Meet Ashley Miller | Business Owner, Esthetician, Mom

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ashley Miller and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashley, other than deciding to work for yourself, what else do you think played a pivotal role in your story?
I think that the opportunity to work for myself was more the result of a series of events. It was a God shot really, one in a million opportunity. Origin story is pretty sad but like many, I spent a lot of my pre-mom years pretty lost. Raised in unhealthy environments, family problems, addiction chaos, and no real direction to know or grow into better. So I made a ton of really bad choice forever comfortable in that chaos up until my late 20’s. Even through a rough childhood and past, I had a lot of creativity it was my escape, and came extremely natural to me. I worked in professional makeup for years, first as an artist them climbed quickly to do studio and print work all over L.A, an abundance of crazy call times and moving everywhere, no roots, cares or healthy habits. I didn’t sit still and never took time to fix the problems that led to my constant thrive for chaos. I’d move so fast I never had clarity enough to stop and see what or why I was running, or what I was doing to myself. When my son was born my world stopped, I had a chance to be a positive force and impact a life in ways I never had as a child. That motivation is truly a superpower. Women develop a drive unlike any feeling I can’t even describe to take care and pave the best possible path to guide their child down. I decided to move with family, try to root, removed myself from all I knew. I had some pretty bad addictions myself until I learned I was pregnant, and luckily was strong willed enough to stop using, drinking, partying, and forced myself to untie a mountain of knots I had unknowingly tied myself. After my son was born I I got into a 12 step recovery program in hopes of understanding myself and fixing the core issues. My step dad, and father died in the same year from their addictions, and it reenforced I was making the right decision to become educated and learn about mine. Being a mom gave me the want for the first time to be better for not only my son but myself. I went back to school and got my business degree. I dropped of of high school with no real guidance it was easy, and thought for years school “wasn’t for me”, I graduated with highest honors. During school and following I worked as an Esthetician. This new found drive had me working weekends and getting my degree 7-5, all week, while still balancing being a single mom. I would go the extra mile for employers and as fate would have it I had one employer who saw that. I actually worked at my business as a manager an esthetician before the originator of “The Pretty Jimmy” Sig, decided she was going to close it. I got that call on my birthday oddly enough and my first instinct reaction was to ask if she’d be willing to sell. She said yes without hesitation, gave me a price I could afford and all that came with my business included. It all fell into place at that one moment. I did more in the five years leading up to that moment that I had in the 28 prior to being a mom. So every decision is the answer to the original question, every seemingly small decision that led me to me, every small decision that balanced the scales for me. I chose to be a good person and make hard choices for the better of my child everyday, we started with nothing and live a beautiful life today. I worked so hard even when no one was looking. I worked on not just building a future, but the hard work of rebuilding a past, and my integrity and the choices to build it I believe earned me the opportunity to have this business that I truly love.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The Pretty Jimmy is a unique salon, we pride ourselves on being a one of a kind business not just offering a service but an experience. I focused on embodying a welcoming to all unisex salon. Regardless of gender, age, beliefs, or sexual orientation, this salon will make you feel at home, we welcome all and treat everyone who walks through our door as a member of the family. Every service is tailored to achieving the clients long term skin and body goals, every individual is treated as just that, personalizing everything about our services to better fit their needs. We are in the personal care industry and I felt there was a lack of “personal” in many salons services. Customers are friends, and new customers become comfortable extremely fast. We have an upbeat environment with some edge that overall embodies a California living kind of vibe with beautiful, comfortable service rooms that are very relaxing. We can be categorized a “skin salon”, or a one stop shop for all things skin. We focus on the full range of aesthetics, from sugaring (our biggest seller), customized facials & hydra-facials, LED light therapy, Radio Frequency, body contouring, spray tanning, lash services, BB Halo, makeup, permanent makeup, micro scalp pigmentation, micro needling, plasma fibroblast, cupping, body work services by Linda, lymphatic massage, Botox and filler events, trainings and certifications, and more. The goal is for a client to be able to leave feeling enriched and better about themselves. We educate clients on the benefits of what we are providing them and focus plans of action on how they can achieve their aesthetic goals no matter what. Each tailored experience is just that, just like people, they are each different in their own way. We specialize in first time sugaring Brazilians, and with a multitude of methods ease our clients from scared or nervous to comfortable and excited for long term results. I’m confident in the success of The Pretty Jimmy because we truly love what we do, and just like our services we are truly one of a kind.
Covid closures were challenging but I never closed doors when I took over in 2018 and the forceful closure allowed me to the and ability to restructure the business and we continue to evolve and change for the better. It also gave me the chance to fully change the aesthetic of the salon with a lot of personal touches, and rent rooms to other independent businesses that fit our audience. I think looking at this challenge as a opportunity to adapt, change, and grow, instead of a hindrance got us through, in Los Angeles county our industry was the first to close and last to open, like many others we rose to the occasion and adapted.. Finding the right staff had also been a challenge. I work as an esthetician and do what I do with a lot of love and passion and leave growth opportunity available for the right fit employees. I am selective on who represents my brand, a balance of love for their craft, work ethic, positive attitude, drive, skill, and most important the ability to treat clients with care, must all be there to be a member of the Pretty Jimmy family. The industry we’re in is ever growing and changing and I make it a point to find the services that our clients want, and bring them onto our menu. I’m excited for where we are going it just keeps getting better and better. We’re a whole vibe of our own and we wanna share it with everyone, while offering the best possible service this industry has to offer, all while making them feel comfortable in the process, and happy to have found us when leaving.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Malibu and Laguna beaches, arts district food, uptown Whittier for food and charm, hiking up behind the Angeles crest, the Griffith observatory. Long Beach for bike path biking and food. Concerts at the palladium.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I couldn’t have made it to where I am without my Family. My son for being my drive and heart, my mom for also learning to love herself and working to build our relationship stronger than ever, my sister for always being such a light in my life, my brother for showing me anything is possible, my Nino for endless help paving the way, my grandpa for always being strong, my Nana for giving me her creativity and love, and my husband who raises my son along side me and always supports and believes in me even when I doubt myself. And of course Sig, for my God shot. I’m endlessly grateful everyday.

Website: https://linktr.ee/THEPRETTYJIMMY

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theprettyjimmy

Twitter: https://www.instagram.com/theprettyjimmy

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/theprettyjimmy/

Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/the-pretty-jimmy-whittier

Other: Booking / Menu-https://theprettyjimmy.square.site/ TikTok- https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMRFFckyj/ Google- https://g.page/theprettyjimmy?gm

Image Credits
Mark Mendez