Ansley Pridgen of Ansley Media Co. on helping small businesses grow

Describe your business in a few words:

After attending SMU and receiving an Undergraduate Degree in Accounting, I moved to New York City to begin a career in fashion. While in NYC, I learned about fashion production, design, life, and hard work. However, I couldn’t suppress my deep love and connection to the South.

After moving back to the South in 2015, I started my own company inspired by my southern background and experience in design. These dual passions led to the beginning of Allie & Elle, my creative outlet where I paint and sell greeting cards and gifts made from my watercolor paintings. After five years of continued growth, Allie & Elle has been sold in over 300 stores, boasts a successful e-commerce site, and the signature watercolor designs are celebrated throughout the country.

While working on Allie & Elle, I had the opportunity to run a nonprofit and organize their largest fundraiser. I met an abundance of small business owners who collaborated with me to make the event a success. While working with these small business owners, branding, digital marketing, and e-commerce seemed to be critical problem areas that I had personally navigated with my own company. As word spread, more and more of the small businesses I collaborated with reached out for my specialized and budget-friendly approach to comprehensive digital marketing. And thus, Ansley Media Co., a female-run digital marketing agency, was born. The company has always had a strong emphasis on prioritizing small businesses and helping them grow. Today, Ansley Media Co. proudly assists brands across the country to manage all things digital.

What was your background prior to starting your own business?

Accounting, Fashion Production in NYC, and Nonprofit Executive Director

Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

Yes.

Take us back to when you first launched your business, what was your marketing strategy to get the word out and did it go as planned?

Before the pandemic, I went to a ton of events! That’s how I met most of my first clients.

What is the accomplishment you are the most proud of to date?

Growing to the point of feeling secure!

Do you believe in work/life balance? What are some of your best tips?

Yes, but I’m not great at it! I have a dog who forces me to get outside! I like working, so it’s hard to turn it off.

What have you achieved recently that you’d like to celebrate with our community?

Well, I’ve set some pretty big goals for 2022 that I’ll be looking forward to achieving. We have doubled or tripled most of our client’s sales in 2021, so that’s a huge win!

What’s next for your business? What can we expect to see over the next few years?

Adding one to two more employees and doubling our client load.

What excites you about being an Entreprenista League member?

I love meeting fellow female business owners!

Learn more about the Entreprenista League and join today!