episode 031: Ashley Freeborn

episode 031: Ashley Freeborn

Author: with May Globus October 6, 2021 Duration: 55:15
Entrepreneur Ashley Freeborn is magnetic in every sense of the word. The Los Angeles-based founder and CEO of popular fashion brand Smash + Tess has a powerful, energizing presence you feel as soon as you’re in her orbit. She grew up in Tsawwassen, the daughter of hardworking, type A parents. Her stylish, pioneering mother is the CEO and president of a financial institution, and her father was the fire chief of Delta. Goal-setting was ingrained in her at a young age, and Ashley set about to become an educator, receiving her Masters in Education before moving into corporate training and culture for a number of years. In 2014, she did the summer program at Conde Nast in London and, from there, Smash + Tess came to be. In this conversation, we explore growing up with a mother that truly loved what she did and continually works to advance opportunities for women, what it was like launching a brand with both her best friend and mother, where the name Smash + Tess comes from and its recent collaboration with Hilary Duff, her journey with Crohn’s Disease and the importance of self-advocacy & asking questions when it comes to your health, her lens on raising two inquisitive daughters in this world, and more.

There’s a particular texture to a life built around creating something meaningful, whether that’s a business, a work of art, or a new path forward. The Craft with May Globus pulls back the curtain on those lives through unhurried, intimate dialogues. May sits down with a diverse range of creators, founders, and pioneers, but the focus here is less on glossy success stories and more on the raw material of their journeys. You’ll hear the nuances of their creative process, the pivotal moments in their personal backstory, and how their philosophy shapes their daily existence. It’s an ongoing exploration of the shared humanity behind different kinds of work. What makes this podcast uniquely immersive is its commitment to being an audio-visual experience. Each conversation is accompanied by rich, editorial-style photography that provides a deeper, more sensory connection to the guest and their world. Think of it like a beautifully composed magazine feature that you can listen to, where the images and the dialogue work in concert. Tuning into this podcast feels like gaining quiet, privileged access to the minds of people who are thoughtfully shaping culture, one idea at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Craft with May Globus
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