We recently had the chance to connect with Carla Welechuk Kowski and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Carla, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
My recent joy has been diving into landscape and nature photography. As a constant learner, I’m always looking for new challenges, and photography has been a perfect fit. It combines technical skills like understanding camera settings with the artistic challenge of composition. Because I travel often, it gives me a purposeful way to engage with new environments. I enjoy the process of pushing myself to not just see a beautiful scene, but to learn how to best capture and share its story.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Sure, I’m a mom of 5, a wife to the love of my life, and an entrepreneur with nearly three decades of experience in this industry that I love. My journey has been wonderfully varied, taking me from working as a beauty educator for houses like Chanel and serving as a corporate stylist for Microsoft, to my roles as a Celebrity Personal Travel Artist and the Senior Lead Artist for prestigious salons on across the West Coast.
While I’ve been fortunate to work with the industry’s finest and on high-profile projects, my core passion has always remained in the one-on-one connection. I believe true beauty is holistic; your most authentic glow comes from within, and my role is to help reflect that inner beauty outward. To me, beauty and style are powerful forms of self-expression—a way to communicate who you are on a visual plane.
After relocating from the West Coast, I founded ALEA Beauty in Columbus, Ohio, which successfully expanded across multiple states beyond Ohio to also serve clients in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Arizona. Now, my focus has evolved into a deeply rewarding mentorship role as I am working with new business owners. I am dedicated to guiding new entrepreneurs, sharing the insights from my three-decade career to help them establish and grow their own successful salons. Building on this foundation, I am also planning to expand ALEA Beauty’s mentoring and operational footprint to even more states in the coming years, fostering a new generation of beauty professionals. I’m also working on a new digital product to help aspiring entrepreneurs launch their own brands. This new chapter allows me to scale my passion for personalized, holistic beauty by empowering others to realize their business dreams.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I kid with big dreams. I grew up in a conservative Christian household that defined a woman’s role narrowly: her place was at home, and wanting more was considered selfish. I cherished my role as a wife and mother, but I refused to believe that was the entirety of my purpose. I was determined to show my children that they could define their own paths. So, I started my own business. It was an act of fear and immense courage, a direct break from the expectations of my church and community. That decision to finally prioritize my own calling—to see beyond the box I was given—remains my life’s greatest accomplishment.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Absolutely. The Covid-19 pandemic was the most significant challenge I’ve faced. Being forced to halt all operations was devastating, and for a moment, I truly questioned if the business could survive. The path forward wasn’t to wait it out, but to pivot. We quickly launched virtual consultations and online classes, which became a lifeline. Not only did these innovations keep the company alive, but they also revealed a new opportunity for accessibility. Many of those digital services are now permanent parts of our offerings, allowing Alea Beauty to expand its reach far beyond what was possible before the crisis.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. How do you differentiate between fads and real foundational shifts?
That’s a critical distinction, especially in the beauty industry. We view fads as temporary trends—often driven by social media—that focus on a specific, uniform look. A real foundational shift, however, changes the underlying conversation. Shifts like the movements toward self-love, inclusivity, and the celebration of individual beauty are transformative because they’re about mindset, not just appearance.
At Alea Beauty, this philosophy is our foundation. We consciously avoid chasing fads. Instead, we focus on the timeless goal of helping each client uncover their unique beauty and feel like the most authentic version of themselves. For us, a real shift is one that empowers the individual, and that will always be the core of our mission
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
Without a doubt. I’ve always been guided by my own authenticity, even when it meant being on the outside looking in. Never being part of the ‘in-crowd’ taught me a valuable lesson early on: the most important validation is your own. I’m a determined person by nature, and my drive has always been about living up to my own potential, not seeking external praise. I do my best to satisfy my own standards—that’s the only approval I’ve ever truly needed
Contact Info:
- Website: www.aleabeauty.co
- Instagram: @aleabeauty.co
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carla-welechuk-kowski-0b6a0a18/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aleabeautyco
