References
References
Last updated June 2024
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Richard Clark
CFO for Always Fits 2018-2022
LinkedIn
“I had the pleasure of serving as Ashley’s part time CFO for over three years while she rapidly grew her fledgling, novelty ecommerce business into an $8M juggernaut. Her ability to achieve such extraordinary growth so quickly is made even more remarkable by the fact that this was her first ecommerce company and her first time as a CEO/COO.
Ashley’s ability to understand her markets and more specifically, her target customers’ psychographics, then source unique, thematically fitting products, then deliver compelling promotional content that captures their hearts and minds is an impressive and rarely found combination of skills found in a single individual. Her customer experience only starts there, after which she maintains a connection, almost devotion, to her customers assuring optimized fulfilment and post-sale support that brings many back multiple times, not to mention rave customer reviews.
Ashley compliments these “soft” side, emotional skills with equally strong intellectual and leadership skills and exceptional character. Constructing and executing an annual Business Plan with almost 3X compounded annual growth requires the right blend of long and short-term thinking. While staying focused on building her desired culture and achieving her vision, mission, and goals, she of course had to manage through the daily fires and natural seasonality of her business. I would put Ashley’s ability to adapt foremost amongst her skills at both a strategic and tactical level, particularly problems or setbacks that if not addressed and resolved adroitly become more problematic and threatening to success. Not far behind adaptability is decisiveness and her tenacity in execution, relying on a measured and timely combination of analysis, decision making (generally with team input), conviction, and confidence.
Vagaries in the consumer market, COVID-19, unpredictable yet significant interruptions in supply chain, fulfillment, or advertising venues, and other events often further tested Ashley’s mettle. These challenges for a seasoned CEO are difficult enough, but as a new CEO, Ashley tackled them one by one, treating each one as an opportunity to win and expand her knowledge and skills in the process. It is worth noting here that for the nine months in between holiday seasons, she pulled all this off with only a small tight-knit team backed by strategic outsourced service providers.
I will conclude on the same thread I started which was the shear pleasure of not only lending her a hand and some guidance on growing a startup, but witnessing her professional growth under extraordinarily erratic, anxious, and difficult times. I welcome anyone reading this letter to call me at the number above to learn more about this special individual.”
Lisa Peterson
Chief of Staff Mayor of Salem, Former Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, Founder Adventure Girls
LinkedIn
“I have known Ashley Judge well for more than 15 years, and we have worked together on several projects over that time. Her combination of unique perspective, curiosity and tenacity has put her on the short list of people I turn to when I have big, complicated challenges to solve - both professionally and personally. The bigger the challenge, the bigger Ashley thinks, and I don't believe she has ever met a problem of any size or scope that has scared her off. In fact, she is especially driven to solve large, complex challenges where she can deliver transformative and impactful results.
Ashley is a dot-connector in the grandest sense. By that, I mean that I have always been impressed by her ability to survey not just the situation and issue in front of her, but the entire landscape of resources and opportunities around her, and beyond, to find a creative and thoughtful new approach to moving an idea forward. She's not afraid to think about and try new ideas, and that is another reason I have turned to her so often to help me think through my own sticking points and she has always helped me to strategize and find a bigger and better solution.
As I consider the moments that Ashley has been most impactful and transformative for me, personally, three projects come immediately to mind.
Many years ago, when I was running an organization with a mission to advance women and girls, we had an idea for a related product we were hoping to launch. I had no idea where to begin or how viable the product could be. Ashley was my first stop to help me think through the concept. She spent an entire afternoon with me, explaining all the elements of the product development process, and brainstorming with me about all the possibilities (which were much wider than I had realized!). I came away with not only a thorough understanding of our initial concept, but several other strong ideas as well!
Several years ago, I was preparing to run for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives out of Massachusetts. Ashley was by my side, not only as we planned and prepped, but immediately with me throughout launch day as well. I was so grateful to have her there as a part of my "kitchen cabinet" as her approach was so thoughtful, innovative, and ambitious. Her demeanor is also calming, steady and caring in a way that always makes me want her around when big decisions need to be considered or made. The combination of her thinking as big as possible and the compassion she employs to bring everyone around her along for the ride is special and puts her on another level from so many others I have collaborated with over the years.
Several months ago, I began my current role as the Chief of Staff for the Mayor of my city. Soon after I started, I learned that the city had launched an important initiative two years ago. This initiative has had several managers since it started and it has been difficult for the coordinator of the program to make any progress with it at all, as each new manager has tried pushing it in a new direction. All parties related to this initiative are very frustrated as a result. As I stepped in to try to help, it immediately started to feel overwhelming, and I needed a fresh perspective. I reached out to Ashley, as I so often do. With almost no historical perspective on the project and a fresh set of eyes, she met with the coordinator. Within a couple of hours, Ashley was able to cut through all the noise, and was able to report back to me with a core understanding of the issues at hand. She talked me through the complications we were facing, and she helped me realize that we were asking the wrong questions as we tried to decide which direction to take this initiative. We needed to back up and figure out the central goals of the program in a new way. Now that we have taken Ashley's advice and done that, the program is completely streamlined and moving forward much more smoothly! Everyone involved is happy, and our goals are now in sight!
The organization that gets to bring Ashley Judge onto their team is very fortunate. She is one of those rare thinkers that makes everything and everyone around her better off with the passion that she brings to each and every day, and each and every challenge. I am really excited to see what she does next and where she lands. I always want her on my team, and I highly recommend her for yours!”
Jess Shada
Photographer for Always Fits 2021-2023
“Being employed by Ashley Judge was one of the most fulfilling work experiences I have had in my career. Her vision and drive make her a true force and having her as a boss was such a pleasure. Working with her and the AF team was incredibly rewarding - I could not have asked for a more brilliant team of smart, capable, and inspiring women. Ashley works hard to get the best out of her employees and in my opinion, there is nothing better in leadership. Understanding people’s strengths, weaknesses, and room for growth - she inspired her team to think bigger, dig deeper, and stay efficient. I could not have asked for a more enriching environment to grow as an artist and as a woman.”
“I first started working with Ashley Judge and her incredible shop, Always Fits, in 2015. As an expert in buying and brand marketing, she always curated the best items and was able to tell their story uniquely. She really understands what consumers want, and her vision and great taste propelled the brand forward and led me to feature its products in Food Network Magazine many, many times. Over the years, Ashley has proven to be a great source of inspiration for my stories, and her impressive work ethic and attention to detail made her a great commerce partner.”
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