We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ashley Alaniz-Moyer a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Ashley, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
As a child, I always answered the typical question from adults “What do you want to be when you grow up?” with an enthusiastic “A TEACHER!” My sister had to bear the brunt of this dream by sitting in my “classroom” on weekends and holidays with her classmates aka my stuffed animals. I entered college as an education major but found myself questioning the goal I declared at the age of six. Unsure of what my plans after graduation would be, I filled my evenings and weekends volunteering on-campus and off-campus with organizations like Boys and Girls Club, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Habitat for Humanity. It wasn’t until the guidance of my college mentor that I realized I could build a career in nonprofits and do what makes me happy… serving my community and building up others.
After serving in AmeriCorps and then working in college admissions and fundraising, I found my current role with the Hispanic Scholarship Consortium. It didn’t dawn on me until a few years ago that I realized that the dream of being a teacher was still (kinda) alive in me. I’ve been able to support others in pursuing their goals through education as an admissions counselor encouraging adult students to pursue their education, fundraising to make high-quality education accessible for low-income families, and now providing financial aid and support services to Latino college students.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
In addition to my work at the Hispanic Scholarship Consortium, I recently created another job for myself as co-founder of Refuerzo Collaborative. Refuerzo Collaborative is a communications agency creating holistic, multicultural, and dynamic strategies so clients can find their truth, increase their impact, and sustain brand growth. I first connected with my co-founder, Fabiana Melendez Ruiz, when she interned at Hispanic Scholarship Consortium back in 2014. We’ve stayed connected over the years as she built her career in public relations. When she felt inspired to build her own agency, I jumped at the opportunity to support her and her goals, like I’ve done for others before. In my role, I support our clients in building their community engagement strategy so they can meet their business goals while supporting their community.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Willingness to learn: A lot of emphasis is put on crossing that 10,000-hour threshold to become an expert and gain mastery, but of equal value is understanding the importance of being a student. I don’t believe one can gain expertise and then just sit back. It’s an active process that requires constant learning, adapting to new trends, and understanding of other perspectives. Empathy: As a kid, I would always complain that I didn’t have a secret talent or skill. To cheer me up my mom would always tell me my talent was my heart. I didn’t understand what that meant until I grew older. We won’t ever be able to agree on everything but I believe we can solve a lot of conflict by being willing to seek to understand each other and find where we have common values with one another.
Collaboration: I have always realized that nothing can be accomplished on my own. I thrive at being a part of a team, no matter my role on it. I believe this is because of my empathetic style. I embrace differences because the best teams succeed when people who are different come together to accomplish a shared goal.
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
Shortly after becoming a mom in September 2019, I was feeling a little overwhelmed balancing everything. I, reluctantly, took a step back from some boards and committees I was involved in so I could focus on being a mom and my work at Hispanic Scholarship Consortium. Taking a step back combined with all the extra time at home during the pandemic, I quickly found myself yearning to do more. I jumped into a leadership program, earned a graduate certificate from the University of Utah in DEI, joined a few advisory councils, renovated an RV, and became an Airbnb host – but not all at once! I’m someone who performs best when I have a full plate. But I also have to honor my “mom brain” and recognize my focus and memory are not quite what they were before becoming a mom. My son is constantly occupying my brain, even when I’m not physically with him! I have had to triple-down on organization systems. Like most folks, I live by my Google calendar to remind me of all the meetings and calls I have. My Trello boards help me manage big projects, break them down into actionable steps, and track the progress I’ve made. I’ve also recently busted out my old bullet journal for more of my day-to-day tasks.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @theashleyam
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyalanizmoyer/
Image Credits
Maggie Eyster Sarah Huddleston
