Originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Ashley is so thankful her parents understood that she wasn’t interested in staying in the state for college. Her mother didn’t plan on her not coming back, but when she arrived in Austin, she knew it was her new home. 

She majored in Cultural Anthropology, studied abroad in Venezuela, then moved to Houston after graduating in 2000. There she went into marketing research, conducting studies across the US and Europe for major oil and gas companies, world-leading health care organizations, and other Fortune 500 companies. 

“Two and a half years later, I came back to Austin and started working in advertising, wearing many hats, but mostly crafting strategies for local businesses,” explains Ashley. That led to a marketing position at a start-up that provided a gamut of residential services, from lawn care to real estate, to high-end homeowners. It was founded by two men who were integral to the early growth of Dell. “I learned a lot from them,” she remembers. 

“Once I became a mom I decided to stay home, but found out pretty quickly that I wasn’t good at that. I needed something outside of the house to fuel my brain. I started a succulent container garden business. It was a cool little business where I created a website for customers to order succulent container gardens as gifts for local delivery, instead of the usual flower delivery. But, that was really just the door opener to people with large patios and lots of pots that needed filling.” 

Her husband, however, helped her realize that it was really more of a stressful hobby than a career. “I was spending so much time and energy on it, and the financial yield didn’t justify it.” Still needing and wanting something outside of the house she decided to look for some easy office work.

“I knew I could find an Architect, Lawyer, Realtor, someone that needed some part time help. I was looking for something that would provide me with the outlet I needed, but also that I could leave at the office and not bring back to the family.” It didn’t take long. A long time friend, Suellen Young [REALTOR at Moreland] connected her to Mark Strüb. “When Mark hired me I only worked a couple days a week for him. Somehow he did 80 plus transactions that year with an Assistant that was barely part time.” she says. “Several months in he started talking to me about getting my own license. But I saw everything he had to deal with, and it did NOT look attractive to me.” After careful consideration though, she decided to take the plunge. 

In December 2014 she got her license. “In January 2015, with the help of STRÜB Residential, I hit the ground running, and haven’t looked back since.” Working for Mark as his Assistant first was invaluable. Seeing how he managed his clients and all the bumps along the road of a transaction was foundational for Ashley’s career. “I was very lucky. I learned by osmosis from one of the best Agents in the City.” She and Mark still work together today, nearly 10 years later. 

Strüb Residential grew each year, eventually earning the ranking of #1 in 2019, #2 in 2020, and #1 again in 2021. “We worked 24/7, 365, but tried to keep a priority on the culture of Strüb. We  were an extremely open and supportive firm for the Agents. We kept that culture going by only bringing on Agents we believed were givers and not takers.”

It was a really fun time, they  traveled to Mexico, Colorado and Cuba together. They were a tight knit group. But as time went on, they started feeling like they weren’t able to serve their clients in the way they wanted to. They felt accomplished in going after and getting those high rankings, but also felt good about choosing to not go after it again. 

At the end of 2022 Mark decided to scale back and abandon the team model he built. “We now operate more like a coop, and are just three Agents - Mark, Jessica Bush and me. Our stellar Ops Director, Catherine Rich, has been with us since 2015. Ashley says, “I often tell people that Catherine knows more about real estate than most Realtors in this town.”

In addition to building a winning team, Ashley has a front row seat to residential construction. Her husband, Jeff, is a builder with J Byron Custom Homes. It is a perfect complement to her skillset. Ashley comments, “My favorite clients are those looking for a place with potential. They may be Homeowners or Architects. It’s such a fun hunt looking for and finding a treasure that has been overlooked by others.” 

Ashley also feels very confident helping Sellers get their properties ready for market. She says, “Helping a Seller determine the right formula for the maximum ROI is not linear math. There is a lot of psychology, nuance and just LIFE that affects that formula. It’s a fun puzzle to figure out.” With a wide and deep network of trades, she feels armed to help any Seller.

When Ashley and her husband were very young and dumb they designed the house they have lived in for 20 years, all on their own. Drawing it to scale on grid paper in the apartment they lived in at the time. They talked through and visualized every door, window, room and angle. Then they took their drawing to the cheapest Architect they could find. Surprisingly he was able to turn it into an actual set of plans. “He only changed one thing and that was an angle of a counter in the kitchen. Otherwise, it is all us.” Since it was built they have done two major updates to it. “Our most recent renovation cost more than the original build. We love our home, I don’t think we will ever sell it.” 

She also has two investment properties of her own in her beloved Lake Hills neighborhood. “We are working with Norma Yancy and Drew Wilson of Sidetracked Studio on one of them. I am SO excited about that one. It will be my dream home, and then I will have to sell it!” 

When Ashley isn’t working, it’s all about family. Married since 2003, her husband Jeff is from Tulsa. “He grew up with my brother,” she reminisces. However, they didn’t really connect until they were on the same flight out of Houston-Hobby. “Once we ran into each other, that was it,” she smiles. “We have two daughters, Kate (15) and Liv (12). 

Ashley and her family reside in the Lake Hills area. “I love it out here. It’s an escape, but not too far out. We love boating on Lake Austin, hanging out at our Lake Park, hiking Commons Ford, getting pasta at Patrizi’s and breakfast at Civil Goat. We play pickleball every Friday with our pals. It’s an amazing community here.” she says. 

In addition to being fortunate for her own family, Ashley has a heart of gratitude for the lessons learned from her father, stepmother and uncle that each became successful in their careers. “My father is from a small town in Missouri, but became a very successful international businessman,” she says. He had connections in Japan, Central America, India and Europe and told her many stories of his times there. “He made wonderful relationships through his business. It’s probably a big reason why I studied Cultural Anthropology in college.”

Her stepmother is also a whiz. She didn’t earn a high school degree, yet with her drive and determination, she became the global vice president of a division of McGraw Hill. Last but not least is her uncle, who has had an amazing career in Nashville as a singer and songwriter for 30+ years. 

Through the example of her family, Ashley has always had a focus on maintaining a very high standard of service. “That is a cornerstone for me,” she concludes. 

From selling plants to selling houses, Ashley is an inspiration to others. She accidentally landed in real estate and has achieved a future beyond her wildest dreams.