Meet Ashley Marley James | Model, Business Coach, Event Planner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ashley Marley James and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashley, alright, let’s jump in with a deep one – what’s you’re definition for success?
I define success as having freedom and a care-free life. I don’t buy into the idea that you have to work like a slave to be successful. The most important thing in life is time, not money. Of course being successful includes being financially stable, but you can’t be so focused on chasing a dollar that you don’t even get to enjoy the money you work for.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am currently working on growing my event planning business, as well as getting into the fitness industry & business coaching sector. What sets me apart from others is that I have a Business Degree in Economics & Marketing. This has given me the skillset of knowing how to research and analyze the industry that I am looking to get into. From there I can evaluate my competition to see how I can have a competitive advantage. Another key to success in business is to see what is lacking and then fill that need. Another secret weapon is that I studied psychology in school as well, so I understand how the mind works and that helps in marketing for example what colors attract more, what designs will sell etc. Studying psychology is key to success, not just in business but in life.

Getting to where I am today definitely wasn’t easy. My first business was an online clothing store, CuteThickApparel, in 2016. I always loved fashion and I felt there was a need for more positive representation of thicker/curvy women that wasn’t oversexualized, but a more classy representation. So I researched the industry, made my website, purchased inventory, learned about SEO marketing & another shoutout is Later.com I read literally every article so I could master social media. Social media is where I found success. The Instagram @CuteThickApparel has over 26,000 followers which I monetize into sales.

The clothing store was doing well so for our 2-year anniversary in 2018, I decided to throw my first solo event, a pool party. This is how I got into the Events/Nightlife industry. I sold over 150 tickets, had 5 vendors, about 20 sponsors, and made a lot of money. So once I saw the money come in from just a few weeks of promotion, I said this is where I need to be! I love the freedom that planning events gives you because you can do everything on your own time and also promote events across the country without even having to be there. But it was not easy, being a female promoter/event planner is like a sheep amongst a bunch of wolves.

Once the pool party was done, I decided to do another party at a club in DC. It went well so I decided to do them more often and get into weekly parties so I could have a steady income. My main weekly event was AfroSocaSundays. I love afrobeats & reggae so I decided to cater to that market.

The challenges were many. I had to deal with club owners not honoring contracts, promoters trying to get over, managing a promo team, you name it. Luckily for me I am extremely resilient and I never back down from a challenge. I saw the money and benefits of the nightlife industry so I was there to stay.

Lessons I have learned are you can’t trust everybody. People who you think are your friends may start to act differently when you become successful. Always do your research before starting any business. Learn to build a solid team and find a mentor that is key.

With doing events I always had to worry about sheisty promoters and owners, but once I met Fred from OneFredEvents I was able to find even more success. He taught me a lot and I never had to worry about him not honoring our deals. Finding a mentor or trusted business associate is key to my success as well.

Lastly, my biggest key to success is my relationship with Jesus Christ. He has covered me and guided my steps. I want to spread the message of Christ as a part of my brand. I remember when I first start my Instagram pages I put “Christ1st” in all my bios. I was so nervous that some people might turn away, but something told me to put that there and I’m so glad I did. I try my best to represent myself in a way that honors God and still holds true to my morals and values. I want people to see that you can be cute, poppin, all that and still be a good Christian. Some people think you have to be boring and just go to church and home but that’s definitely not the case.

My goal for now is to expand my 3 businesses and grow them to the point where I can make money with very little effort because I have already put the work in. My ideal life is to be able to sit on the beach everyday and enjoy life while making money.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love this question! Planning trips and creating the itinerary is so much fun. My go to tools for trip planning are Viator.com for activities, Hotels.com for the accommodations, and Google Flights for the flight.

First, breakfast would always be at a beachfront restaurant on Ocean Drive. Ocean drive dining can be super expensive, but for breakfast every restaurant has specials anywhere from $5-15 so that’s first to start the day.

Next I would plan a boat ride. I love Thriller Miami, it’s a jet boat ride and only costs about $35. From there, I would do a Golf cart tour of Wynwood and South Beach, it’s fun and affordable. I’m big on balling on a budget! For lunch I would go back to Ocean Drive and dine at the best restaurant on the strip, Icon on 9th & Collins.

For the parties definitely the best club in Miami is Exchange. I used to work with a promoter named Josh for a couple years. I would sell tickets and promote events whenever I was down there. I’d also like to give him a shoutout, he was killed in a shooting last year. He was so smart and had great potential. That’s another reason why I started the BlackCEOClub to help our people get out of the street life and into successful businesses.

Some other fun things to do are ATV riding, snorkeling, scuba diving, and city tours.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to dedicate this shoutout to my mom and Fred Arthur of One Fred Events. I would not be the successful entrepreneur that I am today without these two people. Fred has been a great mentor, business associate, & friend. He taught me essentials about the nightlife/event industry. My mom has always been there to help guide me and keep me focused on my goals. Having a good support system is key to success.

Website: AshleyMarleyJames.com

Instagram: @AshleyMarleyJames

Twitter: @AshleyMarleyCEO

Facebook: https://facebook.com/mscutethickchick

Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCVEnk7fVlow9PSNcQkix4sg

Image Credits
@MarleyJamesMedia