Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Miller.
Ashley, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I grew up in a small coastal town in South Carolina called Myrtle Beach. Living by the beach EVERYONE wanted to be blonde which is where my love for blonding came into play. I actually use to buy the old school Revlon frost and glow and pull my hair through a cap.
Yikes! I’d say that’s when I knew I loved everything about hair. I would spend hours straightening or curling myself and my friend’s hair and even convinced a few of the neighborhood kids to let me cut their hair. Let’s just say I’m much better trained now.
I moved to Charleston, S.C. After high school and attended Paul Mitchell the School where my love for hair started to blossom. I also worked in restaurants to make ends meet. While waiting tables, I noticed that a lot of the chalkboards that would display specials of the day or certain events needed some love, it was then that I started my chalk mural business and started painting. I thought I would make a career out of my artwork and quit hair school. While my business (all about chalk) was somewhat successful and I was able to create signs for restaurants, weddings, baby showers, and sell my artwork, something was missing.
I went on to live in North Carolina and work as a craft brand manager for a popular brewery in Charlotte, and also distribute the first bourbon in North Carolina. I felt like I was at the height of my career but still… something was missing. I guess you can say I’ve always felt like I needed to be more creative and home was calling me back.
I made the move back to South Caroline in January of 2017 and made a cozy living one black from the beach. I started working at a nonprofit for the school system writing grants to raise money to send underprivileged children to pre-school. I loved my job and felt like I was making a difference but it just didn’t satisfy my need for a more creative life. I woke up one morning and said to myself, I’m going back to cosmetology school to finish and I really want to give this a shot. So I did! I quit my job and went back to cosmetology school at Strand College of Hair design. I had to complete the entire curriculum over again but I was eager to learn all of the new trends and techniques. I went to school back in a time where the technique balayage was foreign. Now it’s as common as asking for a partial highlight or haircut.
When I started school again, I met the most amazing person. My person. His name is Joeseph and he’s from Texas and you can only imagine my heart beating out of my chest meeting him for the first time. I remember him wearing jeans and boots and thinking oh my goodness, I’ve never seen a real man from Texas! He had my heart. God blessed us with a baby and that meant I had to work even harder to graduate school and make a name for myself because I had my sweet baby girl to take care of. I graduated cosmetology school in ten months, at ten months pregnant. I stayed after school two to three times a week and did special events all to get the hours to graduate in time before the baby came. It was hard. I never felt like quitting though. I had two amazing friends in hair school (Nicole and Caroline) along with my family and friends and not mention my sweet Joe who pushed me and encouraged me to follow my dreams. I had my daughter one week after I finished school and passed my boards two months later. I stayed home for another month with her and then off to work.
My first job as a stylist was at a salon in Murrells inlet called Oceans Edge Salon and Spa. I learned so much about myself, my work ethic, and how different it is outside of school. I loved hair even more. Joe was offered his dream job back in Texas and we decided to pack up and take both of our careers to the next level.. the big city! Dallas! I WAS ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED! I knew zero people in that city and had to find a job ASAP. I literally googled where is the best salon near me and I sent them a message on Facebook and was soon hired. This salon in particular was a 360 certified green salon. What this means is Green Circle Salons provides the world’s first and North America’s only sustainable salon solution to recover and repurpose beauty waste ensuring that we can help keep people and the planet beautiful. I learned to use organic hair color and products and also how to recycle everything from plastic and foils to your hair: Their turnkey program allows salons to repurpose and recover up to 95% of the resources that were once considered waste; materials such as hair, leftover hair color, foils, color tubes, aerosol cans, paper and plastics. Hair is recycled into a boom. A hair boom is used to clean oil spills which can absorb 12x more oil and be reused up to five times instead of your average plastic boomer which is a one time use.
I was absolutely taken back and amazed that the industry had come so far since my first time in cosmetology school. I wanted to be a part of this culture and was so inspired to start my journey as a business owner. I did a little bit of research and found a studio-more like a huge warehouse- of salon suites in downtown Fort Worth. I had been following them on social media (@novakhairstudios) since moving to Texas and dreamed of being able to be apart of their culture not only as a green circle certified salon but still have the amenities of a traditional salon.
Walking into the salon was like a dream. Seriously. EVERYONE was in high fashion clothing, makeup, and attitude. The front desk greeted me with a glass of wine and the owners introduced themselves and gave me a tour. I knew I wanted to be a part of this salon and grow myself and my business.
I was terrified. Would my clients follow me? Did I relocate too far away? Will they hate the drive downtown with traffic? I brought most of my clients with me! They didn’t mind the drive, they loved the concept, they supported me, they loved me! They really loved me! I cried a lot those first couple of weeks because it was so hard financially and I was genuinely worried that I wouldn’t be successful. It’s true though, in a time of worry, let your fear be your biggest motivator. I’m looking forward to some amazing collaborations this year and growing my business with Instagram, Facebook, and a YouTube channel. My dream is to have my own studio where I can craft hair and makeup, my artwork, and my love for vintage clothing.
“Once in awhile you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right” – Grateful Dead
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been a long rough road. I think everything that could have happened did. This past year I had a baby, started my own business, moved across the country, bought our first house, and even managed to make a few friends along the way.
Alright – so let’s talk business. What else should we know about you and your career so far?
I’m proud to say that I am apart of a certified green circle salon that offers sustainable hair care in a luxury setting. The beauty industry is changing for the better. My guests care about what they are putting on their skin and their hair and I’m proud to offer all-natural, organic, cruelty-free products. I love knowing that my guests aren’t taking home harmful chemicals on their body to their loved ones. I love all things beauty, it’s hard to pinpoint an exact specially or interest because my personality likes change. What I’m known for is color whether it’s color corrective or blonding.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My mom and I going on the boardwalk in Myrtle Beach and playing pool. She’s a pool shark! But time with her as a kid was so much fun.
Pricing:
- New clients receive 30% off of one service
Contact Info:
- Website: Novakhairstudios.com
- Phone: 843-494-7123, Salon number- 817-592-4247
- Email: Ashleymillerhair@gmail.com
- Instagram: @ashleymillerhair
- Facebook: Facebook Business @ashleymillerhair
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