Meet Ashle Colston | Executive Creative Director & Birmingham Realtor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ashle Colston and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashle, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?

Well the simple answer is: I love art. Whether it is drawing, painting or letting my creative juices flow digitally, art holds a special place in my heart.

I stumbled across my profession in a high school course called “Intro to Advertising”. That course really gave me an insight on how to be a “Profitable Artist”. As I went on to pursue a degree in Creative Advertising at the University of Alabama, I quickly learned about the extreme lack of diversity in the Advertising industry. Not only was there a lack of black people but there was a lack of black women. I truly believe this one statistic is what pushes me everyday.

After gaining a great amount of experience at various Advertising agencies, I decided to do my own thing. In January of 2019 I created Mary Creative. Mary Creative really focuses on helping startup brands and entrepreneurs. By being a black women-led agency we hope to open doors for minority youth just like myself. My goal is to diminish the concept of the “Starving Artist” in the black community. Instead, I want to show kids how to become a “Profitable Artist” and how to succeed in doing what they love.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

I am an entrepreneur today. While I do own my own agency, I am also a successful realtor in Birmingham, Al. I have been completely self-employed for a year now and I absolutely love it. I decided to embark on complete entrepreneurship once I became pregnant with my daughter in 2020. I knew that I wanted to be present in my daughters life. I also knew that working at an agency would not grant me the type of work-life balance I was seeking. So, I decided to pursue a real estate career shortly after moving to Birmingham, Al. While it was hard-work, it was hands down the best decision I could have made.

By being in two completely different professions I am learning a lot about time management. I believe I am currently struggling with prioritizing my daily task. However, by becoming a planner, I am able to prep for my day. Even the little things like deciding what my daughter and I will wear the night before have helped me with managing my time. In a sense preparation allows me to expect the unexpected. Ultimately, my career shift has taught me to be flexible and to simply adjust.

Overall, my faith in GOD has been the leading contribution to my success. I know that I am just scratching the surface and I am excited to see what the future holds.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

I would like to dedicate my shoutout to my support system. I strongly believe that God has placed “Heaven Sent Helpers” in my life to guide me and help me stay on the right path. I won’t call each person out in this paragraph because there are so many but I am forever grateful for their support and encouragement. I wouldn’t be who I am today without them.

Website: Marycreative.net

Instagram: @ashle_therealtor & @choose_marycreative

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashletherealtor/

Image Credits
Marlon Tripp-Photographer