We’re looking forward to introducing you to Ashley Poulin. Check out our conversation below.
Ashley, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
If I had to choose, I’d say integrity matters most to me. Intelligence and energy are also important but without integrity guiding them, they can easily be misdirected. Integrity is what keeps you grounded, what helps you make decisions that feel right even when they’re hard, and what earns you trust in a world where trust is everything.
Intelligence helps you adapt, learn quickly, and understand the world you’re navigating.
Energy keeps you resilient, creative, and willing to show up again and again.
But integrity is the anchor — the thing that shapes your character, your relationships, and your long-term impact. When integrity leads, intelligence becomes wisdom, and energy becomes purpose!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi there! My name is Ashley Poulin (she/her) and I’m a creative originally from Canada but now based in New York City! I recently graduated from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI with my B.F.A. in Acting and minors in Musical Theatre and Forensic Investigations & Policing (I know, quite the topic jump– blame the Law & Order: SVU fan in me).
I began working in film/TV and theatre as a kid and haven’t looked back! For the past 16 years I have loved being involved in the arts in any way possible. You may have seen me in a recent season of Broadway World’s Next Onstage as a top 10 finalist or in a performance of Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. by Alice Birch (Best Distinguished Performance – The Kennedy Center). I’ve spent the last few months working on a few off-Broadway projects and attending various film festivals to celebrate the release of the feature film The Daughters of the Domino (directed by Jesse McAnally) that I was so lucky to get to be a part of! This January, I’ll be appearing in Paramount+’s StarTrek: Starfleet Academy which I can’t wait for everyone to see!
I am also extremely passionate about arts accessibility and advocacy. I am currently working at The Dramatists Guild of America helping theatre writers to champion and protect their unique visions!
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who taught you the most about work?
My parents without a doubt (amongst the gazillion other things they taught me). Not in a dramatic, sit-me-down kind of way, but through the way they live their lives every single day. They show me what real dedication looks like and how to always show up with integrity. They taught me that hard work isn’t just about effort; it’s about consistency, resilience, and taking pride in even the smallest tasks.
Everything I bring to my career and life overall — my discipline, my drive, my humility — comes from watching them lead by example. They never preached it; they embodied it. And I carry that with me everywhere I go!
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
While needles are my biggest fear they only hold me back in certain situations haha so I’ll go with my second biggest: my fear of success. Yes, you read that right, success, not failure. For the longest time I thought it was failure that made me nervous or forced me to second guess myself. But alas, failure’s twin sister was actually behind it all along.
People that I look up to in my industry always appear to have their shit together and even though it seems so daunting, so scary, so impossible or one in a million, my passion for my goals and how badly I want these things has always trumped the fears, anxieties and any lack of confidence I’ve had. I’m not afraid for people to see me try and see me fail. I’m just trying my best and remembering why I started and why I do this. But, that’s usually exactly where the fear creeps in. What happens if I get what I’ve always wanted? What next? What if it’s not what I thought it would be? What if I don’t deserve it?
I think it’s easy for these thoughts to occur because my definition of success can and has changed over time. Change is scary! Maintaining change is scary! To combat this fear, I try to remember that what’s meant for me truly cannot pass me by (thank you universe!). I also try to remember that conscious thoughts become subconscious actions: I have to believe that I deserve these things! The law of attraction literally tells you to fake it till you make it: positivity in = positivity out!
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
The entertainment industry can be impossibly tough — a place where rejection is routine, expectations are sky-high, and nothing is guaranteed no matter how hard you work. It can be chaotic, unpredictable, and unforgiving, and it will test your confidence, your patience, and your sense of self.
I think the biggest lie that we’re told as artists is what the definition of rejection is. When in reality we should see rejection as just as good an outcome as things going our way. Instead of seeing it as a failure, I see it as a redirection. With this mindset, not only does rejection sting less but, I begin to see it as an equivalent to success; an essential step toward my goals. It isn’t always a “yes” or “no” but a “yes” and “something else is meant for you”!
You can feel your feelings when something you wanted doesn’t work out but you can’t stop believing that future you has what current you wants! You can’t lose faith because the dreams you perceived yourself to have are smashed, when what really happened was that the road was just closed! You could have never driven down there even if you wanted to. Instead, you’re getting new directions and a chance to drive the scenic route. I always end up being glad that the road was closed (even if it can take an immense amount of time to figure out why) despite my frustrations because how else would I have stopped at that random diner on the way?
When I get any sort of “no” instead of thinking “I’m not good enough”, or “what did I do wrong”, or “how can I make them like me”? I say to myself, “I wonder what else has to happen for me during that time!” I’ve never looked back at a no and wasn’t grateful for it in retrospect. There is a peace that comes with knowing that you can’t control anyone and the decisions they make. As long as I show up and show people who I am and how I work, I know I’ve done all I can do!
But for all its harshness, this industry is also a world full of magic. It’s where stories come alive, where strangers connect through a single moment of truth, where creativity sparks in the most unexpected corners. The industry may be demanding, but when it’s good — when it really works — there’s nothing else quite like it!
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days.
Sometimes I think that certain aspects of the arts become glamourized and therefore I begin to (at times) have unrealistic expectations. So I remind myself, you can LOVE your job and be pursuing your passions but, it’s still a job at the end of the day. Which means it will feel like a job sometimes- both positively and negatively. But then I take a step back and remember that I’m the main character in my life and I can’t sit around and wait to start living– life isn’t guaranteed and circumstances won’t always be perfect!
All this to say that yes of course there have been times where I hop, skip, and jump my way to work knowing I’m walking into something special. Where the work doesn’t feel like work at all. I wanted to speak about those times individually but, I’d rather address them as a whole because I realized that there is a pattern to them. It’s the moments when everything aligns: the right project, the right people, the right timing. When I look forward to what I need to do, when I’m surrounded by a team that inspires me, and when the work feels challenging in the best way possible: whether that be in a theatre, in front of a camera or in the office.
Those are the days that remind me exactly why I started—when the joy outweighs the hustle and the excitement outweighs the nerves. I don’t tap dance to work every day, but the days I have? Those are the ones that stay with me, and the ones that make all the tougher days worth it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ashleypoulin.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashley.poulin/
Image Credits
Sub/Urban Photography
Samantha Nork
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