Today we’d like to introduce you to Arielle Dixon.
Hi Arielle, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
If I had to describe my journey to where I am today, I would say it has been a mix of faith, resilience, hard lessons, and constantly choosing to believe that there is more for me\.
I’m originally from New Orleans, but Houston has become such an important part of my story\. I came here with dreams, creativity, and a love for beauty, but I didn’t always know exactly what my path was going to look like\.
Beauty has always been a huge part of who I am\. Starting as a hairstylist taught me so much more than how to do hair\. It taught me how to connect with people, how to make someone feel beautiful and confident, and how powerful it can be to help someone see themselves differently\.
As I grew, I realized I had a creative side that went far beyond hair\. I became interested in marketing, social media, branding, content creation, and the business side of the beauty industry\. I started seeing myself as more than just a hairstylist\. I started seeing myself as a creative, a leader, and an entrepreneur\.
My journey hasn’t been perfect\. I’ve had seasons where I questioned myself, had to start over, and wondered if I was actually on the right path\. Losing a job was one of those moments for me\. At the time, it felt like a setback, but looking back, it was really a redirection\.
That redirection eventually led me to Sephora, where I’ve been able to grow professionally and personally\. Working in leadership has pushed me outside of my comfort zone and taught me how to lead people while still leading with compassion\. I’ve learned that being a leader isn’t just about hitting numbers or holding people accountable\. It’s about knowing how to motivate people, listen to them, pour into them, and bring out the best in them\.
At the same time, I’ve continued building my own personal brand and figuring out what entrepreneurship looks like for me\. Through TheQueenChemist, content creation, beauty, marketing, and all of the ideas I have for my future, I’m constantly finding new ways to express myself\.
I think the biggest thing I’ve learned is that I don’t have to fit into one box\.
I can be a beauty professional\. I can be a leader\. I can be a content creator\. I can be a marketer\. I can be an entrepreneur\. I can be all of those things while still becoming the woman I’m meant to be\.
And honestly, I’m still becoming\.
I’m proud of how far I’ve come, but I’m even more excited about where I’m going\. Everything I’ve experienced—the good, the bad, the disappointments, the opportunities, and the moments where I had to start over—has shaped the woman I am today\.
My story isn’t about having everything figured out\. It’s about continuing to show up for myself even when I don’t\.
I want other women to know that it’s okay if your journey doesn’t look like everyone else’s\. It’s okay to change directions\. It’s okay to outgrow old versions of yourself\. And it’s okay to dream bigger than the life you originally imagined\.
I’m still building\. I’m still learning. I’m still dreaming.
But this version of me is one I’m really proud of.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, it definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. I’ve had to navigate a lot of uncertainty, self-doubt, financial struggles, burnout, and moments where I questioned whether I was really on the right path. There were times when I felt like I was working so hard but still wasn’t where I wanted to be.
One of the hardest parts has been having to start over. Losing a job was a major setback for me because it forced me to really sit with myself and figure out what I wanted next. At the time, I didn’t understand why certain doors were closing, but eventually I realized some of those endings were actually redirections.
I’ve also struggled with imposter syndrome. Even when I knew I was capable, there were moments when I questioned whether I belonged in certain rooms or whether I was good enough to accomplish the things I dreamed about. Learning to trust myself has been a huge part of my growth.
I think what has gotten me through is refusing to let a difficult season become my identity. I’ve had to learn that a setback doesn’t mean I’m failing, and starting over doesn’t mean I’m back at square one. I’m still carrying everything I learned from every experience.
The struggles have honestly shaped me just as much as the successes. They’ve made me more resilient, more intentional, and more compassionate toward other people who are also trying to figure life out. I’m still learning, but now I understand that the road doesn’t have to be smooth for me to know I’m moving in the right direction.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a beauty professional, creative, leader, and entrepreneur at heart. My background started in hairstyling, but over time I’ve expanded into beauty, marketing, content creation, branding, and leadership. I currently work in a leadership role at Sephora, where I focus on creating meaningful customer experiences, developing people, driving results, and leading with both passion and heart.
I’m also building my own personal brand, TheQueenChemist, which represents my love for beauty, healthy hair, creativity, and helping people feel confident in who they are. I’ve always been someone who sees beauty as more than just the physical. To me, beauty is about confidence, identity, and the way you make people feel.
I think I’m known for being creative, ambitious, personable, and someone who can turn an idea into something tangible. Whether it’s creating content, developing a marketing concept, helping someone feel beautiful, or motivating a team, I naturally look for ways to make things better and more impactful.
What I’m most proud of is honestly how much I’ve grown. I’ve had to rebuild myself more than once, and I’m proud that I never allowed those experiences to make me stop dreaming. I’m proud of becoming a woman who can walk into a room and know that I belong there, even when I had to teach myself to believe that.
What sets me apart is that I don’t see myself as just one thing. I bring together beauty, creativity, business, leadership, and personality. I genuinely care about people, but I’m also very goal-oriented. I can be both creative and strategic. I can lead a team while still being hands-on. And I’m not afraid to evolve.
I think my biggest strength is that I’m always becoming. I’m never satisfied with staying the same version of myself just because it’s comfortable. I’m constantly learning, creating, reinventing, and finding new ways to turn my experiences into something meaningful.
For me, success isn’t just about having a title or being recognized. It’s about creating a life and career that actually feel like me—and hopefully inspiring someone else to believe they can do the same.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I think one of the biggest things I’ve learned about mentorship and networking is that you have to be willing to genuinely connect with people, not just connect with people because of what you think they can do for you.
For me, some of the best relationships have come from simply being intentional about showing up, asking questions, being curious, and allowing people to see who I am and what I’m capable of. I’ve learned that you don’t always have to walk into a room looking for a mentor. Sometimes you meet someone who inspires you, you build a genuine relationship with them, and mentorship naturally grows from that.
I also believe in putting yourself in rooms where you want to grow. Whether that’s through your career, events, social media, creative spaces, or simply connecting with people who are doing things you aspire to do, you have to be willing to get uncomfortable and introduce yourself.
One thing that has worked really well for me is being willing to ask for advice. I used to feel like asking questions meant I didn’t know enough, but now I see it differently. Asking someone, “How did you get to where you are?” can open up an entire conversation. People remember genuine curiosity.
I also think it’s important to bring something to the table. You don’t have to be at the same level as the person you admire to create value. Maybe you have a creative idea, a skill, a different perspective, or simply a willingness to help. Networking shouldn’t always be about what you can receive. It should also be about what you can contribute.
And lastly, don’t be discouraged if someone doesn’t respond or if a relationship doesn’t develop immediately. Not every connection is meant to become a mentorship, and that’s okay. Keep showing up, keep learning, and keep building genuine relationships.
The biggest piece of advice I would give anyone is: don’t be afraid to let people know what you’re working toward. You never know who is listening, who has an opportunity for you, or who knows someone who can help you get closer to where you want to be. Sometimes the opportunity comes simply because you were brave enough to say, “This is what I’m building, and this is where I want to go.”
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Itsarie__
