Meet Alyssa Fournier | Hair and Makeup artist

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

Hi Alyssa, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I feel as though risk is in everyday life. There is risk in trying something new, opening a business, creating new relationships, etc. However, there is even more risk in not trying anything new at all. It is less risky to try something and fail then it is to never do it and always wonder.

I live by this, even in times of fear. You will never fully be ready for risk and life’s everyday changes. So go for it, work really really hard and take the risk! Feel the fear and do it anyway, often that is the fuel we need to succeed.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Hair and makeup has been an art that has evolved so quickly in the past decade. We are in a completely different era where it has truly been seen as a real art form and something that many of us use as our escape. I’ve been very lucky to be a part of this season in the industry. It has gifted me amazing experience’s from working with the Denver Bronco cheerleaders, Miss America or being able to do shoots with some of the most talented people I’ve ever met. I always had a passion for beauty, even at a young age. I would often walk out of the house in full glam at 13 (grateful to my parents who allowed me to express that at such a young age). I would get stopped at MAC counters offering me a job but I was too young to hire. I sometimes wonder what could have come of that if they had the opportunity to mentor someone my age back then, to at least have gotten a glimpse into the industry so early on.

As I got older, I worked with special needs kids and ended up getting an opportunity to be a behavior therapist. I always thought that was where my life would lead, but life has a funny way of changing your expectations. When I became a mother at 19, and then a single mother, I realized I desperately needed a career change. I was lost as to what that was until re-found my love for beauty. I went for it and would go to school 3 days a week and work the other 4 assisting at a salon to dive in completely and get the guidance I needed. I had a 3 month old at this point and vividly remember waking up at 5am to take care of him, leaving at 7am and getting home just in time to put him to bed at 8pm. I honestly do not know where I would be without my support system who believed in my career so fully and did everything in their power to not only support me, but support my infant while I was busy trying to build a life for us. My dad has always told me in times of struggle to, “adjust, adapt, & overcome.” I truly live by that. Feel the struggle, it’s okay to have road blocks and feel frustrated. You just have to get the strength to get back up and keep going. I am so glad I kept going and am now grateful for the things that broke me, as they are the very things that caused me to blossom.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
A visit to Colorado isn’t really a visit until you’ve been to red rocks. That would be my immediate search, a show there is truly unlike anything else. We also have some of the best cuisine with Safta, Avanti and Rosa’s. Those would definitely be on the list. I think bull riding and line dancing at the Grizzly Rose is also a must see, especially as a fan of country music. I would take them early to get some line dancing lessons in! Then, a trip to cherry creek reservoir to paddle board and enjoy the great treelines Colorado has to offer. It also wouldn’t be a finished trip without showing them the place where all my friends and I hang out to watch nuggets/avs games. Windfall in Broomfield, with great drinks and beer and a great friendly team that we all enjoy seeing and rooting our teams on with.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
All the incredible women in my life. I was raised by them, mentored by them, and befriended by them. I would not be the woman I am today without the constant guidance, inspiration and grace they have all given me.

The women that have surrounded me as I’ve grown up have shown me how to be strong willed and dig deep to find the grit to keep going, as they have also done their whole life. No matter what life has thrown at them, they find the strong will to continue on and come out even stronger, wiser and kinder for it. My mother, my cousins, and my amazing friends all engraved this in me. That is truly the best gift there is.

My mentors have mostly all been strong willed women in this industry. The beauty industry is one of the few that is mostly lead by women and I believe it has nurtured some of the most fulfilling relationships of my life. The support of the women in this industry is unmatched and I am so lucky to have met them all. From the first bridal salon that gave me a chance and took a risk on me in an industry I didn’t yet know to the second salon that I ‘fell’ into right as I was starting my own hair and makeup company who gave me the support and flexibility to be able to open my business but still be behind the chair. The list truly goes on and on with women who have inspired every piece of my career, even down to the clients I’ve had the pleasure of seeing over the years. Their kind words and life stories have left a mark on my heart that I always take with me as I grow. Always remembering just how lucky I am to be in this industry and have the opportunities I have.

Website: https://www.theknot.com/marketplace/alyssambridal-thornton-co-2078792

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alyssamarieebeauty?igsh=MWdkaTBycnIzeDFzeg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Image Credits
Cdane on instagram (photo creds)
Taylorroachphoto on instagram (Photo creds)