivian Tu]

Gotcha.

[Lexi Alford]

So I was basically like, I was going to college fully online, getting to choose my schedule, and I could work all day and save up as much money as I could to travel and started as many side hustles as I possibly could to save up for that. And I think by the time I was around 18, I had saved up about $35,000.

[Vivian Tu]

What were you doing? Like, what were the jobs? Because I feel like you told me, like, some of them were like, summer camp counselor, like, silly. But, like, what were you doing?

[Lexi Alford]

A lot of different things, to be honest with you. I started my own chauffeuring business, Uber. Before Uber, literally before Uber, when I first got a car, I'm like, okay, how can I make this work for me? And because my mom's a travel agent, a lot of things were also based around the fact that my parents were both business owners. And so when people were booking flights early in the morning or needed a ride to the airport, I became that person. So I was literally shuttling people to the airport at 4:00 in the morning at 16, 17 years old. And I was like a part time Graduation slash celebration photographer. So I did a lot of grad photos, a lot of that type of stuff as well. But really, anything that I could possibly do to make as much money, especially under the table, I was able to, like, save up that much at such a young age. And finally, when I graduated from my just, like, small community college, I was able to start backpacking, which was a big change.

[Vivian Tu]

Yes. Okay, so let's talk about this. This is the expedition. Did you just, like, in your mind, say, like, oh, I'm gonna be the youngest person to travel to every single country on Earth?

[Lexi Alford]

I didn't exactly start out that way, but so my. I mean, I was so focused on the goal of, okay, save as much as you possibly can, work as hard as you can so that you get this one golden year of travel. And I started backpacking in Europe. Somehow ended up in Morocco within the first. How does that happen?

[Vivian Tu]

How does that happen? You just, like, you just.

[Lexi Alford]

It was like a spur of the moment decision. And even looking back on it now, that was one of the most crazy, spontaneous, like, blessed trips I've ever been on since. So many things aligned perfectly to go right and, like, being in the right place at the right time. I met so many people that I'm actually still friends with to this day on the trip. And I ended up in make booking a flight to Morocco and went to the Sahara desert there and just had the most miraculous experience there and came up with this. It was actually such a ridiculous story. I was laying in bed and I was trying to fall asleep, and, you know when you, like, count sheep, I was really not falling asleep, and I decided to try to just count how many countries that I had been to.

[Vivian Tu]

Okay.

[Lexi Alford]

And like, just for fun, and I ended up counting 72, which I was 18 at the time.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah.

[Lexi Alford]

And of course, when you graduate college or, you know, school, people start asking you, like, the heavy questions of, like, okay, what do you want to do with your life now? And so I had been asking myself those same questions, and I tried by. To start asking those questions by asking myself what was I most passionate about and what is it about me that makes myself a bit more unique than other people? Because when I got my associates, I mean, I got a 3.8 or 3.9.

[Vivian Tu]

So you're a good student.

[Lexi Alford]

Yeah. And I was so proud of that and how hard that I had worked. But when I walked across that stage and got my diploma, they then called 30 other people that had just gotten the exact same degree that I did. I'm like, oh wait, this is. We're still at the exact same equal playing ground. So I knew that I would have to do something to make myself stand out from the crowd in a career sense. And so I'm like, okay, well obviously this travel experience is what is one thing that makes me unique from other people.

[Vivian Tu]

What was the plan after the year of golden travel? Like, like were you gonna go to.

[Lexi Alford]

I didn't have a plan yet. Okay. I didn't have a plan. But I did know that it sounded, always sounded so ridiculous to me to sign up to go to one of these bougie colleges in California, like a lot of my friends did, and spend 100 to $200,000 of loans or their parents money to get a degree that they could potentially and most likely would never use anyway. Yeah, I have friends that did that. And it's always so gut wrenching to think of the fact that they have so much debt or that's so much wasted investment for a degree that they will never use whatsoever.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah.

[Lexi Alford]

So I knew that I didn't want to do that.

[Vivian Tu]

Okay.

[Lexi Alford]

And that's when I started counting those countries. And I'm like, wait a second, I'm 18, I'm into 70 countries. Like how many countries even are there? And like has anybody traveled to all of them? And if so, like, what? How old were they when they did it? And looking that up, the first thing I found on Google was the Guinness World Record for the youngest person to travel to every country. And I clicked on it, it said that it was held by a 24 and a half year old British guy and the record had never been held by a woman. So I was looking at this and it dawned on me that if I wanted to break this world record, I had over six years to do it.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah.

[Lexi Alford]

And I in that moment instantly knew that I would regret it for the rest of my life if I didn't try. So that immediately, not a question of a doubt, same moment I thought of it, knew that I would have to do it.

[Vivian Tu]

Okay, so.

[Lexi Alford]

So I buckled up.

[Vivian Tu]

Yep. Yep. Okay. So you had just been taking like a really cool, leisurely two month trip in Europe. You go to Morocco and then you find out this British guy has this record. You're now hell bent on breaking it. Now what? Where do we go?

[Lexi Alford]

Well, I stepped into the researching phase because again, I didn't even really.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah.

[Lexi Alford]

Especially at that point have any idea what this would even entail as far as what it would be like. And honestly, it's probably for the best because if I knew in the beginning how hard it was actually going to be to do it, I probably would not have wanted to do it. But I. It's like, basically I had to do it one step at a time, one country at a time. And I was like, on. I was paying for all of this myself.

[Vivian Tu]

How quickly did that $35,000 go?

[Lexi Alford]

I got that to last me a year.

[Vivian Tu]

Oh, wow.

[Lexi Alford]

Maybe even more than a year.

[Vivian Tu]

So you were really, like, doing the budget travel thing, though, like you were staying in.

[Lexi Alford]

Oh, yeah. Oh, yes. I earned my stripes with the budget travel.

[Vivian Tu]

Like, tell me about the most horrifying.

[Lexi Alford]

Oh, I got stories for days. I mean, the cheapest hostel I probably stayed at, I think was $2 in Guatemala. It was like this super sketchy hostel thing that had, like, cement doors that locked on both sides so you could get locked into it. Oh, I've gotten eaten a by bedbugs. I told you the story about getting malaria when I was in West Africa. I've probably ended up in the hospital in at least 10 countries. I mean, just for photos for a variety of reasons.

[Vivian Tu]

The photos you've sent me where, like, you're either you're like, in a hospital bed, your lip is like half the size here and like twice the size over here. Like, I worry about you when you text me sometimes.

[Lexi Alford]

Yeah, it's. I've definitely gotten, you know, beat up.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah.

[Lexi Alford]

On these experiences and really, like, taking public transportation for really cheap and like chicken buses and.

[Vivian Tu]

Sorry, what is a chicken bus?

[Lexi Alford]

A chicken bus is like the type of public transportation, like, buses that they have in Central and South America, where they also transport livestock. Oh, okay. At the same time. Cool.

[Vivian Tu]

Nice.

[Lexi Alford]

But it's like, you know, if a. A taxi or a flight costs, you know, $100 or $200, the chicken bus will usually cost, like, $5.

[Vivian Tu]

Okay, so we're taking the chicken bus.

[Lexi Alford]

We're taking the chicken bus. But it's going to take a lot longer. It's going to be a lot more exhausting. And really, that's one of the things that I feel like can be so discouraging for people about travel, is that it can be so expensive. Yeah. But from my perspective is like, how bad do you.

[Vivian Tu]

How bad do you want it?

[Lexi Alford]

Because if you really want it more than anything else, you can find a way. And it's not easy, of course. Especially there's a lot of people coming from so many different backgrounds and means. Especially, like, the US Dollar is really strong. So having that be, like, where I'm from and the passport that I have is a privilege. But I really do think that people have a lot of limiting beliefs, but like how much it costs.

[Vivian Tu]

Okay, so you were able to make $35,000 last you a full year. You were traveling the world. Can you give me like your top three budget travel hacks? Like, what can people do to like save money while they're traveling? Maybe not take the chicken bus.

[Lexi Alford]

Well, I mean, transportation, long haul flights is the number one most expensive thing in every trip. So really learning how to utilize points and miles is a big one.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah.

[Lexi Alford]

Having a credit card, being responsible with it and learning how to get those miles to pay it off in full.

[Vivian Tu]

On time every month.

[Lexi Alford]

Yes, exactly. Very essential part of that. But points and miles programs are magic and really can go a long way. Again, it's. How much do you want to compromise? Couch surfing, for example, you're staying places for free. It's somebody's house, which can be actually a really fun way to get to know the culture. But there's a whole variety. There can be free accommodation, there can be places like I'm sure you've stayed at that are thousands of dollars a day knowing you.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah. Okay, listen, I don't like to rough it anymore. I did it in college. I told you, I went on like a three week backpacking trip of Europe. And there was one. And this is not even close to your horror stories, but like there was one hostel that I stayed at where the shower only stayed on if you continued to hold the button. It wasn't like you press it and you get 30 seconds. Like it only stayed on if you pressed it. So you had to like shower while pressing. And now that I am at a position in my life, I am 30 at my big old age with my back pain. Listen.

[Lexi Alford]

Yeah, I don't do that kind of stuff anymore either, to be honest with you. I feel like I am grateful for those experiences, but I'm also very grateful to now be at a stage in life where I don't have to travel that way. Yeah, it's so funny between, like our friendship, I feel like we couldn't be more different, but at the same time, we clicked immediately. Yeah, we clicked so quickly. But literally I remember it. First time we hung out, I came on my electric E bike here in Miami beach and I'm pretty sure you told me that you don't even. Do you know how to ride a bike? No, I don't. This woman doesn't even know how to ride.

[Vivian Tu]

Don't be outing me on My podcast.

[Lexi Alford]

I might be outing you on your podcast. Podcast. You don't drive.

[Vivian Tu]

Okay.

[Lexi Alford]

Like, that's crazy to me.

[Vivian Tu]

Uber exists. We love Uber.

[Lexi Alford]

We love Uber. But I feel like it's so different. Like, a personality type.

[Vivian Tu]

Okay, okay. The. The real personality difference here, by the way. Everybody should know. You are by far the handiest woman I have ever met. When we went to go paddle boarding together. I own a paddle board, which I've used One. One with me. One time with you, I brought an electric paddleboard pump. I, like, made my husband help me carry it. Lexi rocked up to this paddleboard place and was like, oh, yeah, I'll pump my own. I'll unfurl it. I'll carry it myself.

[Lexi Alford]

It just, like, probably ended up carrying yours.

[Vivian Tu]

You definitely did end up carrying mine, but you're just quite handy. But also, I feel, like, very mentally strong in a way that I am not. I am mentally very weak.

[Lexi Alford]

You're very strong in other ways. I think that we all have different gifts and talents. There's so many things that you're good at that I am not good at. So it's always different.

[Vivian Tu]

We're gonna talk about that today.

[Lexi Alford]

I mean, I think one of the best things, too, about having friendships that are from such different backgrounds is that even though you have such different life stories, like. Like you said, we immediately clicked and, like, the transparency, too. Like, I feel like we immediately talked about literally every aspect of literally everything. Money.

[Vivian Tu]

I was like, how much do you make? You were like, how much do you make?

[Lexi Alford]

And then, yeah, it was amazing.

[Vivian Tu]

But I think it's nice to be able to have a creator friend who I can do that with.

[Lexi Alford]

Yeah, No, I think it's like, there's no. It's a good friendship if there's, like, no gatekeeping. No involved at all.

[Vivian Tu]

Speaking of no gatekeeping, you. When we were on our paddle boarding trip, you told me that while you were traveling to your, you know, around the world in 80 days, except much more than 80 days type of beat, you ran out of money at one point and you thought you were going to have to stop. How were you able to keep going?

[Lexi Alford]

I didn't know how I was going to make it for a long time.

[Vivian Tu]

What number country were you at? And you literally had no money left.

[Lexi Alford]

So one of the things that I was doing, so I had that initial amount that I had saved, but of course, I was burning through that quite quickly.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah.

[Lexi Alford]

So in between trips, about every two, two and a half months, I would come home to California and Work.

[Vivian Tu]

Oh, okay.

[Lexi Alford]

Save up as much as I could and then go out again.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah.

[Lexi Alford]

One thing that people don't know is that the least visited countries in the world, probably some you've never even heard of before, are the most expensive to travel to, which is because there's a huge lack of tourism infrastructure and also visa costs to go to those type of places. Like, if I wanted to spend a month in Indonesia, that would cost me the exact same amount to spend three days in Afghanistan. Because of security, because of visas. Because the hotels basically have a monopoly since most people only travel to these places for a specific type of government business. A lot of places in Africa are purely funded by like oil related business, for example. So hotels, two to $300 a night.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah.

[Lexi Alford]

Everywhere you go.

[Vivian Tu]

And it gets expensive very quickly.

[Lexi Alford]

That's it.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah.

[Lexi Alford]

Especially for safety places that have security, which I definitely didn't want to skimp on.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah. Being a young woman traveling by yourself. Yeah.

[Lexi Alford]

Yeah. So the. The farther I got along, the more and more expensive the countries I had left were getting. And I had probably been to around 175 countries out of 196.

[Vivian Tu]

Okay.

[Lexi Alford]

So I was getting towards the end.

[Vivian Tu]

You're so close.

[Lexi Alford]

And I had 10 countries left in Africa.

[Vivian Tu]

Okay.

[Lexi Alford]

I was so focused on just finishing that continent because there's 56 countries in Africa. It takes a really long time and it's really complicated logistics to make it to all of those places. And I was planning the trip. I was running the numbers for every the flights and the visas and everything, and I just didn't have enough to pay for it.

[Vivian Tu]

Oh.

[Lexi Alford]

And I was really frustrated because I was ready to go. I was in the mode. And you don't want to lose your momentum when you're trying to do something that's this big of a task. And one night I figured, I'm like, okay, I'm just gonna have to stop for a while and stay in California and try to find as much work as I can to be able to. Finished this trip to Africa. And then I woke up literally the next morning. Well, first little bit of context, I had maybe around 3,000 followers on Instagram at that point. I was posting pretty regularly the photos that I had been taking. And I didn't even know YouTube was something that you could make money on at that point until literally the end. Till after I finished the record, was when I dawned on me that YouTube was a thing and that you should.

[Vivian Tu]

Have been vlogging the entire trip.

[Lexi Alford]

Yeah. Yep. And so I didn't have much of a following, but I had randomly gone to a like, Forbes 30 under 30 event in Boston, like in 2017 or 18, and somebody had been like, oh, hey, you should talk to this talent agent that lives in London. And I didn't know this person. They didn't really intro us, like, too properly. And like, you know what? I'm just going to start cold emailing this dude with photos of my trip and updates and just tell him how it's going and maybe it'll he'll remember me at some point for something work related. And I got a call from him the very next day. The night after, after you're like, despondent.

[Vivian Tu]

Because you're, like about to, like, have.

[Lexi Alford]

To cancel your trip. And I get a call from him the next day. Never talk to this person on the phone. He calls me, he says, hey, I booked you a job for $10,000. They're gonna a lot of money left. That was more money that I could even wrap my mind around being paid for something that was social media adjacent. And it was for Moncler, which was also fancy brand.

[Vivian Tu]

Crazy fam.

[Lexi Alford]

Very fancy brand. I had never done any proper modeling before. I had never spoken on camera before. And it was for a really cool campaign. They never been flown out somewhere for like, they flew me to New York. It was for $10,000. They gave me $10,000 worth of their merchandise, like their products. And I was shot with like some incredible people. Yeah, John Boyega and Millie Bobby Brown. And I had the most crazy imposter.

[Vivian Tu]

That is an insane syndrome ever for this shoot.

[Lexi Alford]

But it was exactly how much I needed to be able to finish that trip in Africa and like, start the momentum back again. So it really felt like throughout so many points in my journey that I was like, very protected by like, a higher power. Yeah, there was something conspiring to get me across that finish line. And ultimately it took me a little over three years from coming up with the idea to break this world record and I broke it by the time I was like 21 years old.

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[Vivian Tu]

And I mean, you still love, love traveling today?

[Lexi Alford]

Definitely. I mean, it's become my whole life's like number one passion. But it really is just a matter of like, what your priorities are.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah.

[Lexi Alford]

And basically the willingness to never take no for an answer and do whatever it takes to do and follow through with what you said you were gonna do. So that was like a really big, big part for me. And it hasn't really stopped or slowed down since then.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah, clearly. I want to take a quick break. Lightning round. What travel experiences do you think are worth splurging on? First up, first class seats, yes or no?

[Lexi Alford]

Yes.

[Vivian Tu]

Okay.

[Lexi Alford]

Yes.

[Vivian Tu]

Five star hotel.

[Lexi Alford]

I mean, it's all worth it. It's amazing. So. Yes.

[Vivian Tu]

Okay. Super bougie food. Yeah, you think so? I would have said no to that one.

[Lexi Alford]

I love a good meal. I love a good meal.

[Vivian Tu]

But I feel like. So I just got back from Thailand. Like, I felt like the street food tour was better than some of the Michelin restaurants I went to.

[Lexi Alford]

Okay. I mean, yes, I think that it's like yes and yes and okay. Like you can do like all of these things are luxury and they're expensive for a reason.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah, but.

[Lexi Alford]

And you will enjoy them for what they are. Yeah, but it's not worth not going just because you can't do those things.

[Vivian Tu]

Right. Okay. That's a really great way to explain that. A local guide.

[Lexi Alford]

100%. If out of all of those things, that's the number one.

[Vivian Tu]

Number one.

[Lexi Alford]

Yeah.

[Vivian Tu]

Okay. I love that. Private cars over public transpo.

[Lexi Alford]

I mean, if you were asking me this a couple years ago, I'd say no, but I'm definitely a private driver, private guide type of person. Now.

[Vivian Tu]

High end luggage.

[Lexi Alford]

No, no, no. That stuff's going to get beat up regardless.

[Vivian Tu]

So I agree.

[Lexi Alford]

It's not worth it.

[Vivian Tu]

It's not. All right, I'm super nosy. I want to know how many miles do you have with each airline?

[Lexi Alford]

It really varies. I'm a team.

[Vivian Tu]

Are you okay?

[Lexi Alford]

Yeah. Big Delta, klm.

[Vivian Tu]

Okay. Nice.

[Lexi Alford]

Yeah. Latam. I mean, hundreds of thousands.

[Vivian Tu]

Hundreds of thousands. I love that. Okay. When I need a flight, I'm going to be hitting you up.

[Lexi Alford]

Yeah. Right.

[Vivian Tu]

So while you're taking this journey, I want to talk about your highest of highs. So think of your high, but also your lowest of lows. And it can't be the time where you thought you weren't going to be able to keep going and you only had 10 countries left. Tell me, what was the best part and the worst part?

[Lexi Alford]

I Think the best part for me of travel in general is always the people. I've met so many inspiring people from all over the world and have encountered so much kindness and generosity and hospitality from people who didn't have much to give. Especially in the places that, you know, they say that the people who have the least are the most willing to give what they have. And I really did find that to be true. And so always the people and the stories that you hear from people who live wildly different lives than you could ever imagine is something that has cultivated compassion in myself and the way that I see the world, but also just created so many friendships that I would have never anticipated. Like, you should see my WhatsApp. It is a mess. There are so many different area codes.

[Vivian Tu]

I know it's a mess. Cause you're like, check out my WhatsApp. Not check out my iMessage. Oh, yeah.

[Lexi Alford]

The WhatsApp is I use to communicate with everyone internationally, of course. I got my driver from four years ago in Jordan, sent me a Happy New Year's message. I got a Happy New Year's message from a literal monk in a monastery in Bhutan.

[Vivian Tu]

How does he have a phone?

[Lexi Alford]

Like my friend in Nigeria, like, so many different people. So I love being able to, like, call those people, my friends, and to have relationships with them. That's always the best part for me. But the lows, I think that especially from my earliest travels, traveling to every country in the world, I, you know, when I started getting farther and farther down the list of how many places I had to go, the countries and destinations I was going to were getting more and more obscure. So I wasn't really able to talk my friends or my family into coming with me. So I ended up traveling a lot by myself.

[Vivian Tu]

My social anxiety could never.

[Lexi Alford]

I've probably been to 50 or 60 countries by myself.

[Vivian Tu]

And who do you eat dinner with?

[Lexi Alford]

Whoever's around or yourself. So that's the thing is one of the biggest struggles that I had was definitely loneliness.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah.

[Lexi Alford]

Like, I remember it was Valentine's Day. Oh, no. And it's like Valentine's Day, literally in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on. I was going to. I mean, there's a ton of countries you would never know of that are hidden in the Pacific, like the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Tuvalu. I think I was in Tuvalu on Valentine's Day. No phone reception there at all. A flight comes every four days. The majority of the island that I think a couple hundred, maybe a couple thousand people live on is the Airstrip of the airport is the majority of the island. So when the flights aren't coming, they open it and it's literally a playground for all the kids.

[Vivian Tu]

Oh, my God.

[Lexi Alford]

There's no fences or anything around this airport. But I was so lonely, and that was really like one of the hardest things, I think, for me personally, to. To overcome. And I do think that in spite of feelings like that, there's so much that you can get out of solo travel. For me, I feel like it's given me so much more self confidence in my ability to navigate complicated situations on my own. Like, I learned and like you mentioned, how to rely on myself to get things done.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah.

[Lexi Alford]

Cause there's. If you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself. So I got like a really independent attitude from that because it's really. There's no better way to get to know yourself than being on your own. So I do think that everyone at least once in their life should go on a solo trip. And it doesn't necessarily need to be to the. The other side of the world, middle of the ocean, but even to like a neighboring city or a state or maybe if you're feeling adventurous, like another country.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah.

[Lexi Alford]

I think that there's just so much that you can get out of that.

[Vivian Tu]

I love that so, so much. And after that whole experience, you travel to every country three years, you break the world record. You said, that's not enough. I am going to circumnavigate the globe in a car, specifically an electric vehicle. And you actually just got back from that trip a couple months ago. And I would know because we had our first date and we hung out, and then you were like, bye, seven months. I'll see you later. And I was like, okay, my one friend in Miami is gone.

[Lexi Alford]

Yes, I did.

[Vivian Tu]

What made you want to leave me for so long?

[Lexi Alford]

Well, it was another opportunity that I knew that I would regret for the rest of my life if I didn't do. So what's funny about this is that so back in 2019, right before the pandemic, also is when I broke my first world record. Perfect timing, right?

[Vivian Tu]

Perfect.

[Lexi Alford]

So right around then, I actually found a journal entry that I had written that said that while I've gotten a lot out of this trip around the world to every country, I am grateful for the experiences, but I would never do it again because of the mental and physical toll that it took on my. My mind.

[Vivian Tu]

Clearly not.

[Lexi Alford]

And you know, that didn't age well. Yeah. At all. Because about two. Almost two and A half years ago, I got a cold email from Ford who had this crazy idea that's based around an explorer named Aloha Wanderwell. And this is someone that is so underrated. You probably had never heard of her.

[Vivian Tu]

Before you and I talked about her.

[Lexi Alford]

Yeah, exactly. She was the first woman to ever drive around the world in a car. And she set out on this journey when she was 16, back in 1922. And she was so ahead of her time, literally the OG travel influencer. She funded her trip around the world in the 1920s by making films about her trips and what she was discovering around the world. So she documented all of it. Took all. So many videos, so many photos, journal entries. She wrote books about it. Like this woman. I would love to tell more of her story forever because she's an endlessly fascinating woman. And she actually did that all in Ford Model Ts, which Ford had never previously highlighted her story. And we came up with the crazy idea of taking Aloha Wanderwell's journey and where she went around the world and reinventing it, reimagining it into an electric car journey, which had never been done before. And there it took about a year of back and forth and planning and figuring out where we wanted to go, how to qualify a circumnavigation world record attempt. Yeah, all of that kind of stuff. I finally set out in the south of France in Nice, which is where Aloha Wanderwell also started her journey around the world.

[Vivian Tu]

Love that.

[Lexi Alford]

And it was quite a whirlwind because you can plan all you want, but life will always have a very spontaneous way of catching up with you or surprising you. And there were a lot of surprises because before leaving on that trip, I had never even driven an electric vehicle before. Yeah, I had never had one. I was actually. I only drive a motorcycle usually.

[Vivian Tu]

So do you guys see what I'm saying when I say she's the coolest girl I know? I don't drive a car. I have a motorcycle. Like, this is like.

[Lexi Alford]

Oh, boy, that's like.

[Vivian Tu]

It's such a cool thing to say.

[Lexi Alford]

It's fun. Maybe I can get you on my bicycle first.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then get you the non motorized one. Yeah, City bike.

[Lexi Alford]

Yeah. I got to get you on a city bike before.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah.

[Lexi Alford]

Put the little training whips.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah. No, literally.

[Lexi Alford]

But so set off. And originally the goal was to break the record in 90 days, which was not what happened at all. And I'm actually really excited because we made a documentary series about the I can't wait to watch our journey. It's a three part documentary series and it came out on Amazon prime in Europe and it's also available in YouTube in the US.

[Vivian Tu]

Oh, amazing.

[Lexi Alford]

So it's called Charge around the Globe, which is a very fitting name.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah.

[Lexi Alford]

Charge around the Globe because not being an EV driver, normally I had questions and so does everyone else whoever hears about this trip.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah.

[Lexi Alford]

What happens when you run out of.

[Vivian Tu]

Like, what if you're in the Amazon and you just don't have a electrical vehicle charger?

[Lexi Alford]

Yeah. So I found out the answers to those questions. Like, for example, in Zimbabwe, there's one charger in the entire country. So. And I didn't personally see it. So when I was driving there, I had to rely on something called domestic charging, which is basically when you charge your car on a household power outlet. Kind of like you charge your phone and that can take upwards of 20, 30, 40, 50 hours to.

[Vivian Tu]

Right. Because it's not like a hardcore energy source, it's like an outlet.

[Lexi Alford]

Exactly. So then it felt like at times I was crawling to be able to make it to that finish line. Ultimately drove over 30,000 kilometers. That's like over 19,000 miles on six continents and 27 countries.

[Vivian Tu]

That's crazy. Would you do it again?

[Lexi Alford]

I honestly can never say never at this point. I can never say never.

[Vivian Tu]

I just feel like you black out the bad parts and only remember the really good stuff.

[Lexi Alford]

Yeah. Yeah. Well, you can be a little bit scarred by some of this, some of the not so fun aspects of this experience. Okay. Again, I got so sick. I think I remember sending you photos.

[Vivian Tu]

Or telling you you did, and I was like, are you good?

[Lexi Alford]

Literally, Are you gonna come home? Oh, I got like the worst food poisoning of my life when I was in India. And really, do you know where you got it from? I was being so careful. We were staying at a five star resort or five star hotel in Delhi and I was like, I am not getting the stereotypical deli belly food poisoning when I am here. I've got a job to do. I need to get to Bhutan before my visa expires and I was only eating basically rice based dishes, no meat from this five star hotel, and immediately got sick. So I don't know, it just. It happens.

[Vivian Tu]

It happens.

[Lexi Alford]

It happens to the best of us. Literally, hands and knees, throwing up in the parking lot at the Taj Mahal.

[Vivian Tu]

Just things that my friend Lexi can say.

[Lexi Alford]

We still got the shoot done though, so there's a lot of importance that comes from pushing yourself through those Type of situations.

[Vivian Tu]

I have two questions left. One, what is your favorite country that you've ever traveled to? Yes. You have to pick one. You cannot give me five.

[Lexi Alford]

Okay, well, if I had to choose one, yeah, I might say Bhutan.

[Vivian Tu]

I've been dying to go.

[Lexi Alford]

It is such a magical place. There's literally nowhere.

[Vivian Tu]

The little houses on the cliffside and.

[Lexi Alford]

Like, I mean, yeah, the temples.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah.

[Lexi Alford]

And in the mountains, there's just. There is a reason they call it the happiest country in the world. Like, the people there are just so genuinely welcoming. And the way that their government is structured is really fascinating. Instead of gdp, gross national product, the government measures the success of its own government based on the happiness of the people. So they have gross domestic happiness is their way of measuring the success of the country.

[Vivian Tu]

That's how much we literally so can't relate to that even a little bit.

[Lexi Alford]

It's so funny. Totally different.

[Vivian Tu]

Our government's like, how much can you produce? Don't care if you are happy.

[Lexi Alford]

Yeah, exactly. So that's just one of the most magical places hidden in the Himalayas.

[Vivian Tu]

And, yeah, I've only seen photos, but, like, some of those mountainous, like, temples that are, you know, cut into the cliffside, like. Like, you get a good puffy cloud day and you're like, in the clouds.

[Lexi Alford]

So there's just nowhere else like it. It truly feels, like, mystical in the air.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah.

[Lexi Alford]

There.

[Vivian Tu]

It's giving. Like, there should be dragons flying around.

[Lexi Alford]

Yes. 100.

[Vivian Tu]

I love that. Final question is, we talked a little bit about this. You were like, you know, people have limiting beliefs. They really need to know how bad they want it. Like, do you have, like, a word of wisdom when it comes to reaching for massive goals like this, not letting finances be a limiting factor. Like, what is your advice to everybody who's listening to this and, like, wants to make their life the coolest version and the most exciting and adventurous version that it can be.

[Lexi Alford]

I have so many different pieces of advice.

[Vivian Tu]

Give them to me.

[Lexi Alford]

Give them to me topic. I. I would say one that feels really relevant to your audience. I mean, for me, I've always. Again, never take no for an answer.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah.

[Lexi Alford]

There's always a way to finesse work. You just. You always have to find a new way. And one of the things that I think is so underrated and has literally transformed my whole career is cold emails. If you want something, you have to figure out how to get a good cold email pitch. So quick story. The way that I was actually able to grow my following was very unusual. So I had broken this first world record. I didn't even get 10,000 followers on Instagram until I had 10 countries left. So it was a slow process that.

[Vivian Tu]

Visited every country on earth. Couldn't even get a couple Instagram followers.

[Lexi Alford]

No. And I had crossed the finish line of my last country, North Korea. It was a little anticlimactic, to be honest with you. I just went back to my hotel room afterwards and I was sitting there and I'm like, you know what? I should probably cold email some writers to tell them about this project. And I decided to cold email a writer from Forbes and had zero expectation that she was gonna even read my email. But she got back to me only a few hours later and was like, hey, I read your story. I showed your Instagram to my 6 year old daughter and she's so inspired. I'm gonna write an article in Forbes and publish it. She published it the very next day. Like, the turnaround was amazing.

[Vivian Tu]

Wow.

[Lexi Alford]

And that article changed my whole life. It went viral. It went completely picked up by the Associated Press.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah.

[Lexi Alford]

It was translated into nearly every language. My Instagram was embedded into the articles and maybe 30,000 followers at or something. And it. My Instagram got 18 million impressions in five days. Like the felt like my phone was gonna light on fire.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah.

[Lexi Alford]

Like that was getting. I was getting emails from like the BBC and CNN and all of these crazy things. And off the back of that, I launched my YouTube channel.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah.

[Lexi Alford]

Which was basically how my entire career was born. At that point I had started making some more money online, but especially doing work for other people, like taking photos and making content. Others. But then I started to be able to monetize my own following and create a career that way. And I'm sure it would have happened in a different way, but it would have not started that way or that quickly if I just hadn't asked for it.

[Vivian Tu]

Yeah.

[Lexi Alford]

And I get, personally, I get so many cold emails every day. I'm sure you get a ton as well. And you could probably say they're so bad.

[Vivian Tu]

They're all so bad.

[Lexi Alford]

So like, come on, guys.

[Vivian Tu]

Dear sir or madam, what do you think?

[Lexi Alford]

Sorry, who do you think is this? So I think having a really meaningful, heartfelt, concise, good, cold email that's sent in the direction that you want to go if you're just starting out, trying to do something new, get a new job, do an internship, something like that, that's a really practical and very overlooked place to start.

[Vivian Tu]

I love that. That is such good advice. Cold email. Ask for what you want. Don't be afraid. And like when life gives you lemons, it's like you need to be ready to make lemonade. Otherwise these opportunities come and then you don't make anything of them.

[Lexi Alford]

Exactly. One of my favorite quotes is fortune favors the prepared mind.

[Vivian Tu]

Love that so much. Thank you so much for being here. I love spending time with you. You know this Lexi's about to drive us home because she just got a car. I'm really excited. Please let everybody know where they can find you, where they can. Your travels, your adventures. Let us find you if you want.

[Lexi Alford]

To see anything else. Of all of these crazy adventures around the world, you can find me on every platform, especially Instagram and YouTube. Exilimitless. And you can also watch my new documentary called Charge around the Globe. If you're in Europe, you can watch it on Amazon Prime. And if you are here in the US you can watch it on YouTube.

[Vivian Tu]

And everybody that's spelled Lexi with an e at the end?

[Lexi Alford]

Yes.

[Vivian Tu]

Spell it. Spell it for us.

[Lexi Alford]

L E X, I E. Limitless.

[Vivian Tu]

Perfect.

[Lexi Alford]

Thank you for having me.

[Vivian Tu]

Thanks for being here. Thanks for tuning into this week's episode of Net Worth and Chill, part of the Vox Media podcast network. If you liked the episode, make sure to leave a rating and review and subscribe so you never miss an episode. Got a burning financial question that you want covered in a future episode? Write to us via podcastourrichbff.com follow Net Worth and Chillpod on Instagram to stay up to date on all podcast related news news. And you can follow me at your rich BFF for even more financial know how. See you next week.

[Lexi Alford]

Bye.