Furthermore
January 26, 2017
Creative Director Ashley and Editor-in-Chief Sheila are offering up perfectly curated content to market wellness in today’s fitness obsessed world. This bad-ass duo is creating killer articles, traveling the world, and letting us in on the key to their success—a sense of humor.
We chatted with the pair about building their brand and how empowering each other has been a major key to their success. Read on, babes… xx
What is your hometown?
AH: Atlanta, Georgia! Go Dawgs!
SM: River Vale, New Jersey
What brought you two together? How did you know the other was “the one”?
SM: Our managing director, Liz Miersch, and I worked together at SELF magazine, years ago. I remember her telling me, ‘You have to meet Ashley, she is hilarious, you are going to love her.’
AH: That was the same thing they said to me!
What advice could you give on working closely with a friend and balancing a personal and professional relationship?
AH: We make sure to keep a healthy balance between hard work and having fun. You have to have a sense of humor—especially when you’re traveling the world with someone.
SM: I think the same qualities that make a strong friendship make a strong professional relationship. Ashley and I really listen to each other and respect one another’s opinions, even when we very rarely disagree.
What inspires you about your friend?
AH: Her will power inspires me; she’s relentless and never gives up.
SM: Ashley is calm and cool in any situation. She is also one of the best collaborators I have ever met. You have to be secure in your own creative direction to be open to other people’s opinions, and she is.
What is your process when approaching your creative work?
AH + SM: We tend to each have germs of ideas that we will toss out to one another and then start batting them around to see what we both like and are excited by. We collaborate on every step before taking it to our separate corners of expertise—Ashley’s creative direction, specifically, and Sheila’s editorial perspective.
When do you feel most empowered?
AH: I feel most empowered on set, when we’re shooting photo and video. This certain energy takes over my body, and it’s when I’m at my best.
SM: I love the idea generation, that step of our process. My brain does the most buzzing when we are taking an idea from a singular, small thought to something we think will be big and beautiful.
Inspired by women with wild hearts and boss brains
Where do you go in NYC to unwind?
AH: The boxing studio!
SM: Central Park!
What’s your biggest guilty pleasure (life’s all about balance after all!)?
AH + SM: We *should* be ashamed of how much we love and the frequency with which we discuss and analyze The Real Housewives franchise, but #sorrynotsorry.
How are you #livingLIVELY?
AH: This year, I’ve decided to really live my life to the fullest and see as much of the world as I can. I spent time in Southeast Asia, Europe, South America, among other places, for both personal and professional reasons but all of it has contributed to expanding my worldview—plus it’s made me more creative!
SM: A huge part of my life is competing in road races and triathlons. I’ve historically placed a lot of pressure on myself in these arenas. This year, I tried to focus more on my enjoyment and I’ve actually seen some of my best results.
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