We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ashley Strong. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ashley below.
Ashley, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
Making the choice to go into entrepreneurship full-time was a risk for me. But, I am happy that I did. If I’m being honest, I’ve had a regular job before I started my beauty business. I see the pros and cons for both, ultimately taking that chance and going into my artistry full-time was the best decision I’ve ever made. It takes determination and consistency to pursue entrepreneurship. I started my business in 2019 while I was still working in retail part-time. Without knowing it, I had quit my job right before the pandemic. Somehow, I am managed to grow my business virtual during that time, but I began to have doubts and uncertainties about how my business would survive. So I found employment again and continued to run my business on the side while putting in nearly 60+ hour work weeks. Once, I instilled some business fundamentals and a little bit of faith, my beauty business started to grow and expand tremendously. After nearly 2 years, I knew it was time to move forward. I finally quit my full time job. From that moment, I felt liberated. My business operated on it’s own while I could bring in new ideas and branch out. Looking back now, despite the fear and anxiety, that risk changed my life for the better. I wouldn’t change a thing.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am the founder and CEO of Makeup Myriee, LLC, a company devoted to cultivating confidence, and timeless beauty in every client. In addition to my years of experience as a professional makeup artist, I am a Beauty Educator, Entrepreneur, and an Aesthetic Curator for photography. I specialize in Luxury Bridal, Soft Glams, and TV/Film Makeup, by utilizing innovative techniques to augment perfection for my clients. I focus on displaying flawless skin, and natural soft glams.
Work has been featured on Fox Spots, educational documentaries, Fox4 News, KCTV 5, West 18th Street Fashion Show, and within other notable events and projects. Also, my clientele includes local artists, musicians, influencers, and professionals.
I service the Kansas City Metropolitan area in a centralized location for accessibility. However, I travel to clients locally, and nationally to deliver excellence. Clients around the nation admire my unique approach to makeup. My knowledge in artistry allows me to cater to various skin tones, inclusive of women of color. I deliver a comprehensive experience to boost confidence in my clients, one brush at time.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
One of the most rewarding aspects of being an artist is seeing my clients’ reactions to their service. Not only because I did their makeup, but you get a chance to see their confidence and inner beauty glowing from the inside and out. It’s always a pleasure to get my clients’ glammed up, but it’s even more rewarding to see them embrace who they are.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
One lesson that I had to unlearn is that it’s okay to move forward. Moving forward means it’s okay to leave behind old relationships, business systems or principles in exchange for new or better ones. Sometimes the vision that’s been given to you requires you to be taken to different places and meet new people. There’s nothing wrong with change, but it’s all about how you communicate and express the new changes in your life with your friends, family, and business relationships that you may have. And within these past few years, I’ve experienced these changes and sometimes it’s uncomfortable, but in the end worth it.
Contact Info:
- Website: makeupmyriee.com
- Instagram: @makeupmyriee
- Facebook: @makeupmyriee
Image Credits
Niah Rose Photo (brown background with 2 models) Muenfua (woman with teal/green outfit) Kenney Ellison (myself smiling with all black dress outfit) Thee Bunny Pics (bride in white dress smiling) Steven G Photography (my professional headshot, tan shirt)