We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ashley Nichols a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Ashley, appreciate you joining us today. Taking care of customers isn’t just good business – it is often one of the main reasons folks went into business in the first place. So, we’d love to get a conversation going around how to best help clients feel appreciated – maybe you can share something you’ve done or seen someone do that’s been really effective at helping a customer feel valued?

Because a session with me is considered a “luxury experience”, I make it a point to truly spoil my clients and make it something truly special. It starts about a month before their session when they receive a Pre-Session Boudie Prep Box in the mail with a bunch of goodies to help get them excited about their upcoming session and also a list of tips to help prep for their session with me.
For the day of their session, I bring in their personal coffee order for them to sip on while they are pampered by a hair & makeup artist that I bring in and include with their session. They then have the choice of utilizing the client closet that I keep stocked with a lot of styles in sizes XS-4X, so they don’t really need to bring anything themselves.
When their session is over I send them home with a gift bag with some branded goodies, as well as some other luxury self-care items.

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?

I have been in the photography business, in general, for just about 20 years. In 2020, right as the lockdowns lifted, I decided to pick up my camera again and specialize in boudoir. I had found boudoir a few years before and became absolutely obsessed with the empowerment that it gave women. I knew that I wanted a business that provided something special for women and a full day of absolute pampering and luxury. I designed my sessions to give them just that and more! I include hair & makeup, their favorite beverages, a full client closet to utilize, and little goodies to take home.
One thing I’m most proud of with my business is the feedback I get from my clients telling me that they have found some of their confidence again. I do not take it lightly that my clients are putting their full trust in me when it comes to this experience that can be a scary and intimidating experience. I take my time with everyone and want them to remember this and the feelings they had when they were feeling their absolute best during their session.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I try to put myself out there, 100%, for my clients to see and get to know. When it comes to something as intimate as a boudoir session, my clients need to be able to fully put their trust in me. When they see my face on my social media in my Instagram stories or my Facebook page, that tends to get me the most interaction.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding part of being an artist/creative is getting to see my visions come to life while simultaneously getting to see my art absolutely change a woman’s view of herself and her body. I can make it as simple or as complex of a photo as I want, but all that really matters to me is that she sees herself through someone else’s eyes and sees just how beautiful she is.       

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ashleynicholsboudoir.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/ashleynicholsboudoir
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/ashleynicholsboudoir