Meet Ashley Dobson

We were lucky to catch up with Ashley Dobson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ashley, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

Confidence and self-esteem are an ever-evolving process for me and, honestly, how I feel about it depends on the day! I’m not a huge fan of the “fake it until you make it” mentality. But sometimes, especially in the beginning, that’s what it takes. There have been moments where I’ve had to step into rooms or take on responsibilities that felt way outside my comfort zone, and in those moments, pretending I had the confidence (or the delusion in today’s social media parlance!) helped me get through until I truly felt it.

But I believe my real sense of confidence comes from the incredible support system I have in my husband, my family, and my friend group. Knowing that I’m surrounded by people who believe in me and have my back gives me the courage to take risks, because even if I fall, I know I’ll have a soft place to land. It’s their encouragement and faith in me that allows me to keep pushing forward, even when things get tough.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

Through Narrative is a communications and public relations firm. We use your story to craft effective communications, create opportunities to meaningfully engage your target audience, and develop actionable strategies. Through your narrative, we shape and share who you are as an agency, where you’re headed, and how to get there.

Our clients are government agencies, nonprofits, and organizations passionate about doing great work within their respective niches. They creatively find ways to stretch small staffs and limited resources. They recognize the need for strategic communications, but don’t have the time, capacity, or expertise to put it into action.

I love to work with people who know the value of an effective communications campaign but trust me to execute their vision. Working in close partnership with our clients, we do the heavy lifting to expand their in-house capacity, broaden their reach, and shout to the rooftops about their incredible work and opportunities. Through Narrative provides the full suite of communications, marketing, and public relations services, from assessments and strategy development to implementation and outreach campaigns to website development and trainings.

We are about to celebrate our ONE YEAR anniversary and I am just so excited about how much we have grown this first year. I have learned so much about running my own business, my skill sets, and how I want to keep moving forward in the future.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Curiosity – I love to learn and that helped expose me to a wide range of topics and opportunities. In my career I have done everything from write about the women in a nutria rat skinning contest to create reports and action steps for addressing harms against Native American tribes – if you are open to learning and curious about the things people share with you, your opportunities are endless!

Solutions-Oriented – My emphasis on solutions instead of problems has served me very well in the working world. As an employee and as a business owner, I never share a problem if I don’t at least have an idea of a possible solution. Those solutions aren’t rigid because oftentimes there is a better one I can come up with in collaboration with a boss or partner, but having that solution as a starting place let’s people know they can trust me to always get the job done.

Writing Skills – I love to writing and writing is the most transferrable skill there is! Even in this era of AI-generated notetaking, you will be well-served by writing often and in a variety of styles.

How would you describe your ideal client?

My ideal client is someone who understands that communications is labor! I think this field, like many creative fields, can be dismissed as “just social media” or something they can use ChatGPT to replace. But this work is strategic. It takes thought. It takes time. And it has value. Working with people who understand and place a similar a value on it is always a pleasure.

I also love to work with people who are passionate about their work or the topic of their work. That passion inspires me and I feel like I create better content and strategy when I’m matching their internal fire. Plus, I get to learn from someone who deeply cares and there is no better way to explore something new!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.throughnarrative.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/through_narrative/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyddobson/