We recently connected with Ashton Huffman and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Ashton thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

I have always been someone who cares more for others than I do myself. It’s something I’ve always done. As the oldest of 5 kids, it’s just always been instilled in me to take care of others. This business is something that I built with my bare hands. After getting my accounting degree, I knew that I wanted more. I needed more. I needed to fill fulfilled and I knew I needed to make others feel seen. To feel beautiful. I love knowing I am the reason someone else smiled and the connections I make with people are overwhelming in the since of I can’t believe that I’m able to make an impact with something as minuscule as makeup. But really, it’s so much more than that. It’s relationships, it’s compassion, it’s confidence, it’s connection and it’s something I never take for granted.

Ashton, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I oddly enough got into makeup from working for L’Oréal while I was in college. I never wore makeup and didn’t care to either. But one day, my whole perception on makeup changed my mind. A girl that was around my age at the time came in and asked for her makeup done, I had never done makeup before on myself really, let alone on someone else. But when I finished she looked at herself and started to cry and told me that she had never felt beautiful in her life and thanked me with tears in her eyes. At that actual moment, I knew there was so much more to this than just makeup. I don’t use specific products but I do make sure to keep my kit cruelty free! One thing that may set me apart from others, not that I really care to be differentiated from others since we’re all amazing, Is connection. I take the time, I make the effort and I make the relationships that turn customers into clients. Some of the people I see I’ve been doing their makeup for years now. Every special event, they think of me to come and make them up and year after year I just get so emotional thinking about the fact that I made that much of an impact on them to think of me year after year. I love knowing that I can show people the beauty in themselves that they may not have noticed in a long time. It fills my cup.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Something I had to unlearn was the concept of competition. It doesn’t exist. Obviously we are all human but at the end of the day, comparison is the thief of joy and when you choose community over competition, you’ll always come out on top.

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

Being true to myself and who I am as a person made the most dramatic influence in how I built what I have today. I’m a very direct person and I make sure to show people how to do anything they set their mind to because well YOU CAN DO ANYTHING! I also make sure to have people laughing all day long so while they’re in my chair they are always having a good time. At the end of the day, people always remember how you made them feel. The makeup gets washed off but the memories are forever!

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.makeupbyashtonn.com
• Instagram: Makeupbyashtonn
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/makeupbyashtonnn/

Image Credits
Colleen Posea Carley Brumbelow Christine Clements Alyssa Atkins Macy Oconnel