Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shannon Ashford. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Shannon, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

The idea to make a better jumpsuit- one you could actually pee in without stripping naked- came to me in a bar bathroom when I was in college. I was out with a group of friends and a number of us were wearing rompers and jumpsuits and griping about how annoying they are when it comes time to relieve yourself. I started noticing this conversation over and over again amongst women and decided I could make something that works. On a trip to Thailand a friend of mine showed me a pair of Thai fisherman pants that wrapped around your legs with open slits on the side and I got the idea to add a top and keep the back seam open. I came home and started cutting, sewing, and had my first sample to get the approval of none else but my mother. She told me I may have something and I started sewing these rompers for friends. It started to grow into a business and I learned how to photograph content, market on social media, build a website, write copy, handle accounting, and how to secure a patent. A year later I was given the opportunity to show a collection at Paris Fashion Week and knew I wanted to find a way to Kenya to work with female artisans. I had the opportunity in high school to go to Kenya and always dreamed of going back. It took ten years but after telling everyone I knew what my dream was, I made a connection with a friend of my aunt’s who helps operate a non-profit sewing college for girls in Kenya called Elimu Girls. We met, discussed my plans, and I booked a ticket. I spent a month creating a collection with these students and completely fell in love with their creativity and their drive. I decided I wanted to stay involved forever. I came home and joined the board of Elimu Girls, started donating a portion of our proceeds to their tuition bills, working on income generating projects for our girls during the pandemic, and developing long term goals of how to create a closed loop system in Kenya. There is a lot more work to be done but I am most proud of the work I do with them and feel immensely blessed to provide opportunities for these girls to create their own lives and start their own businesses. I started my business with a sewing machine that was gifted to me and being able to do the same for other women is something I will never grow tired of. Being in Kenya inspired me to look into medical missions and the impact of providing medical needs in developing countries. When the pandemic started I got certified as an EMT and started working on an ambulance in LA county. I am now back in school, working in the emergency room at Children’s Hospital OC, and working on becoming a Physician Assistant so that I can study reconstructive surgery and fix cleft palates. My dream is to be able to travel to developing countries, set up sewing shops and fully closed loop systems, and provide jobs as well as medical needs. It’s been a winding journey but a very fulfilling one.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Shannon Ashford and I am the founder of Tom Foolery LLC. I make women’s jumpsuits designed with a drop seat so you can actually keep your top on when you need to use the restroom. Tom Foolery uses sustainable materials such as recycled plastic bottles, organic cotton, bamboo, and eucalyptus tencel to make our jumpsuits. Everything is made locally in Los Angeles by Groceries Apparel or made to order by yours truly. We work closely with a non-profit sewing college called Elimu Girls. Elimu Girls is a college for young women in Kenya looking to learn the art of tailoring and how to start a business. We have graduated many women over the years who have gone on to start their own businesses, become providers for their families, provide for themselves financially, and been able to choose their own spouses. I started sewing in grade school when a neighbor taught me how to use a machine and have been hooked ever since. I made myself outfits to wear to school, made prom dresses for friends, and after college I got the idea for a drop seat jumpsuit. Three years later we finally secured a patent for the design and now women all over the world can pee whilst keeping their top on!

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

The pandemic forced a massive shift for me, like so many others. With production and sales being shut down in a matter of weeks I had to reassess how Tom Foolery would move forward. Our work with Elimu Girls transitioned to making dolls. We worked with the sewing college to start sewing miniature versions of our Paris Collection because it was something they could do at home while school was shut down and it would generate revenue in the in between phase. We started to sell the dolls here in the states and they continue to bring in money for the girls tuition bills. As for me and my work in the states, I decided to forge a path I was originally too scared to start because it felt too late. I have always had an interest in reconstructive surgery and medical missions. Medical school seemed way too bold when my undergrad is in Art but the pandemic felt like an opportunity to start over. I started working as an EMT and went back to school. I am currently taking prerequisite classes to become a Physician Assistant and working in the emergency room at Children’s Hospital. In my free time I still sew and make jumpsuits. My goals have grown so far beyond anything I thought I was capable of but I think when we give ourselves a chance to think big we really get to test our limits and find out just how far we can go. I am continuing my work with Tom Foolery as well as my studies in medicine and now am planning a future where I can set up a closed loop system in Kenya employing locals to make our jumpsuits and provide medical needs and cleft palate surgeries for those in the community.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I love books. When I started my business I started reading multiple books a week because I had no idea what I was doing and needed all the advice I could get. My top three are these: For Business-
Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard
I have so much respect for Patagonia and the quality and care they take in their product and customers. This book really illustrates how to stick to your guns. when you are growing a business that is more invested in ethos than revenue. If you are mission-based and have an unbending purpose read this book.
For Life-
The Book of Joy by Douglas Abrams
I recommend this book to everyone I meet. It’s the story of the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu coming together for a few days to discuss joy. They answer questions submitted from people all over the world, they share their own stories, they offer advice and life lessons learned the hard way. It is a book I reread every year because I take away something new every time.
For Women-
The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates
This book helped me so much when I started to approach working with women in developing countries. It is so easy to go into a situation and slap on solutions that have worked for you in the past or problem solve based on your own experience but this is not effective when working in a new space with a new culture. This books talks a lot about the female experience all over the world and champions problem solving by listening to the ones who are experiencing the issue first hand.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tomfoolery.la/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tomfoolery.la/?hl=en
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-ashford-28405a85/
• Other: Elimu Girls website: https://elimugirls.com/

Image Credits
Shannon Ashford, Sandy Nguyen Wu