We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alex Lobos a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alex, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
Ever since I was little I wanted to teach, but growing up my natural artistic abilities formed the majority of my identity. My artistry was always acknowledged by my peers, instructors and mentors. It wasn’t difficult for me to figure out I wanted to purse something creative, however I also love education. My mission as a business owner spawned from a natural evolution of all the things I’m passionate about. Did I ever plan to start a business? No, but I’ve learned how to create opportunities for myself even with limited resources just because I had talent, knowledge and excellent work ethic. The way I see it is, if I can do it, anyone can!
How I attained my ambitious nature is because my artistry did not get normal reactions. Not to brag, but it was more like awe and amazement. This was because people saw that I cared about doing a great job which inspired them. It was the same when I started my beauty career in 2008 and even more so when I moved to San Antonio, TX in 2012. My level of professionalism is considered rare, but people stay loyal to me because of it. Now I have a successful business in which I’m starting a new journey as a business mentor and educator for my growing team!
My mission for both myself and my company is simply to elevate my community and creating opportunities for others who dare to dream. To inspire, encourage and share my knowledge so others have the same successful results. Although this may sound egotistical but it’s about duplicating more artists like myself because my community demands it. I can’t clone myself but can opt to share what I know and create a team of likeminded artists. It’s easy to stay complacent in a saturated market but having people around you with the same mindset takes you that much farther and so the Elite Evolution begins!
Alex, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Hi, I’m Alex Lobos, Owner of Elite Eyebrows & Makeup Studio located in San Antonio, TX. My career journey starts with my LA roots where I’m originally from. Growing up I loved to draw. I studied art and its fundamentals such as color theory, drawing, painting and design. I’m also a natural born researcher and love education. In fact my first career choice was to be a teacher before an artist. Overtime, art became a huge part of my personal identity.
Being an artist naturally influences all areas in which you can be creative. As a teen, I remember painting designs on my nails or playing with color combos on my eyes. It was suggested to me by an acquaintance to pursue makeup because of my artistic abilities. In art school, my instructors would be in awe with the amount of detail I would put into my work. They encouraged me to focus on going digital with my creativity since it was the ‘way of the future’. Technology doesn’t interest me at all and using my hands is much more satisfying and therapeutic. After graduating, I decided to apply at MAC Cosmetics and my art portfolio got me the job. I didn’t expect to enjoy makeup so much. I gleaned inspiration and knowledge from my MAC peers. They too noticed my natural talent and I built clientele quickly. The only problem was that I was in it for the art, not sales.
The retail world wasn’t for me so I went to beauty school to get my esthetician license. Shortly after, I landed an opportunity at SENNA Cosmetics Makeup & Brow Studio, a prestige establishment founded by Celebrity Makeup Artist, Eugenia Weston, also known as ‘The Original Brow Guru’. Eugenia took quick notice of my talent and had me assist her on the Tonight Show. She also recruited me to work on local photo shoots representing SENNA. I was appointed to be a SENNA Artist Trainer to the staff and wholesale accounts. To have this type of backing by a pioneer of her caliber was such a huge push for my career. We continue to keep in contact to this day and we at Elite are proud to be the first and only SENNA distributor in San Antonio!
I moved to Texas in 2011 to be closer to my family. My life in California was so unbalanced which made me unhappy and unhealthy. I needed a change. San Antonio was the city I chose to call home because it’s where I felt the most welcome. I started out as an independent artist in 2014. In 2018, Elite Eyebrows & Makeup Studio was born. Elite is simply an accumulation of happy clients since day one and we are now in the process of expanding our team! We specialize in eyebrows, makeup and threading with a twist of luxury pampering. Our LA roots allows us to empower clients with authentic Hollywood pro makeup techniques. We cater to a clientele who’s naturally attracted to timeless beauty and built our niche in classic artistry. We’re top choice for clients who feel neglected in a world full of trends!
What truly makes us shine against our competitors is our threading experience because we’re licensed estheticians. Many people don’t realize threading isn’t regulated in Texas, in other words you don’t need a license to thread. There are many clients who need a gentle hair removal alternative apart from waxing but still want specialty artistry. Unlicensed threaders are limited as to what they can do. The success Elite has experienced attests that we were able to fill that need in our industry. What makes me most proud of the Elite Evolution is simply that it all was an unplanned journey that formed the beautiful community we have today! Not only are we able to offer something uniquely different in a saturated market but we’ve built long lasting relationships with our clients. We’ve also helped elevate professional standards in San Antonio. Plans to expand our concept is in the works by growing our team and providing fruitful opportunities under the Elite umbrella. We are grateful for the support of our Elite Community and if it wasn’t for them, Elite would not exist!
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
People look at me now and would never believe someone like me could have a business, let alone start one… especially one the requires constant communication and connection. I’m very introverted but being an entrepreneur requires self promotion and making connections. In the beginning it was very difficult. I grew up in a non-communicative home which influenced my submissive, withdrawn and introverted nature. Selling myself aggressively was definitely not my style. I remember I would create handwritten promo signs and tape them up in salons where people could see them. I figured, if I had a hard time talking to people, let the signs talk for me! Some of the clients that I have to this day are from those signs. In order to build a clientele, you have to connect with people but half the battle is getting them in your chair. Once I did, it was where the relationships started to happen. Although I didn’t realize it then, I was naturally learning how to communicate effectively with others through the years I’ve been in business. The only good thing about my introversion is I have a deeper ability read people well, observe, listen and sympathize which tie in to my customer service skills. My clients may not know this, but they’ve played a major role in helping me with my confidence and sharing my story with the world. Its something I’m still working on but I’ve come a long way!
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
As I’ve previously shared, I wanted to be an Artist… originally an Animator to be exact. I loved drawing cartoons and was heavily influenced by a lot of Japanese Anime. I went to art school and got my B.F.A. in Visual Communications. During school, my instructors saw my desire to pursue classic art but they would tell me to refocus my creativity for the digital world. I was not interested in making art with a computer. I wanted to use the abilities that were natural to me like drawing and painting. It never crossed my mind to be a makeup artist until it was suggested to me by an acquaintance after I graduated. I applied at MAC Cosmetics and the rest is history! It was at MAC where I got my creative satisfaction and quickly became a natural at doing makeup. The limits of the retail world pushed me to go to beauty school so that I can do makeup in a more professional setting. Although my art knowledge helped tremendously in my makeup career, it was a learning to curve to paint a face vs. a canvas. Makeup was my saving grace in finding a career where I can use my traditional artistic skills, while still making a decent living. 
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.eliteeyebrowssa.com/
- Instagram: @eliteeyebrowssa
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eliteeyebrowssa
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/alex-lobos-mua
Image Credits
Ryn Pitts/Serendipity Social Co.