We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ashley Bao. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ashley below.

Hi Ashley, thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I came up with the idea of being a solo beauty business owner purely out of desire for freedom. I hated interviews. I hated asking someone for a job. I hated finding out that the pay was too low. I hated proving that I was good enough to someone who doesn’t value me. What I hated most? The motion of swiping my badge to clock in. I felt like a slave to this stupid little black screen that ruled my life. If I didn’t interact with this black box, my entire life would be in shambles. On top of it all, none of my management appreciated me. Even sometimes would make fun of my last name and never actually help me out. 3% raises weren’t doing it either. That barely covered inflation and housing increases. So, I realized when I was at the hospital with the rare opportunity to scroll on my phone- my co workers would see me watching content from online. This content included lashes, makeup, skincare and brows. My friends, family and co workers would always ask me for beauty advice and tips because that’s what I loved and that’s what I did in my free time. So, I figured, if I am already known for this I can absolutely turn this into a business. Thus, Aura by Ashley was born!

Ashley, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Aura by Ashley is rooted in helping people radiate their own beauty. I always encourage my clients to have their own personal style. I never want to be known for pushing services or clients simply sitting and doing what I think is best. I want to hear about their personal fashion, lifestyle and preferences. I believe it is a team effort to achieve their most beautiful look. I provide lash extension, brow waxes, tints, laminations, and makeup. Each look is tailored to the individual and I want to give confidence so that every person feels like they can conquer any of life’s challenges. Self confidence is something inherent that you have to believe. It has nothing to do with what is outside, but self care and self love is spending time with yourself which can create so much confidence. Radiating your own beauty and uncovering your true aura can take work and time but know that you can get there if you listen to your own voice.

I think that transitioning from working in the Pediatric ICU to a solo beauty professional was one of the best things I did in my life. I was 29 years old going back to Esthetician School, quitting a very stable job, and putting myself out there with zero clients. My desire to work as hard as I could, create opportunities for myself, have unlimited earning potential and spend time with family + friends (without approval from a manager) is a life I believe most people want. If you are desiring that for yourself, you can absolutely make it happen. Invest in yourself, your energy, your happiness. I hope that this story inspires other to believe in themselves + unlock their potential!

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Social media is tough! Most of us consume a lot of content, but do not realize how much goes into this. The way I built my social media was through a few methods. Here are the three ways. 1. Start with people who already support you in your life and ask them to follow you! 2. If you enjoy how a certain person’s content or feed looks – take some ideas and implement them. People are already out there doing it better than you and you can learn from them! 3. Post content that solves people’s problems. People are constantly looking for solutions. If you make them problem aware, they will come to you for the solution!

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The best source of new clients is clients who already love your work. People who are already buying from you will likely refer you to others. Instead of constantly trying to find new people- nurture the relationships you already have. Once I did this, the game changed for me!

Contact Info:

• Website: aurabyashley.com
• Instagram: @aura.by.ashley
• Facebook: aurabyashleyllc
• Twitter: @SoloBeautyBiz

Image Credits
Tanja Doty tanjadotyphotos.com