We were lucky to catch up with Ashley Mari recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Ashley thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

I have been braiding hair since I was a young child and always wanted to be a beautician. I practiced on Barbie dolls , my little brother, and friends.
My hair business officially began at age 15 when I began taking payments for my braiding services.
Moving forward I did hair, worked various jobs as well as attended college receiving an Associates degree in Business.
Never fully growing my hair business due to lack of knowledge and funding but in 2016 I quit working jobs and pursued hair full time under Trippy Stylez, a very successful self made business, through 2022 when I decided I was retiring.
I soon realized hair has always been apart of me and who I am.
The name has changed a few times where I still took a couple returning clients while pursuing other things.

I wanted to rebrand if i came back to the scene and created Geniiiuz Stylez, my new hair and design business, established February 2026.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Geniiiuz Stylez a hair and design experience by Ashley Mari, a self taught hair stylist specializing in natural hair stylez; braids, twists and locs.
Hair extensionz are also offered and can be customized to clients desired looks.

I want to create a space for creative expression through hair and fashion where no idea is too much. I aim to focus on your specific style and what we need to make it happen. I want this time to be special and not rushed so that we are proud of what we create together.

I am constantly learning new techniques and styles and I am open to ideas clients may want to try. Creative
expression is important to life and we need the space to create what we want our worlds to look like.
New services will be added as I learn them !

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

During my time as a self employed hair stylist I always had to be on my game, while maintaining my independent lifestyle. I worked out of my home and eventually became a mobile hair salon. There were times where I had to create opportunities in order to gain business and keep the motivation going. With c-19 closing opportunities down, I kept creating my own; flying to California and expanded my clientele with little connections there. From taking a couple years off for personal growth and now rebranding myself it’s been a journey. I feel I’ve always been resilient in the way I handle life and the trauma it can cause. At this stage in my life and career, I once again am adapting and creating a new lane for myself and where I want to go.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

I am starting over, at this time and I have maintained previous connections that are supporting my business now. I think being consistent with those who want services done and who value your work helps grow the business. Word of mouth and good reviews travel far, especially online where it’s easy to connect directly. I am outside communicating with people, handing out business cards and informing them of what I offer.
I want to attract quality clientele who see the vision and want to experience it themselves. I have been taking my time in order to grow something that is timeless.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://book.squareup.com/appointments/hhzp3mlqvamwlz/location/LDTP9F4NFD9GC/services?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAdGRleAQuZ_BleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAafun0CJZ3zU7rWnUmqssrkHPX59CmFJaaRUnof85WhRvKJS901XJwXgFpEbqA_aem_dDC6vLQmeR306NzgH50I1w
• Instagram: @geniiiuzstylez