Meet Dominique Alexis of Nashville

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dominique Alexis

Hi Dominique, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York to Haitian immigrant parents. I am the second eldest daughter of 4 kids total including my older sister Lorraine, younger sister Christine, and youngest brother Stephan. My childhood was filled with a full house, summers at Coney Island, long walks around the city (what we call Manhattan), eating food while walking, and as many creative outlets I could get into. I had an early passion for acting and got my start in our church’s plays. I spent my most of my extracurricular time from junior high through college in the drama club producing and starring in plays with my classmates.

After college I saved up $10K from serving at a restaurant in Soho and bought a one-way ticket to Los Angeles to pursue acting. I didn’t know anyone in LA and was fortunate enough to connect with my sister’s friend who housed me for a month before I found my own place. I spent years auditioning, going to countless open calls, looking for representation. In February of 2016 I was watching one of my favorite shows at the time- The Bachelor- and decided to check out the nearest open call and perhaps I’d give it a shot. The nearest one was 3 1/2 hours inland towards Coachella Valley so I drove out for the day and auditioned at a casting event held at the Morongo Casino.

The brief interview with a casting producer went well and I was told to keep an eye out for next steps in the a few months as it was very early in their casting process. Three months later in May, I did a second interview, then background and medical testing before a final interview with producers and showrunners. I was ultimately cast in Season 21 (Nick Viall) and subsequently returned to following summer for Bachelor in Paradise Season 4. Although I didn’t find love, I found great friends, learned a ton of life lessons, and started a new creative path. I continued to pursue acting and ultimately landed an agent.

Following my time on the show, Instagram had become increasingly popular and I amassed a large community of fans of the show. The experience afforded me an amazing opportunity in content creation. I’ve been able to share my experience from the show as it was airing as well as snapshots from my life since, travels, and beauty hacks. I genuinely enjoy engaging with my online community as well as supporting other content creators!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My biggest obstacle as creative as been periods of self-doubt and questioning whether or not I had the thick skin needed to thrive in the industry. As a young black woman in entertainment I struggled with feeling seen outside of stereotypical representations of us. It’s also been a unique challenge finding my voice and showing a more personal side with my online community. Theres an internal tug of war of producing cookie-cutter content vs sharing more vulnerable moments. I ultimately hope to use my platform to create a space where I and other young women can express themselves authentically.

Another challenge was finding representation as a non-union actor. Being your own agent can be time-consuming and confusing. Signing with my first agent was a big win and made a huge difference in the time I saved on submitting myself for work and more time spent auditioning and self-taping.

The pandemic was also an interesting challenge as my efforts had to shift solely to self-taping and zoom callbacks. I learned how to direct, record and edit my own tapes. This also boosted my confidence in content creation as I had no fear getting in front of a camera after taping myself repeatedly over the year.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a digital creator who empowers young women through unique POV’s, DIY Hair & Beauty hacks , Self-Care tips and Travel stories.

What makes you happy?
Happiness? Well my happiness comes from the inner confidence and peace I’ve cultivated in myself over the years. I have invested time in priortising my mental, emotional and physical health. I spend a lot of time with my two nieces whom I adore and keep me young.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dominiquecalexis/