Meet Amanda Malone of ALMFour in Miami Beach, NYC, The Hamptons

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Malone.

Amanda, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Moving to NYC when I was 20 was the best thing I could have ever done in my entire life. It changed the person I was, made me grow up, live on my own, creates relationships with people I would’ve never had living anywhere else, challenge me, put me out of my comfort zone and made me who I am today. My career started when I graduated FIT and was like- what now? After college, you tend to freak out if you dont have a job, wonder if you really went to school for what you want to do when you “grow up.” All these crazy ideas run through your head and you have to think quick- especially in NYC, I mean let alone it being so expensive, you will get lost in the sea of 8 Million if you dont stand out.

When I was in college, I had an amazing internship with Burberry supporting the SVP of Beauty and Travel Retail. Being his right hand taught me how to really have a 9-5 job as I went every day from 9-5 then would have classes after at school. It taught me routine and how to be in the “real world.” This internship really made me think to myself- I could never do this full time, I am not a girl who belongs behind a desk let alone at an office. I need to be out in the world, running around, meeting new people, seeing new places, working out at 11 am if I want to, meeting a friend for lunch at 2 pm and not being constricted to a 9-5 job. This is when I realized- let me try something new, something out of my comfort zone and something I honestly didn’t “go to school for.” I applied to a bunch of different jobs in a few different categories and got called the next day for an executive assistant position at a Commercial Real Estate Firm- Marcus and Millichap. I went in and met with the team there and then met the broker- who would later become my best friend, mentor and the best thing to ever happen to me. We met and instantly had a bond that couldn’t compare to anything else. He was exactly what I was looking for: a teacher, a leader, an educated New York city guy with talent, success, and experience. Jeff became the best boss I would ever have to this day. He taught me real estate like no-one else could. He taught me how to network and stand out in a world full of people that are all fighting for the same thing. I fell in love with the hustle and adrenaline rush that came with Real Estate. Jeff also was a partner in many hospitality venues throughout NYC, Goldbar and Sweetwater Social. These venues are two of the most sought about places to go out in NYC. Celebrities and NYC’s Elite frequent these places and it’s exactly where you want to be. Two years later and I had met and experienced people and places only some could dream of. I had become an NYC native and couldn’t have loved where my life was headed. I then said to myself- I can do this, so I set out to become a broker. I landed a job in a new development with Douglas Elliman. I leased out two huge buildings in Manhattan and was meeting people and learning new skills every day. I was then at the time also growing my Instagram with fitness and lifestyle around NYC- brands started to reach out to me and then realized how important social media is and the impact it can have on one’s career. I was approached by a wellness company to curate all of the health and wellness for Gurneys and the Yacht Club in Montauk. I curated and ran the fitness for the resorts all summer long- this entailed bringing studios from NYC to the Hamptons for pop-ups every single weekend of the Summer.

Along with this, we had summer sponsorships and events including brands in the health and wellness space. Our studio partners included and wasn’t limited to dog pound, y7, dance body, trufusion, Megan roup and Many more. I lived in the Hamptons all summer and really formed great relationships out there. This then leads to me saying: what if I create my own consulting agency with all these brands as my clients. That’s when I stepped away from having a boss and being my own boss. I gained clients in Miami and NYC in the sectors of beauty, lifestyle, fitness, and fashion. My clients became Alala, Hochstein Medspa, Beauty by Dr. Lal, Influencers and more.

I guess you can say it just fell in my lap, super cliche, but it did. I was just constantly posting fitness and lifestyle posts to my own page and organically grew to where brands would reach out to me to collaborate and I would reach out to them to promote them. After learning and exploring all things social media and the power it has on brands and people, I started to dive deeper and think hmm I can do this for brands if im doing it for myself. I took my first client on Alala and that’s where my social media journey began and I started running their social media accounts. I grew the following by 13K followers in five months and expanded the reach of the brand immensely. With my connections in NYC, Miami, and LA, I grew the brand’s awareness through marketing, influencers, and celebrities. After doing this, I gained more clients and started running five Instagram accounts and my business blossomed. This type of business is all word of mouth and networking. I meet one person and they tell another brand or individual about me and it really all is a turning wheel.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Nothing’s easy. There will always be road bumps, failures, and heartbreak. But this is what makes you grow as an individual and makes you stronger each and every day. Venturing out and working for yourself is a challenge in itself. You need to be disciplined, organized and make sure you are financially stable to create a platform for you to be successful.

Struggles are part of the journey and I wouldn’t have it any other way. They push you harder and make you dig deeper for what you want. I struggled with even figuring out what I wanted to do, did I want to stay in real estate, did I want to go work for an advertising and marketing company, did I want to work on my own?? I struggled in a sense of finding my true passions until I let go a little bit and just kind of let it all happen. I was approached by a company to curate all of the health and wellness in the Hamptons for Gurney’s and that really what helped me to pursue my passion for what I do today: curating events, partnerships, social media marketing and influencer relations in MIA/NYC/LA/HAMPTONS. I not only struggled with every day struggles like love, life, and my own thoughts but I also fell into a depression after being unhappy for a while, not living for myself and living for everyone else around me and making sure they were happy before I was happy, a break up and then having a very close friend pass away – this all took a huge toll on my wellbeing that I really struggled with even getting up and going about my day. I realized I needed change and I couldn’t keep going on living in a world like that- that’s when I really decided, f*ck it, I’m moving to Miami. I have wintered and vacationed in Miami for the past two years and I have a family and friend base here that I love and respect so I felt like half of my heart was always here in Miami. I mean come on how could you not love it here- sunshine, warm weather, the beach, and the ocean! Total package! I knew that deep down I couldn’t stay in NYC, ten years was becoming toxic, and I needed to change for myself. I moved to Miami in April and I couldn’t be happier. I haven’t been this happy since the first day I moved to NYC in August of 2010. I am the best version of myself again and really can genuinely say I am doing my best work on putting myself first and seeing results I love.

Please tell us about ALMFour – what should we know?
I guess you can say it just fell in my lap, super cliche, but it did. I was just constantly posting fitness and lifestyle posts to my own page and organically grew to where brands would reach out to me to collaborate and I would reach out to them to promote them. After learning and exploring all things social media and the power it has on brands and people, I started to dive deeper and think, hmm, I can do this for brands if im doing it for myself. I took my first client on Alala and that’s where my social media journey began and I started running their social media accounts. I grew the following by 13K followers in five months and expanded the reach of the brand immensely. With my connections in NYC, Miami, and LA, I grew the brand’s awareness through marketing, influencers, and celebrities. After doing this, I gained more clients and started running five Instagram accounts and my business blossomed. This type of business is all word of mouth and networking. I meet one person and they tell another brand or individual about me and it really all is a turning wheel.

I specialize in lifestyle, health, and wellness, beauty and fashion. These are my passions so why not specialize in what you are good at. Living in NYC and Miami, I have all of the top brands and people at my fingertips for these. I think I am best known for being a part of the health and wellness/fitness community as I am an avid fitness girl in the industry between my own Instagram and working with the top luxury fitness studios and brands like Alala, Track and Bliss, Dogpound, Rumble, Maham Yoga, Barry’s Bootcamp, Bandier, and more.

I think what sets me apart are my abilities to be super personable, real, authentic and outgoing in a world where you really never know the truth anymore. I think especially being hidden behind a screen- anyone can be anything and anything can be anyone. You never know the truth unless you yourself really believe in it or do it for yourself. I think that managing social media accounts and being able to put my voice behind the content helps for it to be more authentic and relatable for the women and men who are put there looking at it, liking it, saving it and using it for inspiration. I have built my network to be very strong and prominent in the industry and I take pride in that as it wasn’t easy- not everyone is your friend and not everyone will be nice, but if you know how to handle people and juggle ups and downs and gains and losses you will be just fine. I think that relationship building is more important than going to college these days- you learn more from the people you surround yourself with than you do sitting behind a desk doing science homework and writing essays on subjects you will never use. Networking is my difference, I will never hold back on a conversation, I will never let someone walk out of a room without getting to know them if I think I need them in my life in some shape or form, I will never say no to giving someone my number- even if it’s the boy who asks for it at the bar that I don’t think is cute, you never know who you will meet and how they can become a part of your life. You really cannot judge a book by its cover and I have learned that the easy and the hard way- I used to be the first to judge until I learned you need to listen and comprehend before you can judge an excuse. I wouldn’t be where I am today with myself or my company if it wasn’t for accepting everyone into my life that I have, maybe that I never wanted and who I thought I would never become friends with. I thank my mom and dad for this trait of always being social and never saying no to be doing anything in my life and for always pushing me and believing in me and supporting me every step of the way even in my dumb decisions they may have caused them stress, they still helped me excel. I wouldn’t be the woman I am today and the woman I am perceived in the world without any of this – I am strong, loyal, authentic, relatable, loving and hard working – I will not stop until I have exceeded the limits!

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My parents and my two younger sisters Maria and Meghan- they are my number one fans. They have always pushed me, supported me and driven me in the right direction. They have always been there for me through the good and bad times. They have dug me out of the holes I’ve been in and always brought me back to life bigger and better. they truly are my inspiration. I would literally be DEAD without them, I would be lost without the 15 calls a day and 500 text messages. They make me laugh, cry and believe in myself harder every day!

My friends, especially my best friend Ariana- my biggest and most supportive cheerleader since the age of 10. She has always had my back and best interest at heart. I would give my left arm for her and she would do the same. She knows me better than I know myself, she knows my strengths and weaknesses. She knows my passions and fuels them to push me and support me the best she can. She is a huge driving force behind my parents. If they dont answer, shes the next call.

Second to her would be my best friend Phil: he supports me, loves me unconditionally for me more than anyone I know and pushes my limits because he believes I can always be better than I was yesterday. He will never disappoint me and will always tell me if I’m wrong or being absolutely insane. he keeps me grounded and aware of reality because we all know sometimes I can be a little over the top. When people say your soulmate is out there, I tend to think he’s it.

Jeff Nissani- my biggest mentor in the last seven years. he was my first “boss” and became my best friend and brother I never had. We fight and love like a married couple. He is how my career in NYC started. I applied to a bunch of different jobs in a few different categories and got called the next day for an executive assistant position at a Commercial Real Estate Firm- Marcus and Millichap. I went in and met with the team there and then met the broker- who would later become my best friend, mentor and the best thing to ever happen to me. We met and instantly had a bond that couldn’t compare to anything else. He was exactly what I was looking for: a teacher, a leader, an educated New York city guy with talent, success, and experience. Jeff became the best boss I would ever have to this day. He taught me real estate like no-one else could. He taught me how to network and stand out in a world full of people that are all fighting for the same thing. I fell in love with the hustle and adrenaline rush that came with Real Estate. Jeff also was a partner in many hospitality venues throughout NYC, Goldbar and Sweetwater Social. These venues are two of the most sought about places to go out in NYC. Celebrities and NYC’s Elite frequent these places and it’s exactly where you want to be. Two years later and I had met and experienced people and places only some could dream of. I had become an NYC native and couldn’t have loved where my life was headed. To this day, we have each other’s backs and still call and mentor one another. He is a driving force in what I do for work, how I do it and who I am connected to.

Working for Alala really gave me a name in the industry as the brand is so reputable and it is a female-founded and led brand- who run the world GIRLS! The brand is one of my favorite and being able to be a part of it really is amazing. I am happy to work for brands I truly believe in and can represent myself.

Contact Info:

• Phone: 518 578 3404
• Email: [email protected]

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