We recently connected with Ashley Whited and have shared our conversation below.
Ashley, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?
Opening My Salon/Spa
At what felt like the peak of my career as a solo esthetician renting a room at a local salon and spa, everything changed in an instant. I was at home with my daughter when I started receiving texts and calls from coworkers — we had been evicted.
We all rushed to meet with the landlord, who explained that there had been a long-standing, toxic conflict between himself and the salon’s owner. What we learned was shocking — she had been told months earlier to vacate the premises, but never shared that information with us. Suddenly, we were all without a place to work, completely blindsided.
In that moment, I made a decision. I wasn’t going to wait for someone else to figure it out — I would find us a new place and finally open my own. I was doing well professionally, and my family was in a good place, so I took it as a sign.
Starting a business was both thrilling and terrifying. I knew it would be a huge challenge and a major shift from focusing solely on my clients to managing a team, operations, and an entire space. It was also a major financial risk. My husband and I decided to put our dream of building a home on hold and pour everything we had into this new adventure.
By the time Solasta was ready to open, I was five months pregnant with my second daughter. I had lost more than half the team I initially planned to bring over from the previous salon, and truthfully — I was scared. But we opened anyway.
Now, nearly three years later, Solasta is thriving. I’m proud to say I have the most wonderful team, and taking this leap has turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
Ashley, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’ve been in the salon and spa industry since I was 15 years old. No matter what other jobs I tried along the way, I always found myself coming back to this field — it’s truly where I belong. It wasn’t until I started working at a spa that I was introduced to esthetics, and I was instantly captivated.
I went on to attend Douglas J Aveda Institute in Grand Rapids, MI, and within about five months, I graduated and became a licensed esthetician. During my training, I fell in love with the Ayurvedic and organic approach to skincare. That experience shaped how I wanted to practice — focusing on holistic esthetics and supporting the skin’s natural barrier with gentle, nourishing ingredients.
In an industry that’s often centered around “fixing” imperfections or “preventing aging,” I wanted to take a different approach. My goal has always been to help clients not only care for their skin naturally but also to connect with them on a deeper, emotional level. I love reminding people that they are already beautiful exactly as they are — and that aging is truly a gift not everyone gets to experience. I think that perspective is what makes my approach a little different.
When I opened Solasta, I envisioned it as a safe, welcoming space — a true comfort zone where people can come as they are and leave feeling confident and cared for. Three years later, I’m proud to say that’s exactly what we’ve created at Solasta.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
Building a social media presence didn’t come naturally to me. In the beginning, I thought that having a beautiful website would be enough — that people would find us online and start booking right away. Over time, I learned that while a strong online presence helps, word-of-mouth will always be one of the most powerful ways to build and maintain a loyal client base — something social media can’t fully replace.
That said, being active on social platforms can make a huge difference. So many people rely on social media to discover and evaluate businesses. They want to see how you interact online — how you respond to feedback, handle challenges, and represent your brand publicly. Staying professional and keeping personal opinions separate is always the best approach.
I’ve also realized the importance of consistency, especially with stories. Try to post at least once a day and aim to appear at the top of your followers’ story feeds. Whether it’s quick how-tos, availability updates, or fun interactive content, these little touches can really help keep your audience engaged and connected.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
One of the hardest lessons I had to unlearn as a business owner was to stop being a people pleaser. That doesn’t mean ignoring the opinions of your team or clients — their feedback is incredibly valuable — but it does mean learning where to draw the line between listening and letting others steer your vision.
In the beginning, I found myself trying to accommodate everyone’s preferences and expectations. I thought that by being overly flexible and saying “yes” to whatever people wanted, it would make everyone happy and help the business grow. But the opposite usually happened. No matter how hard I tried, there were always people who felt dissatisfied, and in many cases, I realized I was losing respect rather than gaining it.
Over time, I learned that strong leadership requires clarity and boundaries. As much as you want to create a positive environment, you also have to protect the integrity of your business and the values that define it. When you start compromising those just to please others, your vision gets watered down — and people can sense that lack of direction.
Now, I make it a point to listen thoughtfully, communicate openly, and stay open to new ideas — but I no longer sacrifice what I know is right for my business. Standing your ground isn’t about being rigid or dismissive; it’s about having confidence in your vision and trusting the expertise that got you here. At the end of the day, protecting the heart of your business should always come before the need to please everyone else.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.spasolasta.com
- Instagram: @solastawellness
- Facebook: @abrighterwaytoshine
Image Credits
Brittany Carpenter @PaintMyMindPhotography
Erica Harker