Meet Ashley | Founder, The Bee & The Fox

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

Hi Ashley, let’s start by talking about what inspires you?
It’s my sisterhood that carries me through. It’s Janet, who’s remained my right hand woman since the get-go, who always pushes me to do better, and who is always solution focused. It’s my sister who now helps with our newsletter while simultaneously answering my calls at 8 am to vent about dating at 40 or dance to some good soul music in my kitchen. It’s my neighbor Christian who ran our customer service before handing it over to my dear friend Kaili who’s an inspiration and an essential part of my life. It’s Sharon who’s a fellow single mama and friend and who styles all our shoots. It’s my friend Amy who texts me smoke signals just to let me know she sees me. It’s Holly who helped me labeled my anxiety as anxiety and who has held my hand through some hard parts of the journey. It’s even distant friends like my friend Colleen in Arizona who also divorced her husband and then bought a horse and a trailer and built her own life however the fuck she wanted to, giving women like me permission to do the same. It’s my friend Cindy who early on said she needed a Mama Bird shirt to go with her daughter’s Free as a Bird shirt. It’s my friend Sarah who I’ve got to watch do things like buy a vintage trailer and learn to hitch it and park it all on her own and who inspires me to show up as a partner to myself in this role of single motherhood that we both find ourselves in. It’s my other neighbor Bonnie who’s a single woman and watches out for me from across the street and moves pallets into my garage when a delivery comes and I’m not home. It’s Nicole who ran our warehousing for forever and did it with so much love and dedication. It’s my Mama who celebrates every win and likes every instagram post. I could go on and on. Over and over and over again, it’s the women in my life who make it so rich and who inspire me to keep digging, growing, and loving.

What should our readers know about your business?
Our growth has given rise to our voice, which is not something we saw coming but are forever grateful for. We still recall the early days when we would post images to instagram of empowered mamas breastfeeding their babies and we watched in surprise how each time we would lose followers. It was a pattern that became evident through repetition and it allowed us to take the stand that we are a brand that not only supports breastfeeding but also believes in doing so in public. That we don’t agree with the sexualization society has placed on our breasts. And that if someone feels we one should cover up, then keep the nipple out and throw a blanket over their face instead. Sometimes you have to draw a hard line in the sand and we’re a company that’s okay doing that.

We continue to use our voice to support women; mothers, sisters, and daughters alike. Because we feel it’s our duty to do so with the platform we have.

It’s an honor to regularly donate to the American Association of University Woman (AAUW) who have been supporting the plight of women for over a century. We also continue to use our voice to support victims of natural disasters (all proceeds from our ‘Don’t Mess with Texas’ tee were donated to the victims of the hurricanes in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico) as well as victims of injustice (we were able to raise over 11K to donate to RAICES in support of reuniting` immigrant children with their families).

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m based in San Clemente, California, which is a small beach town that lies north of San Diego and south of Los Angeles. September is a favorite month among locals because the summer sun still lingers long after the crowds have left. An itinerary would include lots of time at the beach; Doheny is a crowd favorite amongst those who want to give surfing a try. Trestles, on the other hand, draws world class surfers from all over the world. Laguna beach is a short drive for those who prefer less surfers and more coves with beautiful backdrops. Turks is a fun dive bar in the Dana Point harbor and it’s nice to see the boats and watch the seals splash about. Casa Romantica, the family home of Ole Hanson, is a historic landmark and showcases various art exhibitions, lush gardens, and a beautiful view of the pier. South of Nicks has the best Mexican food, with ambiance to match. But really nothing really beats a bonfire on the beach on a warm night with friends.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Oh I think I answered this in my last answer: It’s my sisterhood that carries me through. It’s Janet, who’s remained my right hand woman since the get-go, who always pushes me to do better, and who is always solution focused. It’s my sister who now helps with our newsletter while simultaneously answering my calls at 8 am to vent about dating at 40 or dance to some good soul music in my kitchen. It’s my neighbor Christian who ran our customer service before handing it over to my dear friend Kaili who’s an inspiration and an essential part of my life. It’s Sharon who’s a fellow single mama and friend and who styles all our shoots. It’s my friend Amy who texts me smoke signals just to let me know she sees me. It’s Holly who helped me labeled my anxiety as anxiety and who has held my hand through some hard parts of the journey. It’s even distant friends like my friend Colleen in Arizona who also divorced her husband and then bought a horse and a trailer and built her own life however the fuck she wanted to, giving women like me permission to do the same. It’s my friend Cindy who early on said she needed a Mama Bird shirt to go with her daughter’s Free as a Bird shirt. It’s my friend Sarah who I’ve got to watch do things like buy a vintage trailer and learn to hitch it and park it all on her own and who inspires me to show up as a partner to myself in this role of single motherhood that we both find ourselves in. It’s my other neighbor Bonnie who’s a single woman and watches out for me from across the street and moves pallets into my garage when a delivery comes and I’m not home. It’s Nicole who ran our warehousing for forever and did it with so much love and dedication. It’s my Mama who celebrates every win and likes every instagram post. I could go on and on. Over and over and over again, it’s the women in my life who make it so rich and who inspire me to keep digging, growing, and loving.

Website: http://www.thebeeandthefox.com

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/thebeeandthefox