Nissue #6 Ashley Sumner, Founder of Quilt.
Ashley Sumner is having a well-deserved moment. Her original LinkedIn post about “dropping the gender and getting right to work” hit a nerve that has inspired thousands to follow suit. The post has gone beyond viral, with over 25 million views and the New York Times reporting on it.
I met Ashley when she was starting Quilt where I was helping her think on community and authentic, organic growth (thanks Jenny Lefcourt and Christina Hunt for that connection!). I think now, though, she’s the one who can be doing the teaching. Here’s what she had to say when I got all Proustian on her…
Nish: What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Ashley: That moment where you feel so present all the thoughts in your head finally find stillness. Recently, after a photo shoot for press, I convinced a photographer and a person on my team to take shots of me running into the ocean in a ball gown in the dead of winter. I have no idea where the idea came from but they did it with me and it was the most fun I've had since the pandemic hit - it felt like perfect happiness.
Nish: What was your worst job ever?
Ashley: I "ran the door" at a meatpacking nightclub when I was 20. I turn into a pumpkin at around 9pm so this was a bit of a struggle. Not to mention the type of attention I got.
Nish: What was your first job ever?
Ashley: I was a dance teacher from an early age and I absolutely loved it!
Nish: What was your best job ever?
Ashley: I'm here now. Building a safe, inclusive space at Quilt! Showing that social media can be a place to connect and get support.
Nish: What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Ashley: I'm programmed for 1 speed: moving fast. I'm really trying to understand how to slow down and trust the process.
Nish: What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Ashley: It really gets under my skin when I experience people not treating others with kindness and understanding. I see a lot of blaming, shaming, and projection going on, which creates a level of separateness that is hard to overcome.
Nish: What’s some advice you’d give to yourself at 23?
Ashley: At 23, I was a know-it-all. I was afraid that not knowing something made me less than or not enough. I would tell young adult Ashley that it's okay not to know everything and when you don't know, you ask questions, and those questions are what bring you close to other people.
Nish: What is your greatest extravagance?
Ashley: My love language is gifts. Receiving and giving. It doesn't mean it has to be expensive, but if I get a gift idea that's perfect and it IS expensive, I will find a way to make it work. Always.
Nish: You have dinner reservations for 4 at Noma, excluding family and close friends, who are the three people (alive, dead or imaginary) you’d invite?
Ashley: Kahlil Gibran, Byron Katie, Amanda Gorman.
Nish: What is the theme song of your professional life?
Ashley: “I'm Coming Out” by Diana Ross
Nish: What is your motto?
Ashley: Every level there's a new devil (this is a nod to an advisor, Kyle Hermans, co-founder of Be Courageous).
Nish: What is something you're really excited about right now?
Ashley: Quilt almost didn't make it last year, and now... we're here, we're funded, and we're growing which means having an impact on so many people's lives!
End Interview.
If you enjoyed Ashley’s answers, make sure to read Kelly Tunstall and Gina Pell’s responses if you haven’t already!