ABOUT ME

Where I’ve Been and Where I’m Heading…

Working in the retail and customer service industry has given me so many unique opportunities to connect with people on such a deep level. I would have to say that there is one experience that resonates with me the most. Back in 2021, I was working at David’s Bridal in Westminster, Colorado. Two customers had run in and were looking for dresses they could wear as mother and grandmother of the groom for a wedding the next day. They had just flown in from Chicago and the airline had lost their luggage. I was able to help them find new dresses, connect with the airline so that the representatives would reimburse them for their purchases with me, and found them a tailor that could hem their outfits with a 24 hour rush. The two ladies were able to make it to the rehearsal dinner that night and had their dresses altered by the ceremony the following day. They sent me a letter months later with pictures of themselves in their new dresses and the bride and groom. They let me know what an amazing experience they had and at the bottom of the letter read, “We love you, Ashley! Kindly, Your biggest fans from Chicago.” That note made me realize what a large impact one person could make and made me want to pursue a career in the service industry that much more.
Beginning a campaign, starting a new project, or planning a new event are all some of the most exciting stages of a design cycle.

I’ve always considered myself to be deeply creative and the brainstorming sessions are where I believe my skills really begin to shine. I love looking at all of these opportunities like blank canvases and spend a good amount of time compiling my thoughts before I begin to add color. There’s a mechanical side to each of these projects too. Brainstorming and creative strategy only get you so far. I enjoy figuring out how to get these ideas off the ground just as much!
I’ve realized that I’ve found a lot of enjoyment in business development and client contracts and given my rich background in sales, would welcome the opportunity to learn more about how to properly vet new client prospects and contract negotiations.

I was born and raised in Garner, North Carolina, and spent 99% of my time outside of school dancing like a full-time job. Ballet was my passion and I spent every ounce of free time in the studio soaking up as much of it as I could. It was through ballet that I learned so much discipline, hard work, and dedication. Ballet was an art, and my teachers were strict but so insightful. It was common knowledge in class that no matter how good your skills looked, there was always something you could improve on. Toes could be more pointed, arms could move more fluidly, and your flexibility could always be pushed just a little more. A lot of ex dancers ridicule ballet for giving them a perfectionist complex, but I’m grateful for the many years I dedicated to it. Yes, I do tend to be a perfectionist like the others, but I’ve carried that grit and perseverance with me like an old friend. It’s the fire under me that keeps me moving forward knowing that there is always something I can be doing to improve myself.

I’ve been living in Colorado for 14 years and have a bittersweet relationship with the state. It’s a tough community to thrive in. Expenses are high, the people are kind but lack the southern hospitality I grew up with, and the 7 month long winters have just about pushed me past my breaking point. Admittedly, I’ve been trying to move away for years, but I’ve never pulled the trigger. There’s always been “one more thing” that seems to get in the way of me leaving. I’ve grown to joke about it and figure that if it’s so difficult to leave, there has to be more this place wants to teach me first, and nothing has been more true. I’ve lost and gained friends, gotten ran over and grew a backbone, and even tried my hand at winter sports to cope with the obnoxious cold. Colorado has taught me so much about myself and how important it is to adapt in difficult situations while paying attention to all of the great life lessons you can learn if you keep an eye out for them.

I’ve always had a great love for education and after graduating from Legacy High School, I decided to try my hand at heading home to North Carolina for college. I attended East Carolina University for one semester before realizing that I wanted to apply to the University of Colorado, Boulder’s top ranked business program. With a Dean’s List achievement and a 3.75 GPA under my belt, I was accepted to CU Boulder, but was left in the Humanities program, and made it my mission to transfer into the Leed’s School of Business by the time I graduated. I worked tirelessly making up the credits that didn’t transfer universities with me while desperately trying to navigate what it was I wanted to really set my sights on for a future career path, taking summer classes for 4 years straight. After taking one gen ed course titled “The Foundations of Rhetoric,” I fell in love with Communication and the teachings of Nietzsche, Foucault, Kenneth Burke, and Plato and flipped a full 180 on what I wanted to graduate with a degree in. From then on, I was inspired to engage in courses surrounding creative writing and rhetorical thought and in 2021 I published my first rhetorical narrative on mental health in higher education. In 2022, I received my Bachelor’s in Communication with double minor in Business Innovation and Humanities.

After graduating, I feel so much more centered, knowing that I have gained such a strong passion for strategic communication and a good direction of what industry I want to be a part of, but have found it difficult to find a good ladder to climb in this career path. University advisors struggled to give me better options besides an HR representative or non profit volunteer work, but as I’ve progressed through my professional career, I’ve began to see a home for myself in the world of marketing. I’m excited to see how my years of working in and gaining a vast knowledge of a variety of industries partners with my ability to connect with others and form meaningful relationships.