Today we’d like to introduce you to Danessa Thongdara.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Danessa. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
All throughout high school I’ve always had pretty good skin. With the exception of occasional break outs here and there, lots of people used to compliment my skin. It wasn’t until 2012, my freshman year in college when my skin decided to do a 180° turn.
I remember looking in the mirror and there was always a new pimple that made its way to the surface on my face. My skin never had a day to breathe where I was acne-free. Nonetheless, I was always left with scars on my face. I felt very insecure about the way I looked and 2012 was the year I discovered YouTube and foundation makeup. From watching multiple videos about DIY skincare recipes, skincare ingredients, and reasons why the skin breaks out-I was educating myself in the process and I’ve discovered my love affair for the skincare industry.
Forwarding to the present, I’ve purchased countless skincare products, tried various skincare brands, and I found my niche for the clean beauty industry. I’m always educating my family and friends the importance of skincare and making sure they know about the ingredients they put onto their skin. Just like with living a healthy lifestyle, you should watch what you put on your skin because it will enter into your bloodstream.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely was not a smooth road for me. Danessa Ashley is a relaunch of the same domain name a few years back. I purchased a domain name, launched my site, and my confidence went out the roof. I felt uninspired, and I worried about people not liking my work. I worried being criticized and I failed my first launch (Not to mention there was a second launch I had, but due to me not being able to claim my first domain “Danessa Ashley” I created another domain name that I did not like in the end.)
Putting yourself out there is definitely hard. There is no easy way in any kind of industry, so you got to push yourself hard towards success and never give up in the process. Start reaching out to others in the same industry as you, and help each other out in the process. Life is too short. We should uplift one another and stride towards succession.
Danessa Ashley – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am a Houston-based blogger who specializes in making a person feel good about themselves. Everyone wants to feel good about the body they are given. I want to help those who struggle with skin concerns and wellness, because I’ve been there before. I know how it feels to not feel and look your best.
My proudest moment was relaunching my site. I didn’t think I had the courage to relaunch my brand without feeling the cowardliness I felt before. Now I am confident I will succeed in the future. No matter how long it takes, just relaunching my brand and knowing someone out there may learn a thing or two from my posts makes me proud of my brand.
The thing about being in the Beauty and Lifestyle industry is it’s very congested. This type of industry is always growing and becoming more and more popular, but I don’t mind the diversity. I think it’s important to put yourself out there. Everyone is different; what I may know, another person may not know, and vice-versa. It’s a blessing to be a part of a community that continues to grow.
I created Danessa Ashley for the purpose of educating others the things I found helpful for me. I want to be helpful for someone else in all aspects. Everyone is different and so is their skin. It is important to keep that in mind and make sure you include everyone of all diversities.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Knowing even though I am one person, who is not an influencer or famous celebrity with a cult following base, is a blessing. I am excited to see where my brand takes off in the future and where I am in a few months or years from now. Knowing the unknown is exciting, yet scary. In the end, I know I am proud just for trying and no matter what happens I still can say “I did that”.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://danessaashley.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/danessaashley/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/danessaashley/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/danessaashley/
- Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCmzkNqppkJqJOd-ncdD520w
Image Credit:
Joe Roth, Andrea Alejandre
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