Thirty Under 30: Alexis Novacek

By Donna Heiderstadt

What kind of job entails developing new brand partnerships, organizing community fundraisers, managing social media accounts and interacting with reality TV stars from HGTV and “The Bachelor” franchise? The one that 25-year-old Alexis Novacek gets to do every day as Public Relations Manager for Reno, NV-based ZLINE Kitchen and Bath. “I absolutely love that not every day is the same,” she said. “My job is certainly never boring!”

Alexis joined ZLINE as an intern in September 2020 while studying Journalism with an emphasis on Public Relations and Advertising at the University of Nevada, Reno. Upon graduation in 2021, she was named Social Media Manager and then at age 23 was promoted to her current public relations role. Over the past several years, Alexis has signed and managed over 100 influencers, including DIYers, bloggers and HGTV personalities, as well as secured product placement opportunities on major movie sets. As Public Relations Manager, she has worked with ZLINE’s outside agency to gather more than 800 million media impressions through the third quarter of 2023.

NKBA membership (she’s involved with the Sierra Nevada chapter) and local community engagement are also integral to Alexis’ job. She has coordinated the donation of a full appliance suite to the local Boys and Girls Club Cioppino Feed for two years in a row, as well as $10,000 worth of holiday donations for three years running. In addition, she oversaw donations, copy, video and photo assets for ZLINE’s 2022 Sustainable Luxury Initiative, which resulted in $12,500 in donations to non-profits benefiting the conservation of Lake Tahoe.

Alexis describes herself as resilient, flexible, detail-oriented and willing to go the extra mile in all things. Her biggest challenge to date? “I would say one of the biggest challenges in my career has been learning which PR opportunities provide value and which are okay to pass on,” she said. “There are very few ways to measure a PR campaign that isn’t just impressions, so I have to get creative to be able to report the success rate of a campaign.”

Outside of work, Alexis loves to read, collect vinyl and hang out with her two-year-old Maltipoo, Koda. She personally prefers a minimalist design style — “I have noticed with influencers and brand partners that panel-ready appliances have increased significantly in popularity, which I love!” she noted — but she also believes it’s important to incorporate photos of people and the things she loves, as she did while decorating her bedroom as a child. “To me, making a space personal and having it mean something is the most important thing,” she said.