Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley English.
Hi Ashley, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I got into this business by accident. I literally was a client like everyone else just trying to start a new path. I initially ended up going to a shop that filled my hair with all kinds of gel and spritz, which led me to finding HNL. I absolutely felt like my journey with locs went to the next level. I transitioned from simply being a client with a standing appointment to a loctician in training and I dove right in. It started out as a side job. And once I realized I was calling in to work to go to work lol, I quit my job and Locs became my life. It was perfect. I was able to sit in my favorite place and generate money and I actually enjoyed what I was doing. It was the first time in my life where I was working but it didn’t feel like a job. And let me tell you I was not good in the beginning but I worked to perfect my craft. I truly have found my place in the world. I work hard to make sure that I am on point. The shop became my 2nd home. If you would’ve told me 3 years ago that I would be running my own salon and doing things my way I would’ve laughed in your face. But here I am and I’m so glad I did. I would like to give a special thank you to a few people who helped guide my thoughts and have dealt with my many emotions during this journey. Their support love and commitment during this time did not go unnoticed. To my husband Jerome English who literally put up every shelf, mounted my tv, epoxying my floor. Without him, Infinity Locs would not have come together. K’Dreon Brown for assisting in anything I’ve ever needed. I also want to thank Chauncey and Felecia Garrett who have never allowed me to give up on myself or my dreams. To my sorority sisters of Lambda Xi Eta Sorority Inc for encouraging me to push through. To my big sister Missy Cotton and Malysa Moss for putting up with my emotional mood swings in the late-night hours when I was trying to figure out my thoughts and telling me to go for it. To Denise Davis aka Dojo my bro bro for sho sho. Thank you for just being you when I needed a laugh. To the best church on this side of heaven, Eastland Street Baptist Church thank you for your continuous prayers and words of encouragement. To Jalyssia Powell thank you for being my prayer warrior in the war room and on the frontline. Thank you for covering me and being a person of understanding who has single-handedly dug in the back of my brain to ensure my vision came to pass. It is not easy to deal with someone with scattered thoughts but you do it so effortlessly and I thank you. To Kimberly France and Symone George, you guys are more than just clients. You’re the family I didn’t even know I had. I am grateful for your donations, prayer, and words of wisdom. To William Lockridge, thank you for putting your knowledge and skills to use and creating me a shampoo area when everyone else said it couldn’t be done. To my amazing staff thank you for carrying the torch of my vision. It is a blessing to be on this road with you guys. To my Infinity Locs clients thank you for allowing me to join you on your loc journey. I get up every day to make sure that you receive the best me, the best vibes, and space to do your journey, your way. To my father James Brown for teaching me, it’s not how you fall but how you get up. For setting the example and paving the way. I do this for you in hopes that I bring your name honor. To my mother Wanda Woolridge, I hope you are looking down on me and you are proud. I love you with all that I am.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. Once my journey with HNL came to an end, I had some decisions to make. I decided to go for it and stand on my own 2 feet. I took the skills that I was taught and created my own space, my own atmosphere where I can still generate an income and be free to be me without the judgment. I started doing things my way and I became unapologetic about it. My clients started looking for me and I had to find somewhere to work. I was working from home and was using a chair in the back of a barbershop in Dallas before I got my storefront. There is so much that goes into a storefront that I never even knew about from permits, inspections, finding the right staff, supplies, etc. If it wasn’t for my cousin Feleica Garrett who owns Lee Sanchez Tax consults at the end of our shopping center giving me the advantage of knowledge, I would have been completely lost on the back-office end. The vision was easy but bringing it all together? Whew, Chile! That was rough!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I started taking master loctician courses with Kris McDred from Dubai. I wanted to expand my knowledge beyond my humble beginnings. I have crowned myself the Loc Mechanic. I haven’t seen a loc I couldn’t fix. If you want instant locs, loc extensions, loc repairs, 2 strands, coils, styles, and ALL I got you. I am very honest with my clients. We have a consultation where I not only am learning about your hair but I’m asking things like do you have any health issues or are taking any medications because these things can have an effect on your hair.
We’d love to hear what you think about risk-taking?
I was grinding until my cousin Chauncey Garrett called me and said his barber had a space available and he wanted to know if I would like to lease it. Literally, on this day my husband and I had just moved to a new place, my dog was about to give birth and I’m like you want me to pick up another bill? My cousin said it’s now or never so what are you going to do? I prayed about it and talked it over with a few of my friends and I went for it. The space still needed to be cleaned out. It didn’t even have any power but it was mine. I had never done anything like this before but I remembered watching my mentor and I knew I could do it. We started ripping up carpet and painting walls and dragging out trash and I remember standing in the middle of the floor crying because I was still trying to process how I was even in the space. Everyone started asking me what would you like over here or what colors do you want this to be? How do you want this to be? I soon realized at that moment that I was the boss and nothing in my space could function without me. Any time I have found myself in a position where I’ve had to start over, I have always gone back to where I felt most safe and everything made sense. It took me three days to figure out what it was that I saw and what I wanted my salon to represent. I want Infinity Locs to be a forever home for all people. I want it to be a space where you feel welcomed, where you feel loved, where you feel like in this season of your life you have a place to breathe. I want it to represent black women in power. I wanted it to be black girl magic yet feel like home even though you knew we were a business. My space represents me. I’m sure that this was absolutely a faith walk. I was trusting God to give me my own dream. And I’ve been pushing through ever sense.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://infinity-locs.square.site
- Instagram: Infinity_locz
- Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/infinity-locs-fort-worth
