Aslı Gümüşel: “Looks sell the first bottle. The product sells the second.”

Interview: Yeşim Çevik

Sometimes, a brand’s story doesn’t begin with a comprehensive business plan, but with a small coincidence. In the story of Ashley Joy, a hair oil formula composed of 24 botanical extracts inside an envelope evolved over the years into the first step of a brand reaching international markets.

In this interview with Aslı Gümüşel, we spoke not only about how Ashley Joy grew, but also about what curiosity, courage, consistency, and taking risks at the right time mean in entrepreneurship. We covered many topics: from balancing a personal brand with a corporate identity to the role of social media in purchasing decisions, growth targets in the European market, and the invisible obstacles female founders face.

What particularly stood out to me in Gümüşel’s story is how she used the question “Why bother with all this?”, which she encountered repeatedly over the years, not as a barrier, but as motivation to forge her own path. Perhaps that is precisely why her story is not just about a beauty brand, but about a founder following her inner voice.

Ms. Gümüşel, please introduce yourself briefly…

I am Aslı Gümüşel. I am the mother of two adult sons and the founder of Ashley Joy, but above all, I define myself as a woman who never stops being curious and productive.

I don’t like saying, “I’ve made it.” Learning, renewing myself, and following the new paths life reveals to me still excite me deeply.

“Courage means moving forward despite fear.”

When I founded Ashley Joy ten years ago, I followed this exact curiosity. Today, being among the pioneers of the “hair skinification” approach in Turkey and having shaped a brand that reaches 15 countries fills me with immense pride.

Beyond that, I am involved in projects supporting female entrepreneurs and work in cultural heritage preservation. Throughout my life, I often heard the phrase “Why bother with all this?” from people around me. Most of the time, I listened to my inner voice. My first book, Ne Gerek Vardı? (“Why Was That Necessary?”), which is coming out soon, is actually the exact story of this journey.

How did the idea for Ashley Joy come about? What gap did you see in such a competitive market?

Ashley Joy actually arose from a very personal need. During my pregnancy, I became more sensitive than ever to the ingredients in the products I used and started taking an interest in natural blends.

However, the real turning point was a chance encounter with an Indian herbal expert at a wedding in New York, an encounter I still describe today as a “divine coincidence.” After I helped him selflessly in Turkey, he handed me an envelope. Inside was the formula for a hair care oil made with 24 botanical extracts.

I tried the formula on myself first, and the transformation in my hair and scalp impressed me deeply. Then I began preparing and giving it to my close circle. The results they achieved were great as well.

That is how the story of the botanical hair care oil began today, one of Ashley Joy’s signature products and essentially the story of the entire brand.

“Visibility may sell the first bottle, but product performance sells the second.”

The gap I saw in the market at the time was very clear: there was a lack of a highly effective yet accessible brand that combined naturalness with scientific efficiency. Another important point was that hair care focused almost exclusively on the hair strands. We, on the other hand, placed the scalp at the center from the very beginning.

What we call “hair skinification” today applying the scientific approach of skincare to the hair and scalp became one of Ashley Joy’s core philosophies. We bring powerful natural ingredients together with science, biotechnology, and R&D.

Looking back now, I see that this little envelope was not just the beginning of a product, but the start of a decade-long brand.

How do you balance your personal visibility with the identity of the brand you founded? Would Ashley Joy be where it is today without Aslı Gümüşel?

There is a huge part of me in Ashley Joy’s DNA it wouldn’t be right to deny that. From the very first product and the communication tone to how we listen to the consumer and the risks we take, the brand grew through my perspective.

So, would Ashley Joy have been the same in its early years without Aslı Gümüşel? Probably not.

“Don’t listen too much to those who say, ‘What’s the point?’”

But today we stand at a different point. After ten years, Ashley Joy is now a business model bigger than myself. We have a strong team that is 80 percent women, and we are building the brand’s future together.

My personal visibility naturally gives the brand significant communication strength. I can open the door with my visibility, but what ensures the consumer keeps walking through that door is product quality, innovation, trust, and keeping our promises.

I may be the face of the brand, but Ashley Joy’s success was never a one-woman show.

How do you position your brand on social media? What percentage of sales do you think depends on your social media presence?

I don’t think it’s right to express the impact of social media on sales in a single percentage figure; it varies significantly depending on the product, channel, and timeframe. But there is no question that today, for a beauty brand, it is one of the strongest touchpoints in the purchasing decision.

We have never viewed social media purely as an advertising or sales channel. For me, it is a space where we listen to our customers, answer their questions, hear their feedback, and, above all, build trust.

“Never say, ‘I’ve made it.’”

On my own social media channels, too, I try to share genuine personal experiences rather than using promotional language. Consumers today can spot the difference between honesty and staged communication very clearly.

Social media creates visibility, sparks curiosity, and can be very powerful in driving the first purchase. But for me, the whole concept can be summarized quite simply: Visibility sells the first bottle; what sells the second bottle is the performance of the product.

Do you aim to bring Ashley Joy to the European market?

Actually, we put that plan into action long ago. From the very first day I founded Ashley Joy, my goal was not just to create a successful brand in Turkey, but to build a strong brand that expands from Turkey to the world.

Today, we export to 15 different countries. We are present in European markets such as Germany, Estonia, Latvia, and Albania, and we continue to grow through online channels across various markets, especially in Germany.

Our first physical store, which we will open in Tirana, is also an important step on this journey. Being present at international trade fairs like Beauty Istanbul and Cosmoprof is also extremely valuable for developing relationships with business partners in different markets.

However, I don’t view globalization merely as selling products in more countries. You have to understand the consumer, culture, and needs of each market, and continuously adapt both your product and your communication accordingly.

Our near-term goal is not just to make Ashley Joy a brand expanding globally from Turkey, but to become one of the Turkish brands that international markets immediately think of when “hair skinification” is mentioned.

If you were sitting across from the young Aslı Gümüşel 20 years ago who dreamed of self-employment, what advice would you give her?

First, I would tell her: You will be afraid. That is completely normal. Courage doesn’t mean having no fear, it means moving forward despite the fear.

Then I would tell her not to listen too much to those who say, “Why bother with all this?” Because a significant portion of the decisions that helped me grow the most in life were made during the exact moments I heard that sentence.

You must not allow other people’s fears to become your limits.

And I would tell her not to rush. Today, we have begun measuring success by immediate results. In my experience, however, success is much more a matter of consistency. Taking a small but meaningful step every day creates a grand path years later when you look back.

Lastly: Don’t say “I’ve made it,” no matter how old you are. Keep learning, changing, and staying current. Because the day a person loses their curiosity is the day they begin to age.

Looking back at the Aslı of 20 years ago, I see that the courage she needed was already inside her. I would simply tell her: “Trust yourself a little more; you are on the right path.”

In your opinion, what is the biggest invisible hurdle for female founders in Turkey?

I think one of the biggest invisible hurdles is that women’s self-confidence is questioned before their courage even has a chance to come into play.

And this isn’t always done by malicious people. Sometimes even those who love us most say, out of protection: “Why bother?”, “Don’t take risks,” “Don’t lose what you have.” After a while, that external voice can become your own inner voice.

“Don’t let other people’s fears become your limits.”

I experienced this myself. That’s why I believe one of the most critical turning points for female founders is overcoming this barrier within themselves first.

As a jury member for the Halkbank Üreten Kadınlar competition, I had the privilege of witnessing the stories of many female founders completely different lives, completely different businesses. But what they had in common was usually the same: at a certain point, they had chosen to believe in themselves.

Another key factor is solidarity among women. I believe women should not see each other as competitors, but as allies who clear the path for one another.

Because sometimes, a simple “You can do this” spoken by one woman to another can be the start of a much bigger change than we imagine.

If we asked you to suggest a name for our next interview, who would you recommend?

I would recommend Gamze Cizreli.

The fact that she built a brand from scratch, expanded it beyond Turkey’s borders, and preserved her entrepreneurial spirit throughout the entire journey is something I find immensely inspiring.

Especially as someone who believes that women draw strength from one another’s stories, I think what she has to share will offer valuable inspiration to many women.