We had the good fortune of connecting with Ashley Ryan and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Ashley, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit & an active/creative imagination. Since I can remember, I have enjoyed customizing things to make them uniquely my own.
One of the first things I created was a custom Punk Rock Denim jacket for my chihuahua, Sabrina. I didn’t like anything I could find in stores or online, so I made exactly what I wanted. I got so many complements on it- I immediately knew it was something I should focus on. I am a huge animal lover, and nothing makes me happier than seeing someone gush over how cute their pet looks in something I created, and I wanted to continue to feel that experience. I believe that most successful entrepreneurs are those that have a lot of passion for their product- makes all the late nights creating worth it.
What should our readers know about your business?
Moxxie.co is basically a collection of merch for pets and humans based on my style and everything I like! I’ve always been an emo girl, but with a resilient side that has always pulled me out of whatever sad/difficult life situation I have been in. I coined the phrase, “Sad Diego” when I moved here in 2009, & slowly started making more merchandise based on the emo-aesthetic. I am also creating other merchandise based on being moxie.. pulling yourself up so you don’t miss out on life. Other items I make are usually based on pop-culture, and anything that I think would look cute on your pets.
There has been business challenges. Some ideas that I thought would be gold turned out to be duds. In general I have always made things that I like, so those products weren’t a total loss- I just use them as gifts for friends birthdays / holidays. I do find it difficult to designate enough time to my personal brand as my day job has me insanely busy, it has been a learning process to learn to be more disciplined and manage my time. If you don’t make time, your dreams won’t happen.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My favorite restaurant is Puesto, you can’t get any better than that. Mouth watering!! My southern friends don’t know what real Mexican food is, so I am always stoked to take them there and pretty much anywhere else in San Diego. Its all so good!
Definitely like taking them to Coronado, to view the city from another perspective. Old Town is great for food, shopping, & history.
I was a bartender for a decade here, so I usually like taking visitors downtown to my old stomping grounds to see bartender friends, especially to Altitude Sky Lounge at the Marriott by Petco Park. That crew treated me like family when I moved out here alone and we have kept beautiful friendships ever since!
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Working for Team Phun as a Brand Consultant, and having almost every position at the company as I worked my way up- I have learned an incredible amount of information about the Branding & Promotional Products industry. My 3 bosses are very different- each with their own niche of knowledge and experience. One specializes in production, the other sales and business growth, and the third everything art related. They have nicknamed me “The Jill of All Trades” at the company since I have picked up on all categories quickly over the years. I am extremely grateful for all I have learned from them, and have most definitely utilized this information when growing my own personal brand outside of my day job. Jared, my Art Director, helped me hone in on my graphic design skills in my first position there. When Jesse moved to the East coast to open our second location, he made me his production mini-me. I eventually got into Sales, and surprisingly did well as an introvert! I use all of these skills creating my own designs, knowing the best way to produce my items, and selling it to my audience!
Website: www.moxxie.co
Instagram: _moxxie.co
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-ryan-larrabee-03649137/