Meet Ash Preston

We were lucky to catch up with Ash Preston recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ash, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

Resilience is the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences. Throughout my life I have had to adapt to many difficult and challenging things. Being resilient has been significant in my progress to becoming the successful person I am today.

Growing up I was raised in a home with an alcoholic parent and step parent. I was abused at home, leaving school to be my only reprieve and yet I struggled there too. I was an undiagnosed neurodivergent child who was constantly punished for parts of me I know now are hard wired into my brain. I struggled to feel included and liked by my peers and I hid my home life as much as I possibly could.

After years of turmoil, I moved out and lived on someone’s couch just to get away from the chaos and pain. I worked hard and had big dreams but not a lot of confidence in myself at the time. I faced numerous obstacles and adversity. Despite being told that I wouldn’t amount to anything, I remained steadfast in my determination to prove my worth and capabilities.

I struggled to figure out why I couldn’t be like other people and have everything together. It wasn’t until much later in life I was diagnosed with ADHD. Growing up I was too weird, too loud, too much for other people. No matter how I tried I couldn’t consistently stop attributes about myself. I would cry myself to sleep for not being like everyone else. My confidence and navigating my own personal development came in my late teens and early twenties. I found kind people who accept me for who I am. They would handle situations with grace and kindness and taught me how to avoid negative self-talk. Patience from others helped me build my self love and confidence.

By my early twenties I decided to pursue a career beyond working retail jobs. I decided to get into beauty school. Throughout my career I’ve received many accolades and opportunities. Whether it be to educate or have my work highlighted. In the last few years, I have striven to bring positive change to the beauty industry by advocating for disability inclusion and serving as an industry educator.

During the time I began beauty school I also began my quiet battle of finding answers for my medical mysteries. Finishing beauty school was a great challenge and my first several years in the industry were incredibly difficult due to many not understanding disability. There are many outdated ideas claiming this industry was too hard for someone like me. Thankfully my life of adapting has helped me continuously.

My stubbornness and inability to accept what others told me about myself, or what was or wasn’t for me contributes heavily to my resilience. I also have wonderfully supportive people in my life that have continually encouraged me to be my authentic self. I show up with honest transparency and build myself through my ability to adapt. I have had to practice a positive mindset. I remind myself that no matter what I’m thrown I can and will get through, while also honoring complex emotions that may come.

Despite facing resistance, my unwavering resilience and dedication are derived from my inner drive to not only overcome misconceptions about myself but also to contribute to creating a more inclusive world for individuals like me. I continue to set and achieve goals personally and professionally.

If you find yourself needing some encouragement, let me leave you with this Always focus on growth, healing and self care. Honor your feelings, feel them fully and then let them go. Holding anger will never help build resilience. Trust in your strength. You are beautiful in your uniqueness and you have qualities you haven’t even tapped into yet. Always take things one moment at a time and honor every part of you and your history that has made you who you are.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I am a hairstylist that specializes in hair color of all kinds, however I am most sought after for my vivid hair color creations.
I also am an industry educator and Disability advocate and consultant.
My next goal is to continue and expand my work with brands, companies and other businesses to improve their disability awareness and inclusion for both clients and employees.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I think that learning to let go of what does not serve me, having patience, and being my authentic self have been incredibly impactful in my life.

My advice is to honor emotions but do not dwell on them. Whether you need to do therapy, journaling, get out in nature or something else to let them go, find what feels right.

Having patience requires remembering that practice makes better practice. There is no such thing as perfect. We learn more from our failures than successes, don’t be afraid. Grow your patience through learning.

Being your authentic self will drive people away from you and that can be an uncomfortable truth to face. With that said it will drive the ideal audience and people to you and that connection will always be more powerful. Quality over quantity!

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I am always looking to partner and collaborate with businesses and companies that want to make impactful changes towards inclusivity and diversity. I always love to work with performers of all types who want to have bold hair color!

I can be found on Instagram at @PrestontheArtist

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://Www.instagram.com/prestontheartist