BANK ON IT: Ashley Jeffrey, Entrepreneurship

Jacob Slaton

Ashley Jeffrey, Co-owner of Smoke + Smudge

Name: Ashley Jeffrey
Age: 29
Hometown: Little Rock
Job Title: Co-owner
Business Name: Smoke + Smudge

Describe your side-hustle turned self-care business:

Right now, I work with the other co-owners of Smoke + Smudge during the day, creating and distributing products, and at night, I work as an intensive care unit registered nurse (I have been a registered nurse for the last seven years). Our focus at Smoke + Smudge is to create access to natural home, body and energy care products. We sell a wide variety of products—from candles to body butters to smudging tools. I believe the things that we use in our homes play a significant role in our internal health. My larger vision and mission is to bring holistic health care practices into our communities to heal on a deeper level.

Did you always plan to go this route?

I always knew I would enter into the natural self-care industry. I have been collecting books on herbs, oils and other holistic care remedies since I was a teen.

In 2018, I wrote down that this was the type of business I wanted to create. In 2020, me and some of my best friends since middle school made it happen!

What would people be surprised to know about your job?

The women I work with have all been my best friends since elementary and middle school. It can be hard to work with friends while focusing on running a business, but we do our best every day to work in joy. It takes a lot of love, compassion, forgiveness and grace!

Did you have a financial mentor?

I never had a financial mentor, which I believe is why it took me so long to launch a shop. I had to learn and believe in the thought that I could do it and I could be successful, even with no business knowledge whatsoever. All I knew was nursing. Experience is sometimes a great teacher. I know if I had learned about finances at a younger age, I would’ve excelled much sooner. It’s never too late or too early to start working towards your visions. As long as you don’t stop, you will win.

If you never stop, you will end up at your destination.

"It’s never too late or too early to start working towards your visions. As long as you don’t stop, you will win.” – Ashley