Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Swaby.
Hi Ashley, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story has never been one straight line — it has been a series of seasons, pivots, lessons, and decisions to keep becoming.
I started my career in hospitality and marketing, but I have always been drawn to creativity, experiences, and the way people feel in a moment. Over the years, I found myself naturally gravitating toward work that allowed me to bring ideas to life — whether that was through events, brand storytelling, social media, public relations, or community-driven experiences.
A major part of my journey began through event production. I launched and produced experiences that brought people together in intentional, memorable ways, including my event brand Exxperior Events and signature concepts like Moulin Rouge, Popular, SKIN, and Tour de Brunch. What started as a creative outlet quickly became a platform for culture, connection, and curated experiences. Through those events, I learned how much I loved creating spaces where people could feel celebrated, inspired, and fully present.
At the same time, I was building my career in hospitality marketing. I currently serve as Assistant Director of Marketing at SLS Baha Mar, where I help shape the voice, visibility, and storytelling behind one of the most dynamic lifestyle resort brands in The Bahamas. That role has stretched me in the best ways — allowing me to work across luxury hospitality, food and beverage, nightlife, entertainment, influencer marketing, partnerships, and brand strategy.
Outside of my corporate career, I have continued to build as an entrepreneur and creative. My personal brand has grown into a space where I share lifestyle, motherhood, beauty, travel, dining, entrepreneurship, and the behind-the-scenes of becoming. I’m also developing ventures connected to fashion, events, and curated lifestyle experiences, all rooted in the same purpose: creating beauty, access, inspiration, and intentional moments for people.
Becoming a mother also changed my perspective deeply. It made me more focused, more intentional, and more aware of the legacy I want to build — not just professionally, but personally. I want my daughter to see that you can be multifaceted, ambitious, graceful, and still create a life that feels aligned.
Where I am today is the result of faith, discipline, reinvention, and the courage to keep showing up even when the path was unclear. I am still evolving, but I’m proud of the woman I am becoming — a marketer, event producer, entrepreneur, mother, storyteller, and creative who is committed to building things that feel meaningful, beautiful, and impactful.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, it has not always been a smooth road — but I’ve learned that the challenges are often what shape you the most.
One of the biggest struggles along the way has been learning how to balance being multifaceted without feeling stretched too thin. I have always had many interests and ideas — hospitality, marketing, events, entrepreneurship, content creation, personal branding, and now motherhood — and for a long time, I felt the pressure to choose one lane. Over time, I’ve learned that my strength is actually in the combination of those things. The challenge has been learning how to manage them with intention, discipline, and grace.
Another challenge has been building while still becoming. Entrepreneurship and creativity require a lot of confidence, but there are seasons when you are still figuring things out in real time. I have had to learn how to trust my ideas, advocate for myself, price my value properly, and keep showing up even when everything was not perfect behind the scenes.
I’ve also had to navigate the emotional side of ambition — wanting to grow, wanting to serve, wanting to create at a high level, while also learning the importance of rest, boundaries, and not pouring from an empty cup. Becoming a mother made that lesson even more real for me. It forced me to become more intentional with my time, my energy, and the legacy I want to build.
There have been moments of uncertainty, moments where I had to pivot, moments where I had to rebuild my confidence, and moments where I had to remind myself that success does not always happen loudly or overnight. Sometimes it happens quietly, through consistency, resilience, and the decision to keep going.
So while the road has not been smooth, I am grateful for it. Every challenge has taught me something — about leadership, creativity, patience, faith, self-worth, and purpose. I would not be who I am today without the lessons that came from the harder seasons.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Professionally, I work in hospitality marketing, brand strategy, events, and storytelling. I currently serve as the Assistant Director of Marketing at SLS Baha Mar, where I help shape the visibility, voice, and guest-facing experience of a luxury lifestyle resort brand in The Bahamas.
My work touches many different areas — from food and beverage marketing, nightlife and daylife programming, influencer partnerships, social media strategy, public relations support, events, content planning, campaign development, and brand positioning. At the heart of it, my role is about understanding what makes a brand feel alive and finding thoughtful, creative ways to connect that experience with the right audience.
I specialize in turning ideas into experiences. Whether I am building a campaign, supporting a restaurant launch, developing an event concept, working with creators, or crafting copy for a newsletter or social media platform, I always think about how the guest or audience will feel. I believe great marketing is not just about visibility — it is about emotion, connection, timing, and trust.
Outside of my corporate role, I am also an event producer, entrepreneur, and content creator. Through Exxperior Events and concepts like Tour de Brunch, I have created curated social experiences that merge food, culture, design, music, and community. That entrepreneurial background has shaped the way I approach my professional work because I understand both the creative side and the business side of building something from the ground up.
I am most proud of the fact that my work has allowed me to contribute to experiences that people remember. Whether it is a resort campaign, a branded event, a restaurant activation, or a personal creative project, I care deeply about creating moments that feel intentional, elevated, and meaningful.
What sets me apart is that I am both strategic and creative. I can see the big picture, but I also care about the small details that make an experience feel special. I bring a mix of hospitality experience, marketing instinct, cultural awareness, event production, and personal storytelling to the work that I do. I also believe my ability to be multifaceted is one of my greatest strengths. I do not see my different roles as separate — I see them as connected parts of one purpose: creating meaningful experiences, telling beautiful stories, and helping people feel connected to something bigger.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I have been blessed to have many people pour into me in different seasons of my life, and I will always believe that no one becomes who they are alone.
I will always give credit to my mother first. She has been my example of quiet strength. Through her, I learned that patience can multiply into grace and wisdom. She has shown me how to keep going with dignity, how to carry responsibility with love, and how to remain soft even when life requires strength.
My father also deserves credit for instilling discipline, structure, and accountability in me. He taught me the importance of having standards, following through, and understanding that success often requires consistency long before it is seen publicly.
My cousin, Brianelle Cartwright, has played a meaningful role in my life through spiritual grounding and guidance. She has helped me remain rooted in faith, reflection, and purpose, especially in seasons where I needed clarity and encouragement.
I also give credit to my aunts, each of whom has shown me hard work, sacrifice, and resilience in their own way. In particular, my aunt Sonia holds a special place in my story because she gave me my first job in her beauty salon when I was around 11 or 12 years old. I braided hair, and I remember her telling me one day, “Braid this hair as if you are braiding it for the Lord.” That moment stayed with me. Even at that young age, I understood something about stewardship, excellence, pride in your work, and the importance of giving your best to anything your name is attached to.
Professionally, I have also learned so much from the male leaders and bosses I have worked with over the years, including Elvis Barr, Luis Fernandez, Christian Sawyer, Fabien Fernander, and Axel Gasser. Each of them contributed to my development in different ways and helped shape how I understand leadership, business, hospitality, and professionalism.
I also want to acknowledge Mark Cartwright, who has been a mentor and source of guidance. Mentorship matters deeply because sometimes you need someone who can see your potential, challenge your perspective, and remind you of what you are capable of becoming.
Lastly, and most importantly in many ways, my daughter deserves credit. Motherhood has taught me courage. She has given me the audacity to evolve into a woman she would be proud of, a woman she can aspire to be, and a woman she can one day honor. She is one of my greatest motivations to keep growing, building, healing, and becoming.
Every person I mentioned has helped shape a different part of me — my faith, discipline, work ethic, creativity, confidence, leadership, and sense of purpose. I carry pieces of their lessons with me in everything I do.
Pricing:
- All pricing is applicable on the service requested. No cookie cutter template. Prices will be based on scope of work.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.abswaby.com (will be revamped soon)
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ab.swaby/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashbriswaby
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-b-swaby-82626950/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@abswaby1503
