Alexia Echevarria’s Journey from “Real Housewife” to Thriving Business Owner

When The Real Housewives of Miami returned after an eight-year hiatus in 2021, fans were thrilled to once again catch up with Alexia Echevarria, the one-and-only “Cuban Barbie”. The glamorous and captivating star has been a fan-favorite on the show for years, but this season, viewers got a chance to see a whole new entrepreneurial side of Echevarria as she showcased her thriving business: Alexia + Frankie’s Beauty Bar in Miami. 

Echevarria first opened the beauty salon five years ago, offering nail services, lashes application, spray tans and blowouts. Today, Echevarria calls her spa the "little haven" that gives her life purpose. Echevarria says her goal is to create a self-care space for busy women like herself who want to feel gorgeous and confident. Now Echevarria is leveraging that booming business to help other women feel their best, so they too can follow their dreams.

1851 Franchise spoke with Echevarria to learn how she built her business, how she juggles her personal brand and her business and if she sees franchising in her future.

1851 Franchise: When did you know you wanted to be an entrepreneur? 

Alexia Echevarria: I’ve always been very creative by nature. I am an educator, and I have a Master’s Degree in Special Education. I didn’t think about being a teacher until I had children of my own. I wanted to have the same schedule as them, which I wouldn’t have had if I had gone into law or another field. I always wanted to have a career. My partners were immigrants and medical doctors, and they always instilled a love of education in me. Especially as a woman, my mother always wanted me to have that degree. 

So, I went to school for education, but in my mind, I was always very creative. I loved fashion, reading and writing, so when I had the opportunity to start Venue Magazine with my husband at the time, it was the perfect blend of my interests. I asked for a leave in teaching and started working as an executive editor of the magazine. 

People often don’t understand that if they are full of great ideas, they also need to execute those ideas. They need to have that foundation. My generation knows you have to prove it. We ran that publication for 10 years, and when my husband at the time passed away, I knew I had to do something on my own. I always needed a purpose and always wanted to have my own business to be financially independent. I had the opportunity to purchase this nail bar, and from there, it has been my passion. It combines fashion and beauty, and it all made sense to me. With my business background, I had learned several lessons that came together and helped me grow. For example, last year I decided we needed to diversify the beauty bar, which only offered nails, and make it a one-stop shop for all beauty services. 

1851: What are some of the other business lessons you’ve learned along the way?

Echevarria: I’ve learned that you have to put in the time and the effort. You need to know everything that is going on. You can’t just put the money down and be the investor. While hiring a good team is essential, you also need to be involved. A lot of people don’t want to do that, but I am a very hands-on owner. When I was teaching, it was my personality to follow through and prepare at home, and when I had the magazine, I was involved in every aspect, from photography, hair and make-up to styling. I know what I like, and I'm very involved that way. 

1851: You are well-known from television. What’s it like taking a personal brand and turning it into a business?

Echevarria: It’s not as easy as people may think. We had a long hiatus, and we are just coming back to TV right now. We’ve always been relevant in terms of the personal brand, but we weren’t on TV for those eight years, including the five years I’ve had the beauty bar. Now, being back on TV, I’m getting used to it again, and there is a lot more attention and a lot of customers coming in and asking for pictures. I understand that my brand is aligned with beauty and fashion, and I want to push that even further by developing my own nail polish. I’ve become so obsessed with nail polish and improving on everything I work with. I believe beauty is so important both inside and outside. When my customers come in, they may not have been having a great day, but we want to make them feel great. I love talking to customers and providing self-care. My brand and my business are really one thing. 

1851: Do you think self-care has become more important during the pandemic?

Echevarria: I’ve always had that focus on self-care — my mother spent her whole life trying to fix people. Even though she was a medical doctor, she always believed more in therapy than unnecessary medication. She believed in self-care and talking to clients about taking action. The only thing that has saved me on my journey has been my inner strength, and I get that inner strength from self-care. In the last two years, I lost my mother, and my husband lost his father. We are at a stage in life where self-care is so important. People need to focus more on themselves instead of being angry at others. We need to find that peace within ourselves so we can offer it back to the world. That has always been my secret. 

1851: Have you ever considered franchising Alexia + Frankie's Beauty Bar?

Echevarria: I considered franchising long before the show came back. Right before COVID, I was looking for a second location in Miami. Like many other business owners, the problem that I have right now is finding employees. I got scared of going into a second location at a time when I was struggling to find employees. It is a possibility, and I would love to bring this business to other cities. I have a lot of customers in different areas who are always asking for me to come to their town. Franchising allows you to spread that work out. It is something I have thought about, and I am still open to it.