Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Nguyen.
Hi Ashley, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My family are immigrants from Vietnam. Like many others, life in a new country was not easy at the beginning. With the language barrier, my parents and older siblings had to settle for low-paying jobs. They had to work endless hours to support the family and to provide us with a better life. As a witness to their struggles, I was determined to succeed, be financially stable, and have a better life.
With hopes of better opportunities, I chose to pursue a career in the healthcare industry. After many years of studying, I graduated with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from USC in 2006. A year after, I got married and started a family. Life was stable and turned out exactly as I’d hoped. As the years passed, my job became more demanding. I found myself mentally exhausted and physically drained every day, leaving me with very little energy and time for my loved ones. The passion and enthusiasm I had for my job slowly diminished. I’ve come to realize that there are more important things in life than just work. I needed a work-life balance. I wanted to be around my kids more, especially while they are still young. I felt stuck, but the thought of quitting pharmacy and starting a new career was frightening. Inspired by my sister-in-law’s artistry and passion as a microblading artist, I enrolled myself into a microblading course. Soon after, I also trained and was certified in ombre powder brows. After much thought and with the support of my husband, I took a leap of faith and decided to quit my pharmacy job of 14 years and pursued my interest in the beauty industry.
Stepping out of my comfort zone and pursuing something I had no experience or background in was absolutely terrifying, but it was a risk worth taking. I’m currently in the second year of my small business and enjoy the work that I’m do. Even though business still has its ups and downs, I feel accomplished and proud. Most importantly, I’m happier now because my flexible work schedule has allowed me to spend more time with my family and has given me a better quality of life.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The road has not been as smooth as I anticipated and there were definitely some speed bumps along the way. The pandemic started shortly after I was certified in microblading and ombre powder brows. I was fortunate enough to get on the job training at Sway Brows Studio. During the time I was there, we were forced to close down several times due to the Pandemic so I was unable to progress as much as I hoped.
After a year of working at Sway Brows Studio, I decided to venture out on my own. I subleased a room at Luxury Medical Spa located in Huntington Beach and started my own business. Becoming my own boss was when I truly realized how difficult it was to run a business. I had to be in charge of every task in my business. It was extremely discouraging especially when first starting out. I didn’t see the returns from all the hard work, time, effort, and money that I invested until months or even a year later. I quickly realized that business in the beauty industry can be very unpredictable, as beauty is a luxury service and not a necessity. I can be fully booked for one week and not have any work for the next two and vice versa. So, instead of sitting around waiting for clients, I have pivoted to learning new skills by investing in training courses and expanding my services. This way, when business picks up, I would be ready to offer more services and be more marketable.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialize in permanent makeup including ombre powder brows, lip blush and eyeliner tattoos. Since permanent makeup is worn 24/7, I want to create the most natural and personalized results for each of my clients. Each set of eyebrows, lips, and eyeliners are custom designed and tailored to each client’s unique features and preferences. I love creating subtle enhancements to highlight their natural beauty.
I truly believe that the pharmacist inside of me sets me apart from others. As a pharmacist, it’s imperative that I don’t miss anything while performing my job, or else things can go south quickly. I have brought that same mentality and meticulous nature of a pharmacist and applied it to my work as a permanent makeup artist. Every client’s facial feature is quite unique, so paying attention to the details is vital to having a successful final product.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Continued education and skill development has been a big part of my journey and therefore, I’d recommend this to anyone who wants to advance their skills to become a better artist. You can learn so much from the experts in the industry such as their knowledge, skills, and experiences; whether it’s good or bad. I love attending the smaller intimate in-person group trainings over the bigger group training or online courses. It’s a great way to stay updated and connect with other fellow artists in the industry.
Also, for new artists, I’d recommend not rushing into opening your own salon/studio right after getting certified. This type of business takes time to build. I would start out either by working under someone or subleasing a small space from a bigger established salon. You can always move to a bigger space when you are financially stable. I see too many artists giving up prematurely due to the financial burdens of having a big lease when they are not ready.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://ashleybrowartistry.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleybrowartistry
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ashleybrowartistry
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.ca/biz/ashley-brow-artistry-huntington-beach
Image Credits
First personal photo credit: TX Imagery Photography
