Her Story
About Ashley
I've been in pharmaceuticals for 15 years and in management for 8 years, currently serving as a Senior District Manager for AbbVie Pharmaceuticals on the migraine side. I manage almost the entire state of Arkansas with 10 reps working for me across 5 footprints. Before pharma, I worked for universities in various roles, from director of student activities and programs to cheer coach to administrative assistant, constantly moving with my husband who is a college football coach. I always wanted to be in pharma since I was a little girl because my mother worked in the medical field, but I never thought I could get in because it's excruciating to break into. I finally got my chance when I saw a position post in the town where my husband was coaching. I knew a regional director and asked him to submit my resume directly to the manager, telling him 'if you just get me in front of them, I'll get the job.' I landed that job and have been with the same company through buyouts and selling, promoting every time despite all the moves with my husband's career. I just won President's Club for 2025, which is a huge accomplishment in our industry.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Ashley
01What do you attribute your success to?
I'm super competitive, to a fault. My husband and I both are, and we've ruined our children with it. I think it comes from being raised by a single mother for part of my life, my early years. I watched her grind with two daughters, being a single mother, and we never wanted for anything even though she was really just an office manager. She got married when I was in middle school to my stepdad, and he has work ethic like no other also, so I was just kind of raised in that community of work ethic. Nothing's handed to you, you gotta earn it. Seeing her work late, trying to get it done for two girls, really drove me. But also, monetary value drives me too. When there's dollar signs attached to it, I want to travel the world, I want to give my kids what they need. I don't want them to have student loans. So that also drives me. But yeah, I'm just super-duper competitive, and I want to win.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
You gotta be able to commit to the grind. Don't cut yourself short. For young women versus young moms, it's different. For moms, it's about work-life balance, and that's hard, but it's completely doable. But for young women just starting out, just buy into the grind. Just commit to what you do, because it makes all the difference in the world. There's a lot of advice I could give, but the best would be to not sell yourself short and really commit to the work.
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