Meet Alexis Williams | Business Owner, Hair Loss Practitioner, Marketing Professor/Consultant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alexis Williams and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alexis, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I have always been surrounded by business owners and entrepreneurs. In my early teenage years, I was enamored by their lifestyle and ability to navigate life on their own terms. I used that as motivation to pursue my cosmetology license at a trade high school in St. Louis, MO. The beauty industry allowed me to build a business and lifestyle that worked for me and allowed me creative freedom and constant career development. So it was only a matter of time before I set my mind to working independently first while preparing to open my own space. In 2014, after completing my Bachelor’s in Marketing, I knew it was time to create my own salon space.

What should our readers know about your business?
What sets me apart is my dedication and discipline to my craft. This year I am celebrating 20 years in this industry and I can say that I have worked in so many areas and avenues. My biggest blessing has always been education and my ability to communicate and reach my clients in ways that activate them. Its funny because I have worked in two different worlds of hair styling. Before the recession of 2008, I was a budding stylist eager to learn. The atmosphere and operations were totally different. I was able to learn about salon dynamics and connection. I was able to experience a room full of women working independently but all a highly technical level. This sharpened my skills and taught me how to connect with customers. Post recession taught me how to be an independent business owner. Technology and social media reshaped how we interact and also how to manage the salon. I got to where I am today from combining these elements. Old school principles, exceptional technique and customer service, topped off with deep connection and a dash of therapy. My clients know that I am solution oriented and delusional enough to create solutions for their problems. I am the absolute most proud of the product lines I have developed. HeadQuarters Hair Clinic has a custom unit and extension line, vegan oil line for hair and skin, and an exceptional shampoo and conditioner line to give clients the full salon experience no matter the location. These product lines were developed during the Pandemic when I truly had to shift my service based concept to something safer and more tangible for my clients.

Being a business owner for 10 years, has been quite a journey. I think of my self as a farmer, nurturing each client and product until it bears fruit and profit. The hardest part is overcoming slow seasons and learning when to shift business strategies to accommodate the needs of the market. The biggest lesson I learned was to separate working on the business from working in the business. Creating a schedule that aligned with my lifestyle and allowed me to plan and prepare my business has been my saving grace. I created the balance I needed to avoid serious burnout and still maximize my business potential.

I want people to know about me is that I care about the needs of my clients and the community. I designed my brand to be a pathway for changed behavior and self development through routine self care. We value health and look forward to create healthier habit for clients while making them look damn good.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Monday Jeju
massages and self care and such

Tuesday
Chattahoochee Food Hall
Taco Tuesday wit cocktails

Wednesday
Yoga 6 Midtown
Stretch and whatnot

Thursday
Desi Date Nights
Chef on the go

Friday
Starlight Drive In Movies
BYOF and catch a weird movie

Saturday
Stone Mountain
Kennesaw Mauntain
Get it popping in nature

Sunday
High Museum & Brunch

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I owe my success to so many people. Building a business has the same energy as raising a baby, it requires a village. I would love to shout out all the stylist that come from St. Louis. Especially Brandon Williams (@hairbyuno), Becky Parker (@rezults_salonstl) and Candice Payne (@cmpn2hair). Each person has so much talent, leadership and importance in the cosmetology industry. I can truly say that I have learned so much from them, technically and mentally!

Website: hqhairclinic.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hqhchair/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexis-williams-62706760/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/energyiscurren1