We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Alexis Richbow. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Alexis below.

Alexis, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. The first dollar your business earns is always special and we’d love to hear how your brand made its first dollar of revenue.

I received my very first client when I went off to college and joined the modeling team. Son everything came about because we were practicing for our very first talent show and the captain of the modeling team was trying to book with a stylist to do everyone’s hair and no one was available and I told her hey I do hair I can do everyone’s hair to help out. She was relieved and excited because the search was finally over, and that gave me the opportunity to show case my work and get myself out their on the college campus. From that day I began to have my modeling buddies friends ask me to do there hair as well. In just started to feel proud of my self and all the things that I was able to accomplish, during my time there.

Alexis, 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?

As most little girls, growing up, I was always so intrigued by the different styles’ girls could do to their hair. I would see my grandmother do everyone’s hair on Saturday including mine to have prepared for church the next day. Seeing that I became amazed by what she could and wanted to try doing hair as well. I then asked my mom for a mannequin with hair so I could practice doing hair in hopes to becoming a hairstylist myself one day. At first, my mom thought I wasn’t serious. However, I was very and weeks later her and my dad surprised me with the mannequin. From there I taught myself how to do individual braids to cornrows and so much more. Then, I built up more confidence and started to ask my sisters and cousins if I could do a hairstyle on them. My sisters said, “GIRL NO”. Of course, I was sad but my cousin she was willing to take that gamble with me. From there my sisters and other family members seen what I could do and wanted me to do their hair as well. As a little girl, this made me ecstatic, and I see how much they trusted me, so I started to trust myself more. Fast forward, I told myself after I graduated from High school that I would attend Aveda Hair institute, which I never did.

I went off to college in 2010 to receive my degree in psychology with a minor in criminal justice. Trust that journey was not the best because I always felt like I was doing something that I really had no interest in. So, I took many breaks and during those time my grandmother was upset with me because she always wanted all her grandchildren to have degrees. So, I put my dreams of attending cosmetology school to the side again. I went back to complete my undergrad degree and ended becoming pregnant in 2016, which I then stopped everything to care for my baby, all while still doing friends and family hair on the side. When doing so I felt so free and relaxed, even having those feelings I also started to doubt myself because I let my dream of becoming a licensed stylist go. I focused on being a mom and just working full-time jobs that I hated so much. As I move forward in life we entered a pandemic, which caused me to become unemployed. During that time, I began to rebrand myself and there it was the birth of “LexiQueens” I decided to have this has my business name because I are all Queens and I had to remind myself constantly that I AM A QUEEN too even when dealing with self-doubt. I love for everyone who trust me doing their hair to know we are all beautiful Queens, even on bad hair days. Knowing I can make a difference with my craft is all I need; I have yet to receive my licensed but it’s never too late and I will make that goal a reality sooner than later. Until then I continue to educate myself by attending hair classes and pulling out my mannequin head and teaching myself.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

The lessons that I learned is to never give up on yourself. Why because you never know who is watching, things may not always go the way that you have pictures or planned but the process along the way is always worth it in the end. Waking up everyday and pushing yourself to be better for not only your brand but the people you will serve as well, it is very refreshing and motives you to keep going no matter how slow your business may look one day it will not always be that way.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Word of mouth, and promoting myself on Instagram and Facebook.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: _lexiqueens
• Facebook: lexiqueens