Episode 001: The Fearless Entrepreneur: Alex Jones

Hey there, Fearless Family! This is Will checking in with you with the Fearless Entrepreneur Podcast, where I interview some of the most influential people who have conquered their fears to pursue their passion in entrepreneurship. So kick back, relax, and let's unleash your fearlessness.

Today we're speaking with Alex Jones. Alex, are you prepared to show us how to become a fearless entrepreneur?

Well, I'm gonna give it my best shot.

So, uh, we'll dive in with Alex in one moment, but right now let's take a second to thank our sponsors.

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So what's up, Fearless Family? Today we're talking with Alex Jones. He's a marketing expert and salon suite business coach. Alex, before we dive all the way into your business, I want you to tell us a little bit about who you were as a kid and what was your biggest fear back then?

Well, you know, my kid— my, my childhood was probably like many of us, uh, happy, you know, outgoing, go-lucky kind of a kid, very adventurous, um, and had a pretty normal, pretty good, pretty good, uh, pretty good life, pretty good childhood. And, um, Fear-wise, you know, because I was so blessed to have great parents, grow up in a, you know, pretty decent, pretty good neighborhood, I wasn't really worried about too many of the other factors that some people might have to. My greatest fear probably was being liked. Like many of us in our neighborhoods growing up, you know, nobody wants to be bullied. Nobody wants to be left out of the crowd. And, you know, as many kids do, you want to be liked. And so I wasn't necessarily a people pleaser, but you just want to be able to have good relationships, have fun with your friends, and enjoy life.

Definitely, definitely. I think everybody in a sense, you know, wants to be accepted and wants to be liked. So I can definitely see how that could play a role. So how did you get over that fear?

Well, quite honestly, I believe that's probably one of the biggest fears that most of us as adults have, that we're still dealing with that same fear. We see it on Facebook, we see it on Instagram, see it on Twitter. You know, we're constantly looking for that validation, constantly looking for people to tell us, hey, man, you're great. We like what you got. We love what you're doing. And I think many of us go through life that way. I've been able to not totally get rid of it because I don't know that any of us ever do. I believe that there is— you should be somewhat concerned about how people see and view you. But you should not allow that to color and dictate everything that you do. So for me, it's a matter of putting things in the proper perspective and learning how to move forward in spite of it. Being able to put it in its proper perspective, understanding that yes, we all want to be liked. But guess what? If this is something that you really want to do, and this is something that's going to bring more joy and fulfillment to you and the people that you love and care about most, you can't allow those other things to influence you.

Awesome. So Fearless Family, what I was able to take from that is that we're always and will always battle our inner kid. And for the most part, you know, in life you do look for validation, but it's having a healthy dose of understanding, you know, this is what I'm looking for and I still have to move forward in spite of what my fears are or in spite of this validation from others. It's more important to pursue your dreams more so than anything else. So it's an incredible story that you shared, and I'm glad you was able to share that with us. Now let's talk a little bit about your business today. How do you make money in your business as of right now?

Well, I make money two ways. Number one, I'm still a hair care provider, so I'm still the person who actually does hair behind the chair. So that's the first way, first major way. And then the second way is providing products, educational trainings, uh, on a one-on-one training to other beauty professionals to help them build and grow their business.

Awesome. How did you get into, um, your business of helping other hair care providers build and grow their business?

Well, quite honestly, that was always a very big part of what I wanted to do from the very beginning. So I've been in the beauty industry now for 22 years, and prior to coming to the beauty industry, I worked in corporate America. So I was given the opportunity to take the severance package and to try something on my own, try my hand at running my own business. And I was fairly young at the time. So I said, you know what, let me go ahead and try it. If I make a mistake, I can always go back to corporate America. And the beauty industry was one that I saw had lots of opportunity in. And there were lots of people I felt I would be able to bring something to the conversation. And be able to, to help them take full advantage of their passion. I saw an industry of people who were very passionate, who were technically sound, but maybe didn't have as much business knowledge or business experience. And so from the very beginning, the whole idea was to open a whole suite of salons all across the Southeast of the country and provide great opportunities for people who want to wanted to provide even better service to the, uh, to the public.

Tell us this, King, how old were you when you realized that you wanted to, to do this?

Uh, I was 26 at the time.

26?

Yeah, 26.

Fairly young man, um, and ready to take over the world even back then. So what did you have to figure out once you started?

Well, one of the things I really felt was extremely important was for me to understand the business from the ground up. Which meant I had to go back to cosmetology school. And this is after spending time in corporate America, after having gone to undergraduate and graduate school. So it was the idea of going back to cosmetology school to actually learn the skill of actually doing hair. And so that was probably the, the biggest challenge business-wise. But I will share one additional thing, which is Once I actually started owning and operating my own business, one of the things that I came up against was I was challenged by building relationships with people who were in the industry but who were definitely different from me. And that was a big challenge for me. Everyone did not have my background. Everyone still didn't have the same enthusiasm, the same passion, the same drive. And it was a challenge for me to try to figure out how to bridge those— bridge that gap.

Good, good. Um, so just real quick, I love getting the nuggets and the takeaways and making sure that I share, you know, my thoughts with the Fearless Family while, uh, it's on my mind and on my heart. Um, at the end of the day, you always have to be educating yourself as an entrepreneur. That never stops. So even if you have all the knowledge, all the qualifications in a different realm, you have to take that time out and continue to educate yourself, especially if it's something new that you're taking on. But always be bringing, always be bringing your uniqueness to that field as well. So don't ever get discouraged because you may not fit in, you may not be the norm of what that industry is. But take that and use it to your advantage so that you can flourish and thrive in a market that doesn't see things necessarily your way. So, uh, awesome takeaway for me. I'm just listening to the nuggets, man, and I love to hear those type of deals. Um, we here at The Fearless Entrepreneur talk a lot about taking the leap into pursuing your dream. Take us to a moment when you started your entrepreneurial journey. That point in your life where you realize, hey, this is what I want to do. What was the biggest fear you had to confront when taking that leap and explain what that felt like for you?

Well, honestly, when I was younger and I was just getting started, I was rather fearless. I wasn't as concerned about the failing, not as concerned. I was definitely a planner. So I felt if I take my time, if I plan accordingly, if I get all the resources and assemble all the resources that I needed, plan accordingly, put together a great plan, that I could certainly do this and execute it. So that starting out, it wasn't as scary for me, even when I had family members and other people who thought I was crazy that I was leaving that fantastic fantastic job, benefits, great pay, vacation. Why would you go and, you know, want to go open up a shop to, you know, to go and do some hair? And I saw a bigger opportunity. And interestingly enough, it wasn't that first leap that made— that was the biggest challenge. It was as I continued to have experiences, both good and bad. And as I began to get older, I began to become less of a risk taker. And so I felt myself feeling like I have to plan this a little bit more. And I think it, it comes a lot from having high expectations. Never want to fail or not succeed. And as you begin to get older, sometimes we think that time is running out for us, which then tends to make us a little less likely to take those shots. The same shots that you would have taken when you were young, man, just, hey, throw it up, boom. If I, if I hit something, if I, if I brick it, Hey, no problem. I'll shoot it again. But as you get older, you're like, you know, let me size this thing up a little bit more. Let me make sure when I take this next shot that I'm, you know, I'm aiming better. So when I fire and shoot it, I'm more likely to be successful. So in a nutshell, I think as you— as I began to get older, I began to become a little less a little less open to just taking shots. So I don't know if that makes sense.

No, no, that makes, that makes a lot of sense. You know, as you become older, it's just like anything in life. As a little kid, you know, you're probably the most fearless thing. You don't know any better. So at that point, you'll try and do anything. I think we all have to get in, get in touch with our inner kid again and kind of be willing to try some funky things, some different things, some things that we may think are silly. Um, like we said earlier, you know, we're all still little kids, and in a sense, just from growing up bodies.

I think too what helps is being around other people. Other people who are in different parts of their journey, other people who are doing different things, that you begin to say, you know, hey, wow, you know, this person seems to be having some success in this area, you know, how did he do it? And let me see if I can incorporate some of those things. And if he can do it, or she can do it, well, certainly I can do it. And so sometimes just being around, around other people who are just as fearless or more so helps you to get over your fear a little bit more.

I agree. What are some tips you can give to those that are having some of those same hesitations? You know, people that think that time is running out for them, becoming less of risk takers because it's not the right time. They lost that moment. What advice would you give to those to let them know that, you know, this is— that's not necessarily the case?

One question I would say that they should put to themselves is ask, if I don't succeed, what's the worst thing that could happen? And I think oftentimes we realize at the end of the day, It's not life or death. If it doesn't work out as you would like to see it, there's some lessons that you can learn from it that help you to make it better next time. So that would be number one. Secondly, I would probably say, test out what it is that you want to do, try it out, you know, test it out at a very small level, and allow that experience to educate you on, hey, wow, I think I'm on to something. Or take the feedback and say, okay, how can I make this a little bit better? Test it out and try it again. And so essentially, you know, keep testing, keep testing, looking for the feedback, and perfecting what it is that you want to do.

My takeaway from that, just to sum up, is pose that question to yourself to see what's the worst thing that can happen by doing what you're passionate about. Second takeaway is test it out on a small level and then continue to test it out. Tell me how you were able to have your business, uh, helping other entrepreneurs and other people in the salon industry grow their business through coaching. Tell me how you were able to, uh, take that business from open to actually thriving now.

Well, what I will say that I have pretty high standards. So, you know, I would not say that I'm just, I'm at the level where I consider to be thriving, but I'm always striving every day to get there. I think the biggest thing is understanding more of what it is that people need to succeed. And being able to mix that with a little bit of what they want. I've always been the kind of person who wants to give people what they need, but just like medicine, most of us don't like the taste of medicine, so we avoid it. So I'm learning how to give them a little bit of what they want and put a little bit of that medicine of what they need in my solutions, in my products, in my, in my services. And I'm also revamping and learning that you can't do it all. Find something that I can do extremely well in. Take that one area and make it, just make it pop, scale it, grow it, build it, and then begin to add those product extensions to it, those service extensions to it. Don't try to recreate the wheel. Don't try to do everything under the sun, everything that you're capable of doing. Find that one thing that I can do extremely well and do it like it's nobody's business, and then continue to build upon that, giving them more of what they need mixed in with what they want to help them build and grow.

Fearless family, there's a lot of tips in there, a lot of tips in that, that one little segment. With what you can apply and take and apply to your business as well. Understanding that you have to have an awesome balance of what the customer needs and giving them a little bit of what they want as well can speak volumes for your business and, and take it from just being an idea to actually thriving in an industry.

So what's been the most successful story as an entrepreneur thus far in terms of, of, uh, Training or service providing or just any of the most successful story as an entrepreneur thus far in your training? In the area of training, I would, I would probably say it is a young lady that, that I coached in Atlanta, in Georgia, I think it is. Seeing her grow and build her business from the things that I, that I gave her, and these were things that we talked about In a very short period of time, she was able to grow her business about 50% or so in like 30 days, 30 days or less. And so I would say that was one of the biggest things I absolutely love, seeing, seeing her build and grow her business and for her to be able to turn it around and make it something more than what it was. So in the, in the area of coaching, that was probably the biggest experience. Personally, quite honestly, being able to open my first salon within 2.5 years of coming to the industry, having 12 hairstylists, nail technicians, and massage therapists working with me in that business and being able to quite honestly make more money than I thought I would ever make. To actually see that happen, to actually, you know, have it in your brain, in your head, and you risked everything to actually see it come to pass and to see it grow and be successful. And quite honestly, that was probably one of the happiest days of my life. And I would probably say having my dad see me build that business and buy my first home because of it. Those were some of the greatest things I could, I could say.

Yeah. Yeah, man, that's an incredible story. Most people don't survive 5 years of business, and 2 years in, you're able to thrive in it and expand. So that clearly success, and to actually see that duplicated on another level through your bigger coaching moments, I know it's just as equally satisfying. What I've learned about entrepreneurs in general is that we all want to help in some shape, form, or fashion, and we all are built that way for some reason. I think it is— we're wired to kind of want to give back to some, some extent, um, also because we know it always comes back tenfold. But for the most part, you know, to see other people take that journey and take that leap as well, so Great story. What are you most excited about in your business today?

I'm most excited about, um, again, this new, this new program, uh, this idea of creating a highly concentrated, uh, very easy to implement coaching and training in the form of memberships, monthly membership, uh, that's going to allow me and allow so many more people in my industry to be able to actually get to me. Sometimes cost is sometimes a problem area for them, and having a monthly membership that's designed and dedicated to giving them monthly training that's going to help them build some knowledge set or skill set to grow their business, I'm really looking forward and excited to doing that because it again, it allows them to be able to get it in a very simple and easy way, in a way that's easy to implement in their business for fast results. It's actually gonna be called— I'm still kind of figuring that part out just a little bit, but it's a part of the Salonpreneur Academy, that is for sure. And I'm thinking about the Success Lab.

So the Salonpreneur, be on the lookout for it. And hopefully we'll have this in our show notes as well so that you'll be able to click on the link and be directed directly to the monthly membership that Alex will be launching. Do you have a time frame in which you're looking to launch it?

So we're trying to get this done for the beginning of the year because I know so many people see the beginning of the year as their time to make those big changes so they can make those big results or get those big results in their life. And I don't necessarily want to miss the wave on that. So we're looking at doing that January 1st.

Makes sense, man. Pay attention to what the demand is and then supply the demand. We'll have those links up there for you guys whenever we get those from Alex, but we'll make sure to keep you guys abreast of what's going on so that you can join as well and be able to learn from that aspect.

In the meantime, if I like some still, I still do one-on-one coaching. So if you have someone who is in the beauty industry, not just hairstylist, we talk to makeup artists, massage therapists, nail technicians, anybody who is remotely around the beauty industry, or quite honestly, any other small business owner who's providing a service. I do one-on-one coaching. And so if someone wants to talk about marketing, product development, how to develop pricing for their services, you know, what's their profitability, what's going on with my cash flow statements. If they want to know any of those things, I can certainly coach them through those things. And I do have a free strategy session, which is alexbjones.com/free-strategy-session.

Great. And we'll have that in the show notes as well. We'll make sure to put that link in there. Well, Alex, adversity happens no matter the amount of achievements and success that you may see in life. And it's usually when you're able to make it through that adversity that you're able to become a different person. You know, when you make it through those challenging moments. Take us to what you consider to be that pivotal moment in your life where your business went from stress to success?

Man, let me tell you something. When you got money rolling in, life gets a whole lot less stressful. And when it's not rolling in, guess what? It becomes a lot more stressful. But again, we're— I'm always seeking to, to get, to get and to achieve and to find that balance. Understanding that money doesn't buy you happiness. If you're not happy doing what you're doing, but you're making a lot of money, chances are you're probably not happy. But likewise, if you're very passionate about something that you're doing, and you don't seem to be winning, that's indicated by the scorecard, which is income and revenue. If you don't have those things coming in, sometimes your passion is gonna fall by the wayside, because guess what? Nobody likes to play a game and not win. So it's all about winning at this point.

So more money, more problems.

More money, more problems. Less money, more problems. But I'm just, I'm just so excited about this new venture. And just on a personal note, I've I've recently gotten married and thank you. And she is definitely, you know, my greatest cheerleader and coach. And she has certainly helped me to achieve whatever level of success I've achieved thus far, especially as it relates to coaching, is due in large part to her.

Awesome. Well, we have the Fearless Five questions coming up. Before we do that, we're going to take a moment to thank our sponsors.

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Okay, Alex, are you prepared for the Fearless Five?

Let's get it.

Okay, what was holding you back from becoming an entrepreneur?

Nothing. Nothing was holding me back, just my ideas.

What's the best advice you've ever received?

Best advice? Try it out. If it doesn't succeed, try it again. Keep trying till you get it.

The one book that opened my eyes and just changed my mindset was The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. If you could recommend one book that opened your eyes, what would, what would that be and why?

The E-Myth by Michael Gerber tells you exactly how to systematize your business to scale it and grow it and take it to whatever level you want.

Name one app resource that you use the most as an entrepreneur.

Facebook. Absolutely love it, love it, kill it, crush it every day.

Okay, this is the last question. Imagine you woke up one morning except you were your younger self, you know, that 26-year-old you at that pivotal moment where you realize you really wanted to be an entrepreneur. All the bills are paid, you have food and shelter, Now you still have the knowledge that you have now. You have a laptop, and you have all the experiences in overcoming your fears thus far. And you have $400. What would you do in the next 10 days?

Number one, I create a service that I knew my ideal customer and client wanted. Number two, I would reach out to industry leader, industry experts, leaders, people who other people look to And I would get an endorsement from those people for my product or service. And number 3, I'll put a whole bunch of Facebook ads with their endorsement of my product, reaching my ideal customer and client.

Alex, let's end this killer interview with a piece of advice you'd like to give to the Fearless Family, the best way they can connect with you, and then we'll say goodbye.

Uh, first I would say, if you have some dreams, some passion, some idea, something that keeps you up at night and something that wakes up in the morning, you have got to pursue it. It is your responsibility to do it. And that's what you owe the world. You can reach me at alex@alexbjones.com. And that's it.

Alright guys, well, I end this off the same way, you know, fear of the unknown can kill your dreams and aspirations. You've been replacing fear with knowledge today with Alex and Will You'll be able to go ahead and head over to thefearless.co and type in the name Alex Jones in the search bar. His show notes page will pop up with everything that we talked about today. Alex, I want to thank you for sharing your journey with the Fearless Family today, and we look forward to seeing you continue to create with no fear.

Well, thank you for having me. It's been a pleasure.

Thank you.

Fearless Family, thank you for joining me for another episode of the Fearless Entrepreneur Podcast. Take a moment to visit thefearless.co/podcast. Like, share, and comment on our channel.