Aisha Best knows that most people think that the last job someone with depression would want to dive into is the beauty industry. It’s competitive and the constant customer interaction spooks most people. But when Best was fighting with depression, it saved her and provided a life for her two children.
Best considers herself an Afro-Latina. She was born in Panama where nobody blinked at the color of her dark skin. Then she moved to Salinas, where she spent her formative years. The inclusive attitude that she once knew was not present in her new home as her peers pressured her to pick her identity. “It was either/or back then,” she says.
Though she was more bashful about speaking up as a teen, she now sees her experiences – be it as a single mom or as Afro-Latina – as one of her strengths as a top-seller for Avon. Today, she’s one of the several faces gracing Avon’s Campaign 19, a new ad campaign that features Avon’s best sellers as models.
The Avon rep talks about proving people wrong about surface-level appearances and the rewarding hustle that is the beauty industry.
Weekly: Why did you move to the U.S.?
Best: My mom was already here. She was remarried and [she and her husband] were stationed in Salinas. After the Panama Invasion (December 1989), there was just war and poverty. My dad didn’t want us to be subjected to all that. So he sent us to live with my mom. He stayed.
What was it like for you living in Salinas?
For starters, it was extremely cold. But it was a complete culture shock for me. I felt so different. Back then in the ’90s, there were a lot of gangs in the area, and everything was divided by race. Because of the color of my skin, people automatically thought I was black. But then they realized I spoke Spanish. Aside from that, I had a very diverse group of friends who were really cool.
What do you do when Latinos misidentify you as black?
It’s funny because when most people look at me they see African American, but that’s the reason I speak in Spanish to them because then it kind of changes their outlook on me. I think some people are scared of it. Some ask why I speak Spanish and that’s a good question, because it’s a teaching moment. I then get to tell them that in my country everyone speaks Spanish – light-skinned, dark-skinned or of native descent. I know not everyone is used to seeing that, but it’s a very cool opportunity.
Can you tell me a little about your depression?
I was laid off in 2013 from a corporate law firm. It felt like a rug was being pulled out right from under me. I was so used to getting up early, commuting through traffic. I have two kids and they were my responsibility. For a while I had the severance package to pay the bills, but then when that was gone, I felt destroyed. But then I looked at my kids and I had to find a plan. I just had to do it. I couldn’t be a failure.
What made you go to Avon?
I did Avon once before in 2003 so I knew the company. But when I was laid off I also realized that I was contributing to somebody else’s dream. So I started back up in 2015, after I let being laid off really sink in. I began selling and recruiting again, but Avon really was there for me.
What is it like working with Avon?
When I’m just with my customers, I get the satisfaction of a close-knit relationship. I’m testing the products, I’m buying the products and they get to share all of that with me. There is a self-fulfillment that I get that I never had at that corporate law firm. In that job, I didn’t know where I was going. But with Avon I think my self-belief and self-esteem has increased.
When I got the opportunity to work on Campaign 19, I was surprised how familiar everybody was with each other.You wouldn’t think you would be chatting with the VP of a corporation, because it’s a huge business, but it was so welcoming.
Is it hard being in the beauty industry?
There’s a good and bad side to it. It is really competitive and there really isn’t just one solution to one customer’s concerns. There are tons of products out there, and if you’re selling a product you have to believe in it or you can’t relate to your customers. I’m constantly trying to keep myself educated.