Her Story
About Ashley
I've been in my field for about 15 years, and my career has taken me through some really diverse experiences. I started out working for nonprofits that support the federal government in security sector reform work in West Africa, where we did a lot of community policing efforts and worked on combating terrorism. I was also an entrepreneur for about 6 years, running my own creative consulting business focused on the wedding planning industry, working with wedding planners and photographers. I'm a writer at heart, and that really influences the jobs I take. I tend to gravitate toward communications and strategic communications roles because they play into my strengths as a writer. For the last five and a half years, I've been working in Big Four consulting with government clients. When you work in Big Four Consulting, you learn to wear every hat. You walk into situations with clients, and they need a variety of different solutions, and I've really learned to hone in on being able to do anything that my client needs me to do. And if I can't, I'll find a team that can do it. I work in organizational change and strategic communications. I love mission-driven work, and I've been a leader in different ways throughout my career. I led a nonprofit for a couple years and did a few Director of Development stints at various nonprofits. The people are a big part of why I continue to stay engaged in the corporate world. You just get to work with great people, you get to work with a variety of teams, and I love being in a place where I can continue to grow my leadership skills. I've lived abroad in London, Vienna, Senegal, and Germany, and I've learned to work remotely from all over the world.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Ashley
01What do you attribute your success to?
I've had a lot of great mentors along the way, and in turn, I try to provide that same kind of mentorship to those that are close to me, on my teams, and people I work with. I think at the end of the day, a lot of the way you feel valued and the way you feel about your work is little about the actual work, and it's about the team that you have and the leaders that you have. Finding leaders that you value, and who value you, and staying with them has been really important to my success.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Some of the best advice I've received, especially as a mom, is that you're carrying a lot of balls. Some of those are glass, some of those are plastic, just don't drop the glass ones. As a working mother, there's a lot I manage - a complete household, 3 kids and their schedules, and then I'm also managing my team and my client. There are a lot of things that you're constantly prioritizing and deprioritizing, and you have to learn very early on what's the glass ball you can't drop. Someone said it on a panel years and years ago that I was listening to on parenting and career, and for me, as a mom, that's always stuck with me. As a professional, it's just good advice for anyway - learning what to prioritize and how to prioritize, so that the most important thing you're keeping top of mind at all times.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I think I go back to mentorship. Find leaders that you value, and who value you, and stay with them. Because I think at the end of the day, a lot of the way you feel, how you feel valued, and the way you feel about your work, is little about the actual work, and it's about the team that you have, and the leaders that you have.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think the market's always changing, and we always have to adapt, and we're good at doing that, and that's been exciting to see. The ways of working even a year ago aren't the same as today. I mean, we're constantly shifting our strategies, and it's been really exciting to see that and to be a part of that.
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