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

Hi Lexi, we often learn from our friends, siblings, partners, etc. What’s something important you’ve learned?
There are so many things that I learned from all those people. However, there is an underlying theme across all of them and that’s patience and love. There are times when you know deep down you love that person/people but at the time you really aren’t liking who they are, or the decisions they are making. Your patience and love will keep you together through the ups and downs of life. It’s okay to take space and reflect and understand that life is a rollercoaster, it ebbs and flows. Time changes, time heals, and love keeps going.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I believe one of the things that sets me apart from others is my desire to keep myself up to date on new styles and techniques in the hair styling world. I don’t think my path was necessarily hard or easy. It takes hard work to get to where you want to be but it is easier if it’s something you love and you want to do. I had a lot of obstacles to get where I am but I was persistent and unwavering in what I knew I wanted and who I wanted to become. Some of the lessons I have learned along the way is it is okay to be afraid. We all fail at times and we all make mistakes but it’s important to remember where you started and how far you have come and to learn from it and move forward. Also, never give up and if you want something you have to try hard and put your best work out there. I recently had the opportunity to tryout to become a Bumble and Bumble Ambassador, this is a brand new program for the company and one had to be selected to test out. I was so scared and overwhelmed by the idea that their Educational Director, Christiaan Van Bremen, was coming to my salon to watch me do hair! I took this anxiety and used it as fuel to stay late after a full day of work to practice, to come into the salon on the weekends to practice, to have a friend be my hair model to practice, for you see I wanted this very badly. All of this hard work paid off and I became the 8 Ambassador in the country!

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?
I am originally from Colorado. However, I moved to San Diego when I was 18 and I moved straight to Ocean Beach. Without giving away my age is around 20 years ago. I there for, even though my partner doesn’t, believe I am an Obcean. I would plan to spend the majority of our time in OB. We would eat breakfast at Newbreak Cafe on Abbott St. It has vegetarian options, it’s old school, and has a view of the ocean. We would then take a stroll down the pier to take in the beautiful views and watch some surfers. We would continue our walk through out the neighborhoods and check out the foliage. It is so beautiful here and so different from Colorado. I love it and it inspires me. For lunch I would take her to The OB Noodle House, some of the best Pho in town, can get pretty loud at night and I like the chill vibe it has durning the day time. The OB farmers market is awesome time and a great place to get veggies and beautiful flowers. The Joint is right next to the farmers market and good for happy hour and some snacks. Southbeach is a cool location for sunset and some cocktails. If we were not done with the day after this I would take her to Pac Shores. It’s been here forever, strong drinks, and awesome undersea decor. I am really into supporting the OB buinesses that have been here for as long as I have. I try hard to support small local businesses. That being said there is a new book store called Run for Cover, that I love and so would my best friend.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Wow, this is such a hard question. There are so many people and things that have contributed to my story. My parents for always believing in me, supporting me through everything and not giving up. My brother and sister who never cease to surprise me with there success and creativity. The hairdressing community of Bumble and Bumble for which I am so proud to be a part of. Their support is never ending and inspiring. I am so thankful for all the education that I have had the opportunity to be a part of to learn and grow. From college, to fashion school, to cosmetology, and continuing hair education I have grown in so many ways. When I think about my career, dk hair took a chance on me straight out of cosmetology school 13 years ago and gave me an assistant position in the cutting department. Twice a week for 10 months I had classes on everything from product knowledge, client safety, blowdries, to haircuts and styling. Now I am educational director for dk hair. It has always been a dream of mine to teach and inspire new talent, just like dk hair did for me. I am forever grateful that I can repay what I learned there to others. I am a strong believer in that we never stop learning and I continue to attend classes to grow and learn.

Website: dkhair.com
Instagram: @lexilindsaystylist

Image Credits
@goodtimerickstudios

Nominate someone: ShoutoutSocal is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.