Anna Ashley: Empowering Women Through Tropic Skincare and Community Leadership
In today’s fast-moving world, women are increasingly seeking flexible opportunities that allow them to balance career aspirations with personal commitments. Anna Ashley has become a shining example of how determination, education, and ethical entrepreneurship can be combined to build a career that is both rewarding and inspiring. From her early years in education to her entrepreneurial success with Tropic Skincare and her dedication to community projects such as Pop Up Lindfield, Anna has created a career path that empowers not only herself but countless other women around her.
This article explores her journey in detail, highlighting her educational foundation, her roles in teaching and tutoring, her experience with ASPIRE Sussex, her innovative FunkyParent workshops, and most notably, her role as a Tropic Skincare Ambassador. Each of these stages has shaped her into a woman whose mission is to empower others to achieve financial independence and personal fulfilment.
Educational Foundation
University of London and Early Studies
Anna began her academic journey at City, University of London, where she pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Music between 1999 and 2002. This period not only honed her creative talents but also helped her develop organisational, communication, and leadership skills that would later play a vital role in her career.
University of Sussex and Teacher Training
Her passion for education led her to the University of Sussex, where she completed her Graduate Teacher Training in Primary Education in 2006–2007. She earned her Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), setting her on the path of becoming a skilled and versatile educator. This stage of her career cemented her interest in working closely with children, parents, and the community.
Teaching and Early Career
Primary School Teacher at Southdown Junior School
Anna spent more than three years at Southdown Junior School, working as a Primary School Teacher. Beyond her teaching responsibilities, she took on the role of Geography Co-ordinator, showcasing her ability to manage both curriculum and whole-school initiatives. She also served as a GTP School-based Tutor, helping new trainees adapt to the challenging yet rewarding environment of teaching.
Administrative Roles
Before moving fully into education and entrepreneurship, Anna gained valuable administrative experience. She worked as a Personal Assistant to the Syllabus Principal at ABRSM, where she handled organisation, travel, and the collation of teaching resources. She also held roles at the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace and Buckingham Palace Shop, where her organisational skills and ability to work under pressure were further developed.
Tutoring with Anna Ashley
While her full-time teaching career was fruitful, Anna soon expanded her expertise into private tutoring. Through her initiative, Tutoring with Anna Ashley, she offered Maths and English tutoring to primary students. This step gave her the flexibility to manage her own schedule while continuing to impact children’s education.
Tutoring provided her with a deeper connection to families, allowing her to tailor lessons to each child’s unique needs. Over the years, she has built a reputation for patience, creativity, and effectiveness, ensuring her students not only improve academically but also gain confidence in their abilities.
ASPIRE Sussex Limited
Anna’s work with ASPIRE Sussex Limited showcased her ability to work with adults as well as children. As a Family Learning Tutor, she taught practical and engaging courses designed to strengthen family bonds and equip parents with valuable skills.
Her courses included:
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Cooking with children
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Make a maths bag
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Family skills for parents with English as an additional language
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Art in nature
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Getting ready for school
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Science in primary school
This role highlighted Anna’s creativity and versatility, as she designed workshops that were fun, educational, and practical for families across West Sussex.
FunkyParent: Workshops with Personality
In 2015, Anna launched FunkyParent, a project aimed at offering workshops, classes, and consultancy for parents and children. Her vision was to create engaging experiences that combined fun with learning, addressing both educational needs and family wellbeing.
The workshops ranged from creative art activities to skill-building sessions that encouraged confidence in children. FunkyParent quickly became known for its innovation and for Anna’s ability to bring personality and energy into every class. This initiative not only supported families but also allowed Anna to strengthen her entrepreneurial skills.
Pop Up Lindfield: Supporting Local Business
Creator and Organiser
In 2018, Anna created Pop Up Lindfield, an initiative designed to bring together local entrepreneurs and artisans through pop-up shops. As the Creator and Organiser, she took responsibility for every aspect of these events, from stallholder recruitment to advertising and social media promotion.
Community Impact
The success of Pop Up Lindfield lies in its ability to promote local talent while offering residents a vibrant shopping experience. Anna’s organisational skills ensured that these events became a regular and much-anticipated feature of the community. Her efforts provided a platform for small businesses to showcase their products and connect directly with customers, contributing to the growth of the local economy.
Tropic Skincare: A New Chapter
Joining Tropic Skincare
In 2018, Anna embraced a new challenge as a Tropic Skincare Ambassador. This role allowed her to combine her passion for ethical, cruelty-free, and high-quality products with her mission to empower women. Tropic Skincare, known for its freshly made natural products, provided Anna with the platform to create both financial independence for herself and opportunities for others.
Empowering Women
Anna’s work with Tropic goes beyond sales. She focuses on mentoring women, offering training on social media, organising pamper evenings, and demonstrating how to run a successful social selling business. Her guidance helps women build flexible careers that fit around their family and lifestyle commitments.
Ethical and Product-Led Business
A significant part of Anna’s success lies in the alignment between her values and Tropic’s ethos. The company’s dedication to being natural, cruelty-free, and sustainable matches her commitment to ethical entrepreneurship. By promoting products she genuinely believes in, Anna inspires trust and loyalty among her clients and team members.
Personal Qualities and Leadership
Anna Ashley’s journey reflects qualities that are essential for success in today’s business world:
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Leadership: From teaching roles to community events, she has consistently taken initiative.
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Creativity: Her ability to design innovative workshops and events demonstrates her forward-thinking mindset.
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Mentorship: Whether tutoring children or guiding women in Tropic Skincare, she thrives in empowering others.
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Community Spirit: Projects like Pop Up Lindfield show her dedication to supporting and uplifting those around her.
Conclusion
The story of Anna Ashley is not just about personal success but about the ripple effect one individual can have on a community. From her early teaching career and private tutoring to her workshops with FunkyParent and her leadership in Pop Up Lindfield, she has consistently sought ways to educate, support, and inspire others. Her role as a Tropic Skincare Ambassador has taken this mission to new heights, enabling her to empower women to achieve financial independence while promoting ethical, high-quality products.
In an era where flexibility and empowerment are key to modern careers, Anna stands as an inspiring figure. Her ability to combine education, entrepreneurship, and community spirit demonstrates that with passion and determination, women can build businesses that are not only successful but also transformative for those around them.
