Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Segee.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
So my story began much different than most stylists I know. Growing up I never had a “thing” for hair, I never braided all my friend’s hair or gave my barbies fresh new styles. Instead, I chose hair school in an attempt to avoid college and still do something with my life. Pretty quickly I realized I had a talent and certain skills came easier to me than my classmates. Lots of practice and research mixed with my love of color and art put me on the path to success.
I instantly knew I wanted to be more of a specialty artist and eventually focus on specific services that I would strive to master. After 2 years in small salons, I was lucky enough to grow a strong following and decided to venture out on my own. At 21 years old I made the scariest decision of my life and opened blush with no business experience and no staff other than myself. The rest is history and here we are coming up on our 8th anniversary this November!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Ha! I would love to say it was all rainbows and butterfly’s but that was not the case.
Luckily, I have been blessed with a fiercely loyal clientele who have become some of my closest friends. As I never really struggled to gain customers, I actually had a bit of the opposite problem. Now everyone tells me over and over that’s a great problem to have, which I agree, but finding balance was a huge struggle for me.
Like any new business owner, I was putting every last drop of energy I had into the salon. I wouldn’t turn anyone away and often times found myself doing hair after 10 pm and as early as 6 am. Not only was my personal life non-existent but I was becoming burnt out and starting to resent my craft. Hair was my art and art was my outlet, but this was no longer.
My days were long and the conversations I once enjoyed with others seemed draining and I was exhausted. Slowly I began to add to our staff and learned to say “no” even if I felt guilty. I came up with a stricter schedule for myself and began to balance life and business. Over the past 2 years, I have a schedule that allows me to love what I do again and look forward to work each day.
More recently I have found the time to focus on family and bring a beautiful baby girl into the world. This was something at one point I wasn’t sure I would ever be able to do, because blush was my first, very time consuming “baby”.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Blush salon and spa – what should we know?
I am convinced blush will forever be evolving. I have always wanted the blush to be a great home for independent artists who want to manage themselves and run their own business without the stress of owning a large salon. We are made up of what the industry would call “booth renters” which are individual little businesses under one roof.
Our talented professionals offer hair services, waxing, airbrush tans and more! Each of our stylists has their niche, a service or hair type they excel in and love to do! I personally focus on hair extensions, fantasy colors, and balayage (a popular blonding technique). I have been certified and focused on hair extensions for 9 years now. The process is tedious but the instant change in confidence these extensions give my clients is worth every minute of work!
I have educated myself on several different extension techniques and only offer one specific technique that I truly believe does not damage your natural hair. Extensions are very addicting but no one wants to damage their own hair while they’re in. I have seen the positive changes in my client’s hair and also their outlook when they have their extensions in. I hope to one day focus strictly on extensions and educating people that when done correctly they can be non-damaging!
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I would have to say my friends and family deserve all the credit. They have listened to me vent, cry, scream and boast about everything under the sun. My family is there to help every time I have the urge to redecorate the salon, reorganize or rebrand. Without their support, I would have never had such a successful 8 years.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 9782080405
- Instagram: Beautybyblush
- Facebook: Facebook.com/blushspa
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