We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ashley Martin . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ashley below.
Ashley , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?
Yes, I most definitely have thought to myself, what it would be like to have a regular job! I actually worked in the corporate industry, before I decided to dive into becoming an Entrepreneur. Over 10 years of working for Hospitals, flying across the world teaching others how to operate systems. Dealing with Healthcare, handling new hires, and creating training manuals. And to be honest, I Loved It! I was good at what I did, and I truly enjoyed having a set schedule, knowing when I was going to clock in, and clock out. Knowing I was always collecting accrued time, that could be used for vacations! Or having the sense of security in knowing that I was putting money away in my 401K for any rainy days, or for my future as a whole! To walk away from that was nothing short of easy. Jumping head first into Entrepreneurship honestly, was terrifying. Ensuring that you have all the products for the shop, or looking at your books, and the entire week is full of open availability. Or becoming ill and havingto cancel all your clients, and realizing that not only are you the Owner, but you are also unable to use your accrued hours to cover for the days that you miss! Those are most definitely the days that I think to myself, “man if I just went back to my 9-5 “. But then there are the weeks that I am slammed in the shop, and I manage to get everyone out on time and a smile on their faces! Or the moments when a client that use to be so self conscious of their hair, shows me pictures of them on their vacation with no wig on, because they now walk in confidence. Or the client that first sat in my chair in tears, because they could not get their hair to grow, and now they have a full head of healthy locs! Those are the days that outweigh the 9-5 thoughts. Those are the days that are so rewarding, that not only do they keep me from going back to a regular job, but they keep me as one of the most fulfilled Business Owners you could find. So yes I am Happier as a Business Owner!
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?
My Name is Ashley Martin. I am the Owner of Crowned By ASH. We specialize in natural hair, and locs. Crowned By ASH was established October 1 2022. At Crowned By Ash, we help teach you how to improve your hair growth, and we teach you how to improve the health of your scalp. We don’t just make your hair look good, we ensure that your hair is healthy. We care about our clients, and we want you to feel good about your hair. Coming to Crowned By ASH is not just an appointment, it’s an Experience!
Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?
When I first decided to open my Business, I had some money put aside from working at a previous Salon on a Military Base. But once I informed my clients that I would be moving to my own space, my clients rallied together, and asked me what did I need. And one by one they begin to bless my salon with things that were needed!
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
My strongest contributer to building my reputation is word of mouth! But I also have learned to adapt to the times that we are now living in. So I have had to learn to market, create reels, and learn how to be more creative with getting my business out to the public. Because social media is also an important factor to marketing businesses.
Contact Info:
- Website: crownedash.glossgenius.com
- Instagram: _crownedbyash
- Facebook: Ash Rene’a