Hidden Gems: Meet Ashley Smith of Insights by Ash

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Smith

Hi Ashley, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
After years of working at a marketing agency and wanting more, I saw an unmet need in the local market: competitively priced strategic marketing services for small business owners, specifically women-owned, BIPOC-owned, and LBGTQ-owned businesses. This realization inspired me to embrace my entrepreneurial spirit and start my own marketing consulting firm, Insights by Ash. I pitched my services to some of my favorite small businesses and now a majority of my clients are those same businesses whom I was a long-time customer at first. I strongly believe the best marketers deeply understand the customers they are trying to reach because they ARE the customers. Now, after nearly a year in business, I combine my diverse skillset to expertly manage numerous clients’ paid marketing efforts, organic social media content, websites, brand strategies, ambassador/loyalty programs, and research projects.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
After I graduated with my Bachelors of Advertising Management with a minor in Entrepreneurship in 2019, I worked to achieve my Master’s in Marketing Research in 2023. Then I went on to further sharpen my skills by earning a Certification in Digital Marketing in early 2024, all from Michigan State University. Navigating college and graduate school, I encountered my fair share of obstacles ranging from mental health struggles to physical health issues. During graduate school, I finally began taking the necessary steps to take better care of myself as a whole. Self-care and self-compassion are two skills I have sharpened since becoming a business owner, as I am my most valuable asset!

For me, self-care looks like enjoying delicious meals, scheduling time every day to be outside or move my body, taking part in hobbies or activities that bring me joy, surrounding myself with a supportive and driven community, and scheduling time out of every week to work on my mental health. Entrepreneurship has taught me the value of self-care and the importance of surrounding yourself with a community of people who share your goals and priorities.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Insights by Ash?
At Insights by Ash, my mission is to empower women-owned, BIPOC-owned, and LGBTQ-owned small businesses through data-driven insights and strategic marketing research, ultimately enabling them to successfully use social and digital marketing to reach their ideal customers and achieve sustainable financial growth. I am local to Lansing, so most of my current clients are within the Lansing area, but I have partnered with clients from across Michigan.

What sets me apart from other marketers or researchers is my holistic approach, meaning my research brain uses data-driven insights to inform every aspect across all campaigns and channels. Because I am the one setting the strategy and managing all the marketing, my clients’ tactics are all constantly communicating with each other. For example, I can use insights from a client’s research efforts and website traffic to directly improve the reach and relevancy of their organic social media content, in real time. When you work with me, you have a whole marketing agency at your fingertips for a fraction of the cost.

My marketing services include strategic planning, market research, branding, digital marketing (including website and ad management), social media management, content creation, and member attraction/retention programs. Some of my clients have been visionary owners of vintage shops, trailblazers in the nail industry, state-of-the-art fitness centers, cutting-edge outdoor learning academies, top-rated realtors, pioneers in health supplements, leaders in ethical dog training, and evidence-based integrative therapy centers.

I offer free 30-minute consultations for all prospective clients, so if you are curious about how your business could benefit from data-driven marketing, email me at [email protected] or head to my website www.insightsbyash.com to schedule a free consultation.

Who else deserves credit in your story?
My biggest supporters have been my parents, sister, grandparents, and my partner. I have numerous community business leaders and some amazing faculty and graduate professors in the Broad College of Business at Michigan State University to thank as well. I have had such a supportive experience throughout my education and now afterward as I have found friends, clients, and mentors along the way. Being a part of the small business community in Lansing has been rewarding beyond belief, and I cannot wait to continue forming connections and empowering entrepreneurs through impactful marketing!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.insightsbyash.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/insights.by.ash?igsh=MXNhZjVzc2g4YXRjNg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552332511166&mibextid=LQQJ4d

Image Credits
Professional photography by Elijah Cephus.