“I needed space … when I became a mom, I felt really disconnected from myself as a person,” said Ashley Cheney, mother and owner of Boujie Hippie. Cheney opened her store in January of 2023 after selling a few of her products at a small local business, she felt it was time to take charge again.
When Cheney became pregnant with her first and only child, she no longer felt like herself, her identity quickly became all about being a mom. As a mother, Cheney didn’t want to miss out on all the firsts.
“I’m not having a biological child again after this. This is it. So, I wanted to see all the things, I wanted to see the first walks and hear the first words. But that was also really challenging because I also pictured myself as a working mom. I have major respect for stay-at-home parents, but it’s not my particular calling and that’s okay.”
However, she could no longer afford the self-care items she once enjoyed after leaving her job. Money started going to things such as diapers, formula and other necessities.
After her son was born, Cheney decided to start making her own self care products. She began to learn how to use herbs and essential oils and the way they impact the human body and, in the process, began to learn more about herself. She felt like she always lived in everyone’s perception, but it was finally time to live for her.
“Everything was changing a lot both inside and outside of my house and so I started discovering my own beliefs and my own spirituality.”
Cheney grew up in a conservative household with a strict and reserved environment. Her surroundings were almost shameful.
“I felt like I had to compartmentalize for years who I was. I felt like I had to shut down a part of me to make people comfortable.”
Having to shut down for other people affected Cheney as a mother and pushed her to create a safe and welcoming environment where she really just wants her son to be kind and happy.
“I love my kid. I always have but it was a really difficult transition of person to mother and then trying to go back to finding myself as a person again. I just want to show my son that you can be both. You can be mom and you can also still follow what feeds your soul.”
