We are excited to launch a new blog series titled Creatives in Conversation! The mission behind this blog series is to introduce and celebrate fellow female creatives and entrepreneurs that also happen to be ExVoto clients.
Meet Ashley Stamoulis.
I met Ashley Stamoulis through a mutual friend, Jennifer Horton of ZAGS, just two months ago. Within thirty minutes of meeting each other, we discovered we had so many things in common. One commonality between us is our natural desire to celebrate our fellow female creatives and innovators. I guess you could say we were “females supporting females” before that was even considered cool!
Ashley is a native of Savannah, Georgia and currently lives in Atlanta where she founded Suthin Girl, a seasonal subscription box filled with fashion, food and finer things from today’s top Southern makers. Catch her in Good Grit magazine as she launches her style section in upcoming issues!
Elizabeth: “What is your background, Ashley?”
Ashley: “Marketing and PR. Everyone in my family was an entrepreneur and I always swore that was not the life for me! I wanted corporate jobs and after having my time in that world, I decided the adrenaline junkies had it figured out after all. I learned a lot about myself. I’m a leaper! So I made the leap and left the corporate world to go back to my roots by celebrating the Southern brands I love. People had already been coming to me for gift ideas and that was effortless and natural for me to give them amazing gift suggestions from companies they had never considered or known of before. The Suthin Girl subscription box was an offshoot of that.
Elizabeth: “What is your favorite part of your job?”
Ashley: “The energy exchanged during the development process with the makers. They all love what they do and no other job in my career gave me the opportunity to work with people who all loved their profession. They have a passion that can’t be turned off and that revs me up and inspires me.”
Elizabeth: “What is the most interesting collaboration you have been involved with?”
Ashley: “I love that Suthin Girl gives me the opportunity develop ways to give back. From our subscription box sales, 20% goes to a different non-profit each season. We often give seasonally to Education Cures which supports children in Sierra Leone. With our donations from Suthin Girl, they have been able to build a kindergarten building and put technology into the school. There is a high occurrence of learning differences in Sierra Leone and that is a cause close to my heart. The teachers there are getting training and materials for education children with learning differences.”
Elizabeth: “Where do you dream of taking your career next?”
Ashley: “I hope to continue to be the cheerleader for the growing talent in the South by sharing the Southern makers with people behind the South. We share a unique regional identity and I think people see that and want in on it once they learn about it. I want to magnify the South by continuing to promote the message that the South has a lot more polish and sophistication than what most people may expect.”
Elizabeth: “What is your advice for a 20 year-old?”
Ashley: “Explore non-traditional routes to being self-supported as a creative. There is no short-cut to success. You will have to take that J.O.B. that feels so unimportant, but the good news is, there is no wasted effort! Everything is a learning experience. Also, I would say that the traditions of good manners and timeliness still really do help you make your mark.”
Elizabeth: “What is your favorite piece of ExVoto?”
Ashley: “I love the One of One Collection. I think that these one of a kind pieces with the antique elements have that good juju of the story and the history that make them as interesting as they are beautiful. I own an ExVoto Messenger Necklace with the little envelop locket and my daughter and I both wear it.”
To learn more about Ashley and to visit her website, click HERE!
Photos by Abby Norris.