Daily Inspiration: Meet Ashley Brown and Amber L. Bradshaw

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Brown and Amber L. Bradshaw.

Hi Ashley and Amber, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Ashley & Amber’s event planning experience began as sorority sisters in 2014 for the Beta Pi Sigma Durham Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. From planning membership activities, community events and assisting undergraduates with event planning, we discovered a common passion. With positive results and feedback, we decided to make the investment in turning our creative visions into a formal business. Fast forward to 2021, A-List Events & Rentals was established. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Our journey so far has been nothing short of amazing. Within our initial year, we faced common struggles such as inflation, quicker return on investments and identifying what best represents our brand. As we move into Year 3, we have identified gaps in our business model that we were able to quickly mitigate. For example, our pricing model must match our brand’s expected clientele. This allows us to produce a certain caliber of events while staying true to our vision and mission in executing “A Full Exclusive Experience.” 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
By professional trade, Amber is a Release Manager at Cisco Systems, Inc. with a focus in Change Management. With 10 years of experience, she has led change within the executive, engineering, and inclusive employee communities. A few career highlights: Amber was selected for a team to establish the network infrastructure for a national political convention. Due to COVID, she shifted an in-person scholarship campaign virtually. And lastly, she piloted an internship program with Durham Public School’s IT Department. Amber sees herself as a creative advisor who’s able to intertwine her passion and profession to inspire others. 

By professional trade, Ashley is a Senior Project Manager at Blue Cross Blue Shield NC. With 12 years of project management experience, she has acquired skills within the software implementation, diversity & inclusion, legal, healthcare, and finance industries. A few career highlights include establishing and maintaining C-Suite level relationships and communication. She also enjoys mentoring junior-level project managers and interns. Ashley’s passion for keeping order and driving solutions allows for her project management skills to transfer easily into event management. 

What’s next?
A-List Events is looking forward to Year 3, which symbolizes the next step in maturing our business. We are excited to explore more system automation, expand our marketing, and grow our audience. Given our community service background, we are also looking forward to more community engagement and establishing partnerships with local businesses. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.alistevents.rentals
• Instagram: @_alistevents
• Facebook: A-List Events & Rentals
• Other: @_alistevents (TikTok)

Image Credits
Moddri Armstrong
Brandi Myers
A-List Events & Rentals