
From high school sweethearts to newlyweds and business partners, Ashley and Charles Young are making sure they are the representation of a power couple and a strong marriage rooted in God. So much so that their journey is not only inspiring but shows the authenticity of two people supporting each other as they grow and evolve. In relationships, if you want to take on new ventures such as going back to school or starting a new business, supporting each other before and after the honeymoon is important. For the Youngs, it wasn’t their initial plan to go into business together. But after their struggles while planning for their big day, it was the inspiration they needed to change the game for others that may have experienced something similar.
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“We were planning a destination wedding in Cancun, Mexico. I had this vision for my bridesmaids to be in these vibrant colors, fitted dresses, and something that I had never seen before. I really wanted the gowns to flatter them. I was searching high and low, and I would say to Charles, ‘Why can’t I find anything that is attractive for my girls?’ I finally landed on something at a non-traditional bridal store, but it had what I was looking for. My girls instantly lit up and were taking pictures all night, and we went viral,” said Ashley.
After seeing the positive reaction from the wedding dresses, this was the beginning of Ashley and Charles stepping into entrepreneurship together. The goal was to start a company that would help serve the community in a more inclusive way. In the wedding industry, there is a lack of diversity and representation of not just ethnically but of the type of garments and sizes that are available for soon-to-be brides and grooms. So Ashley and Charles created the first Black-owned bridal tech company called Bridal Babes. Bridal Babes is an online platform that aims to transform the bridal industry by providing beautiful, curve-hugging gowns in an inclusive size range for all ethnicities and body types. As they continued to build Bridal Babes, the newfound business owners had the chance to go on “Shark Tank” and really show the world their innovative brand. Thankfully, the couple’s experience on the well-known tv show was a good one. Ashley and Charles landed a deal with Emma Grede, CEO and co-founder of Good American and SKIMS, at $250,000 for 20% equity. Since then, the co-founders have been able to really take off. After the episode aired in October, the company saw a 200% increase in inquiries.
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Before becoming entrepreneurs in the $72 billion dollar industry, the Young’s love story actually starts at a high school Christmas concert, where they first met. While they did not jump into a relationship quickly, it was their friendship that kept them connected over the years and helped them grow into loving one another.
Ashley: Charles went to the all-boys school, and I went to the all-girls school. We only had a few mixers every year. So I was talking with one of my friends, who went to school with Charles, and I saw Charles walk into the room. He had this Carl Thomas sweater on, and he looked sophisticated. I turned to my friend and said that Charles was going to be my husband. I manifested it in that moment. I walked up to Charles and introduced myself, and have been almost inseparable ever since.
Charles: We initially stayed friends, and I was surprised how well we got along together. Eventually, as we started dating, I would say towards the end of senior year when I thought to myself, “I think I love this girl.” I thought Ashley would be the one I would marry because we started off as friends, and we can have fun together.
Finding friendship and love in a person is imperative to have a long-lasting partnership. It provides the opportunity to appreciate the good things that stand out in one another. According to Ashley and Charles, there are certain things they admire about one another and remind them why they fell in love in the first place.
Ashley: I love Charles’ presence. I remember when we were on Shark Tank, I was a little nervous. But reminding myself I had my man and my partner with me helped me feel less worried. As soon as Charles stepped into the room, everybody was in awe. His presence is so powerful. My second favorite thing about Charles is that he is an amazing father. I am lucky enough that I found my husband when I was in high school. I am grateful to have seen his evolution after all these years.
Charles: One of the things that is striking about Ashley is that she can be a mirror. Ashley can let you know what is going on and why it is going that way. There may be things you may not want to hear, but a true friend will give you what you need versus the things you want. A lot of people won’t tell you what is beneficial for you. So I can always trust that she is doing that for me. Another thing I love about Ashley is her mind. I have been able to see her grow and mature into the woman that she is today. Being able to see that maturity, I also saw the hurdles that she had to overcome. Sometimes it’s hard to face yourself and do the work to become who you want to be. She has always been a visionary.
When it comes to marriage, even if you may have known someone for 10+ years prior, it is not the easiest transition. As a single, you have been operating in one way that has been working for you individually. But, with a spouse, now you have to consider operating as a unit. With that, you really start to learn about yourself a little bit more, including the bad habits. Whether you may notice the habits or not, there is some unlearning that needs to take place in order to be a better partner. Ashley and Charles know this well and mentioned the mindsets they needed to let go of in order to grow together.
Ashley: For me, I always grew up around very strong women. So I had to learn about relinquishing that control. When you’re married, it is not all on you. You have a team member that is there to support you, whether it is emotionally, financially, or physically. So I had to release the idea that I had to handle everything on my own.
Charles: The first habit I needed to change was the need to always have to be right. I didn’t know I had that issue until one day when I was talking to one of my boys. So becoming self-aware and understanding was a big hurdle for me in our marriage and in our communication. Ashley and I come from very different backgrounds. Bringing those cultures together and communicating better was something we had to work through. The last and most important thing has been my relationship with God. Bettering my relationship with God has helped guide me down the right path. So when things get a little crazy, there’s a pulse you can follow that if you stick to them, things will be okay.
As the Youngs continued to change their own behaviors, the couple underwent another change at the beginning of their union, running their own business. As you can imagine, there are twists and turns that you have to go through when you are establishing a company. For Ashley and Charles, there were a few early challenges that they navigated through to not only help Bridal Babes become sustainable but work better as a team.
Charles: The earliest challenge in the business for us was communication. At the time with the pandemic and having two kids under 2, communication was important. So we had to hold everything together while figuring things out along the way. It may take certain people ten years to reach a certain level of communication. But we had a lot of pressure and honed in on our communication skills more because we had to in order for our family and business to grow.
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Ashley: Another challenge was defining roles for ourselves in the business. People always ask ‘How do you work with your husband?’ But I have a studio, and Charles has a warehouse. I primarily work on sales, marketing, and design. While Charles works on the operations and the logistics in the business. So I think that has been an important step for us because if everyone is trying to do everything, nothing will get done. That has also helped us streamline a lot of our processes.
On the bright side, despite the early challenges, Ashley and Charles have learned great lessons along the way that have brought them closer in their personal lives as well as business. One of those lessons is to keep the romance alive. So in order to not stay in work mode 24/7, the Youngs started to use what they learned in business and applied it to their day to day. Because when you are able to maintain your personal life, the business is positively impacted and vice versa.
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Ashley: I think scheduling important things has been something that has helped our marriage. For business, we have certain things scheduled out. We realized in our personal lives, we were really just winging it. So we started to transition scheduling over and calendaring our vacations, kids birthday parties, and date nights. Your personal life really impacts the success of your business. If your personal life is running smoothly, then you’re freed up to work on your business and vice versa.
Charles: Being in business with Ashley has taught me now to leave your ego at the door. Before you walk into a business meeting, you leave your ego at the door in order to get a good deal. So I am more aware that if we have to have a conversation about something and for us to communicate best, the ego cannot be in that conversation.
All in all, as a husband and wife entrepreneurial team, a shared common goal for Ashley and Charles is to have God as their foundation. With a growing family and business, being faithful servants and using the Bible as a guide will help everything else fall into place. The Youngs hope to continue making a difference in their community and grow emotionally, spiritually, and mentally.
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