People With Katie: Ashley, with Baja Basics

If you read Wafiq’s interview for my first People With Katie post, you’ll know what’s coming today.  I interviewed Ashley Davis, the founder of the natural beauty brand Baja Basics.

The Baja Basics line includes Rose Water Spray & OILS!  As obsessed as I am with oils I actually found this brand through their Rose Water Spray.  I was using Rose Water spray in plastic bottles w questionable ingredients – when I found Baja Basics Rose Water & noticed the glass bottling & integrity of the brand, I made the switch & haven’t looked back.

Ashley reached out to me knowing I was a fan & asked that I record a video explaining how I use Rose Water Spray.  I’ve always appreciated her hustle & her KINDNESS.  You guys, she’s the ultimate definition of sweet + going after what she wants.  I desperately wanted her to make an early appearance in my People with Katie posts & I’m grateful she agreed.  My goal with these interviews is not always to highlight businesses or business owners as that can end up feeling “salesy” to me.  I want a wide range of people to tell their story & hopefully my questions illustrate that.

I hope you enjoy her interview as much as I did!

K: Hi Ashley!  Thank you for coming to interview on MissBassmaster, I’m SO excited to hear your story & I know my audience will love it too!

A: I’m so stoked as well! Thanks for having me on MissBassmaster 🙂

K: Let’s start easy, describe yourself in 3 words:

A: Adventurous, active and optimistic. 

K: Describe your best friends in 3 words:

A: Loyal, fun-loving and supportive

K: What makes you laugh hard?  A show, friend, story?

A: My nephew, Colt! Check out @mike_davis_0 on Instagram and you’ll see why 🙂

K: What’s one of your biggest life lessons? This could be anything! Something you learned as an adult, career advice, life advice, relationships, friends, a major turning point, someone else’s advice to you… ect

A: I think one of my biggest realizations about life is that happiness is in the process. It’s not the destination but the journey wherein the adventure lies. I used to think, “What would I do if I knew I could not fail?” but I now ask myself a different question that was posed to me recently by one of my mentors: 

“What would you be doing if you knew you would fail?” Implying, what would you be doing even if it wasn’t “successful” but if it was just because it makes you come alive, makes you happy and has a purpose? I think we can all be happy when we are in the process of doing something that makes the world a better place. 

K: I know you’re the owner of Baja Basics today, but what did you do before starting your business?

A: Well, I’ve always been into art and I’ve always been good with computers so I thought that graphic design was the way to go. My first job out of college was at a creative agency for two and a half years designing and developing websites. I then visited a non-profit organization Mozambique and this experience changed my life forever. I just couldn’t work a 9-5 anymore sitting at a desk. I quit my job and moved to Africa for about four years, flying back and forth to the states about every three months because I didn’t have a long term visa. I started volunteering for this organization while trying to stay sustainable by trying to become a “digital nomad” and run a freelance website design and development business. Eventually, I realized that I was trying to help others but that I was barely surviving myself.

So I came back to the US in 2017, determined to start my own business and create a way to not only be sustainable myself but to have the cash flow to eventually go back to Africa and to continue to help make a difference. But it wasn’t a smooth process. In the meantime, I worked for a tech start-up for 6 months and got certified as a holistic health coach and a yoga instructor. I really struggled to focus on just one thing!

But I’ve always been passionate about wellness and nutrition. And after studying holistic health through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, I realized the importance of not only what we put in our bodies but what we put on our bodies. And from this realization, Baja Basics was eventually born. 

K: Were you always focused on being an entrepreneur or did something spark your interest?

A: I always knew I wanted to start my own business. I don’t like being told what to do and I highly value my freedom 🙂 I think it was just a matter of time. Also, I always thought it would be fun to create jobs for people! 

K: Having your own business is probably a dream come true – being able to be in charge of your passion & business. But, I can only assume there’s been harder days or even phases throughout the process.  What have you done to keep yourself motivated?

A: There are definitely harder days. I would consider myself highly self-motivated and yet, there are still many days when I struggle to be disciplined. It helps to set goals and give myself deadlines. And put myself on a schedule. I don’t like routines or committing to plans in advance, but both of these things can be very helpful with regards to keeping oneself on track and staying motivated. 

K: What would you tell someone else thinking of starting their own business that feels like they can’t do it?  I often feel like there are a lot of people with ideas but are too fearful of failing.

A: I would say, I hope you’re not afraid of hard work and I hope the dream is something you love so much that you’re prepared to give up a normal life to do it. Be prepared to work really hard and put in lots of hours, especially in the beginning. I would say also consider the trade-offs. For example, I moved back in with my parents when I started Baja Basics because I wanted to bootstrap the business as much as possible. You may have to do things that feel like going backwards initially, but the freedom that results will be worth it in the long run!

Last thing I would say, although it may sound so cliche, is that if starting a business is really and truly your dream…then never, never, never give up! Just keep putting one foot in front of the other and you will get there. Don’t die in the desert when the oasis is just over the next hill! 

K: Let’s quickly talk about OILS!  What would you tell someone who’s afraid of oils, they’re used to applying moisturizer & have been doing it that way forever!

A: Great question! I actually have very oily skin and if someone had told me when I was a teenager that I’d be slathering oils all over my skin in my 20s well…I would have never believed them!

For someone who is skeptical, I’d suggest starting with a light oil such as Jojoba Oil or Prickly Pear Cactus Seed Oil. Jojoba Oil, for example is an oil that absorbs very easily into the skin. It is also the oil that is closest to the sebum your skin naturally produces. So whether you have dry or oily skin, Jojoba essentially “tricks” your skin into the right balance. Personally if I ever go overboard and accidentally apply a bit too much oil, I just take a small piece of Kleenex and dab it lightly on my skin to blot up any extra oil before applying makeup or going out of the house. 

K: If you had to pick ONE of your products to start with, what would it be & how would you use it? 

A: Rose Water! Seriously, can’t go wrong with this one. It makes an amazing facial toner and I also use it for aromatherapy because it just smells wonderful. Spritzing Rose Water on your face is the perfect pick-me-up any time of day. I also use it in my hair (in fact, I call it my “new dry shampoo”) because I don’t wash my hair very often and Rose Water stimulates hair growth as well as moisturizing the ends of my hair without adding any extra oil. Trust me, you won’t regret trying this “Insta-princess” in a bottle 🙂

K: What do you consider your greatest achievement, so far?

A: All the times I’ve listened to my heart when faced with hard decisions and following my inner guidance 

K: Do you enjoy what you do everyday?

A: For the most part! 

K: Do you have a morning routine?

A: Yes. Generally I wake up around 6am and I’m off for a run or a yoga session by 6:30am. I used to meditate in the mornings, but I’ve discovered that moving meditation works better for me. Hence, why I love running! I feel like I can clear my head, problem solve and come up with good ideas while on a run.

K: Can you share a favorite book or TV Series (or both!) that we can all binge this week??

A: I try my best not to watch any TV, but I watched a documentary recently called “The Game Changers” and I highly recommend it. I’ve never been a vegetarian but this movie almost has me convinced to cut out meat entirely. 

With regards to books, I’m currently digging The Celestine Prophecy. 

K: And on a sweet ending note, give me 3 things you’re grateful for right now.

A: My family

My freedom to travel

My wonderful community of fellow natural beauty enthusiasts 🙂

I know I’m definitely going to try Rose Water Spray in my hair – one thing I can’t believe I haven’t done yet!

I hope you enjoyed!  I’m currently thinking a People with Katie post will happen the first Monday of every month.  If you or someone you know would make a great interview, send me an email: katie@missbassmaster.com

Have a great week!

be thoughtful

Xx