We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alexandria Campos a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alexandria, appreciate you joining us today. Looking back, do you think you started your business at the right time? Do you wish you had started sooner or later?
I absolutely wish I would have started my business sooner. I took an interest in hairstyling in my early teenage years, and the interest continued to grow as I got older. When I was about 17 or 18 I became confused at what I wanted to do, because I was also interested in the medical field. The medical field seemed like the safer choice for my future self, so I ended up pursuing that in my early 20’s. It wasn’t until I got wait-listed for a sonography program for 3 years that I returned back to the same crossroads I was at as a teenager. I found myself, yet again, having to decide if I wanted to continue down the “safe” path or give myself the chance to pursue a “riskier” career. I knew there was a chance I would struggle to progress my business, but I had faith that the love and passion I had for hair would drive me through. So far, it absolutely has. If I would have listened to this glowing passion that I had in my heart from the very beginning, I would have started my business at a much younger age. I would have been so much further in my career, because I would have started at 18-19 versus 23-24. The moral of the story is: follow your gut instincts, your passions, and the things that light you up inside. It might be hard at first, but if you continue to push forward then the love you have for whatever it is that you’re doing will carry you through. Have faith!
Alexandria, 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?
My name is Alexandria (Alex) Campos. I’m 29 years old and am a bridal hair specialist in AZ and CA. I went to cosmetology school at 23 years old, and quickly learned that I loved styling hair more than anything else. I got started in the industry by shadowing a bridal hair/makeup artist that was a guest speaker at our school. She allowed me to assist, and I loved it. I then applied to be on a bridal hair /makeup team, and that was how I started building my portfolio on social media. Soon after I started getting my own brides! I now have my own business that is centered around my values/personality. I value mental health and the harmony of inner/outer beauty. Wedding days can be stressful, so I offer breathing techniques, head massages, and subtly spoken affirmations to my brides to keep them centered and in the moment on their big days. It helps them shine both internally and externally, and I love being able to make that sort of a difference for them. I also offer a simplistic package that’s just styling services, in case they don’t want all of the bells and whistles. I’m extremely proud of how authentic my business feels to me and what I care about.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
I think being a creative is amazing, because we get the pleasure of letting people see us for everything that we are. Our personalities show in our businesses, our work, the topics we discuss, our clients, the creators we collaborate with, etc. People get a pretty clear sense of who I am before they ever even meet me in person, and I think that’s super special.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
I wish I had delved into Instagram and other social media strategies a lot sooner than I did. It’s such a powerful tool, and I didn’t know anything about it when I started. I didn’t understand how to use it to my advantage, and if I’m being honest, I’m still learning as I go!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.alexandriagracebridal.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexandriagracebridal/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alexandriagracebridal/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@alexandriagracebridal