Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexis Dorchester.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up on a ranch outside Dripping Springs, Texas, and from an early age I learned that life rarely follows the path you expect. After being diagnosed with dyslexia in third grade, my parents helped found Rawson Saunders School because they believed children who learn differently deserved an education built for them—not one that forced them to fit into someone else’s mold.
That lesson stayed with me. I wasn’t broken; I simply learned differently. Looking back, I think that became the foundation for how I’ve approached every challenge since.
My teenage years were marked by tremendous loss. While I was in high school, my mother passed away after battling cancer. Overnight, life became less about planning for the future and more about surviving the present. I lost direction, struggled to finish school, and eventually spent time in a home for girls in Texas. At eighteen, I stepped into adulthood with very little certainty, but I knew I wanted to build a life rather than be defined by what had happened to me.
That search led me to California, where I immersed myself in an emerging agricultural and manufacturing industry. I learned the science behind plant extraction, helped build cultivation facilities and laboratories, and spent years solving problems alongside entrepreneurs who were creating something entirely new. Those years taught me resilience, technical discipline, and perhaps most importantly, confidence in my ability to learn anything if I was willing to work hard enough.
Eventually, life brought me back home to Texas. I started a consulting business, navigated the end of my marriage, and became a single mother. Once again, I found myself standing at another crossroads. Rather than asking what I had lost, I started asking what I could build next.
That question led me to hospitality.
Looking back, I realize my parents weren’t just building a school—they were building community around people who felt unseen. Through Howdy Neighbor, I’m doing something very similar. My incredible partners and I have created a place where people feel like they belong, where neighbors become friends, and where local businesses, artists, families, and visitors all have a seat at the same table and the food is absolutely incredible.
Currently, my fiancé and I are exploring how technology, local entrepreneurship, and community investment can strengthen small towns and help people participate in the places they call home. Through supporting local businesses, creating gathering spaces, or developing new tools that empower communities, our mission is the same: leave every place better than we found it.
If my story has taught me anything, it’s that resilience isn’t about never falling. It’s about continuing to say yes—to faith, to service, and to the next opportunity to build something meaningful.
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?
No, it definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. There have been seasons of loss that I never could have imagined—losing my mother at a young age, watching my family change overnight, experiencing environments that didn’t always feel safe, navigating male-dominated industries, rebuilding after divorce, and learning how to be a single mother. There were many moments when it felt like I was starting over from scratch.
But I’ve learned that resilience isn’t about pretending those things didn’t happen. It’s about refusing to let them determine who you become.
Looking back, every chapter taught me something different. I learned how to adapt when life changed unexpectedly. I learned to trust my instincts, to work hard without waiting for permission, and to keep moving forward even when I couldn’t see the whole path. Most importantly, I learned that asking for help and building community isn’t weakness—it’s one of the greatest strengths we have.
My two children became the light that pulled me forward. They gave every difficult season a deeper purpose and reminded me that I wasn’t just rebuilding my own life—I was building a better future for them.
Today, I finally feel like I’m in a season of thriving instead of simply surviving. I have an incredible partner, a loving family, and the opportunity to build businesses and spaces that bring people together. For the first time, it feels like I have the freedom to spread my wings—not because life suddenly became easy, but because every challenge prepared me to appreciate this new beginning.
If there’s one thing I hope other women take away from my story, it’s that your hardest seasons don’t have to be your defining chapters. They can become the foundation for a life filled with purpose, faith, service, and community.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Howdy Neighbor is a hospitality brand rooted in one simple belief: community begins when people gather.
We serve high-quality food and drinks in a thoughtfully designed space because we believe the places we spend time in shape the way we connect with one another. Every detail—from the menu to the atmosphere—is meant to make people feel welcome, slow down, and enjoy being present.
What sets us apart isn’t just what we serve—it’s how we want people to feel. We want someone to walk through our doors and immediately feel like they belong, whether they’re meeting an old friend, making a new connection, working on a dream, or simply enjoying a quiet cup of coffee.
The name “Howdy Neighbor” is more than a brand. It’s an invitation. It’s a reminder that the strongest communities are built through simple acts of kindness, conversation, and showing up for one another. In a world that often feels disconnected, we want to create spaces that make connection feel natural again.
What I’m most proud of is the feeling we’ve created. The design, the warmth, the hospitality, and the people all work together to create something that’s difficult to describe but easy to experience. It feels genuine. It feels welcoming. It feels like the kind of place you’d want in your own neighborhood.
My hope is that people leave with more than a great meal or a great cup of coffee. I hope they leave feeling seen, encouraged, and connected. If we can be the place where friendships begin, businesses are launched, families gather, and neighbors become a true community, then we’ve accomplished exactly what we set out to build.
Not perfectly, but intentionally. Sustainably. Authentically. Just like a good neighbor.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
The easiest way to support us is simply to come visit. If you’re ever in the Texas Hill Country, we’d love to welcome you to Howdy Neighbor in Wimberley. Share a meal, have a conversation, meet someone new, and experience what we’re building firsthand.
Beyond that, I’m always open to connecting with people who believe in the power of community. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, designer, artist, nonprofit leader, local business owner, or someone with an idea that brings people together, I’d love to meet you.
I’m especially interested in collaborating with people who are thinking about the future of small towns, local economies, hospitality, and creating places where families and communities can truly flourish. Some of the best opportunities begin with a simple conversation over coffee.
Ultimately, my hope is to build more than a successful business. I want to help create a future where local businesses thrive, neighbors know one another, families feel supported, and communities become stronger because people choose to invest in the places they call home.
If that vision resonates with you, let’s connect. We’d love to welcome you into the story we’re building.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @ayd.dsgn
- Other: txalexis@icloud.com
