Social Impact Heroes: Why & How Ashley Martinez of ‘My Kind of Casual’ Is Helping To Change Our World
An Interview With Edward Sylvan
Plan ahead. As a creator, you are working with so many different companies and you want to give your all to every single one. Plan your content ahead and try your best to stick to a schedule.
As a part of our series about leaders who are using their social media platform to make a significant social impact, we had the pleasure of interviewing Ashley Martinez.
Ashley Martinez is a South Florida girl, born and raised, sharing her love for all things Fashion, Lifestyle and Travel.
Growing up the youngest of three girls, she is lucky to have two built-in best friends as well as amazing parents who have always supported her dreams.
After studying Communications and Event Planning at Florida State University followed by ten years working in the events industry, she decided to leave her comfort zone and start her page @mykindofcasual. She still works in corporate events and she is fortunate enough to produce events for Student ACES, a nonprofit founded by her dad and sister that teaches leadership, character and life skills to high school athletes.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
This career path did not happen overnight! I graduated from Florida State University (GO Noles!) with a degree in Event Management and Communications. I’ve worked in the event industry for over 10 years now and absolutely love it. About four years ago I finally decided to take my passion for fashion and styling and use it. I created My Kind of Casual with the idea of creating a fun space to share style and outfits. With hard work and consistency, it has now grown into an amazing community of followers that I am extremely grateful for. If you ask my friends and family, this is what I was always meant to do. I am just so blown away every single day I get to be a Fashion and Lifestyle influencer for a living!
At the same time, I still get to fuel my passion for events and social media through my commitment to Student ACES, a non-profit organization with the mission to inspire and develop high school student-athletes to become men and women of character, honor and integrity through our character education programs. In my capacity with the organization, I have organically grown the organization’s social media channels and expanded our reach to people of all ages. Having the opportunity to share positive stories about many of our students and share in their celebrations of overcoming many obstacles as well as recognizing their important milestones is extremely rewarding.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began this career?
I think the most interesting and surreal experience was being recognized by a follower in public for the first time. It was such a special and full circle moment. You work so hard to build a loyal following online and it means the world to me that someone would recognize me in public and say hello.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Oh gosh probably too many to count! I would edit photos and the lighting was awful and I thought they looked amazing, I said no to opportunities because I was too nervous, it isn’t funny looking back but, in the beginning, I wanted to try all the new trends and so many more! I think overall lessons learned stay true to yourself and your style. There are some trends that just aren’t made for me like (I learned a hard lesson when I tried to wear the dad sneakers that I thought look so great on others) haha!
You have been blessed with success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?
The desire to have a social impact definitely has to stem from a place of genuine care. In my humble opinion, we can never care enough. You need to be passionate about the cause and love storytelling in order to get behind it 100%. During my tenure with Student ACES, I have realized the importance of truly listening and I think that would be one of areas of advice for others who many want to embark on this career path, or any other for that matter. We have to be active listeners, for the good of everyone. Think about it, I cannot accurately capture someone’s story and share it on social media if I do not actively listen to them and engage. Be 100% committed and try, as hard as it is, to put yourselves in the shoes of the person you are connecting with and whose story you are going to share.
Ok super. Let’s now jump to the core focus of our interview. Can you describe to our readers how you are using your platform to make a significant social impact?
For many years now, I have had the opportunity to lead events as well as social media for Student ACES, a non-profit organization with the mission to inspire and develop high school student-athletes to become men and women of character, honor and integrity through our character education programs. In my capacity with the organization, I have organically grown the organization’s social media channels and expanded our reach to people of all ages. Having the opportunity to share positive stories about many of our students and share in their celebrations of overcoming many obstacles as well as recognizing their important milestones is extremely rewarding.
Since its inception, and in just under 10 years, we have grown the organization from just 32 students to directly impact the lives of more than 50,000 students. Throughout the years, I have had the opportunity to share the Student ACES story to people in Florida (where we are located), throughout the country and throughout the world. We strive to reinforce the importance of the Student ACES mission on our social media channels and help others understand the importance of character education for high school student-athletes in hopes that some of our learnings will be applied in communities that, today, we are unable to reach.
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted by this cause?
This is an impossible answer. The Student ACES program has introduced me to the most incredible and amazing individuals. The first to come to mind is Gerald Hearns.
I will never forget meeting Gerald Hearns for the first time. Gerald was a high school junior that had every single struggle and faced the toughest adversity I had ever seen, and this kid was resilient. Gerald would ride the bus to school every morning with a backpack full of snacks to sell to other students to support himself since he was 7 years old. Although Gerald was faced with poverty, crime and loss at every turn, he met every single person with a smile and a positive attitude. Gerald hustles harder than anyone I know. He played football for Florida Atlantic University, graduated college and now as an amazing career with Florida Power and Light. This kid had everything against him yet managed to not only get by but thrive as a young adult.
Was there a tipping point that made you decide to focus on this particular area? Can you share a story about that?
In 2013, my dad (Buck Martinez) and my sister (Krissy Webb) were on a ride and my sister asked my father, “Who will my kids look up to?” Being the mother of twin girls, and growing up in a house of three sisters, this was really important to Krissy. Through the ensuing conversation, my dad realized that his most memorable and rewarding experiences were attained when teaching and/or coaching his three daughters and their teammates and classmates. Dedicated to the idea that every student deserves access to character education in order to succeed, he and Krissy wanted to form an organization that would help put the future of the country in prepared, capable hands and so Student ACES came to be, starting with just 32 students. Fast forward nearly 10 years and we have impacted the lives of more than 50,000 students through our character education programs!
Once my sister and dad created the Student ACES organization and I saw the impact they were making in the lives of student-athletes and all of those around them and the real need for character development in these individuals I knew I wanted to be involved and help in any way I could!
The tipping point for me was meeting some of the students in the first class and hearing some of the obstacles that they were facing. Even with all they had going on, they continued to show up and always gave it their all. They never let their obstacles get in their way, rather they used them as motivation.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
Get Involved and listen to our youth! I have been humbled many a time by their strength and knowledge!
What specific strategies have you been using to promote and advance this cause? Can you recommend any good tips for people who want to follow your lead and use their social platform for a social good?
Sharing a cause I am so passionate about is probably the easiest thing I post. I am so proud of the work Student ACES is doing in our community I want to share it and help as much as I can. Anytime we have an event or fundraiser it will be shared on my platform. Opportunities to interact with the students and help them share their success stories is also something I truly enjoy and believe brings value to the organization while also helping the students.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
- Work hard every single day!
- Try not to take things too personally. This industry is incredible but there can be some bullies on the internet that like to say mean things. Don’t let them get to you!
- Plan ahead. As a creator, you are working with so many different companies and you want to give your all to every single one. Plan your content ahead and try your best to stick to a schedule.
- TAKE DAYS OFF! It is ok to tune out and focus on yourself some days.
- Manage your screen time. This job can be 24/7 if you let it. Make time for family and step away from the phone. Try to take in moments in real time as often as you can instead of behind the camera.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
My movement would be to say at least one positive compliment to another person every single day. I have witnessed the most amazing individuals and had the opportunity to meet some inspiring and incredible role models. The common characteristics were positivity and kindness. Spreading love and positivity makes you feel good and can change someone’s life! You never know what someone is struggling with or trying to overcome.
One compliment on a bad day can change everything! It’s crazy the shift you start to see in yourself when you start accepting and building others up!
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Growth comes out of the most uncomfortable situations. When you do something that makes you nervous or you aren’t sure you are good enough for and just go for it you will learn so much and grow from the experience.
When I first started and huge brands were reaching out for try-on hauls or posts I thought why me…I just started I am not good enough. I said YES to the opportunity and four years later I have had the opportunity to work with brands and companies I could have never dreamed of!
Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
This is such a tough one there are so many incredible people I would love to meet. The first person that comes to mind is Blake Lively. She is a fashion icon and has been self-styled her entire career but more importantly, she has been a loud voice against sex trafficking. I remember listening to her speak on the topic years ago and I was so moved and inspired. She is incredibly passionate and bold against such a horrific problem that faces our world!
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Authority readers can find me on Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest and Like to Know It (best spot to shop my looks) @mykindofcasual you can also check out my website mykindofcasual.com . I am looking forward to seeing all of your new faces showing up on my pages!
This was very meaningful, thank you so much!
Social Impact Heroes: Why & How Ashley Martinez of ‘My Kind of Casual’ Is Helping To Change Our… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.