Raised in a small Midwest town, Ashley grew up surrounded by family pets. From a young age, her grandmother instilled the value of compassion towards animals and frequently rescued, fostered, or adopted abandoned cats and dogs. Coupled with growing up on animal-centric Disney movies, tearjerker classics like Beethoven and Homeward Bound, and Lisa Frank school supplies, it’s no wonder Ashley (like many Millennials) was an early animal lover and a pet parent in the making.
After graduating from college (Go Vols!), Ashley started her career in Nashville at Documentary Channel, a small TV network later acquired by Participant Media. Ashley relocated to New York City and transitioned to the Participant team where she learned the meaning of an authentic double bottom line business model and the positive impact companies can make in many areas (environmental, social justice, animal welfare, etc.) when excessive profit and, frankly, corporate greed aren’t the primary motivators. The time spent at a socially conscious, double bottom line company would have a profound influence and later serve as the inspiration for the Fluff & Boots business model and its Pawesome Mission.
Fast forward through a professional pivot, a few years in Budapest, the shift to remote work, and Ashley found herself on the island of Cyprus. Although Cyprus is a sunny, beautiful Mediterranean destination, it has a dark side when it comes to its treatment and handling of the island’s 1.5MM+ stray and feral cats. Ashley started caring for many of the feral community cats in her neighborhood, several of which later became her own purr-babies. Witnessing the daily plight of the island’s cats, and the cruelty they face, was the push Ashley needed to put her business plan and Pawesome Mission into motion.
The saying “you don’t adopt cats, cats adopt you” really is true, and Ashley can attest to that seven times over. In fact, two of her adoptees, Fluff and Boots, serve as the namesake and primary product testers of the company. Ashley invented the Knead-it Pad™ after realizing nothing was suitable on the market to easily accommodate her cats’ kneading, especially with movement from room to room, while traveling, or in a multi-cat household.
Ashley also realized there was a glaring gap in the marketplace for stylish, functional, aesthetically designed lifestyle goods for cat owners, and in particular pet products that are not “made in” countries that do not uphold ethical standards and basic protections for cats and dogs.
As a pillar of the Pawesome Mission, Ashley has a long-term growth plan to challenge the status quo of big-box pet retailers and leading pet brands who directly manufacture in, or import their products from, countries where cats and/or dogs are horrifically tortured before being brutally slaughtered in painful, excruciating ways for meat and trade. Given the billions in annual profit and exorbitant leadership compensation of these retailers and brands, Ashley believes they have the resources and influence to collectively end the importing of pet products from countries that engage in horrific acts against the very animals that generate their billions in profit.
Through Fluff & Boots’ lifestyle goods and Pawesome Mission, Ashley is creating a community where kind-hearted purr-parents and cat lovers unite over inspiring stories, actionable campaigns and a common goal of advancing feline wellbeing.
Explore the Pawesome Mission here
