Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Ochoa.
Ashley, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
In 2014, I was going through a rough patch in life and I wanted to do something more. I originally wanted to make bowties for the back of high heels. Instead, I realized children’s hair bows! I quickly made a Facebook page and even though I wasn’t as great as I thought (haha!), I still had loyal customers and throughout the years I’ve finally got it down! We even expanded our items from our hair bows to digital invitations!
Has it been a smooth road?
Through the good, there was plenty of bad. I’m a single mother with a history of run ins with the law. As a teenager, I was a wild child and didn’t think my actions would haunt me one day. Well as I got older my past caught up with me. Starting my own business was my only option at this point. It was very hard since any money I made went straight to my daughter Shayla. So, to help, I would ask for gift cards to craft stores for my birthday or Christmas! Business was really slow at first but I didn’t give up. I advertised through friends and on my facebook. I didn’t have much support from my family but I had faith in what I was doing! Never second guess yourself! You’ll know when something is worth pushing for!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Shaylas bows 4 Beauties – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
In the beginning, we only specialized in hair bows and headbands. We had a good thing going but I felt like I needed more. So, I decided to make badge reels for id badges. They were a hit! Then showed up the bottle cap magnets, keychains, bracelets, necklaces and finally our custom digital invites and bottle cap images.
What advice would you give to someone at the start of her career?
Don’t give up! If you get shot down time and time again just press “restart” and try again. I’m 26 years old, a single mother and stay at home mom. Let the negative vibes be the fuel to the fire! One mistake I made at the beginning was saying, “yeah, I can do that” KNOWING I had never attempted that before. I would take on so many orders that overwhelmed me. Just remember, it’s okay to say “I can’t do that”. If you are selling handmade items, never make the items without payments first! I tried to be nice a few times in the beginning and made custom bows for a customer. The customer never picked up the bows and so I ended up wasting my time and supplies.
Contact Info:
- Address: 11722 sea shore dr houston tx 77072
- Phone: 832-921-1261
- Email: aannochoa@gmail.com
- Instagram: @shaylasbows4beauties
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/shaylasbows4beauties
Image Credit:
Shayla, Trex, Ashley Ochoa
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