Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Sutton.
Hi Ashley, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My entrepreneurial journey began at a very early age. I remember seeing my parents own one of the first computer and software shops in Houston and thinking how cool that was. My brother and I used to sell Airheads candy after school after we saw you could buy them in bulk at a fraction of the price (I mainly just wanted extra money to go to Claire’s, haha).
My freshman year of high school (HSPVA), I was at the hair salon getting my hair done by my aunt, and this woman walks up to me and says, “You’ve got a lot of books in that backpack of yours, you must be in high school!”. Of course, I’m looking at her like “stranger danger”, but it turned out she was Andrea Arceneaux, the NAACP Act-So chairman. Act-So is a program for high school students 9-12 grade, where they can compete in over 30 categories, one of them being entrepreneurship. And as you might have guessed, that’s exactly what I signed up to compete in. I wrote a business plan, created a visual presentation, had samples made, models, and the whole works; I was told I was the first freshman to ever place at nationals. My hunger for business only grew from there.
After competing in Act-So, I knew I wanted to major in entrepreneurship. In addition to my Finance major, I applied to be in the entrepreneurship program at the University of Houston’s Bauer College of Business and got accepted! I made so many friends and learned a lot about the ins and outs of running a business. Senior year, most people were clamoring over getting jobs at the top accounting firms and insurance companies, and I was a bit of an outlier (of course). I’d gotten accepted into the Avon internship in New York City out of over 12,000 applicants for Mark Cosmetics. Naturally, I said yes, and while my parents and family 100% supported me, there were some friends, classmates, etc., who thought I was off my rocker and should be focusing on a job, not an internship. I just went with my gut and kept it moving because I believed and had faith that something beautiful was waiting for me (plus, it was a paid internship). I landed on the Product Development fashion/accessories team, and that’s where I got my first look at developing products and building a line.
I then went on to work corporate full time at Avon, on the color cosmetics team in marketing and later gained global brand marketing and product development experience at Mattel/Fisher-Price, where I managed toy brands like Mickey Mouse and Thomas the Train. From there, I began to round out my strategic partnership, digital, and experiential marketing skills through managing Peppa Pig and PJ Masks brands in the US. I later landed a role as Director of Marketing at Penguin Random House, where I had the pleasure of working with amazing authors and building New York Times bestselling marketing campaigns (including an Oprah Book Club Pick).
As a child, I saw my mom work a corporate job and also have side hustles. She owned her own accessories business and even sold Mary Kay. So, this idea that you can only work a “9-to-5” was very foreign to me. I grew up in a house of multihyphenates. We were able to see, think, be, and create whatever we dreamed. Throughout all of those corporate jobs, I started a couple of businesses. I even wrote a book entitled Overtime Is So Over about burnout after I left one of my first jobs. They say it takes about seven (7) not-so-great businesses to find the one that really sticks, and in November of 2019, that’s when my lightbulb went off.
I was flipping through an old business idea book of mine from college as I was itching to start something new, and recalled that I’d always wanted to start a stationery business. My mom and late dad always gave us a greeting card after every recital, game, or event, and I always loved that feeling. I wanted to recreate that and more for people. I then took a step back because I didn’t want to create yet another cute card company. As a lover of stationery and marketing professional with 14+ years of corporate experience in building consumer packaged goods and global brands, I truly wanted to create a product with purpose.
I wondered, “Wouldn’t it be amazing if someone could give you a card that was not only cute but also HELPFUL?”. That’s when the idea of this 2-in-1 greeting card came about. Hustle & Hope is the first 2-in-1 greeting card company to embed free downloadable resource guides to help your mindset, spirit, and career.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I don’t think I know ONE entrepreneur who can say they had a smooth road when starting up. It’s kind of like a game of Whac-a-mole. When you think you’ve got one challenge solved, another cute little fire pops up, haha.
When I launched, like most entrepreneurs, I had an idea and no access to capital. To overcome this challenge, I bootstrapped pretty much everything and invested in learning how to run all aspects of the business. As an example, I knew I was going to need product lifestyle photos for web and social. I surfed the internet, reached out to freelancers, and unfortunately couldn’t afford a photographer, so I literally just went to the Dollar Tree, bought craft materials/props, and shot my own product photos. Not only did I roll up my sleeves and learn how to shoot my own product photography, I also learned some website development skills, created my own social assets, designed my first wholesale catalog, and so much more.
And if you ask me, I wouldn’t change these challenges because I learned so much. Being able to show how creative we are with little to no resources gave me hope for when we did get to a point where we would have a little bit more budget.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about Hustle & Hope?
Hustle & Hope is the first 2-in-1 motivational greeting card company to embed free digital guides with every card, helping people get inspired in their mindset, spirit, and career…for every moment in life. Simply grab a card, scan the QR code on the back, and download your guide. Each greeting card comes with a relevant guide based on the card you choose, with topics ranging from how to write your resume, interview tips, how to budget money, self-care, managing grief, and more. We offer greeting cards for birthdays, thank you, empathy, weddings, graduations, and more, in addition to stickers, notebooks/journals, motivational mugs, apparel, and other merch.
As a certified woman-owned and minority-owned business, Hustle & Hope now has retail placement at all 240 World Market stores across the US, select HomeGoods stores, Amazon, HomeSense, and Winners in Canada, and over 40 other shops across the nation.
Founder Ashley has been accepted into the highly coveted Target Accelerators program, named one of Ally Bank’s women entrepreneurs Daring to Disrupt, a Black Entrepreneur’s Day grant recipient of 2023, featured on ABC News, Glamour Magazine, Katie Couric Media, Essence, and more.
Check out our greeting cards on our site https://hustleandhopecards.com/
You can follow the fun on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/hustleandhope/
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
If I had to choose one word, it would be curious. I was always curious about a learning how to do something. I was a dancer, singer, actor, ran track, took up tennis lessons, played in a junior golf club, competed in business competitions. In other words, I was what they call a “busybody.” To me, there was so much to learn, see, and experience around me and in the world.
If we’re asking about my report cards when I was younger, well my last name begins with an “S” for a reason, haha. I was always talking during class; I think I can count on both hands when I got an “E” in conduct throughout all of my grade school years. I just loved making friends and meeting people; could not help myself. Shoutout to all the talkers out there; you’ll go far, lol.
And also, let’s just say I was never shy to use my voice and speak up. Whether that was for my friends or myself. You know that old saying “Closed mouths don’t get fed”? Well, I might have taken that a little too much to heart, ha! But in all seriousness, I always believed in fairness and equity, even when I was younger.
Pricing:
- $6 greeting cards https://hustleandhopecards.com/collections/thank-you-cards
- $3.50 stickers https://hustleandhopecards.com/collections/cute-stickers
- $20 Shimmer gold Liquid Hustle Mug https://hustleandhopecards.com/collections/accessories-and-more/products/gold-shimmer-liquid-hustle-mug
- $16 Notebooks https://hustleandhopecards.com/collections/notebooks-and-journals
- $26 Hustle & Hope “dad” cap https://hustleandhopecards.com/collections/apparel/products/hustle-hope-black-denim-dad-hat
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hustleandhopecards.com/collections/all
- Instagram: https://www.
instagram.com/hustleandhope/ - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hustleandhopecards/
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/hustleandhope
Image Credits
@supermannyphoto
