Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Ramey.
Hi Ashley, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My name is Ashley and I am the founder of Hello Weekend & Co. In 2012, I started my first blog, Ashley’s Closet, with the desire to post about affordable fashions and styles for girls my age. After a few years passed, I found that I wanted to write and share more than just fashion.
Right after graduating as a Journalism major in 2014, I immediately started working in New York City. I started out in the entertainment business, so I was engulfed in the fashion and beauty world on a daily basis. Between the long hours and constant hustle and bustle, like most people, I would count down the days for when Friday came around. Whether you have plans for a night out, have to work, make brunch plans with girlfriends or catch up on some Zzz’s – weekends bring different meanings to everyone.
That’s where I thought of the name ‘Hello Weekend.’ I found myself saying it out loud on Fridays – as the clock was nearing 5 PM and I could feel the excitement of the weekend right around the corner. Officially launching in 2019, Hello Weekend is meant to be a lifestyle outlet for readers and with that, I’ve started creating and selling merchandise on my website. I hope to inspire you all with my latest finds, favorite items, and more.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The thing I find myself struggling with the most is juggling my full-time job and my blog. If you work long hours and have a side hustle or hobby, then you’re probably familiar with having to prioritize your workload. I am constantly trying to map out my workload ‘to dos’ for the week and sometimes, I’m just not able to get everything done. There are times when I am able to plan blog posts and merchandise to get ahead and it’s a great feeling, but life happens and sometimes you can’t be on top of everything.
Another thing I struggle with is the business aspect. As mentioned before, I studied Journalism in college, so business and finance aren’t really my forte. I’ve listened to a lot of female business podcasts and have done my own research on the basics of starting your own business (thank you, Google) and what it takes to be ‘successful’. I put successful in quotations because success has a different meaning for everyone. For me, it’s about being able to inspire people and share some of the things that I love.
When it comes to selling products on my site, it’s really important to me that everything is made in the United States and an even bigger plus if it’s an all-female business. I care about the quality of my products and like to know exactly how they are getting made.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Since I don’t have any help with the website and merchandise, I do it all. I’m my own boss, the one who packages up every shipment, the writer, creative director, and photographer. It’s a lot of work but it’s fun (most of the time) to wear all the different hats. Since I come from a creative background, my specialty is to create and execute my thoughts and turn them into reality – whether it’s a new product or a blog post.
Since there are a million lifestyle blogs, I do get intimidated at times when it comes to setting myself apart from everyone else. How do I make sure my voice is different from others? What can I do to stand out? Those are the two main questions I typically ask myself. With that said, I really just try to put my own spin and voice on things.
I tend to make my blog and social media posts more conversational and relatable for my readers. My voice is also coming from a married 20-something-year-old living in NYC, so I like to give my perspective of a girl living in a big city.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk-taking?
Since starting my website in 2019, I have dumped in all of my own money in getting some of my merchandise started. It’s not a big risk incomparable to other women and their businesses, but I have taken risks when it comes to finances and trying to grow my online store. I would say my biggest risk is still yet to come, so stay tuned…
Pricing:
- All items on my online store are under $75
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.helloweekendandco.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helloweekendandco/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/helloweekendandco
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/aramey12/_created/
