RALLS, Texas — Lexi Espinosa, 28, has her own successful salon business. However, she is determined to see it flourish permanently in her hometown of Ralls, and has faced challenges in securing a building.
Espinosa started AE Beauty in 2022 and offers hair services as well as makeup for special occasions. She expressed on social media that as a Ralls alumna, she hoped to help out the small town area.
“I just want to do so much more,” Espinosa said. “My long-term goal is to build something along the highway from the ground up.” But for now, she would like to move on from her current job at a salon in Lubbock and find a building in Ralls where she can get a head start.
Espinosa has been doing hair since 2016 but put a pause on her career in 2018 when she got pregnant with her two children. Her family moved to Ralls, and she was a stay-at-home mom until 2021 when she got a part-time job at Sephora, where she worked at until November of 2022.
“When COVID hit I was told it got really hard for others in the salon business, so it was a blessing in disguise,” she said.
According to Espinosa, her family is all about Ralls. Her husband, who is her middle-school sweetheart, works in maintenance at Ralls ISD.
Espinosa said her family has pushed her since day one to get her own salon. “They tell me every day I can do it,” she said.
She has looked into various locations that have either turned her away or weren’t the right fit. Espinosa remained hopeful that she’d find a home for AE Beauty in Ralls so she can one day offer specials such as free haircuts, “pay what you can” days or community fundraisers.
While Espinosa expects to make a living through her salon, she explained that it’s not all that matters to her. She said her prices are reasonable because, “I want clients to continue coming back to me. I’ve been on the other side of that wondering, ‘Can I afford to get my hair done?'”
If you know of a vacant building or location in Ralls, Espinosa said to contact her.
She can be contacted on the following social media platforms: TikTok @lexiespinosa0, Facebook @aebeauty or Instagram @ae.beauty2.
