Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Ward.
Hi Alex, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
In 2018, after finishing an internship at FleishmanHillard in St. Louis, I was looking for something fun and low-stress while I figured out my next move. That’s when I found Food Pedaler, a bike-powered restaurant delivery service. I loved biking, so I signed on as a courier and quickly fell in love with the work.
As I delivered orders, I started noticing how manual the operation was—clunky dispatching, constant notifications, and inefficiencies behind the scenes. Later that year, I left for a corporate contract role at New Balance, but it didn’t feel like the right fit.
A few months later, I ran into Food Pedaler’s founder, who offered me the chance to take over the Downtown market so he could focus elsewhere. It was risky, but I wanted to build something of my own. I launched an LLC, left my corporate job, and became the operator of Food Pedaler Downtown. By mid-2019, I had grown into the business enough to buy it outright and become the sole owner.
Owning Food Pedaler was empowering—but also exhausting. I was constantly “on,” buried in manual tasks and interruptions that consumed my time and attention. While I didn’t realize it at the time, that experience planted the seed for my obsession with automation and building better systems.
Over the next few years, I taught myself how to build automations to streamline Food Pedaler’s day-to-day operations. I quickly realized how much I enjoyed the work—and how valuable it could be for other businesses. In 2023, I pitched a former PR client on automating his social media posting. After a successful project, I launched my new business, Automate My.Co.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has been anything but smooth—but it’s been worth it. Building a business has required constant trial and error, from figuring out what works to learning quickly from what doesn’t. My first clients came through word of mouth, but referrals alone aren’t sustainable, so I’ve intentionally diversified my lead generation through social media, cold email, freelance platforms, networking, and media opportunities.
Another challenge has been refining my business model—especially pricing and learning to charge what my work is truly worth. I’ve always taken pride in delivering excellent service and putting in the effort, but building confidence around pricing took time and experience.
There have also been technical growing pains. As I learned new systems and adapted to different client operations, I made mistakes—automations that took longer than expected to work correctly, or updates that unintentionally caused downstream issues. Automation compounds: when it’s built well, it frees up enormous amounts of time; when there’s an error, the impact can multiply just as quickly. Those experiences taught me to slow down, test thoroughly, and double-check every update before it goes live.
Managing client expectations has been another ongoing challenge. Translating what a client wants to achieve into clear, realistic systems—and communicating how and when those outcomes will happen—takes care and clarity. I love working with entrepreneurs, but their environments are fast-moving and constantly evolving, which means the work requires flexibility and strong communication.
Each of these challenges has made me a better operator, communicator, and problem-solver—and they’ve shaped how I run my business today.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Under my business Automate My.Co, I help small businesses save time and boost revenue by replacing repetitive, manual work with smart, reliable automation and AI workflows. I design and build custom systems that connect the tools businesses already use—CRMs, email platforms, forms, calendars, spreadsheets, and internal workflows—so day-to-day operations run smoothly without constant human intervention.
I specialize in practical, human-centered automation. Rather than selling one-size-fits-all software, I take the time to understand how my clients’ businesses actually operate, identify friction points, and build systems that support real-life workflows. My work often includes lead intake and routing, customer communication, internal notifications, data syncing, reporting, and operational automations that quietly run in the background.
Automate My.Co was born out of my firsthand experience running Food Pedaler—a fast-moving service business, where mistakes, interruptions, and inefficiencies had real consequences. That perspective shapes how I design systems: with safeguards, documentation, and testing built in, so automations are dependable and easy to maintain—not brittle or overly complex.
Brand-wise, I’m most proud of the trust I build with clients. I pride myself in my clear and quick communication, thoughtful problem-solving, and automation that actually sticks. My goal isn’t just to make things faster—it’s to give business owners back their time, focus, and peace of mind.
Automation doesn’t have to be intimidating or impersonal. When done well, it becomes an invisible and powerful teammate, helping businesses operate with less stress and more intention.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I’ve found that networking works best when you approach it as long-term relationship building, not a hunt for immediate opportunities. I make a point to attend local networking events regularly, especially recurring ones, because showing up consistently is how familiarity and trust are built over time in any kind of relationship.
In St. Louis, there are several weekly events that are well-attended by founders and business owners, including Founders Lounge Global, PitchSTL, and Bourbon Friday. I’ve also attended free annual conferences like Design Week and Startup Week that are great for meeting people across industries. In general, I’d recommend attending at least one networking event per month to open yourself up to these opportunities.
Keeping expectations low at these events has worked well for me. Rather than going in looking for a mentor or a deal, I focus on having genuine conversations and learning from others’ experiences. You never know who you’ll meet or how the relationship may evolve over time.
Finally, lead with value. That doesn’t always mean doing free work—although if you’re just starting out, it can help you get valuable experience and opportunities—but it can be as simple as sharing a resource or connecting two people who could benefit from knowing each other. Those small moments of generosity tend to compound and often lead to stronger relationships down the road.
Pricing:
- Business Automation & AI Consulting (Essential): $1,000/month
- Business Automation & AI Consulting (Professional): $2,500/month
- Business Automation & AI Consulting (Enterprise): $5,000/month
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.automatemy.co/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576558725312
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/automatemyco/
- Twitter: https://x.com/automatemyco
