We were lucky to catch up with Alexis Mejia recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alexis, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

My biggest risk I took was opening up my own Beauty Studio and fully funding everything on my own. I have worked in different salons and also retail jobs that lead me very frustrated in their operations that did not resinate to me, and also always being on someone’s time. I took a risk to take control of my own time and life. I firmly believe in the mantra “no risk, no reward,” advocating for ambitious dreams, dedication, and setting clear goals. Faith, self-improvement, and understanding my true power In order to reach your highest potential in life. I had to take power into my own hands and educate myself. Taking charge of my mind, delving into entrepreneurship and finance, and making sacrifices allowed me to fully fund and live my dreams.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Growing up in an environment filled with instability, having to start therapy from a young age, seeking help for childhood trauma and battling depression, which unfortunately led me into challenging situations and hanging out with the wrong people. Without a clear direction I felt lost, until I had a profound awakening with God. It was evident to me that my purpose was to change and spread love into this world. Experimenting with various career paths, I initially explored architecture, only to discover that I thrive in hands-on labor. Transitioning to community college for psychiatric nursing, I realized my true passion lays elsewhere, leading me to pursue in the Beauty industry so I joined a beauty school. Obtaining my license marked the beginning of an enriching journey across different salons. Despite facing exploitation as a novice stylist, I refused to compromise my values and adapted by offering mobile services during the pandemic, then eventually opening my own studio I transferred to different suites but finally found my home studio in Alexandria. I specialize in Makeup, hair and body waxing. With tremendous loyal support from my clients, who I consider family have made all this possible for me. It brings me joy to know I touch and spread love to everyone that comes in my chair, they always feel brand new when they leave me! They have followed me everywhere I went as I’ve traveled the East Coast, servicing them. The love I have for my craft is genuine, and I’m immensely grateful for the success I’ve achieved. Now, five years later, I’m eagerly starting on new ventures, with exciting projects on the horizon set to launch before the year ends, so stay tuned!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One significant lesson I had to unlearn was being excessively generous and selfless. Growing up, I was taught that giving without expecting anything in return was the epitome of kindness. However, I gradually realized that this behavior often led to burnout and being taken advantage of. I neglected my own needs, both emotionally and financially, in favor of helping others. It took experiencing exhaustion and feeling unappreciated to understand the importance of setting boundaries and prioritizing self care and self love. Through self-reflection and guidance from mentors, I learned that true generosity includes taking care of oneself first, ensuring that I have the capacity to give authentically and sustainably.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

The journey to wanting to start my own business and venture off on my own as a stylist I was required to fund my own business this required a significant shift in mindset, where I learned to prioritize saving over indulging in personal wants and desires. Being deeply immersed in the beauty industry, I embraced self care and self-sufficiency by mastering to doing my own hair, makeup, and nails. This not only helped me refine my skills but also allowed me to redirect the money I would have spent on salon services towards my business venture. Sacrificing the immediate gratification of luxury services, traveling and materialistic things enabled me to accumulate the initial capital needed to kickstart my business. It was a journey of discipline and dedication, where every dollar saved brought me one step closer to realizing my entrepreneurial dreams.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://alannibeauty.glossgenius.com
• Instagram: AlanniBeauty
• Youtube: AlexisAlanni