Ashley Ahner is co-founder and CEO of Dream Catalyst Company. The company’s mission is to help clients realize their potential by turning their personal passions into successful business ventures. She provides assistance in website search engine optimization, competitor market analysis, social media consulting and website construction. She graduated from HCOB in 2010 with a bachelor’s in finance and earned an MBA from the college in 2011.
Ashley Ahner is co-founder and CEO of Dream Catalyst Company. The company’s mission is to help clients realize their potential by turning their personal passions into successful business ventures. She provides assistance in website search engine optimization, competitor market analysis, social media consulting and website construction. She graduated from HCOB in 2010 with a bachelor’s in finance and earned an MBA from the college in 2011.
Narrator:
Welcome to the Harbert College of Business podcast.
Currie:
War Eagle and good day. It’s your hosts Currie Dyess and Sarah Gascon. Thank you, everyone who's out there listening, for joining us on another episode of the Harbert College of Business podcast. We're here with Ashley Ahner. She is not just a graduate of the Harbert College of Business with her bachelor's, but also her master's degree; has an impressive resume and is now an entrepreneur. We're so excited to talk to her about her entrepreneurial journey. So why don't we just go ahead and jump right into it? Ashley, why don't you tell us a little bit about the Dream Catalyst Company?
Ashley Ahner:
So I think before we jump right into Dream Catalyst Company, it might be helpful to rewind a little bit, in terms of how I got here. So, as you mentioned, I was a graduate of the class of 2010 from the Auburn College of Business, with a finance degree. And then I stayed and went straight into my MBA as well, with the College of Business. From there, I joined the advisory practice with Deloitte, where I was for four years, in Atlanta. And then I became the director of royalties for several years at a small boutique sports licensing agency.
Ashley:
During this time, I also completed a half marathon in every state. So I finished on the 50 yard line at Auburn University, so that was awesome. My last race was in Alabama. I was doing triathlons, half Ironmans, and I don't say all of this to brag about myself, but more to paint a picture in terms of the drive and the commitment and the discipline, and, really, the vision that I had always had up until that point for my future and just for everything that I did.
So everything was going great. And then around the early 2018, I just became a totally different person. Nothing necessarily happened, but I lost drive. I lost focus. I lost energy. And for some reason, I was just going in a direction that was very unlike me, especially being Type A, always having a plan. And it threw me off a lot, and friends noticed it, family noticed it, and, really, the only solution that we could come up with is that I needed a change and it needed to be sooner than later. And so what I ended up doing is, basically overnight, I quit my job. And then over a course of a couple of weeks, as I transitioned out of my role, I moved back to St Louis, where I'm from, sold off pretty much everything I had that didn't fit into my Foreigner and moved back home to St Louis.
And then a friend of mine, also an Auburn alumni, reached out, who was living in Hawaii and said, "Would you mind or be interested in moving out here for a little bit?" And, really, without a second thought, I agreed to it. And so after two months in St louis, I pared down my belongings even more than before. And I took my golf clubs, my triathlon bike, and four bags of clothes, got on a plane, and on 1 August of 2018, flew out to Hawaii. And for someone with no plan and with having no clue, I didn't know if I was going to get a job, I didn't know what was next, it was terrifying. And you go in these ebbs and flows of, "I'm doing the right thing, I'm figuring out what makes me happy," to, "I had a career, what am I doing?"
So I went back and forth a lot during that time. And I'd also just moved in with a local family in Kailua, it's the town that I live in, and I was training a ton for triathlons. So I was out on the bike, just in my thoughts a lot, and quickly realized that I had a passion for making other people successful, and it's such a broad passion that you fall into this trap of, "Okay, well, how do I make that a job? How do I do something with that going forward?" And what I quickly realized is that I had been doing that for the several months that I'd lived in Hawaii.
I had teamed up with my landlord who had a career of 40 years in the art and prop directing industry and the movie industry out here, and he had a passion for photography and just working with him casually I helped him create a business around his photography. We set up a website, we started selling his work, and it was just all second nature to me and just fun. He started referring me to some of his friends, and all of a sudden I had this network of people that I was able to sit down and listen to their stories and get a better understanding of what it was they were doing and help them brainstorm ways to move forward, or to have the confidence to take the next steps for whatever it was that they were passionate about, but didn't necessarily know how to move forward.
So this went on for about a year and then in July of 2019, I decided, "You know what? I should probably make my own thing, just my recommendations and my help that I'm providing to people a real thing," and Dream Catalyst Company was incorporated overnight. I tend to do things very quickly. And it worked out, and slowly I've been able to have the legitimacy of having a website and having business cards and selling the business, even though I am very serious about keeping it relationship-driven and next-door neighbor giving advice, and the trust and what is needed in order for people to open up and feel confident about telling you what they are interested in doing, without the fear of being shot down. That's really important to me, to have that trust there. But the Dream Catalyst Company, from there, has just continued going forward with referrals. And it's been an interesting adventure, a very unique adventure, but that is how I've come to be.
Sarah Gascon:
Did you see yourself as an entrepreneur, as you were going through school?
Ashley:
No. Well, yes and no. So I hear entrepreneur, and I think of something like Shark Tank. I think of these bigwig people that take these big lofty risks financially, just hoping that things stick. And that's not me. I am much more of a goal-oriented doer. So I can't stand inefficiencies; that's probably one of my biggest pet peeves. And so if I see something that isn't working, I go after it to make changes, even if, honestly, it's not my business. For example, when I was at Auburn, we had a little fun get-together at some of the local establishments, called drink specials, where they're 32-ounce plastic cups, and then Alabama, condensation is rampant. And so you would end up either holding a bunch of wet napkins or you would have condensation all over your clothes. And so I came up with a koozie that I sewed on my own and created them on the floor of my apartment, painted them by hand, and then sold them for $2, to people, that fit onto the 32-ounce cups, so I called them 32zies.
So if you were at Auburn between 2009 and 2011, you'd probably pull one out of your pocket every now and then. But it was such a cool opportunity to not even be entrepreneurial, but to solve a problem. And it gave me a chance to learn about material costs and profit margins and sales and marketing and little things on a small scale, but without a huge financial investment into this project. So that's how I've always been; very logical, purpose-driven, not necessarily financial risk-taker, but more of a efficiency creator. And so, I guess entrepreneurial is the word, but I've never necessarily labeled myself as an entrepreneur.
Currie:
There's so many different qualities that make successful entrepreneurs successful. And it sounds like you had those. You just did it, did your own little thing for a while before you graduated and went into industry. Should current students or newly-graduated students, should they go into industry like you did at first, even if they're interested in entrepreneurship or they have those qualities similar to what you had, or should they just try to go entrepreneurship?
Ashley:
So I think this is very circumstantial, because from my personal experience, my background going back to high school was in... I worked in an ice cream shop. And then when I got to Auburn, I was a Camp War Eagle counselor. I was a student recruiter. I was a Pi Kai, I was in a sorority and I mean, yes, I had my little 32zie business, but there was just so much that I did not know. And the amount that you learn from industry, whether it be what management style works for you, what organization style works for you, what business environments work, do you like working with a big company or small company? I think a lot of those factors play into people figuring out what they want to do for the rest of their life and how they want to shape their future. And so from my experience, I got so much out of industry, even though that's not the path that I have ended up on now, but the lessons that you learn are so critical that I don't think you can necessarily replicate that by just doing it on your own.
But on the flip side of that, if you've grown up in an entrepreneurial environment, say you started a lawn-care business when you were in middle school with some of your buddies and you've carried it forward, learned a lot of lessons. Say your parents owned a small business, and so you've always been in that environment of seeing the pros and cons, I think that you could have potentially have learned enough, through those experiences, that entrepreneurship straight out of undergrad may be a viable option, that you know who to go to and who to get that advice from and those learning experiences from, that I personally didn't have. So it really depends on the person and on your background and, really, where you feel you stand in terms of current knowledge and in terms of people that you feel you can get that continuous learning experiences from.
Sarah (11:21):
So there's a lot going on in the world right now. What are some of the other personal challenges that you're facing, and what about some of the challenges that your company is facing right now?
Ashley:
So it's been very interesting, because, similar to a lot of small businesses, what ended up happening with me is I had a pretty steady flow of income from my current clients. And a lot of them were individuals, a lot of them were small businesses, and what ended up happening towards the end of March, when things started to shut down, is that these businesses no longer needed a fancier website. They no longer needed someone to help them identify gaps in their business that could be filled by some type of strategic move. And so a lot of these people suddenly said, "You know what? We enjoy working with you, but it's just not a cost that we can carry right now. We're trying to keep our business open."
And that was a huge hit to me. End of March, I'm sitting here thinking, "How am I going to pay my bills?" And then on top of that, the stock market is crashing, which is where I pull some income from as well. So I'm sitting here thinking, "Am I moving back home? Is Hawaii over for me?" And then it was wild, because overnight my landlord said... He knew I had a sewing machine, and so he asked if I would make him a mask by the CDC recommendations. And I was like, "Yeah, sure. I don't know what I'm doing, but let me whip one up real quick." So we put together a couple of prototypes, and he has a huge following on social media.
And so he put up one post and suddenly everybody wanted to know where to buy them. And I threw together a form. I threw together just... Minute by minute, I was having to build a business out of nothing, out of no ideas. And suddenly came up with my Mask With Aloha business. I had 500 masks ordered overnight, and at this point I have sewn and shipped out about 1,600 to Australia, to all over the United States, all over Hawaii, Bahamas, the UK Guam. You name it, somehow I've shipped it there. And it was just... As hard as it was to jump from total defeat into a new endeavor, you've got to learn how to pivot and how to shift your focus, or else you're just going to get left behind, and it's so easy to quit.
But since people have taken time to reassess what COVID world looks like to them, I have had my typical Dream Catalyst Company clients come back and been able to help them set up things like online ordering, and just figuring out various cash streams that people can take advantage of during these tough times. So it's been a lot of back and forth. It's been an emotional roller coaster, I think, that we've all been on, just trying to make things work. But that is the joys of being a small business owner.
Currie:
I'm impressed by your ability to pivot to something so different than what you were doing with your websites and do it so efficiently. Let's just dive into that really quick. As you know, Sarah and I are athletes and entrepreneurs, and there's a big difference, when you're competing in the athletic arena, between playing hurt and being injured. And there's a fine line, but you have to be able to delineate that well. How do you know... As an entrepreneur or as a businessperson, how do you know when to pivot or when to just put your head down and push through?
Ashley:
So my best friend always says, "Everything in life worth doing is hard, and most things take longer than you want them to." And I think about that a lot because it's so easy to quit. The easy route is always to have an idea and just quickly give up. And especially in the world that we live in, where not seeing immediate results and not having that instant gratification is so frustrating, knowing when to push through something because you really want it, versus pivot, like you said, is hard to really define. I know, in my case, with pivoting from Dream Catalyst Company into Mask With Aloha, there was a significant event that occurred, being COVID, that made my services no longer necessary during a shutdown. And again, it's easy to just give up and feel bad for myself or find a creative opportunity in order to make money. Like I said, not to mention the market dropping.
And so you really just have to have trust in the process and put more faith into what the end goal is, and knowing if it's worth working towards, even if it's hard, and even if it's taking a lot longer than you want it to. On that same front, I would say my move from Atlanta to Hawaii was... It's not that I didn't like my job, and it's not that I didn't want to push through it. I think what I've realized, after the fact, is that I was pushing and I was working very hard at something that I wasn't passionate about and that I didn't necessarily see a future in.
And so a pivot, instead of pushing through and just continuing down this road of unhappiness and not fulfilling any type of need for my passion, a pivot was required in order to change my circumstances. And so, like you mentioned with sports, it's just having that mental courage to be honest and realize if you're hurting yourself in the long run, or if it's worth it to push through in order to achieve that end goal, even if it's taking forever.
Sarah:
A lot of people are experiencing the same thing about following their passion, or finding Work that aligns with their passion and their focus. So what advice would you give the students? Current students and graduating students and the alumni.
Ashley:
My biggest advice is read everything, because I am a... I have lucked out that I've found resources around Hawaii, whether it be those little bookstores on the side of the road, or I've found used bookstore libraries. And I will read about everything, because I think we don't know what we want to do. I mean, I graduated from Auburn. No clue. I sort of went into consulting, knowing that I had the opportunity of trying out a bunch of different industries and learning about what people are doing. But I think reading and just getting real-world experience from talking to people and just feeling out what people are doing, which takes time, it takes effort, and it makes us step away from our phones and have conversations. But those conversations are so critical. What you learn from books, just the excitement that you get from just something setting you off and going after it, is very critical to just the growing process, to me. So just keep an open mind. Man, I had no idea where I was going when I came out here, but slowly have created a business out of nothing.
Currie:
I love it. I think that's such great advice. We're both voracious readers. Like you said, read anything that you can get your hands on. Is there any particular book or a series of books or articles or journals that you would recommend, that have helped you the most with your career and where you are?
Ashley:
So I recently read a book called Range, by David Epstein, and the focus of it is the difference between being a generalist versus being a specialist. And I think that why it spoke to me so much is because it gave me the confidence and the reassurance that I don't necessarily need to be super-good at one thing, that dabbling in a bunch of different arenas and just keeping an open mind and learning... I learned so much from Google and YouTube and books and whatnot, and by not limiting yourself to a specific thing is what's made Dream Catalyst Company a possibility.
It's hard to define the company, because I do everything from build websites, which I've learned on the fly, to designing murals for restaurants, to giving advice and marketing strategy for somebody trying to get their board game out into the world. And so, I mean, you learn so much, and just having that generalist approach, as I mentioned, gives you the reassurance that no, you might not know what the right path is right now, but just keep pushing and keep trying to find ways to expose yourself to new things. Because as I mentioned, you never know what it's going to be that will click and lead to your next endeavor.
Sarah:
So what are your next steps and what does the future hold for Dream Catalyst Company?
Ashley:
I don't really have next steps, which sounds like a lack of vision, but at the same time, the way that I've built this company leaves me with the opportunity to be able to take on anything that comes at me. And by having this open mindset, which I'm telling you is very hard for a Type A, structured, planned, here's-my-five-years type of person, but just by staying open and honest has allowed me to get places with clients which has led to referrals. And there they're huge on my, what has been described as elegantly aggressive personality, which takes me to a point where I'm able to push things out of people, and to catalyze their ideas in order to get to where they need to go and to get that confidence. So I'm trying to keep Dream Catalyst Company as flexible as possible. As I mentioned, just learning from every interaction. And I'm just really lucky that the tracks are wide open for me and anything that comes my way. And maybe I do have some stuff up my sleeve, but they are not put together enough in order to divulge [crosstalk 00:22:21]. Always thinking.
Currie:
Yeah, well, listen, we all love the Harbert College of Business. It is quite literally one of the best college of businesses in the world. Can you share with us a little bit what you learned at the Harbert College of Business that has helped you in your career, helped you in your life, helped you with your entrepreneurial journey?
Ashley:
So I think that the lessons I've learned fall under what I learned from an academic standpoint and what I learned from a personal standpoint. So I would say the biggest takeaway that I've gained from Harbert College of Business is just the financial literacy that is so few and far between with people these days. And I feel horrible for people that have never gotten the background that I have, in terms of financial concepts, because they get into a world of trouble and that's hard, especially nowadays when things are unpredictable.
And so the fact that I was able to understand these concepts or get just exposure to concepts like investing and accounting and financial statements. And then during my MBA, learning things about case studies that give you insight into real world issues and how businesses are, really prepared me for things that I would encounter. And it's not necessarily that I think like, "Oh, that investing class, that is why I can now play in the stock market." It basically provided me with this sampler platter of ideas that I can pick and choose from, and then go after if something were to pique my interest. So the exposure that I've received has made me a lot more comfortable with making business decisions and quitting my job, and taking a little bit of risk. So that's been amazing.
And then from a personal standpoint, I would say that having to learn time management and prioritization during my academic career was also really important. Because especially during my MBA, I was juggling class and multiple jobs and outside-of-class assignments and projects, and then my personal goals with running, and I had to learn how to say, "No," and prioritize things in order to be successful, and to make some social sacrifices. And as an entrepreneur, you make your own schedule. You are personally accountable to all of your clients, and so you have to have that drive and discipline and initiative to be successful. And I believe that a lot of those traits that I carry have come out of what I learned during my time at Auburn.
Sarah:
You have a very interesting perspective on your journey and where you were and where you're going, even if you're not really sure right now. Throughout your journey, is there anything that you would do different?
Ashley:
No. I try and live without any type of regret of the past, just because any place along the line where I feel like I messed up, and I'm hard on myself, don't get me wrong, but any place along the line that I feel like I could have done better, those are all just opportunities to learn and to make better decisions or to re-craft my life going forward. And I know that one thing that I've definitely made a priority going forward is just the people that I've surrounded myself with. I mean, I've been out of school now for a while, and during school, you just want to be friends with everyone.
And as you progress in your career, you realize more and more the people that make sense to be around and the people who are going to provide you the same amount of enthusiasm towards your goals and supporting you and helping you learn and calling you out. And so I don't necessarily think that I would change anything from the past, but I'm very excited and hopeful for the network that I've created and the relationships I've built in order to help me build the best future possible.
Currie:
How can people find you? How can they keep up with your work or even utilize the Dream Catalyst Company?
Ashley:
So I have a website/ it is dreamcatalystco.com. And that is both where my masks are currently being showcased and where you can buy those. But then you can also see a portfolio of my unique clients and projects that I've worked on. I also have an Instagram, which is @dreamcatalystco, which I was looking back through, and I realized that I started this Instagram with a totally different approach, that the day that I quit my job, I have about 50 posts of different lessons that I've learned from, "Cut ties, start fresh," all the way through, really, my first year in Hawaii. And then there's a post that has, "Just made some big moves; I incorporated a company." And going forward from that, it's been a mix of client spotlights, to sharing how I've helped different people, but then also some showcasing my masks as well, because I'm proud of the work that I've put into those.
And then if you're just interested in getting in touch, probably the best way is via email with the time difference, being dreamcatalystco@gmail.com. And if you just have ideas, something in your head that you've been meaning to get out, I want to reiterate that my goal is to be a catalyst in taking fragmented ideas and helping inspire people, get organized, make those small-win goals and plans. And by identifying gaps in your current plan or your current ideas, I'm just here to take stress off people's plates so that they can keep their business moving, stay confident with what they're doing. And it's very hard to find. You're probably all thinking, "I still have no clue what this girl does." But that's what makes the company so unique, is that every client is different, what I can help people with is different and I'm just more than happy to creatively help people figure out what their next move is.
Sarah:
Ashley Ahner, it has been such a pleasure speaking with you today. We really appreciate your time. [crosstalk 00:29:14] Thank you so much.
Currie:
Yeah. It's been great. You are an inspiration to all the young entrepreneurs out there, especially with your ability to shift gears, pivot easily and keep moving forward. So we really appreciate your time, and if you ever need anything from us, you ever need anything from the Harbert College of Business, don't ever hesitate to reach out. We'd be happy to help you, okay?
Ashley:
Thank you so much. I know I can trust that Auburn family.
Currie:
Absolutely.
Sarah:
War eagle, Ashley.
Ashley:
War Eagle.
Narrator:
Harbert, Inspiring Business.