Daily Inspiration: Meet Ashley Hall

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Hall.

Hi Ashley, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hey yall! My name is Ashley Hall; I’m a full time content creator and media personality. I like to create content in a variety of areas, but beauty and sneakers are my specialties. I started blogging my journey in 2013 in the natural hair and beauty space. I always got questions about the products I used for my hair, how I was styling it, and more, and it became a hassle to have to repeat the same story. I was always worried about leaving out some magical detail. I really just stayed consistent and worked to build a name for myself. In 2017, I attended a L’Oreal Galentine’s Day event, and a lot of the bigger beauty influencers were there, and I remember thinking that I was in that room for a reason, which led me to putting in my 2 week notice; I was a receptionist at a hair salon in NYC. Fast forward, I ended up creating more fashion and sneaker content in 2018; a mentor had actually been pushing for it for a couple years prior, but I wasn’t 100% ready. Once the pandemic hit in 2020, I did a full pivot, and it’s been up since.

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 has not been a smooth road; it has been a journey to say the least. When I first started [blogging], a lot of people didn’t understand what I was trying to do, especially after graduating from Syracuse University. I didn’t plan on making a career out of blogging, but I had a lot of issues with corporate roles. Too many times I was told they didn’t have the budget to keep me on, they were in a hiring freeze, only to hire from outside of the company, or I was sitting in an office missing shoots and events with people I wanted to, and needed to, connect with. That was when I decided to really focus on content creation and influencing. It was a major learning curve, too, because this career choice wasn’t something you could study in school like you can now. You had to have vision. It can be emotionally and mentally taxing, especially when you’re first getting started. You have to be able to pay bills etc and receiving product in exchange for content doesn’t do that. It’s a constant battle until you really get in where you need to and really start making the kind of money needed to be able to provide for yourself. I’ve also been in positions where people closest to me have told me to get a real job if I had a rough day on social media or just not believing in the vision. But I saw a path and stuck to it.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Of course! I’m a full time content creator and media personality. Outside of my own content and partnerships, I currently co host a show on REVOLT called Rate ‘Em, where we rate sneakers on a 5-point scale. I actually got picked up earlier this year for that opportunity, and it’s been great. I really wanted to be able to create content I love with a major network. When it comes to my work, I feel like I’m a well-rounded creator and can essentially create and talk about anything across the board, but I specialize in beauty and sneakers. I’m most proud of my journey, and the fact that I’m not in the same position I started in because I believed in myself. No matter how bad it got, even when people bet against me, I pushed on for myself and because there were people that poured into me and believed in me. I also think my focus on beauty and sneakers is what sets me apart from others [creators]. People often feel that they’re opposites of each other, but they go hand in hand in my world.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Oh, for sure. I’ve learned that we have to really use all the tools at our disposal and the importance of finding community. People often forget that community is greater than competition and we can get so much more done together. Even during that time, I was fortunate enough to connect with some [women] creators that are now some of my favorite people. You really gotta take advantage of being social on social media.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imashleyhall/
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/imashleyhall/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/imashleyhall/

Image Credits
Luis Ledesma
True Blends
DP Jolly