Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashlinn Goodman.
Hi Ashlinn, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I finished high school early (16 years old) and was bored. One day, a counselor came in to give us a presentation about attending half days at a technical school. I elected to participate in cosmetology school there as my mother and grandmother had both gone to cosmetology school, and the tuition was $0. I am so blessed to have had that opportunity. A friend I went to high school withs mom, owned a hair salon and I assisted by curling hair at weddings while in school. Effectively, I have been doing hair since I was 16 years old. Upon graduating cosmetology school at 18, my instructor asked me, “What salon do you want to work at?” And I said, “How do I get your job?” She thought I was kidding, but at 19, I started instructor training school at Paul Mitchell, the School St. Louis, and was immediately hired on full time. I was 19, teaching people my age or older how to do hair in a place where tuition was $24,000.
During training, I strived for a trainer’s role at Paul Mitchell and asked a corporate member, “How do I get your job?” They allowed me into a program called “Train the Trainer,” where I traveled across the country presenting our texture systems. I selected that specialty because it was glaringly apparent to me that texture services (perming, relaxing, blow-drying, styling, and extensions) were underrepresented and full of dated curricula. I was set to change the narrative and specifically to change hairstylists who are scared of curly hair and people with curly hair who are having bad experiences.
An extensive education/textbook company approached me and asked me to join a “diversity and inclusion panel.” I was later asked to work for them as a subject matter expert. I was a pioneer in acknowledging the injustices that have taken place racially within salons and schools for decades as it pertained to individuals with curly and extra curly hair. I developed curriculum, video training, and educator support materials for cosmetology education. I have also been a strong and loud advocate for licensure for makeup artists/lash technicians/ and permanent makeup artists in Missouri, which is currently not required. During all this, I decided to stop offering full service and only do bridal hair and makeup because, frankly, after COVID-19, product costs were too high to profit from those services, and my skill supported brides more than a full-service salon. My bridal expertise has blossomed recently, and my business has boomed. I usually do 70-80 weddings per year.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I consider every struggle an opportunity for growth. I’ve gone through a lot in my lifetime, but never anything I haven’t learned from. Some people I thought were rooting for me were never on my side. Professional relationships I had to end because I outgrew them. Some people never thought I could do the things I did and were confused about the reasons why one would want to. Today, when I work at a wedding, clients ask me what I do for a “real job.” We don’t put the respect and emphasis on trades and entrepreneurship that we should, and that’s unfortunate. But we also pay too much mind to people and things that don’t matter.
I appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in bridal hair and makeup. But, before becoming an artist, I consider myself a business person. This is not a challenging career- we aren’t laying bricks during July in Mississippi for comparison. All of us in the beauty industry are fortunate to be able to do something we love and get paid for it. I think people lose sight of that and gain entitlement. To get to do this job is a privilege, not a right. However, there is a need for strong social skills, specific physical requirements, excellent customer service, and hard work, and what I think artists lack is financial literacy. I’ll be the first to admit that I love what I do, but I don’t do it for free or fun. In my free time, you can catch me checking the stock market, looking at financial projections and business growth, and creating my well-known parody marketing techniques. You can make an above-average living doing this work if you know where your money is going. I am known for quickly creating great hair while providing all but a comedy act for my clients. My signature styles are Hollywood waves, party ponies, and intricate styles. What sets me apart is how much experience I have at my age, my comedic skills, and my ability to connect with anyone. I am most proud of having come from nothing and, against all odds, saying yes to things that have given me once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson I have learned is the ability to walk away, start over, reinvent yourself, and hustle. Always remain humble and relevant, and create a niche for yourself if you want to find success. Always be a lifelong learner, and when opportunity knocks, open the door.
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