TGIF, Cowes!
Today, we shine light on Ashley Hassard, the VP of Client Relations and Co-Founder of DrawBox Inc. Read on as this queen radiates her passion…
Tell us a bit about yourself- we want to know what you’re all about.
I’m a 5’9 incurably optimistic, coffee addicted, skittle indulging, family adoring, life enthusiast! 🙂
#LocalLove is all about showing love to bad-ass bosses like yourself. Can you share with us what you do for work and how you make an impact?
Ha, aw, shucks you’re so sweet. While I’m not so sure about the “bad-ass” part, I can definitely tell you a bit about what I do (Although to be honest, it’s a bit of a complicated answer). By trade I’m actually a teacher. I have my Masters in Child Study and Education and specialize in teaching inner city youth inquiry based learning strategies. While education and youth empowerment is definitely a huge passion of mine, life also took some interesting turns over the years and in addition to my teaching I also found myself modelling, photographing, editing, motivational speaking, acting as a Youth Ambassador, and, as of late, Co-Founding companies. My latest gig is as the VP of Client Relations and Co-Founder of DrawBox Inc. a design and fabrication company based out of Toronto, Ontario. Essentially, we’re kind of like the Willy Wonka’s of the marketing world, specializing in creating innovative and fun fabrications that can be used for experiential marketing activations. Over the past six months we’ve redesigned stores, created dragons, printed displays, and featured some pretty cool brands all in a multitude of really fun and innovative ways. Our stuff’s been featured in commercials, in parades, on stages, in photoshoots, on billboards, in documentaries, and all over conventions nationwide.
How did you get into this line of work?
If we’re talking about how did I get into everything that I do, truth be told, I think it’s just that I was just willing to. As a diehard life enthusiast, I’m a big believer in the power of trying. I’ve truthfully never been great at anything, but I’ve been passionate about everything and never afraid of failure, so, as a result, I’ve just kind of found myself doing a whole bunch of strange and wonderful things. It was actually my incredible husband Mike who got me into the latest DrawBox chapter of my life. He’s super brilliant and extremely creative and after spending many years on the fabrication side of the marketing industry, finally decided he was ready to open his own business. With my background in corporate leadership and his practical abilities it just really seemed like a natural fit – and somehow, before we knew it DrawBox was born.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given (career or otherwise)
Great question! Mmm… I’ve got two for this one. The first would be what an old mentor of mine Ray Zahab once said. He said “Limitations are 90% mental, and the other 10% is all in your head”, and I for one, couldn’t agree more. The other one would be “Kindness gets you everywhere”. I can’t tell you how many doors have swung right open for me all because I took the time to actually be kind with those I’ve been working with. Likewise, I can’t tell you how many opportunities I’ve personally given all because someone took the time to be kind to me. Regardless of what field you’re in, at the end of the day people want to work with someone who they feel understands them, respects them, and appreciates them. You don’t always have to agree with everyone, but so long as you’re kind you will be appreciated, and that will get you everywhere.
How about the worst?
“It is what it is.” Ha, Oh man, I HATE that one. While you can’t totally control what happens to you in life, you can absolutely control how you react to it, and no matter what happens, I’m a firm believer that there is always some sort of silver lining that can be found. Optimism breeds resilience, and resilience breeds growth. So if life has taught me anything it’s that it is what it is, it is what you make it.
If you could paint your ideal life, what would that look like in 5-10 years from now?
Oh wow. Who even knows! In the past 5-10 years alone I’ve met, dated, and married the man of my dreams, had over 5 different careers, worked in over 7 different countries, and have just seen myself transform in so many ways. Truth is, it’s so hard to say where I hope that I’ll be as I could have never even sort of predicted where I’d be now, and I think had I tried, I probably would have missed out on a bunch of incredible
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xx
The Cowe