Houston-area TikTok Influencer, stay-at-home mom joins influential 'Squad'
HOUSTON - A small town girl is making it big on social media.
Ashley West, a stay-at-home mom with two young children, is now part of what's called the "2023 Sephora Squad."
"It was a total pinch me moment, a dream come true," stated West.
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The 32-year-old is known on TikTok and Instagram as her handle states, "SouthernWestSunshine."
From Village Mills, Texas, a small city located north of Beaumont, West has reached millions of people with her creative content online.
After a video of her yodeling went viral on TikTok, West began expanding her platforms.
"So I was a speech pathologist for five years. So when the pandemic hit, I was pregnant. At the time we didn't really know how it (COVID) was going to affect pregnant women," stated the influencer. "So my husband and I just decided, you know what, why don't you take a break. So I was like, well I'll just try to do some little funny TikTok videos on the side and see what happens. It's funny because the video that went viral was me yodeling."
West then turned to sharing content she was really passionate about and that included hair and makeup videos.
"And it just kind of evolved into this community of individuals who love beauty just as much as I do."
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West decided to apply for the opportunity to be selected as a Sephora Squad member.
It's a competitive process amongst content creators that involves getting testimonials from followers and others.
On Wednesday, West found out she was part of the 2023 Sephora Squad and shared her reaction on TikTok!
"I'm so thankful. Anyone who put out a sweet testimonial about me, took their time out of their day to write, it's just an amazing, amazing thing to see come to fruition."
As a "Squad" member, she'll not only receive beauty products, but she'll be able to take part in influencer events, professional development and other opportunities throughout the year.
"I am going to get to work with so many incredible brands and meet so many incredible artists and people, especially in this beauty space, and then I go home and I fold laundry and take care of my two kids. So it feels very much that. I just am so thankful for this opportunity and my mind is blown honestly. It still hasn't sunk in."
She strives to be a reminder to other moms saying it's important to take time for yourself and find something you enjoy doing.
"Being a mom is a superpower. It really is. We are superhuman. And ultimately, if you are like me, sometimes you can forget who that person was before you had kids. So it's getting back into that rhythm of oh yeah I do like hair and makeup. And taking time every single day to do something even if it's small it makes all the difference."
You can follow Ashley West on Instagram and TikTok @southernwestsunshine.