We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ashton Dansby. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ashton below.
Hi Ashton, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
The most meaningful client I’ve ever worked on was a client I encountered while working at a beauty counter in a major retail store. This client had alopecia and I remember her mannerisms. She was really shy and closed off and reluctantly asked for recommendations for an eyebrow pencil. After breaking the ice and I shared with her I was improving my skills and asked if I could do a full makeup look on her. I mean, “who wouldn’t want a full face of makeup done for free?!” After I was done, the look on that young lady’s face will forever capture my heart. She was extremely excited and told me she never had a full glam look done. She said she felt empowered, as did I seeing what a few strokes of a makeup brush could do to forever change some one’s image of themselves.
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?
Hello, my name is Ashton Dansby. I’m a creative and a lover of the arts, particularly the art of transformation through makeup. My beauty career began in 2008 as I work for various cosmetic companies, and has evolved through the years until Covid shifted my path in 2019. Throughout this journey, I’ve gained invaluable knowledge from peers and mentors, and have had the pleasure of meeting founders of incredible cosmetics and skincare brands.
Along the way, I’ve cultivated meaningful relationships with my clients, often providing a safe space for them to share what’s happening in their lives. I find myself constantly being booked for private lessons, weddings, galas, and even fitness competitions! These hands are blessed and continue to push me out of my comfort zone.
What I’m most proud of is my willingness to return to what brings me true joy-being creative. I wholeheartedly believe that people gravitate toward the magnetic force of someone living in their purpose.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
In 2010, I’m living the dream—doing makeup, spending time with friends, and dancing on my church’s dance team. Life feels full, vibrant, and aligned with everything I love. One morning, during an AIDS walk with my company, everything changes. As we near the end of the route, the right side of my body suddenly stops working. My foot drags. My arm goes limp. Every step feels like a battle I’m losing in real time. My coworkers rush to help me, guiding me to a place where I can sit, breathe, and try to understand what’s happening to my own body.
I go straight to my family physician, explaining every detail, hoping for a simple answer. Instead, I’m referred to a neurologist who quickly identifies what I’m facing: Myasthenia Gravis, a neuromuscular autoimmune disorder that causes unpredictable muscle weakness and fatigue. At 23 years old, I’m stunned—shocked that something like this could be happening to me. In that moment, my world shifts.
Suddenly, the things that once defined me become impossible. I stop dancing. I stop doing makeup. I stop moving the way I used to. My confidence takes a hit, and I’m forced to confront a reality I never imagined—one where my body sets limits I can’t negotiate with.
But resilience has a way of revealing itself slowly, like a quiet flame refusing to go out. Over the next 15 years, with treatment, support, and exceptional healthcare, I learn how to live with Myasthenia Gravis rather than be defeated by it. I learn to listen to my body, to honor its boundaries, and to celebrate its strength. My disorder becomes manageable, and my life regains movement, color, and possibility.
Today, I stand rooted in resilience. The journey isn’t easy, but it shapes me—my creativity, my compassion, my purpose. I return to makeup, not as the person I was before, but as someone stronger, more grounded, and deeply aware of the power of transformation.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My mission is to empower people by helping them see that the beauty within them can shine just as boldly on the outside. Beauty doesn’t look the same on everyone—nor should it. If applying makeup gives someone the confidence to stand taller, walk stronger, and feel unstoppable, then that is exactly why I do what I do.
When I was younger, I often compared myself to others and gave far too much weight to their opinions. But as I approach 40, I’ve grown into a version of myself who no longer seeks that validation. I’m creating my own path—one that focuses on making people feel good and grounded in their own skin.
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