‘Gardening’ creativity

ASHLEIGH Gardner is often described as a natural leader who strives to make a difference wherever she goes. But the 25-year-old vice-president of eMedia Interactive and the head of the company’s digital creative agency — Branded by eMedia — did not always have the resilient and empowering spirit.

Born in Kingston, Gardner, a graduate of the Immaculate Conception High School, developed a fighting spirit when she attended Bethany College in West Virgina, USA.

“It was a predominantly white school. When I got there, I was one of three black girls in a college of over a thousand people. Most persons who were diverse and went there, went for sports; I went for academics,” Gardner told All Woman.

Her challenges, being part of the minority, led her to start a diversity club, which would later helps to shine awareness on other minority groups.

“When you are the minority in a particular situation you tend to be heightened to achieve things, and you’re more prone to looking at certain situations. The college was in a small town and persons there were sheltered and not knowledgeable of certain things, and living through that wasn’t the easiest. The club provided a forum, in an open space, where people who represented different diversities — blacks, Jews, and others, could come and share and answer questions that other members of the college had,” she said.

Gardner is now set on empowering young women through her work.

“I want women to look to me and be empowered. I haven’t figured it all out, but I think I’m on the right path. I want to build a community of strong professional women,” she said.

After graduating from Bethany cum laude with a bachelor of science degree in psychology and a minor in communications, Gardner began utilising the strength she developed while in West Virginia, and remains focused on achieving certain life goals.

“When I graduated I did not know what would come next. I started finding my way by capitalising on different opportunities that came my way. Though I have a degree in psychology, I didn’t want to pursue it, so I started searching for opportunities in production, marketing and entertainment,” the creative guru said.

Life’s path led her back to Jamaica and subsiquently to eMedia Interactive. But her journey to now occupying the position of vice-president was no easy feat.

“I started in 2013 as the operations manager at eMedia, then the person in the vice-president’s position stepped down. I started to tap into it and realised I had a knack for it. At that time, Tyrone Wilson, the founder and CEO of eMedia, got sick, and the entire responsibility of the company fell on me. While I wasn’t the VP all along, I was doing everything for this side of the business and that’s why I was promoted to that role in 2014,” she said

Gardner explained: “It [digital creativity] unfolded into my lap and, as I went along, I realised it was what I wanted to do. It’s not just about managing a brand, but doing events, having client relationships, while being able to pull on other things I love.”

Currently Gardener manages client relationships at both companies and is an integral part of her team’s development and management. For her, continuous opportunities to grow are paramount.

“We have an open-door policy, and making sure the customers needs are always serviced is important to me. Whatever it is, at any time, they know they can reach us. If they have a problem or need a favour, the direct communication is there. They always can call me and get me. I oversee things and whatever they want I’ll try to get it done,” Gardner said.

Aspects of Garndner’s job include sourcing talents for advertisements and commercials, scouting locations, or even co-ordinating wardrobe and make-up for campaign shoots. It also involves overseeing the corporate aspect of the company, which includes the e-zines, videos, photography, and production.

Additionally, Gardner successfully closed several partnerships, including with Flow TV for content distribution. She re-launched iVu TV, and assisted eMedia to enter into new international markets and acquire additional clients.

Gardner, who also holds a postgraduate diploma in business administration from the Mona School of Business and Management, leads a team of 30 young and innovative people –15 full-time workers and 15 freelancers.

Though her job is challenging, she admits that the job is not short of fun.

“It’s a company of young people, run by young people. It is a creative atmosphere, which is never mundane. You have the opportunity to express yourself, and throughout the day we’ll have DJ and karaoke sessions to relax. It’s challenging, but we love what we do, and we want to get through the day with little stress,” she said.

A foodie at heart and an Instagram fanatic, Gardner enjoys trying different cuisines, travelling and posting motivational quotes on her Instagram page.

“I enjoy posting positive things and young girls often question me and ask how I do what I do and where I get my strength from. Through that medium I try to encourage them that it’s not perfect, but you can use what you have and attain your goals.”