-Compiled and edited by Shawn Nowlin
Ten Questions With…
Who is Alex Jones, and how would you describe yourself to someone who has never met you?
I’m a husband, father, entrepreneur, student and creative. I’m curious, ambitious and always trying to evolve. I’ve always been the kind of person who wants to understand how things work, whether that’s people, business, culture or myself. I care about growth, legacy and building things that are meaningful. At the same time, I’m also figuring things out as I go. That balance is probably the most honest way to describe me.
Where were you born and raised? What was your upbringing like?
I was born and raised in the Star City. My upbringing was not that different from the prototypical Northwest Roanoke experience. Monday afternoons were dedicated to peewee football with the inner-city Falcons. By Friday, I was taking my jersey to Victory Stadium to watch the Colonels compete on the gridiron. On Sunday mornings, I either had a tie too short or too long, imitating my father as we prepared for church. My first introduction to community came from Greater Mount Zion. Every face had a smile, and you could feel the love. This was my extended family, and there was always something to do: children’s church, vacation Bible school, stocking the food pantry, you name it.
Like a lot of people, life was not perfectly linear or easy. Those experiences, however, shaped the way I think and move through the world now. Roanoke exposed me to different kinds of people, struggles and perspectives. It made me ambitious. Part of me always knew I wanted to see more, build more and challenge myself beyond what felt immediately available around me. Roanoke gave me a foundation that has always stayed with me.
After high school, what was the next chapter of your life?
Once high school was over, life became less about following a traditional blueprint and more about learning through experience. I worked, faced setbacks, learned difficult lessons and eventually found myself holding a camera. I started creating whatever I could, for whoever I could, around the city: music videos, commercials, weddings…basically anything that gave me a chance to learn. Eventually, I became an in-house videographer, where my employer became a mentor and introduced me to the world of business and marketing. Along the way, I met a girl, fell in love, and decided to move to California.
As COVID was coming to an end, my then-fiancée and I got married. To celebrate, we visited a winery in Napa, California. During that experience, I noticed how much opportunity existed in the wine industry, especially pertaining to the digital space. So, I did what Roanoke had taught me to do: create opportunity.
I was first hired as a digital marketing specialist, eventually moving on to a Top 100 winery in the Sonoma/Napa Valley area. During that time, I spoke on panels for several industry-specific organizations and events, sharing my experience alongside other leaders in the wine space. Those experiences gave me the confidence to start my own journey, so I founded a digital and DTC marketing agency for luxury wineries.
In 2024, my wife and I had our son, and I decided I wanted to show up as the best version of myself. That pushed me back toward education while continuing to build my company. Now I’m pursuing degrees in business and economics while running my agency full-time. My path has taught me that growth does not always happen in a straight line. Sometimes the detours become the education.
What is your official title, and what do your responsibilities consist of?
I’m the founder of a digital marketing and brand strategy company, DTC, which focuses on the wine industry. My role covers everything from direct-to-consumer sales, creative direction, storytelling, segmentation, analytics, advertising strategy and branding. What interests me most is the psychology behind communication. Great branding is not just aesthetics. It is identity, emotion, culture and perception. My work is truly about helping brands communicate who they are in a way that feels authentic and emotionally resonant, while using digital channels to build credibility, grow audiences and drive sales.
How important is family to you?
Family is central to who I am. Becoming a father changed the way I think about responsibility, discipline and legacy. It made life feel bigger than personal success.
My mother has had a major impact on me. Despite facing serious health challenges throughout her life, she has always shown up completely. For her children, for family, even for strangers. She never let outside limitations dictate what she was capable of. If it was in her power to do something, it got done. Plain and simple. My sister carries that same compassion. Watching both of them move through the world that way has pushed me to show up with the same kind of love and responsibility.
When you have a son, you start thinking differently about the example you set, the values you carry and the foundation you want to leave behind.
If you were building the ultimate music playlist for a six-hour road trip, which artists would be on it?
Since moving to the West Coast, my playlists have heavily featured Larry June. Outside of that, I’d include J. Cole, Drake, Key Glock, Young Dolph and Premo Rice. I appreciate artists who combine storytelling, ambition and introspection.
What are some of your favorite Roanoke memories?
As a kid, my dad would take us to Happy’s Flea Market on Saturdays. I remember the world feeling so big. We would walk around for what felt like hours, amazed by everything for sale. I also remember going up to Apple Ridge Farm as a six-year-old, then eventually working there as a teenager.
Later, my favorite memories came from the creative side of Roanoke. Sundays at Shishka, listening to and performing spoken word when they hosted Soul Serenity. Riding around the city shooting music videos and commercials, meeting other creatives and even seeing my work displayed at the Science Museum of Western Virginia. Those memories still feel like home to me.
What are some of your hobbies?
I enjoy working out, filming, chess, writing and learning languages. I’m also someone who genuinely loves music. I like listening to new projects, pointing out the samples and tracing them back to their roots. A lot of my hobbies overlap with creativity and self-development. I like building things, whether that’s ideas, projects or skill sets.
Which people have had the biggest impact on your life outside of family?
Mentors, teachers and people who challenged the way I think have probably impacted me the most. Growing up, I was blessed to come across great role models who wanted more for me than I wanted for myself at the time. Jerel Rhodes, Dr. Eric Anderson, Deanna Bonds, Reverend Dr. Cedric E. Malone, Dominique Moore and Richard Simpson all taught me the value of working towards my goals. I can still hear Mrs. Bonds saying, “Don’t nothing come to a sleeper but a dream.”
If you could go back and give your younger self some advice, what would it be?
I’d tell my younger self not to rush the process and not to underestimate how much consistency matters over time. A lot of growth comes from realizing that confidence is built, not inherited. Most importantly, I’d tell myself not to confuse setbacks with failure. Some of the hardest periods of life end up shaping your perspective, discipline and identity the most. Growth is rarely comfortable, but that discomfort often becomes the foundation for who you eventually become. Where you are is not where you’re going.
