We recently connected with Ashley Marlow and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashley, thanks for joining us today. Before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am originally from Tampa Bay, Florida and moved to Nashville in 2007 after graduating from Florida State University. As a lot of others do, I moved to Nashville to pursue a career in the music industry. In 2008, I landed a job working for Sony ATV and then in 2009 the economy tanked, and I was laid off. I spent many years trying to get back into the music industry before I began to chase other dreams and started working with Metro Nashville Government. Even though I wasn’t in a creative career, I was still living a creative life. In 2016 Sawdust Junkies was formed with a friend. She was the “sawdust” and I was the “junkie.” My friend was more wood related, and I was more into repurposing junk and refinishing furniture. Sawdust Junkies then lead us to sign making where we would build and frame signs then hand paint and hand letter them. We opened an Etsy shop where we really began selling our work. We then did several successful shows and markets, which then led us to getting custom and wholesale orders and putting us into a few local and out of town shops. Like a lot of small businesses, most of our work was through word of mouth and repeat customers, which always had us working on new items. In 2018, my friend had some life changes and moved to Missouri and started a new business. I kept the Sawdust Junkies name and kept trucking. During quarantine of 2019, lumber prices soared, and I began to dabble in other mediums. Somehow, I ended up falling into macramé. I then built and opened my own website in 2022. Now I consider myself a maker of a lot of everything. But one thing is constant- I will always incorporate wood into my designs, because wood is what started this journey. Wood will always be my roots. Pun not intended.

I am currently known in the maker community for my macramé rainbows, cactuses, and home decor. I hand dye my macramé and dip dye the ends of my rainbows with color to be different from the rest. I also love to photograph my creations in front of murals. I look for a mural or back drop that goes with what I’ve made. It’s probably my favorite part of the process. This allows me to show off another artist and give them recognition.

People ask me “why rainbows?” Rainbows have lots of meanings but to me, a rainbow means to overcome. It’s a symbol of hope and strength. And even though you may be in the midst of a storm you never saw coming, it’s a promise that things will one day be okay again. Maybe not the same, maybe not perfect, or the way you had hoped and planned for- but things will be okay. It’s all going to be okay, eventually.

Do you wish you had started sooner?

I don’t know if I could’ve started any sooner than I did, as I’ve always been artsy and creative. I’d say my “maker” journey started as a child. I come from a family with many talents and skills. They always instilled and encouraged me to use my hands at a young age. Growing up my favorite school subject was art and when people would ask what I wanted to be when I grew up, I always remember answering “an artist.” I feel like being creative is just who I am, and a huge part of what I was born to do. It’s my way of life. 

In middle school, my dad taught me how to use a band saw, miter saw and a sander. Although, he was afraid I would hurt myself because I was so young, I would draw my designs directly on wood and my dad would cut them out for me. I would then sand, paint and put the décor together. After my collections were finished, my mom’s friend had a little shop I would sell them in. Each month my items would bring in $100 dollars or more. At 12 and 13 years of age that was pretty good money.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I find myself pivoting daily. I don’t think any road you take will be smooth. There will always be bumps and turns along the way. For me, there’s been a lot of adjustments over the years. Sometimes you think you have the greatest idea, and you’ll have the greatest execution, but for some reason it just doesn’t take off. Items that I thought would for sure be huge sellers, and they just weren’t. 

Recently social media has given me a lot of hurdles to jump through. Social media can make small businesses feel like they’re not good enough. The ever-changing algorithms are a constant struggle for small businesses, and they seem to become harder every day. A computer decides what your audience is going to see, not what the audience decides for themselves. The algorithms don’t see or care about all the time and hard work you spent making content and photographing your work.  The algorithm will just send your posts into a black hole where only a small percentage of your audience will see it. As a maker and a small business owner that’s frustrating. I work very hard on marketing and showcasing my work and somedays it just seems pointless. It’s almost like the algorithm is working against me. 

Another struggle on social media is follower count. The initial thought is that the more followers you have on social media, the more sales you will bring in but that isn’t really the case. In my experience word of mouth and repeat customers is where most of my sales come from. Social media really means nothing in the grand scheme of things. Sometimes when someone has lots of social media followers it simply means they’re monopoly rich. Social media is not real life. Follower count doesn’t justify anything unless you’re trying to monetize by becoming an influencer and/or gain sponsorships. Engagement is what counts, no matter how many people are following along. Keep building your brand by being authentic and by building real relationships with people. They will then become customers and then will become repeat customers. They will be the ones who share your name with people they know and think of you when they need something made. They will keep coming back to you. They will continue to sow for you. That’s what matters really matters and that’s what brings in the sales. Focus on making real life connections and not becoming a puppet on an app. An app that wants to make everyone the same. Be true to yourself and your creativity and follow your vision. This will set you apart from others and keep people coming back. Always be different, always be you, and always go for it. Most of all push yourself to constantly improve your craft and be better. 

At the end of the day, you have to block out all the outside noise and define what success means to you. Success has many different meanings to different people. Success may be a number in your bank account, it may be the freedom to work for yourself, it may be forming connections with other people or simply selling out your newest collection. For me, I base my success on my happiness. Creating and using my hands make me happy. It’s always been an outlet that helps me focus, calms my nerves, and brings me peace. If it doesn’t make you happy, stop doing it. Plain and simple. Trust me. Your mental health will thank you.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Always shop small and always shop handmade, if/and when you can. Even if you don’t know someone personally that makes an item you are wanting, go look on Etsy. Someone somewhere makes it. And yes, while it may cost you a little more to buy small and handmade, strive to support them instead of a big corporation. To a small business your purchase makes a huge impact.

To those of you who already support a small handmade business, thank you! Thank you for being patient with our timelines and for always paying full price, never asking for a discount. We live in an Amazon world where people tend to forget handmade items take longer and cost more to produce than cheaply made mass produced items. Oh, and that “free” shipping…. people also forget that they pay for that ‘free” shipping monthly or annually. Nothing. Is. Free. Small business owners cannot and should not have to pick up the shipping. If you want it, just suck it up and pay the shipping. You’ll end up making someone’s day!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.junkieinthetrunkie.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/sawdustjunkies
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/sawdustjunkies

Image Credits
Ashley Marlow