Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley French.
Hi Ashley, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am a realtor and an avid DIYer. Three years ago, we had just moved into our second home which was a total fixer-upper and needed a complete renovation. I was a new mom with a 6-month-old and my husband worked a full-time job in law enforcement. I relied on my husband to do 90% of the work around the house and felt so guilty asking him to spend his very few days off working on renovations projects around the house and not getting a chance to relax. I hated feeling helpless and that I would never have my dream home. So, one day I decided I was going to learn how to use power tools and how to tackle DIY projects so I could start helping out around the house. I spent many hours watching videos and reading articles online teaching me what I needed to know. My husband also started teaching me how to use our power tools. I started with the saw, then the nail gun, and slowly learned how to use tons of tools. I started to feel confident and empowered to do my own DIY projects around the house and 3 years later I have completed hundreds of projects since then. Now, it is my mission to help other women learn how to use power tools and confidently tackle DIY projects around their homes too so they don’t have to rely on someone else to do the work. I want women to stop saving and pinning pictures of their dream home and start to actually create their dream home on their own! I know that if I can learn to use power tools and tackle DIY home projects, anyone can learn. On my Instagram, TikTok, and Blog I share tons of tips and education to help others learn how to DIY. I invite questions from my followers so I can help them with any projects they are working on. Over the past couple years, I have become known for the DIY accent walls that I have installed in my home. I recently just launched an Accent Wall video tutorial program that teaches others how to install their own accent wall step by step. I created the videos to be very beginner-friendly and easy to follow. In another couple weeks, I will be sharing a “Power tools for beginners” video course that teaches you how to use 9 different power tools. I get so many questions and comments from women saying they wish they could learn how to use power tools and this video will teach them everything they need to know to confidently use power tools. All my education is geared toward someone who has no experience and has possibly never even picked up a hammer. I am really passionate about helping women realize that they do not need to rely on their spouse or family member to tackle the projects around the house or feel the guilt of expecting their spouse to spend their days off doing all the house projects. I want women to know that they are capable of doing these projects on their own!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I really struggled personally after we moved into our fixer-upper. I had a new baby and felt like we had made a mistake in buying this fixer-upper that needed so much work. My husband worked so much and I felt like he would never have the time to do all the projects that needed to be done. When I first started to try to learn how to use power tools and how to DIY, my biggest struggle was that there really weren’t any videos out there that taught at an extremely beginner level. There were also virtually zero educational videos taught by women. I was really having to learn on my own and learn from the many mistakes I was making. My husband was glad to help and teach me when he was not working.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialize in sharing affordable DIY home renovations, furniture makeovers, DIY accent walls, power tools tips, and education, easy room makeovers, thrift store shopping tips, DIY home decor, and how to create affordable dupes for expensive home decor items. I have become most known for my accent walls, DIY renovations, and thrift store decor makeovers. I think what sets me apart is that I try to teach at the most beginner level, share detailed info and steps on what I am doing, and keep my projects very affordable and doable for my followers.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
In the next 5-10 years I think my industry of DIY and home renovation will see a lot of females rise to the top. I think this industry will not be as male-driven. I believe more and more people are going to want to learn how to renovate their own homes on their own since we are working from home and spending more and more time at our homes. I also see a lot more live video training becoming popular so people can learn the skills without having to leave their homes.
Pricing:
- accent video tutorials start at $20
- power tools beginner training starting at $25
Contact Info:
- Email: ashleyfrenchdesigns@gmail.com
- Website: www.mrsashleyfrench.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/mrsashleyfrench
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv2XTt3epZKIp_Mt3rNiOcg
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@mrsashleyfrench
