We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Alexia Boukou. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Alexia below.
Hi Alexia, thanks for joining us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?
I never thought I would be a press-on-nails artist or even an artist in general. I’ve been working in corporate since I was 18 years old so being an entrepreneur is definitely different. I love what I do, and I have the freedom to create my schedule, my designs, and my days off. The last time I had this thought, it brought a lot of mixed feelings because it reminds me of how much I miss human interaction. working a “regular job” allows you to be around other professionals, and make connections. I also thought about the financial side of having a 9-5 job. As a new artist, I sometimes don’t know if I am going to have some orders this week which doesn’t happen in a 9-5. we are more financially free.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a french woman based in Boston Massachusetts. I am passionate about fashion and marketing. I started Lexi Nails & Beauty, in October 2021 as a hobby and now it’s my full-time job and passion. Lexi Nails is more than a press-on-nails business. Our mission is to allow busy business owners, entrepreneurs, college students, and new mothers to regain confidence, save time and money, and practice positive self-care. After giving birth to my twin boys, I experienced postpartum depression. The only way for me to find myself again, regain confidence, and practice self-care was to do my nails and my hair. Going to the nail salon was a way for me to practice self-care and take care of myself but after the pandemic and having kids this moment was stolen from me. The other reasons why I started Lexi Nails were because I didn’t feel comfortable going to the nail salon after the pandemic and for the lack of choice at the drug store. I had a hard time finding someone and a place to get the quality nails and designs I wanted. Lexi press-on nails are fashionable, durable, convenient, and reusable. Our goal is to bring a spa experience to the comfort of your home while maximizing your time and increasing your well-being. We also offer, custom nails, nails that can match your outfit, mood, or your moldboard and that’s what set us apart from our competitors. I am proud of the creativity of my nails, they can be very simple or totally funky. Seeing clients happy and reusing their nails many times is what keeps me going.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Starting a social media account from scratch can be challenging but the goal is to create connections. When I started posting on Instagram only 30 of my friends/acquaintances followed me so I had to find potential clients/new friends. Every day I was going on random people (that fit my target audience) pages and commenting on their posts, and stories, genuinely engaging with them. I partner with some brands, to build awareness, and went live… If I could give advice to someone it will be to create reel connections, don’t just comment with an emoji but give your honest opinion, you never know, this person can be your potential client or even an investor.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I think being an entrepreneur is harder than we think. It’s a constant battle and challenge. In my first year of business, I thought that summer will be my most successful season, I prepared everything, new designs, promotion codes, new professional photos, everything but it was actually the dryest season. From June to the first week of September, I had no clients. Which was hard but I had to keep sharing my content and it got better afterward.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lexinailsbeauty.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexinailsbeauty/
Image Credits
Lauren Alexandria Erika Brooks