Her Story
About Ashley
Ashley Hargis is a property management professional focused on student living in Cookeville, Tennessee. She has been in her current position for over four years, overseeing a complex with 96 apartments and 288 residents, most of whom are college students aged 18 to 22. In this role, Hargis helps residents navigate their first experiences with independence, provides guidance on roommate conflicts and communication, and supports them as they build life skills in a college town environment. Her path into the field began with an interest in real estate that shifted toward hands-on improvement of spaces, informed by early work in her family's upholstery shop where she handled customer service from a young age and subsequent experience in restaurant management as a shift leader. Hargis attended college for only one semester before pursuing work full time, and she has also worked at T-Mobile where she received the fastest growing sales lead recognition in the region. She has been recognized by vice presidents in her current company and is on a fast-track promotion path. Hargis attributes her success to her faith in the Lord, the support of her family especially her mother, and the example of her late grandfather who built his own business despite limited formal education. She emphasizes values of honesty, integrity, and a strong work ethic in both her professional and personal life, and advises aspiring leaders to be the kind of boss they would want to work for by never asking others to do tasks they would not do themselves.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Ashley
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would say the Lord, for sure. I would be nothing and no one without Him, so if I didn't have my family backing me, and then also, I mean, just the incredible support that I get from my mother. My grandfather has passed on now, but he was such a guiding light in my life, and like, he didn't even finish the 8th grade. So to see him, and then to see how successful he became owning his own business.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Be the boss that you would want to work for. I think it's really important... that you should never, ever ask an employee of yours, someone that works for you, to do something that you would never be willing to do yourself.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Do it, scared. Even if you're scared, or even if you think like, basically, like, whenever you're going for the job that you want. You're like, ugh, but I really I just I don't know if I can do this, I don't know if I'm qualified enough, I don't even know if I should apply for that job. It only takes one person to take a chance for you, and on you. So, you just have to do it scared.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
With property management, I'd say right now, definitely way more opportunities than I'd say setbacks. Setbacks really could come with a lot of like, economical things, so I'd say like, the one challenge, you know, is with the economy the way it is, and things are going up more expensive, it does make it a little bit harder as far as like, sometimes, like, collecting rent, or, kind of working with people financially like that. But honestly, like, property management is such a booming industry. Like, it can go very small, and it can go very big. People always need a place to live. So I feel like if you're willing to put in the work, if you're willing to expand, there really should always be opportunities for you in property management.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Being truthful. I noticed, also, too, you know, like. People like to use nicer words for things, or, they kind of like to beat around the bush to not make someone upset, but honestly, like, I just feel like if you're completely honest with people, like, whether who you work for or they're working for you, I feel like honesty is, like, one of the main things, having integrity, but also really, like, the hard work ethic. Like, you have to have all of those.
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