Warning: This article discusses rape.
A savvy business mind, determined work ethic and unwavering drive helped a young woman create a business that is set to turn over millions.
But behind her ambition, focus and success, Ashley Allen, 30, kept secret a harrowing truth as to how her passion for the beauty industry was formed.
Built from unfathomable and tragic circumstances, the foundation of her eyelash empire was inspired by trauma from when, at nine years old, the mother-of-three was sexually assaulted by her friend's relative.
Back then, the young, bright-eyed and happy kid loved playing netball and had an interest in sports.
She adored spending time with others her own age and nothing was more fun than spending the night at a mate's place.
During a stay one weekend at her friend's house in 1997, the evening started out like any other sleepover.
The girls ate dinner before going to bed, but it was hot and they asked to sleep in the rumpus room.
Once settled in bed, Ashley heard the garage door open and her friend's relative walked through the door.
"I thought it was weird that he was coming in to play with us," she told Newshub.
He came over to the queen-sized bed they were in and began tickling Ashley's friend.
Ashley remembers the man then reached over to her and started to inappropriately touch her underneath her blankets.
"As a nine-year-old kid, you just don't comprehend. You have no understanding of what it is," she explained.
About eight months after the incident, Ashley mentioned to an older friend what the man had done that night, unaware of its perverted nature and ill intent. The friend then told Ashley's mother Shirlee.
"Of course we went to the police straight away," Shirlee Phillips told Newshub.
"It went through all of the usual processes that they take it through but eventually it got to the point where inevitably they just did not have enough evidence."
Although the police were incredibly supportive and determined to help Ashley, ultimately it was her word against his.
Ms Phillips was left feeling in one moment like she had not protected her daughter from the unpredictable cruelty and harm others can pass on to people, but devastatingly it was not the first time her trust had been breached.
In 1989, a man entered Ms Phillips' home in St Lukes, Auckland, while her husband was working night shift - and raped her twice. She had her two young boys in the bath and Ashley, a baby, had just been put down to sleep.
Ms Phillips told Newshub that man, Joseph Stephenson Thompson, trespassed into their space, threatened Ms Phillips and her children with a knife and forced her to do what he said.
She was 27 years old, and had no idea at the time how that experience would one day give her knowledge to guide her young daughter through a similar horrific circumstance.
In the years following Ashley's assault as a tween, her life faced minimal disruption as she was unable to fully grasp the seriousness of her offender's actions.
That changed, however, in high school, when Ashley started having flash backs.
"I wasn't affected immediately after it happened because I didn't know what sexual abuse was," she said.
"In high school, I became extremely depressed, the reminders of that experience left me with no self-esteem, I had no confidence in myself.
"I couldn't even look at myself in a mirror, so I was really mentally not well and it got to a point where I was suicidal. I hated who I was.
"That's when my Mum opened up to me and told me about her own experience. I would have been about 14 or 15 years old at the time."
"She let me know that she was raped at knifepoint.
"My mum used that experience to teach me about forgiveness, forgiving that person that did that to me.
"At first, I really thought that I had issues, but it made me feel like I wasn't alone. With my mum telling me her experience, I think for me it was shocking to my core.
"For her to go through what she did, it was 10 times worse than me. To know that my mum could go through something like that and then be who she is today, you would never ever think she went through that."
Ms Phillips said it was hideous to hear what her daughter had gone through.
"It challenges every kind of emotion that you have, your responsibility as a parent, all that kind of stuff.
"It's a bit difficult to advise people if you're coming from a place where you've got no real knowledge of what they're suffering. Because she's my daughter my first interest is 'you're not going down with that', 'we are not having you go down'.
"There was real thoughts of suicide and very depressed and she was lacking self-esteem. She really was going through a hard time, and my priority was changing the perception for her so she could get through and not have her life stolen out from under her.
"From my own experience that I had when she was a baby, I just didn't want her life stolen out from under her.
"I wanted her to know that you will get past this. At first it's always a mission of 'you love your child and trying to be sensitive', but at times there was a real reaction from having to get a bit serious with her as well, so she could begin healing and get through it," Ms Phillips told Newshub.
Ashley learned from her mum the power of accepting what had happened, forgiving the man who sexually assaulted her and moving forward.
"I think learning about forgiveness and truly walking through that, people think you forgive and you forget, but it's not like that - it's a journey that you have to go through.
"I'm free now. Forgiving him meant that I could start living again; he was holding me back from living my life - my best life - and I was believing an absolute lie about myself. I was living back there."
After Ashley revealed the dark place she was stuck in to her mum, the pair would spend time on makeup and hair together to try and bring some confidence back as she counselled her through her pain.
"This is why the beauty industry means so much to me - for me, it has never been about vanity at all."
"Because I shared with my mum that I had no self-esteem, she would do my hair or let me do my makeup, but it would make me feel beautiful and it made a difference to my day."
Ashley credits the help from her mum enabling her to move on and achieve success within her industry, launching two official Ashley Allen Eyelash Extensions in Auckland stores this year.
"Now I am able to make other women feel beautiful every day," Ashley said.
Her attacker was never convicted for the sexual assault, but Ms Phillips found comfort in knowing serial rapist, Joe Thompson, is off the streets after he was jailed in 1995.
He pleaded guilty to 129 charges - 46 of which were sexual violations against women and girls, and another 15 counts of rape.
"I had to make a decision, I am either going to kill myself over the situation or I need to start making some steps. It wasn't fast, I just made these baby steps to move forward and go 'I am going to work on forgiving him' and I got there in the end.
"If you can't forgive them for what they have done, it holds you in that place and it holds you in that situation.
"I felt like the longer I was there, the deeper I was getting into my depression.
"I think a part of it was saying to myself 'I am not my past', and instead 'I am superwoman'."
Where to find help and support:
- Rape Crisis – 0800 883 300 (for support after rape or sexual assault)
- Need to Talk? - Call or text 1737
- Lifeline - 0800 543 354 or (09) 5222 999 within Auckland
- Youthline - 0800 376 633, text 234, email talk@youthline.co.nz or online chat
- Samaritans - 0800 726 666
- Depression Helpline - 0800 111 757
- Suicide Crisis Helpline - 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO)
Newshub.
