Meet Lexi Spiess | Salon Owner at Lexi Elizabeth Hair Artistry/Personal Development Coach

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

Hi Lexi, what habits do you feel helped you succeed?
The number one habit that has helped me to succeed in my business has been maintaining a positive mindset, no matter what! Starting and continuing to run a successful business is no small feat. With the constant challenges it brings one must have a strong and positive mindset, not only to problem solve but to see a vision for success. Most of us forget that a positive mindset can give us more confidence, improve our mood, and help us find gratitude in most situations. In my salon and coaching business, I am hearing more and more people speak about the difficulty of trying to have a positive outlook, especially in these current trying times. I want to share what has helped me tremendously in starting my business, and even now. I hope these can work for you too! These are my 7 Steps To A Better Mindset: #1 Develop a morning ritual to start your day: Establishing a good morning ritual will shift your mood and perspective for everything you will encounter on a day-to-day basis. I think it’s fair to say that most of us have a tendency to reach for our phone or computer first thing. Do not do this! The problem with this is that it can cause stress and anxiety first thing in the morning, sending you several hours into the future versus being in the present. My morning ritual is as follows. My alarm goes off and I immediately think of three things I am grateful for. I start with a 5 to 10 minute meditation. I celery juice, and then head to the gym. I try to be consistent with this at least 4 to 5 times a week. If I can’t do all of these things, I try to at least do one or two. Again, this is not about perfection, it’s about taking baby steps into setting up positive habits that will ensure more success for your day. These rituals work for me. I encourage you to find what motivates you and incorporate those into your morning routine. For me, when I complete my morning rituals, I leave my house feeling more at ease and excited to start my day! #2 Have a daily gratitude list: This can be one of the easiest ways to get out of your head, and in my opinion one of the biggest game changers! This is a definite in my morning ritual. You can simply keep a journal by your bed, and when you wake up in the morning journal as little as three things you’re grateful for. If you’re not into journaling, you can even lay in bed and just think of three things you’re grateful for. Do this for a week straight and you will 100% be getting out of bed on a better foot! It is simple, easy, and so very effective. My daily gratitude list is sometimes as simple as thanking God/Univefor my health, my family/friends, and my career. #3 Move your body: I know, simple. For most not so much. As I stated before this is one of my morning rituals. The night before set an intention that it is nonnegotiable to wake up and not move your body. Believe it or not the brain will try to talk you out of things that are positive, good, and healthy for you. Do not negotiate with your brain, it will win. For me personally, moving my body first thing in the morning gets me out of any type of negative headspace. Not to mention the multitude of health benefits it’s provides. If you’re not big into working out, even a simple walk around the block and fresh air will make a world of difference, or even stretching for 15 minutes each day. #4 Transform negative self talk into positive self talk: Negative self-talk can creep up easily and is often hard to notice. You might think I’m so bad at this or I shouldn’t have tried that. Be careful with these thoughts as they can subconsciously change conceptions of yourself, and you will start to believe this false truth. When you catch yourself doing this, stop and replace those negative messages with positive ones. For example, I’m so bad at this becomes once I get more practice, I’ll be much better at this. I shouldn’t have tried becomes that didn’t work out as planned—maybe next time. The small shift in self-awareness is a huge benefit day to day. #5 Focus on the present: This can seem difficult when you are in the midst of chaos. It’s really a simple technique though. Whatever situation you find yourself in, stop in that moment and take a deep breath (if you can close your eyes). Focus on being present with yourself, not with the moment that is happening. Most sources of negativity stem from a memory of a recent event or the exaggerated imagination of a potential future event. Stay in the present. Example, let’s say you are having an argument with a friend, what in this exact moment is happening that’s so bad? Forget the comment she made five minutes ago. Forget what she might say five minutes from now. Focus on this one, individual moment. In most situations, you’ll find it’s not as bad as you imagine it to be. #6 Visualize your success: This is my absolute favorite! If you are wanting to make strides in any area of your life, picture the outcome successful. For me, this is a fun activity. If I am nervous or fearful of trying something new, or uncertain that I will be successful in my endeavor, I close my eyes and and picture the outcome I want. For example, I have wanted to speak/teach in front of a live audience for quite some time, but I am terrified of how nervous that would make me feel. So that’s exactly what I do, I close my eyes and picture myself not only speaking in front of an audience but seeing people cheering me on, making an impact, and feeling overall great about the topic I am teaching on. That is visualizing success! The brain does not know the difference between fantasy and reality so this is a great technique to trick the brain. The more you visualize, it the quicker it can come. #7 Surround yourself with positive people: As one of my favorite mentors Tony Robbins, says, proximity is power. Who and what we surround ourselves with and around is a good indication of our mental state. It truly is as simple as it sounds. If you’re around positive people, your tendencies will be more positive. If you are around negative people, naysayers or unhappy individuals, your tendencies will be more negative. Believe it or not, looking on the bright side of things really does lead to a brighter future. When you can turn an unhappy or negative situation around, by finding one or two positive benefits about it, well that is one winning attitude.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I have been a stylist in Cherry Creek North for over 15 years. I’m the Plastic Surgeon For Your Hair! I love making people feel good about themselves from the inside out. The confidence my clients gain from a new cut and color is my true passion! Creating relationships with my clients, connecting with their wants and needs, while sharing in their personal journey, is the reason I chose to become a hairstylist. My credentials incorporate 21 years experience with education from L’Oreal, Schwarzkoph, and Jack Winn color. I continually attend educational classes and keep up to date with the latest color and cutting styles and techniques. My specialty is color correction and I will exceed your expectations. I am certified through Brazilian Blowout and an expert in blowouts and straightening for curly and ethnic hair. Within the last 21 years in the field, I have been inspired by many leaders and icons in the hair industry, all the while sharing my passion for hair with my fellow stylists and clients. I have highly developed skills in cutting, color, and texturizing services, and have been featured in Confetti magazine for my bridal styles. I have had the amazing opportunity to style hair for Channel 7 anchors in the Denver area, as well as CNN correspondent Ana Cabrera.​I am passionate about donating my talent to many charities including Locks of Love, and haircuts for the homeless at the Gathering Place in Denver. My motto is “A person is only beautiful….when their own beauty is reflecting onto others.” My passion is people, and I ease my clients through the cut, color, and texture changes they need for both the lifestyle they embrace, and the look they desire. My philosophy is pretty, practical hair! I am so very grateful to have a dedicated and growing clientele, and my goal in excellence is having my clients leave the salon looking and feeling great!​I must say that hair is not my only passion though. Prior to Covid, I dedicated many years traveling for missionary work. I have had the amazing opportunity to work with Operation Classroom in Sierra Leone, Africa. I was able to join on three mission trips helping impoverished children and assisting in building schools. I have been to Chennai, India through Pathways Church, helping to put a stop to infanticide, and through Cross-Cultural Solutions, I’ve cared for children in orphanages throughout Salvador, Brazil. These travel experiences have enriched my life in more ways than I could ever communicate, a true blessing and gift. As soon as travel restrictions lift, I will be back at it!

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?
These are my top choices for Denver Fun! I would first invite my friend to visit Cherry Creek North for a nice pampering session with me at Lexi Elizabeth Hair Artistry! From there, across the street is Aviano, and in my opinion one of the best coffee spots. My favorite eatery is Local Jones and any day now the Clayton Place project and Forget Me Not Restaurant will open. Cherry Creek North is the best for shopping and wonderful food choices, you really can’t go wrong. I love having my salon in this charming neighborhood. I think downtown Union Station is a must. I love the Tapas Bar in Union Station called Ultreia. The nearby Dairy Block and Denver Central Market are fun as well. The Ramble Hotel is a super cool spot, and great for brunch. The view from the Source Hotel at night is amazing. The Highlands has lots of great restaurants to choose from and have a look around, especially 32nd and Lowell and LoHi where you have great views of Downtown. Stanley Marketplace and a drive through the Parkhill and 7th Avenue areas epitomize Denver. Of course if there is time for a drive-Colorado Springs (including the Broadmoore) and Evergreen are always my first choices.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
In my 21 year professional career as a hairstylist/salon owner, I must say that my drive for success has come from many mentors along the way. My first life changing seminar was Tony Robbin’s “Date with Destiny.” His event inspired a deep passion for personal growth and development, and a desire to help others break through their own personal barriers. One of the things I love most is connecting on a deeper level with my clients in my salon chair. Yes, hair and beauty are my passion, but it’s helping others see their beauty from the inside out, that is my true calling. Making my clients look beautiful is just icing on the cake! I have gone on to study the work of Michael Singer, Eckhart Tolle, and Don Miguel Ruiz, to name a few. These spiritual mentors ignited a deeper passion for finding success, and that success being defined as becoming a bright light to share with this world, through self love, gratitude, and giving of one’s time and resources to help others. These amazing individuals have inspired me to start a personal development coaching company. My goal is to inspire others who want to be more and do more, break though limiting beliefs, and live their best lives! I am excited to say I am in the process of launching this in just a few upcoming weeks! My gratitude is for all of these mentors who not only paved the way for me, but continue to inspire me to this day. To me giving is living, and our legacy is the mark we leave on this world long after we are gone.

Website: lexielizabethhairartistry@gmail.com

Instagram: Lexi_elizabeth_hair_artistry

Linkedin: Lexi Elizabeth Hair Artistry

Facebook: @lexielizabethhairartistry

Yelp: Lexi Elizabeth Hair Artistry

Image Credits
Luke Wyckoff