Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Blalock.

Hi Ashley, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I grew up on a tobacco farm in rural North Carolina. Even as a child I had big dreams and always knew that I wanted to live in New York City. I moved to Atlanta and attended college at Georgia State University, where at the time I was studying to enter a career in entertainment law. As I approached my senior year in college I was interning in a law office, when one day my life flashed in front of my eyes, and I realized that law really wasn’t my passion, and wasn’t what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.

While attending college, I had worked for various promotional modeling agencies as a spokesmodel to pay my living expenses. In the final months before graduation I decided to start my own agency, and wanted to really target being an advocate for both sides of the business, both the client and the talent, as this is what I felt was missing from the agencies that I worked for. I wrote out my business plan, started building my talent database and worked with a friend who generously helped me build my company logo, which I love, and we still use today, along with our website. Armed with these tools I launched the Ashley Avery Agency in 2013.

My company has grown rampantly since those beginning days in Atlanta in late 2013, especially after I took the leap of faith, and moved to NYC in September of 2014. The last 10 years in the city has been such an amazing time for me, both personally and professionally. The city has the buzz to it, that really pushes you into a state of determination. It has been the fire that I needed under me, and there are still days, even after a decade of living here, that I can’t believe that I took that dream of that little girl in me, and made it my reality.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Ha! Is there such a thing as a smooth road on the journey of entrepreneurship???

There have absolutely been bumps along the road, especially navigating my business through the pandemic. The entertainment and hospitality industry are what took the most impact in 2020, and we still feel some aftershocks from that time today.

As an entrepreneur the skill you need to work on crafting the most, is your ability to adapt and pivot. You will have failures over and over again along the journey, but at least you have learned one way that doesn’t work. That’s the attitude you have to embrace. You can’t be afraid of failure, you should be afraid of not trying at all.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Ashley Avery Agency is the leading New York City based creative and talent recruitment agency. Our talent division specializes in the recruitment, procurement, and cultivation of top-tier talent for placement at events worldwide, while ensuring the precise pairing of models to brands and corporations. Ashley Avery provides experienced promotional spokesmodels for conventions, trade shows, corporate events, and promotions across the globe. Our extensive database houses intelligent and efficient international talent to assist companies and brands elevate their overall brand experience and consumer experience.

Our Creative division builds memorable brand experiences and influencer-based activations, covering everything from events to worldwide tours, all while boosting brand awareness, increasing social media coverage, creating engaging content, and fostering an atmosphere of team camaraderie conducive to brand success and growth.

We have worked with brands such as Lamborghini, Wheels Up, Tao Group, Maxim Magazine, W Hotels and Playboy, just to name a few.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I believe that risk taking is one of the most important factors in life, and business, as it is the catalyst for growth and change.

Without taking risks, you have no ability to see change, no ability to grow your business or achieve new goals. Essentially you are just standing still. Risk Taking isn’t something for everybody, some people and business alike, are very set on their current situation, on their current way of doing things. They feel this space is safe, they are content, and unwilling to push any boundaries outside of that comfort zone. This can be detrimental, to a person or company, especially in this day and age as society as a whole is changing and plunging forward, either you can be apart of that trajectory forward or you will get left behind, the choice is really yours.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ashleyaveryagency.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleyaveryagency/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashleyaveryagency/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ashleyaveryagency
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AshleyAveryAgency