Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexis Mijares.
Hi Alexis, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Hi everyone, my name is Alexis Mijares. I am a proud Latina and co-owner of Split Base Creative! I guess we should start at the beginning. I moved from Northern California to Austin when I was twenty in 2013. I started as a ‘shot girl’ – you know the ones who shove test tube shots down your throat – at a bar on 6th street. I knew almost immediately that while I wasn’t going to be a shot girl forever, I had found my calling in the hospitality industry and what a journey it has been so far!
From there I started bartending at sports clubs and dive bars. During those first two years of diving into bartending the modern craft cocktail movement had really just started to blossom and I wanted in! I had the opportunity to help open and train under one of the most rigorous programs in the state (and country) at The Roosevelt Room. It opened me up to a whole new world of professionals: people who wanted to nerd out about spirits, cocktail competitions, seminars/events, and a new network of bartenders & brand ambassadors across the country. The competition circuit really helped me build a bigger platform for myself as I found myself ranked in with some of the best bartenders in the country at national competitions like Diageo World Class, Heaven Hill Bartender of the Year, and Bombay Sapphire’s Most Imaginative Bartender and locally winning Official Drink of Austin in 2017. Over those next few years I spent time helping relaunch Midnight Cowboy, opening The Fairmont, and entering the world of chef-driven kitchens like Suerte. I’ve always been very intentional about making sure to spend time in as many types of F & B as possible so that I could really try to understand the industry as a whole. There was always a bigger picture for me. On top of that, I was attending a lot of conferences around the country and serving as President of the Austin chapter of The United States Bartenders Guild. Navigating huge spaces at such a young age was not easy but was full of incredible opportunities and experiences. Looking back on those years I really don’t think there was anything I ever said no to and by twenty seven I had achieved most of my goals while working with and learning from incredible professionals and mentors.
After a much-needed break to travel and rest I returned to Austin to work in the event & consulting world until the pandemic unexpectedly arrived forcing me to consider my future in a way I never had to before. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do in this industry but I knew I wanted to do more and continue to create space for myself/others and curate great experiences for guests. Over that time it became clear to me that I wanted to own & operate something in the future but was still shaping that out and unsure of what the new landscape of our industry would look like. As things began to reopen, I was called to Houston and offered the opportunity to reopen & manage Julep. I am proud to say that I led an incredible team & shaped a program that ultimately awarded us with a 50 Best North America Ranking (#46) and a James Beard Award for Outstanding Bar Program in 2022.
I absolutely fell in love with Houston when I moved here – this city is electric and full of so much mixed culture, incredible food & beverage, art, and inspiration. Houston instantly felt like the right place to chase my dreams and upon turning thirty this year, I felt ready. I am proud to say I now own a company, along with my business partner Jubin Shah, called Split Base Creative. We are a mixture of Creative Agency, Beverage Consulting + Catering, and Event Production with a threaded mission of building better experiences, supporting marginalized and minority communities & causes, and providing exceptional representation for our clients & partners. We just soft launched this last fall with incredible community support and are looking forward to our full launch and future growth to come in 2023! We hope to create long lasting impact and look forward to contributing to the ever growing and impressive hospitality community that is Houston. Thank you for letting me share my story!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Smooth? Absolutely not. I don’t know anyone who has found the road to their dreams to be smooth but it absolutely has been an adventure. Sometimes beautiful, sometimes absolutely awful but never dull. I have always struggled with accepting things as they are and have always challenged systems, breaking barriers in a white male-dominated field and standing up for those around me. Let’s just say no one has ever called me quiet or passive. I’ve stood up to people who I’ve been advised not to. I’ve challenged entire systems and the ethics of industry “leaders”. As I get older and reflect more on my journey, I take responsibility for my part in those struggles. I was trying to change spaces that had no intention of changing with full force and exhausting myself in the process. I know better now that rather than change those spaces I can create new ones and fill it with people committed to the same things. I’d say some of my other struggles would be with growing up at the same time as my career was expanding. That was very challenging as I look back – trying to be a leader while still getting to know what kind of leader I wanted to be.
As you know, we’re big fans of Split Base Creative. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Split Base Creative is a creative agency & consulting firm focused on community and culture. It is our goal to strategize and bring to life creative, authentic and ethical concepts, structures and activations for our clients by upholding a standard of integrity and equity that our industry often lacks. Co-founded and owned by Alexis Mijares @lex.mijares (Mexican American) & Jubin Shah @js.cocktails (Indian American) Split Base in nature exudes exactly what our name suggests: The power of mixing different spirits together to make a more interesting & complex flavor profile. As we add more “spirits” to the Split Base Collective that profile will only further develop and strengthen. We believe that when culture is embraced and talent is nurtured collectively that we can amplify concepts & brands through their most impactful lens. We prioritize working with thoughtful, local, and minority vendors and creators to help create mutual growth, community, and authentic representation. It is our company ethos to work with like-minded individuals and help bring new thoughtful practices into our field including but not limited to: ethical business structure, cultural reverence, sustainability, and mindful storytelling.
We want our clients to feel excited about disrupting the normal practices of business that do not benefit our industry or society. We want them to feel confident that they will be represented well and with utmost care and quality. We want people to feel inspired by our practices so they can then use those same tools to further amplify their own passions and tell their own stories. It’s beyond clear to us that the systems we exist under are no longer working and we look forward to providing solutions and helping build impact for our clients.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
In many ways, I don’t think of myself as a risk taker but maybe that isn’t true. I definitely consider myself a fairly careful and thoughtful person but as I recount my ten-year journey to get here I realize almost everything that led me to the next step was because of risk or impulse. I think I am prepared to take risks when circumstances demand it and that’s usually when I start to get too comfortable. I certainly won’t stay somewhere comfortable at the expense of myself or others. I’d say my entire ethos around risk comes down to that idea and would encourage others to consider the value of being bold. I like to think that every risk has ultimately led me to the right place even when the consequences of those risks have put me in uncomfortable positions. I think standing in your truth is always a risk but always worth it and there is something valuable to learn from every risk taken. Plus once you’ve gotten a taste of risk, it becomes a little less scary to do it again!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.splitbasecreative.com
- Instagram: lex.mijares
- Other: Company IG: splitbasecreative
Image Credits
Jasmin Porter Photography
Opas Photography
Amieliana Isabel Rivero Designs (Logo creation)
