Inspiring Conversations with Tammy Ash of Designs by Ash

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tammy Ash.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Hi, my name is Tammy Ash, and I am the owner & stylist for Designs by Ash, LLC. I have been a licensed Stylist & Nail Tech for 33 years in Missouri and 8 years in Kansas.​

I’ve always had the dream of owning my own salon, but my destiny was to go out and about helping people that couldn’t get out on their own whether it was due to health issues or disabilities. I cater to anyone that is home, hospital, or facility bound, including the families of my clients! What started as just a couple of clients has now become 60 companies ranging from Hospice to Hospitals sending me clients in just the short 8 years I’ve been in business!

Unfortunately, a lot of my clients either don’t have the means to take care of their own hair and it results in severe matting. This is more than just hard to manage, it’s dangerous as it can lead to numerous health issues. I specialize in getting severe matting out no matter how bad it is to get my client’s hair back to a manageable state that they can be proud of!

I also offer nail and toenail cutting and filing services, regardless of how thick or bad the toenails are. Since I am mobile, I can’t offer the full-blown mani/Pedi experience, but I can get your nails back in decent shape for you!

Outside of doing hair, I am an Ally for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and I’ve been on tv and radio all over the US helping to bring awareness to childhood cancer & have helped to raise over $30 million because, without the hospital, I wouldn’t have a family today.

I also work for the Kansas City Chiefs in Guest Services, so you can see that I am a people person that goes out of my way to make people happy & comfortable, whether it’s my clients, childhood cancer children, or the fans at GEHA Arrowhead stadium.

My passion is helping those who can’t help themselves, so please feel free to share my website and call if you would like business cards and I will gladly mail some to you!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s actually been a fairly smooth road because I see the need and made my mind up to do whatever I could to make my dream come true. I started mailing flyers and business cards to companies I found online, made my company into Designs by Ash, LLC and the clients slowly started coming in! Since what I do is a specialty service and I deal a lot with hospice, I am always marketing and having to make sure people know I am here for them.

My biggest fear was when COVID hit because the world started shutting down and I was just beginning to get noticed as a company! I didn’t know what I was going to do, because this is my life, and I didn’t want to see all my work just stop like it didn’t matter. I spent about 2 hours feeling sorry for myself then decided to do what I always do, make it happen anyway!

I called the Governor’s office on the day COVID broke and everyone was told to start staying home and asked what I needed to do so I could become an essential company and stay in business. By just that phone call and explaining that there is a need for in-home hair care because my clients are forced to stay home on a daily basis anyway and still needed my help, I became an In-Home Hospice Stylist and stopped going to the 6 nursing homes I was at as a Stylist and I’m now considered as essential as anyone else in the healthcare field as I provide a service to those that can’t help themselves. I also offer my services to the caregivers and their families as I know it’s not always easy for them to go to the salon either.

In just 2 short years I went from 6 companies sending me clients to 60 companies! While I stay busy, I’m always taking new clients and I also do hair for after-life in funeral homes for services!

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At Designs by Ash, LLC, I specialize in the Severely Disabled, Hospice, Alzheimer/Dementia, Autistic, and home-bound clients. If someone has a disability or sickness and can’t take care of their own hair, I am here for them!

I offer my services at home, in facilities, or in Hospital rooms. I bring all the supplies with me including a special funnel that allows my clients to sit upright while getting a perm or their hair washed. This allows the water to funnel back into the sink while my clients are 100% comfortable the entire time.

I also offer haircut services to bedridden clients that can’t get up. My clients are able to sit in chairs or wheelchairs the entire time they are getting service because their comfort is the most important thing to me. I also do after-hair life hair care for funeral home services. In addition to hair care, I also offer nail and toenail trimming and filing.

Unfortunately, with traveling, I can’t offer full-blown manicures and pedicures, but no nails are too tough or thick as I’ve got professional clippers and I’m a licensed Nail Tech.

I do my best to keep my prices affordable and as close to salon prices as possible while not charging a travel fee! I live in Richmond, MO, but I travel up to 1 hour and 15 mi in all directions to include Olathe, Overland Park, and the surrounding areas of the KC Metro area as I’m licensed in both Missouri and Kansas!

How do you define success?
I define success as following your dreams and goals against all odds and making them come true. When I started Designs by Ash, LLC, I had no clients, but a drive to be a business owner and to not only be successful but to help people that can’t help themselves. Everyone deserves to look good no matter what their health status is.

I knew my moment of success had arrived when I got a frantic call from a daughter needing her Mom’s hair cut within the hour as she was passing away. I didn’t think twice, I just rearranged clients and went straight there. When I asked her why the urgency, because I do hair at funeral homes, she said, “I want my Momma to look good when she goes to see Jesus and I trust you.”

That moment stopped me in my tracks and I knew at that time, my dream of being successful had come true. I was helping people in not only their times of need but also their times of great sorrow to feel better.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.designbyashllc.com