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

Ashley, appreciate you joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

ZenLuxCo is a company who advocates for women to prioritize themselves more. We are big on selfcare and pampering for women and girls of all ages and walks of life, and sell a variety of products, host spa day events, and have our own wellness series. The overall mission of my business is to promote women empowerment and provide practical solutions to ultimately help women and girls be their best selves and present their best foot forward. The brand I have built is truly what makes me get out of bed each morning because I know through my company, I am changing the lives of women one by one. As the number of women in power and women leaders rises, it is also imperative to highlight the importance of women recharging themselves and filling their own cups as they pour into others. ZenLuxCo’s mission is to help more women prioritize themselves for the betterment of their mental wellness and livelihood. Zenlux’s self-proclaimed definition is a peaceful state, of being immersed in lux mindfulness for self. Our business definition means to encompass ALL things and actions that make us feel 100% our best selves. Spa days, Selfcare Routines, Wellness, Skincare, Rest, Therapy, and a plethora of other things. As I continue to grow ZenLuxCo, I am confident that we will be one of the brands making a difference in women’s lives one by one.

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 took the leap into entrepreneurship in 2020 after being laid off due to the pandemic, and haven’t looked back since. Being laid off was truly a blessing in disguise, because it allowed me to dedicate 100% of my time to building my business. I turned my passion into a full fledged business, and I wake up happier each day because of it! I work on my business full time as CEO and content manager handling all duties. Through the various products we sell to our audience and customers, we advocate for women to put themselves first more and be unapologetic about it. ZenLuxCo’s satin pajamas and silk pillowcases encourage our users to prioritize sleep more. Our beauty rollers, lip masks, and spa headbands encourage our users to prioritize self-care routines and skincare routines more and to dedicate more Me Time in their lives. With every sale made on ZenLuxco, a portion gets donated to the non-profit organization Rights4Girls. This nonprofit is dedicated to advocating for young woman rights, so that they can live out their full potential. We’ve donated $223.70 so far! I built a brand that encourages women to not sacrifice their own inner peace and to never neglect their own bodies. According to Women’s Health, 54 percent of women said their mental health is suffering from burnout. I was one of those women included in that percentage once upon a time. Before starting my company, my corporate job was my number one priority before everything else, and because of that, my mental health, livelihood, and wellness suffered. After getting laid off from my job, I finally had the free time and energy to build and start my company ZenLuxCo, and I wake up happier each day. My company also has a video series called Wellness Check-In & Selfcare Talk. This is a series dedicated to providing resources and tips to women through vulnerable conversations that uplift and support them. This series helps the community and audience understand that Selfcare Isn’t Selfish and that it is okay to put yourself first for your own mental health and well-being. As host of this series, I have conversations with women from all different backgrounds and professions to get insight into what wellness and self-care mean to them, and the different ways they positively maintain their mental health and well-being in their busy lives. The knowledge the viewers and audience have gained from these conversations is un-measurable, and I am certain has provided value to countless lives.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I had to unlearn is that just because you start a business, does not mean that is going to automatically be successful. Being an entrepreneur is one of that hardest things you can do. Building and scaling my business has required more work than ANY 9-5 corporate job I have ever worked. I learned this once I launched my business. Just because you have an e-commerce store or a following online, doesn’t mean you will not have to put any work and effort into receiving sales for your business. I learned this once I had to put in the work day in and day out to make content to drive traffic to increase sales.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

ZenLuxCo from day one has been 100% bootstrapped. I haven’t taken out any loans or received any outside funding to build my business. Before starting my business, I worked in corporate for 5 years and having both a mom and dad who taught me financial literacy growing up, I had a a decent amount of savings that I saved up. Once Covid hit I was laid off, but I looked at it as a blessing in disguise. Because I was now laid off, I had the free time to make the moves to build and scale my brand.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://zenluxco.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zenluxco/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/ZenluxCo/100065056028517/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/zenluxco/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCESHtZeVG044hP-fFzj4OQg/featured