Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ashley Jade Nguyen. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Ashley Jade , we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
My journey to building the resilience I have today came to me a young age, watching and learning from the adults around me. Growing up, I watched family members share what they had, and they all worked long hours to help each other make ends meet.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am a hairstylist and make-up artist with over ten years of professional experience, located in Pasadena California. I started my career in Canada, where I started off as a licensed Red Seal Hairstylist, assisting in teaching new hairstylists the core fundamentals of hairdressing. After years of experience as a salon receptionist, salon assistant, and salon manager, I decided to focus on what I am most passionate about. I now specialize in balayage, baby lights, highlights, and long hair. I enjoy creating seamless, dimensional blondes that lasts for months in between salon visits. My brand is about quality and detail, and I love every minute of the process from start to finish when I get the chance to transform my clients hair into their dream hair!
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?
My advice for anyone on their journey to reaching their goals is to never stop learning. Keep your heart and mind open to new possibilities, new ways of doing things even though you’ve been doing it the same way generations before you have done it. To stay inspired and pave new ways, we have to incorporate flexibility. Success is not, and will never be linear. I like to read different books that discuss different topics. Right now, I’m reading five different books that are all nowhere near what each is about. Some of my favorite books I have read so far that has helped me on my career path are; Atomic Habits, Daring Greatly, Signs, Tiny Humans / Big Emotions, and The Creative Act.
I also recommend surrounding yourself with a variety of different people, because it’s healthy to understand others apart from your own thoughts and beliefs. Traveling by myself and living in different places has taught me more about myself than my own family. The world is beautiful, but you won’t ever know anything else if you’re comfortable living under a rock.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
A book I love to read again and again is “Daring Greatly” By Brene Brown. This book resonates with me on a deep level because she discusses so many things that happen within our lives that we dare not speak of. In her book, Brene shares various insight on vulnerability, connection, shame, and imposter syndrome. One thing that she said that has stuck by me, especially during those moments of self doubt is a quote she shared by Theodore Roosevelt at Sorbonne (Paris) in 1910;
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” – Theodore Roosevelt, the Man in the Arena.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ashleyjadeartistry.com
- Instagram: ashleyjadeartistry
- Facebook: ashleyjadeartistry
- Yelp: aj artistry
Image Credits
Ashley Jade Nguyen. Chris Dowd.
