Get to know ROP member: Ashley
Tell us a little bit about yourself
I was born and raised in Marietta, GA. I have an older brother who has given me two nephews (5 years old and 3 years old) and one niece (9 months old) and an older sister who has given me 2 nieces (12 and 11 years old), all who I adore! I have 2 children myself…well fur-children, King and Duke! My background is in the hospitality industry starting as a hostess at 15 years old. I decided to get in the Event and Marketing industry by my shear passion for planning and designing events for friend’s birthdays and other parties. I figured if I could turn my hobby into a full-time job, I would never work a day in my life. I have truly found my niche in the event industry with Right On Pointe.
What is your favorite thing about your career?
For me, it is all about building the relationship with the client. I think this is vital in order to be able to predict your client’s thoughts and anticipate their wants and needs without having to be told. This helps ensure a more seamless execution for the lead up to the event and onsite. I also love being onsite and seeing everything come together that I have been working on for months leading up!
How do you remain up-to-date with the event industry?
I love reading BizBash articles to stay in the know with the event industry! I also follow DMCs on social media that our company, Right On Pointe, has worked with or aspires to work with. That’s always a great way to see what the upcoming styles and trends will be. Staying subscribed to different blogs and event industry related websites will also give great perspective on what is on the rise.
Describe your perfect weekend.
I love to be active so my ideal weekend would be far from relaxing. I would start my weekend out by enjoying a bonfire with friends during a perfectly chilly evening in the fall. On Saturday, I would spend the day outdoors adventuring the city with my dogs and exploring new hidden spots. I am a huge music fan and am always going to concerts, so I would definitely want to enjoy an evening of live music, dancing the night away. On Sunday, it would definitely be all about watching my football team, the Seahawks, win a game. To wind down the whole weekend, I would want to enjoy a glass of red wine while watching movies and cuddling with my pups.
Do you collect anything?
I do! Growing up my mom started a tradition every Christmas that she would buy my brother and I a new nutcracker. As I got older, I would get more and more excited to see what my new addition would look like. When I was in 5th grade I was Toto in my school performance of The Wizard of Oz, so that year I got a Dorothy and Toto nutcracker that to this day is my favorite. I still continue the tradition and buy myself one every year.
What was your favorite movie growing up?
My favorite movie without a doubt was and is E.T.. I remember watching it over and over a hundred times. When my parents took me to Universal Studios, I spent all my money (all $50 I had at 7 years old) on an E.T. doll. I even dressed up as E.T. that Halloween and carried my doll everywhere with me.
Where’s your favorite place in the world?
I would have to say London. I did a study abroad trip for 6 weeks the summer in between my Freshman and Sophomore year of college and I fell in love. I love the artistic culture accompanied with the history, amazing fashion, and ever-growing music scene. There is always something going on in the city and the easy to navigate public transportation system makes it effortless to never miss a fun outing.
What is the most memorable vacation you’ve taken in the past?
A few years ago I found myself in between jobs and decided to make the best of my situation. I cashed in my savings and went on a month long vacation accompanied by my best friend, my mom! It was truly the trip of a lifetime and the memories made were ones that I won’t ever forget. We shopped, ate, and laughed our way around the world from London to Nice to Amsterdam just to name a few stops. It was such a memorable trip especially though, because of the personal growth I was able to achieve from turning a bad situation into an unforgettable experience.
What aspect of your personality adds the most value to the world?
My empathy. I am always trying to see from other people’s perspectives and figure out why someone may do something differently from me without making judgements or assumptions. This world is such a melting pot of different personalities and cultures. I think the most positive approach is to embrace everyone’s differences and hold onto the value that it brings to the world and our society. The best part about different personalities in the workplace is the ability to balance out your team’s strengths and weaknesses. I love being able to get different insight or opinions on my work from a colleague. It goes to show that there are always different ways to achieve success.
What's the most important lesson you've learned in the last year?
To put it simply, this quote embodies a lot of lessons I have learned in the past year and I will forever hold it be true as I continue to progress in life. “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you. We are in charge of our attitudes.” – Charles Swindoll
