Meet Ashleigh Jordan

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ashleigh Jordan a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Ashleigh, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?

Being the only person in the room who looks like me has become the norm. I attended a predominantly white high school in California’s central valley. Being a student of color coming from the Bay Area and entering classrooms full of people that didn’t look or sound like me was very challenging, but that was only the beginning. As a teenager I had yet to find my voice so I let others speak during classroom discussions. That was until it came to certain history lessons or communication debates where I was forced to speak up and inform others about real experiences as a black woman, not just the experiences they read out of a textbook.

As I entered into young adulthood speaking up for myself and others who weren’t in the room got a lot easier. I’d gotten used to being the only person who looked like me in the room. I came to the realization that I was in these rooms for a reason, it wasn’t by accident or mistake. During undergrad my supervising professor pulled me to the side during an end of the quarter celebration dinner. His words were very important to me, as he was one of the only Black professors on the school’s campus. He’d watched me mature, grow, unlearn and relearn to become the person I am today. He reassured me that I was exactly where I was supposed to be and I’d earned my space in these rooms. I’d put in the hard work and effort to be there! From that day on I no longer suffered from “imposter syndrome”. Any room I entered I approached the conversation with the mindset that I was meant to be there and my perspective needs to be heard. I learned that I was effective and successful because I was in the room!

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I specialize in dreadlock repair and styling. The most exciting part about what I do is that I am of service to those in need. Clients enter my space with specific hair needs and I have the ability to help them whether it be a hair wash, loc repair, hair coloring or special hair designs. I’ve helped entertainers for their photoshoots, video shoots, marketing shoots and shows. I’ve also helped beautiful brides prepare for their perfect wedding day. I never knew that my craft would allow me to meet so many people and place me in rooms with other successful creatives.

In the future I will teach others the methods I use when servicing clients. This way I can support future stylists and teach them things that I didn’t know in my earlier years of entrepreneurship. I plan to do this by creating an ebook with visual tutorials for students. I also plan to write a self-help book that focuses on how to run a business successfully and communicate with clients effectively. My goal is to create a team of knowledgeable stylists to service clients everywhere!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

The best advice that I have for those who are early in their journey would be to get a mentor or four. Having someone in your corner who has been through what you’re currently going through will save you from making mistakes that you don’t have to make. Mentors step in to prevent errors from happening because they have the experience and will create a better path for you that they didn’t have themselves. Mentors can be people who are older or more experienced than you. Mentors can also be those who are right next to you, who are on the same level as you are but they have a different perspective than you do. Overall, allowing someone to help you on your journey shows that you are coachable and that you’re open to learning new things from others. You should be a sponge and absorb any and all the knowledge from others whether it is information from the CEO or the secretary!

Here are three qualities that were most impactful for me on my journey:

Accepting Feedback (positive and negative) The ability to accept feedback is important for all service providers. Your clients are your supporters and any advice whether its positive or negative should be taken into consideration. The feedback you receive from others will help you in the future. So please don’t take their feedback as criticism. Use it to your benefit to make your services better. Practice accepting positive feedback, compliments and praise from others. As service providers we perform the same job daily so it seems redundant. In reality that short hour of service time made your client’s day. That is something to be proud of and appreciated for!

Know What You’re Talking About (be knowledgeable) It’s important to know as much as you can about what you do. The more you know the easier it is to communicate effectively with your clients. When clients have the ability to come to you with a question and you are able to answer like an expert they will trust you. That trust will eventually grow into loyalty and the customer will continue to come back to you. There may be a time where you are stumped with a question for which you don’t know the answer. It is okay to say you don’t know and you can give them an answer when you do more research. Lastly, being knowledgeable also includes knowing of others who do the same thing you do, but may specialize in different methods or work in different locations that are more convenient for your client. Knowing great referrals is so important. It is okay to send a client to a colleague that you trust as well!

Be Yourself (show people who you are, that way they relate to you) I know this answer sounds cliche, but it isn’t. You have to remember you are performing a service that many others are doing around the world. Why do you think client’s go to those establishments? It’s because they do it in their own way and so will you! The clients you attract like the way you do what you do so be yourself while doing it! In a world full of internet influencers and actors it’s nice to find people who are genuinely themselves. Client’s relate to realness and authenticity. Show who you are through your services, designs, service space and internet content. Your client’s will find you and love you for who you are.

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?

Discipline has been an area of growth for me in the past 12 months. As a service provider I’ve found myself getting comfortable with the everyday motions of clients coming in and out of the salon and booking their next appointments for the following month. The client retention is great, but what’s next? How will I retire? Who will service my clients if I can no longer work? I ask myself these questions often and as an entrepreneur it’s up to me to make these decisions. I don’t have a supervisor or group of colleagues to take my place if I’m ill or decide to take a vacation.
Over the last few months I’ve come up with ideas to scale my business so that I won’t have to work as hard and I can retire at a young age. Discipline has played a huge role in my ability to stay consistent in bringing these ideas into fruition. Within the past 12 months I’ve put more effort into working out in the gym weekly, eating healthier meals, getting more sleep at night and taking time off to enjoy life outside of work. The more disciplined I’ve become in these areas has allowed me to have time to consistently work on growing my business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.vagaro.com/us02/locsbyashleigh
• Instagram: @byashleighjordan
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/byashleighjordan/

Image Credits

Dashawn Williams – @10.sxtnfilms