Leap of Faith: Ash Boutique
DREAM
Ashley Carson believes that clothing has power. At Ash Boutique, she and her team of stylists make it their mission to empower the women of their community, and through their online services, women everywhere.
“Our productivity is impacted by what we wear,” Carson said, “and the
way that we present ourselves to the world changes depending on how we’re dressed. Clothes are a great way to express yourself. When you look your best, you feel your best and you can do your best.”
Carson remembers wanting to be an entrepreneur and run her own shop ever since she was a kid.
“I would make bracelets and sell to the neighbors,” Carson said. “I also loved to set up a store in my room and invite my friends and family to come and shop.”
Carson held onto that dream as she worked in retail during high school, then majored in advertising and public relations in college. After she graduated, she felt ready to start her business, but her parents advised her to get some real-world experience first. Over the next few years she worked in corporate retail, got married, started her family and moved back to Kansas. She happened to be out driving one day when she saw a store space that was perfect for her dream boutique.
“That was January of 2014,” Carson said, “and I had signed the lease by February.”
The timing seemed perfect, but just as Carson prepared to hang up a “coming soon” sign, she found out that she was pregnant with her third child.
“I learned that there is never a perfect time to take the leap,” Carson said, “but you have to go for it anyway.”
REALITY
A click and brick boutique that offers carefully selected clothes and accessories for shoppers in person and online, Ash Boutique was a big hit. Now, six years down the road from making her dream into a reality, Carson is ready to leap again. This year she will move into a new location in downtown Topeka.
“I was always daydreaming when I worked downtown,” Carson said. “I walked down Kansas Avenue every day on my lunch break, and I would envision my shop. The timing wasn’t right in 2014, but there has been so much work done on the infrastructure downtown since then. It’s time for more retail.”
Ash Boutique has been experiencing growing pains for several years now
in the original location. The downtown store will have triple the space for merchandise, so the store will o er a greater range of sizes and more fitting rooms, and it will now sell shoes. ere will also be more space for the warehouse to store items to be shipped out for online orders.
Carson sees a renaissance happening in Downtown Topeka, and she’s confident that her move there is the right way forward.
“Downtown is really getting busy, and our community is supporting this development,” Carson said. “I don’t want to look back and feel that I missed out.”
MAKERS
Carson is ambitious, so she isn’t stopping with one store. Later this year
she will open a second store downtown, called Makers. The store will focus on handcrafted goods, pairing Carson’s strength in marketing and sales with the creativity of area artisans.
“I’m calling it a brick- and-mortar Etsy store,” Carson said, “a place for creators to showcase their products. I see this as another way to support women, and a way to create and cultivate our community of female business owners who have a passion for their craft, but don’t have the capital or desire for a full store front.”
Carson’s advice for those who dream of a business of their own is to embrace the discomfort, be flexible and take things one day at a time.
“Fear could have told me not to start my business while I was expecting a baby,” Carson said, “and fear could tell me to stay in my old location where I’m comfortable. Ask yourself: what’s the worst that can happen? Maybe it won’t work, and you’ll go do something else. Feel the fear, then do it anyway. The outcome is worth it.”
EXCITEMENT
Carson’s excitement is infectious, and her sincere love for the people that she serves shines through in her energy and efforts.
“I started out in this business for the clothes,” Carson said, “the fashion. What has changed is the love for our community, how that has continued to grow over the years. I want people to feel loved, supported and cared for.”
COVID-19 UPDATE
How has the stay at home order impacted business?
As a nonessential business, our store front is closed, but it is essential that we continue business as this is how we support our family of seven. We’re fortunate to already do a lot of online transactions, and in the current crisis, our community has really supported us online. We’ve offered free shipping and free local delivery. We also stepped up our social media presence and online marketing.
The affect on 2020 plans?
I prepared for our move to Kansas Avenue down to the minute, but this has really thrown my timeline off. We are still moving and taking it one day at a time. We want to have a BIG party, and I want to hug and love everyone.
