Game-Changing Experiences: Creating Cultural Moments in the World of Sports

Ever wonder how the roar of a stadium translates into tangible brand love? Or what it takes to make  the Super Bowl a cultural moment? This week, we’re joined by Ashley Hamilton, Director of Event Location Strategy & Planning at the NFL, and the force behind some of the biggest cultural moments in sports.

From NBA Championship parades to the Draft City Takeovers, Ashley shares how to:

• Infuse local culture into global events for deeper fan engagement
• Pull off flawless, high-stakes brand activations
• Position your company for opportunities to be a part of the biggest moments in sports

This is a rare glimpse into the strategic brilliance that fuels the world's most watched events. 

If you’re in the business of building impactful and memorable fan moments.Hit play now to level up your game.

#MakingTheMoment #ExperientialMarketing #BrandStrategy #EmotionalROI #CXLeadership #InclusiveMarketing #CulturalImpact #BrandLoyalty #ImmersiveExperiences #MarketingPodcast #HighProfileClients #EventPlanningSecrets #BusinessPodcast #MarketingPodcast #Events #ExperientialMarketing  #BrandMarketing #BrandEvents #NBA Playoffs #SuperBowl #NFL #StanleyCup #Sports #SportsMarketing #SpecialEvents #CulturalMoments #DiaryofaCEO #IMO #Podcast #Adweek

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Transcript

Introduction

We've all seen them, those experiences that stop us in our tracks, the moments that flood our feeds, shift culture, and bring people together. I’m Aja Bradley-Kemp, and I've helped generate millions in revenue and billions of impressions by creating scroll-stopping moments for some of your favorite brands and celebrities. 

This is Making the Moment, the podcast that brings you the untold stories, unfiltered insights, and big ideas from the architects behind the moments that matter. In each episode, I'll show you how to design experiences that not only captivate audiences but also drive tangible value for your organization.

Whether you're looking to build buzz, boost loyalty, or drive revenue, I want to help you design customer experiences that truly make an impact. This is for the Moment Makers and the Culture Creators. Welcome to 

Making the Moment.

Aja Bradley-Kemp            0:50

Hey Moment Makers!

Today we've got a powerhouse in the building. A trailblazer who's been orchestrating some of the most iconic events in sports history. From the electrifying NBA championship parades for the Golden State Warriors to the Super Bowl. She's one of the key people ensuring every detail is flawless. Currently serving as the director of event location strategy and planning at the NFL, she's been pivotal in integrating the rich cultures of host cities into unforgettable fan experiences.

Beyond the field, her leadership shines as she chairs the board of TCG Impact, reflecting her commitment to community and excellence. Her journey is a testament to dedication, vision, and breaking barriers in the sports industry. Please join me in welcoming the dynamic and amazing Ashley Hamilton.

Ashley Hamilton                1:39

Hi there. Hi, pleasure to see you always.

Aja Bradley-Kemp            1:45

You too. Thank you so much for joining us. I’m really excited to talk to you today because your career has been just amazing and you have gone from strength to strength. And I remember when we first connected in the clubhouse days during quarantine, you were in Atlanta, then you were in the Bay, now you're in New York. So much has happened in the last few years. So before we get to where you are now, I'd love to understand and hear the story for our audience on how you got started in sports. 

Ashley Hamilton                2:18

It's so funny. The other day, I was like, where did we meet? And I was trying to pinpoint it. And clearly the pandemic was a whirlwind. So no wonder now I understand. Well, always good to see you. And more than happy to share more about my background. So I actually was very intentional coming out of college with what I wanted to do. Did I know it would grow to this scale and all it would be today? No. But again, extremely intentional about wanting to produce large scale events, as I used to say around the world, right?

But I actually started, I came out of college and I started working in parks and recreation. And that was the first opportunity I was able to land and that was with Gwinnett County Parks and Rec And I was able to not only do some day-to-day sort of parks and rec Park management elements. However, I was also able to produce events small-scale community-based events That really engaged the local community And helped us achieve goals for the county. And so from there, I also worked game day at the formerly the Dome, where the Atlanta Falcons played, but then also transitioned into Mercedes-Benz Stadium's game day operations, sort of supporting premium spaces. And that's where I met some great folks and networking and all the magic of meeting people in right place, right time, right skill set, right? I was able to land a role at Work Done

Charities where I supported his philanthropic efforts, leading the Homes for the Holidays program around the country. And we spent some great time, did some great work. However, coming out of that role, I knew I really wanted to get into the weeds of producing events. Back in the day, we called it event planning. Now we call it producing events. It's funny how the terms change, but it's all the same. So I say going into that season of my life, I was able to land an opportunity at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Began a very short run on the live events team, but had a focal point on the Home Depot backyard. And so we spent some great time and really nailed developing the programmatic strategy for the Home Depot backyard. And essentially that means, what does this space look like 300 days a year? How do we engage fans, but also the community that may not be tied to the traditional sport? How do we leverage all that we have the resources to be able to really keep this space active and moving?

And I think with the pandemic happening, there was really a light that would shine. What I would say now is a light that shone on that space because you were able to gather out in an open air space and we were really able to create some magic, whether it's movie festivals, daily fitness programming, night markets, so on and so forth that just really catapulted the Home Depot backyard space.

And it's just beautiful to see it continue to grow to this day. But then an opportunity came about to join the Golden State Warriors. Not only did they have an initiative comparable to the backyard called Thrive City, they also were looking for someone to lead their special events team. And so that is where I went for that opportunity and was able to land that one. And after a few years, a beautiful championship run, meeting some amazing people and just doing things I never, I could only dream of.

I knew I loved the work, but California was a little far. I’m a native of New York. And so I thought, hmm, it may be time to look at getting a little bit closer to home. And so it just happened to line up with the opportunity I’m in today here at the league, and that is the directive event location strategy and planning. And in a nutshell, if I had to sum it up, I'd say essentially in this role, I source the cities where we'll host our domestic tent pole events. So that's Super Bowl, Pro Bowl, Draft Combine, Flag Championship, so on and so forth. So that was a little bit of my journey and a quick synopsis there.

Aja Bradley-Kemp            6:39

And an exciting one. I want to go back to the beginning of that transition into sports when you're at Mercedes-Benz and working in the Home Depot space. So, I mean, that's amazing that, you know, during the pandemic, when so many of us, I was in California, so we were under very strict regulations compared to Georgia.

Ashley Hamilton                7:02

Yes. 

Aja Bradley-Kemp            7:03

regulations compared to Georgia, you know, in terms of being outside, but, you know, that you were able to continue creating activations and moments for the community to get together. You've mentioned like that the strategy was, you know, how do you program events for 300 days a year? Is that literally how many days, like, were you doing something every single day in that space?

Ashley Hamilton                7:24

That was the goal. And it doesn't mean that we had a full-blown something every single day in that space that was the goal and it doesn't mean that we had a full-blown festival every single day you could go from as small as uh day-to-day community programs uh whether it's under the arts and culture umbrella the wellness umbrella with fitness classes so on and so forth and then you bake in game days where you have uh tailgates and fan festivals.

And then you go into your larger scale events where it's your movie fest, your Juneteenth festivals, your night markets, et cetera. So that combined really rounded out the 300 days. But it's just creating a space of consistency in a place that the community can count on to be able to attend. But yeah, it's comprised of different elements that bring you to your ultimate goal, which is programming as many days as possible outside of game days, which would be your Atlanta United and Atlanta Falcons game days.

Aja Bradley-Kemp            8:17

Then you end up in California. And so what was that like trying to program a space at upwards of 300 days a year? Were they doing a similar program?

Ashley Hamilton                8:30

Well, I think it was different because the spaces are built out differently. One is a much larger space at Home Depot backyard, whereas Thrive City is sort of like a multi-use space. Not only do you have outdoor spaces, they now have a park associated with that space. There's also retail elements, there's venues, and just different elements. So while they're similar, they are different. So I won't say the intention was to go in with the same strategy as I was able to do at the Home Depot backyard. However, for sure was to leverage some of that going into the development and growth really of Thrive City. 

Aja Bradley-Kemp            9:10

And then you happen to be there when the team wins a championship. So what's that like? You know, what is the preparation that goes into that? Is it like when they hit the playoffs, you start planning when they hit, you know, the finals finals then you're like okay now we really got like how far in advance do you plan for that?

Ashley Hamilton                9:29

You're working with a team who is familiar with uh with championships so that was the beauty of it is it was not the first for everyone there although it was the first for myself in that regard um but what I will say is the excitement the building is nonstop. It's something you can only imagine until you're in it and you're like, oh, this is what this feels like. So that's already an insane ride. And then what I would also say is you're working with some of the best of the best. So they know how to position themselves in case they are progressing and progressing throughout the season. 

And so the beauty with that is you are not responsible for the entire planning, every single component. What you do is you often bring in a third party vendor who produces large scale tentpole style events. And at that moment, I believe we worked with Hartman Studios at that time. And they were, we really were working hand in hand day to day, pretty much from like the last, I would say, not even the last game, actually, about the start of playoffs, a little bit before the start of playoffs, you know, you almost create like benchmarks that show if the team is progressing, once they hit this marker, these are the things we need to pull the trigger on. 

And that is really how you look at this plan. So you're partnering with an agency to help not only keep you on track, because also our team had other responsibilities in addition to that. So not only are you planning for this potential parade that may take place, but in the same breath, you're also hosting your finals parties, your varying activations that you may be responsible for either producing or supporting through your sponsorship team, so on and so forth.

So what I would say is it is truly a whirlwind, but it's really a once, I won't even say a once in a lifetime experience. It's an unforgettable experience. It tests you to no end. But that accomplishment when you're walking down the street and you see hundreds of thousands of fans roaring and the players are at peak excitement. It's like nothing you've ever seen before. And it makes it really all worthwhile. But I would say it's really a great experience. No complaints, 10 out of 10, recommend. No, I wouldn't expect it.

Aja Bradley-Kemp            11:51

I remember when we were at EMS together one year, we were at an event during the playoffs and you're like checking your phone and seeing how they're doing.

Ashley Hamilton                11:58

That's the story of my life.

Aja Bradley-Kemp            12:02

How many teams, like roughly, and people are involved in that coordinating of a championship parade event? Because I imagine you're, at the same time during that period in leading up to a potential championship event?

Ashley Hamilton                12:31

What I'd say is the same energy, if not more, that goes into a game is the same energy that goes into this run. Everybody has stakes in it. So from the partnerships team, the marketing team, the operations team, leadership, everybody, again, if not that much more has a stake in this, much like they would the regular season. So you're not in this alone. If anything, from a production or a special events standpoint, you're spearheading the charge, ensuring that operationally and logistics wise, you all are set and sound, um, sort of setting the stage for partnership to partnerships to sell. I’m setting the stage for marketing to be able to do all the magic that they do and bring the visuals to look and feel, et cetera, to life. Um, but you're still in collaboration and in partnership with your entire, with the entire organization. It's no one, it's no one man, man, woman show. It's no one team show. It's that same effort across the board that you would have regular season, just maybe ramped up a bit. 

Aja Bradley-Kemp            13:36

What was the transition like to now to the NFL? Because, you know, you mentioned that it was part wanting to get back to the East Coast, but what else was it for you that attracted you to the position that you're in now?

Ashley Hamilton                13:50

Yes. I think when you're at a championship team, it's not like general teams where you maybe have your season, then you're out of season, especially when you're at a championship team and the team also has ownership of their venue. I would say your level of activation is nonstop. So you could be looking anywhere between 100 to 200 plus activations and events a year. And so I would say you can, you're running full speed and in season, out of season, it's go, go, go. 

It builds and sharpens your skill like I’ve never seen before but it also made me think about what's next what happens do you do this for the next 10 years what does this look like funny a lot of people don't even know I’m like oh my god are you a huge sports girl and I’m like no but I know my skill really well and I that's why I really lean into like the development of the skill. I think the industry is amazing. It's really a lifestyle sort of job and just career path. 

But what I would say is always like, that's why I say, what's your skill first? What are what are the things that whether I want to be here, whether I want to, you know, maybe one day you'll get tired after 30 years of it and you want to go do something new, you can't take skill away from you. For me, I love a challenge. I love something new. And so as I started to learn about bid development, the bids and work, working with tent pole events and what that looked like, it really kind of piqued my interest. And as I mentioned, I believe around that time, my time of transitioning, the NBA All-Star bid was being worked on. And so just having a peek at it here and there just piqued my interest. And so when this opportunity came, it really led me into like, what's next in events?

Is it just producing? And nothing's wrong with that. I think if you're a master at it, you keep going until it, you know, no longer serves you. However, for me, it was what else can I do? How can I leverage my brain? And the beauty in my work is I feel like I've been a master at bridging creativity, but also the systems and processes and the strategy it takes to move a brand or reach a goal. 

And so I think with this role, that was really what excited me was, hey, you have all this knowledge from a production standpoint. So as you work alongside your peers who are in the tent, they're on the production and operation side, you understand what that is firsthand. And now you can support them as you set the stage for the next city and the city after that. So that's the beauty of this space is it's like a culmination of all things, but also gives me some, you know, I love a challenge. So it really gives me that day to day.  

Aja Bradley-Kemp            16:38

And it sounds like you can, you know, play in both worlds because you have to have a level of vision when you're planning you know three years out four years out I do have a follow-up question around the NBA because you mentioned that you're working for a team that also owned the venue so when you're talking about off-season events is that common if the the team also owns the venue and or was that unique to golden state 

Ashley Hamilton                17:06

No it's pretty common in fact you'll see a lot of owners going um that way if they don't already um specifically to the warriors chase center was new um they were previously in Oakland uh playing at the oracle Arena I want to say um and so moving to Chase Center, you know, that adds a layer of not only game days, but also just making sure that space is booked as much as possible. Revenue is always a key driver there. So I would say it's pretty normal. You'll start to see if, I mean, you've already seen that in the industry is a lot of team owners will now look to own.

Aja Bradley-Kemp            17:44

I know that's what's happening with the Clippers.

Ashley Hamilton                17:46

Yeah, across the board and across leagues, you'll see that. So it's a standard.

Aja Bradley-Kemp            17:50

So then what does that look like for you during the basketball off season? Are you then responsible for events surrounding, you know, special like performances and concerts that are coming in or Disney on Ice is there? Are you getting involved in all of those as well?

Ashley Hamilton                18:10

Each team is different. Each venue is different. Their departments are comprised differently. So it really just depends on how their operations are set up. So what I can speak to is my time. There was a lot of not only, I would say our special events team at the Warriors Chase Center operated almost like an in-house agency. So not only did you support the Warriors, the basketball side of the house, you also know, be a part of the concerts that would come to life. So outdoors, you may see welcomes for guests attending varying concerts, but you're also supporting the community relations team and some of their efforts in the community.

You're also setting up conferences and meetings for the leadership team and for peers and team members throughout the organization. So really, while in the basketball season, you're operating in your, I would say, main focus is the team, you're also supporting all the other arms around just the general operations of the business itself. So essentially, we operated as an in-house agency that would just produce events based on the need, the business need that would happen. But I would say not every team is comprised that way. It really is how the business is set up. 

Aja Bradley-Kemp            19:38

And were you guys also working with like brands and sponsors and coming up with ideas and ways to, you know, activate them and selling in different experiences to them? 

Ashley Hamilton                19:53

For sure. So we work very closely with the partnerships team. Some of the most fun things we were able to dream up and bring to life. Sometimes partnerships may come and say, hey, this is exactly what we're looking for we'd like to execute this way and sometimes they may say hey this is here's the goal here's the budget what can we do to really bring this to life and so that's where you leverage your creativity trends and things that will really stick with whether it's the client the sponsor the guest whoever your target audience is for that activation. So what I would say is, yeah, we work really closely.

Some things we were able to ideate and create brand new to market and some other elements we were able to just, you know, things that had already been successful, we were able to repeat and ramp up just so that they could always get that renewal and be able to drive, you know, further engagement and really set the tone for that partnership.

Aja Bradley-Kemp            20:45

How long have you been in this role?

Ashley Hamilton                20:46

Over a year and a half now, not far from two years. By this fall, we'll be reaching two years. And some days it feels like two days, some days it feels like 20 years, but it's all, it's really been a journey. What I'd say the variance between the two would be, yeah, the difference between the two would be, I won't say pace, but I'll say scale is one. You know, when you're at a team, you're pretty much local. While there are activations that took place internationally or even regionally, you're pretty much locally based because that's where your fans are. However, being here at the league, your scale is international consistently. And even though you work on domestic events, you have fans coming from all over the world. 

So scale is one key thing. I would also say pace. At a team, you are moving fast. Things are popping up and you're going. Here at the league, you are looking at years ahead. At this point, you could be talking about 2029, 2030, 2031, but we're sitting in 2025, right? So it's being able to take your mind from what's right in front of me to what is the vision long-term? How does this show up? How do you plan for then, but also live in now and support what's happening now to ensure we're still hitting those contractual obligations. 

We're still honoring our commitments. We're still delivering the best experience for fans today. So that's really the difference is being able to be more strategic, expand your mind from what's right in front of you to looking at big picture down the line and how to prep for that and pace yourself accordingly.

Aja Bradley-Kemp            22:30

It's a broader scale. What kind of data do you look for or are you using to help you make decisions?

Ashley Hamilton                22:36

So you're always looking for insights, data to really help you refine your processes to make, whether it's the bid process, whether it's the execution process of an event, whatever it may be, you're always looking for data to lead because you want to look at trends. You want to look at things that really stuck with, whether it's the consumer, so on and so forth. So what I would say is leveraging things like after action reporting, leveraging things like just feedback, whether it's from fans, whether it's from internal groups to really refine our processes. That's what I like to lean into most. And that's whether you're producing an event or managing a bid.

Aja Bradley-Kemp            23:15

And you're evaluating a city for one of your big events, whether it's draft or Super Bowl, the big game. What are some of the things that you look for?

Ashley Hamilton                23:23

You're always looking for a city that is prepared in a essentially event ready um for the time you'll be getting coming there so you're looking at infrastructure whether it's your hotels whether it's your main venue like your stadium um you're looking for accessibility how easy is it for fans to get there how far are most teams so there's a quite a bit of elements that go into sourcing a city also the relationship with the city itself with the local team or club as we would say so there are a ton of elements but really leaning into the bid process is how you go about identifying that so it can be anywhere. It could be a lengthy process, but depending on how event ready a city is, we'll determine what that looks like. 

Aja Bradley-Kemp            24:12

I’m sure we have organizers from agencies and vendors around the country that are watching this and there are opportunities coming up for their city or in a couple of years when you're looking at different partners to work with on some of these events are there any like best practices or tips that you can share that when you're evaluating 

Ashley Hamilton                24:43

Right so vendor sourcing isn't necessarily a part of the bid process. So I would sort of speak about that one separately. And as an event producer first, or even here when our teams and our operations leads are sourcing vendors, you want to have vendors that are event ready. And I emphasize that because you want to go in knowing that the product or the service or whatever I’m seeking, that you are able to deliver. Yeah, there may be times where a small business may need to adjust to scale something. They may not be familiar with a certain, you know, brand or something, but the excellence is there.

And so we can introduce you to a new audience, but we don't want to be in a place where we're almost hand-holding you through how to do your business. We want you to be event ready and really an expert in what it is that you already do. And we're always happy to give you a new platform. Even my days where, you know, you're producing an event, I remember scouring social media for the best fabricators, for the best, even small businesses that did catering, event rentals, so much, so on and so forth. You really want to be able to give people opportunities, small businesses, opportunities, diverse businesses, opportunities. 

You want to lean into that. And I’m a big fan of communities that look like me, may not look like me, women, so on and so forth. You want to make sure that everybody has a fair chance to play. And by doing so, what I always recommend is businesses stay event ready keep your website up to date keep your points of contact up to date really tell the story of whether you've done previous events or you've done previous work tell that story use social media it's a free marketing tool I don't think it should be your only marketing tool however it's a free way for people to find out what you do and yes, there's a lot of traffic, but excellence always shines through. 

And so that's why I emphasize event ready. I emphasize being an expert in what you do and really refining those skills. So when the opportunity comes or somebody comes across your platform or you as a business, because you never know how they'll find you want to make sure that you being able to provide the service or the product is never the concern that's really as a producer and haven't been in that space but also here on this side of the house that's what most people are looking for when sourcing support from businesses and vendors 

Aja Bradley-Kemp            27:23

Stay ready so you don't have to get ready. So are there any resources or places that you suggest small businesses or vendors kind of tap into or keep on their radar so that when the time comes for a decision maker that's planning an event in their city that they're on the radar of that decision-maker?

Ashley Hamilton                27:45

Beyond being event-ready, ensuring your business license is in order in all the pieces that go into staying up to date. Also making sure if there are any local certifications that you can acquire in the meantime, I would say go ahead and look at your local government municipalities and see what is offered there. But a key piece I would say is look at temple events that are coming to your city. Often when leagues come to a city, there are procurement efforts. For example, the NFL has NFL Source. That's a key one. And other leagues may have opportunities that are similar for local businesses, small and diverse businesses to be able to participate in large-scale events and productions that are coming to their city. 

So event-ready is one element, but then identifying opportunities through temple events and large-scale productions that are coming to your market, that is a key way to stay in the know and have an opportunity to really be a part of history that's often made with events like ours. 

Aja Bradley-Kemp            28:50

Excellent. Before we start to wrap up, what is a memorable moment that you've had in your sports career?

Ashley Hamilton                28:59

There are so many. I mean, your first Super Bowl when you're like, I’m here. I can't believe I made it this far. Your first championship parade, which is like, wow, is this happening? It doesn't even feel real until it's over and you're sitting at home. I mean, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, us kicking off fitness on the field, which is where you see a thousand plus yogis come together on a field um it's probably one of the most beautiful sites but even bringing to life the first Juneteenth festival uh as a part of the kicking off the movie uh summer movie experience at Mercedes-Benz Stadium that was huge but then you go all the way to a championship parade that That's an outer body experience. 

You're like, I can't believe I’m here. I made it. And then you take it another step and you do a Super Bowl. It just keeps getting better. And so I say there's been a lot of moments where it's like, pinch me. But so I can't really pinpoint one. I mean, I remember we were working on an event at the Warriors in Chase Center.

We received an inquiry about an event that would take place at what is formerly the Oakland facility. That event had a vice president at the time, Kamala Harris, who would be speaking, keynoting that event. And I believe we had five days I mean it was hilarious because our team we were doing a team-building activity and we were kayaking under a bridge which was so fun so we're in like shorts wearing Crocs and flip-flops and then we get a call that's like hey there's an event coming and we need your team at uh at the Oakland facility to be able to uh lead this event and then you walk in and it's like secret service everybody's in suits mind you we're in like biker shorts t-shirts and it's like oh I didn't know this was that 

Aja Bradley-Kemp            31:02

Oh and that was like that. We need you here right now. Like this wasn't, I need you in a few days. It's now.  Wow. 

Ashley Hamilton                31:09

Yeah. And we were like, okay, maybe I can go home and change. And it's like, no, now we're like, okay, right now. So you run on the way, you grab a quick coffee from Starbucks because in my spirit, it's telling me it's going to be a late night. So you do that and then you get there and you're like, oh, this is what this is. And you get the full rundown. And we literally from the I mean, I think I finished the first rendition of the layout that night by like maybe like  it's like eleven thirty midnight. 

And mind you, we got there, I want to say, for. And so it's not a terribly long night, but it was the start of something magical. So to be able to bring that to life, there were so many nuances that took place, just working with different levels of security, different levels of production coming into this space that already had a uniqueness to it. What I would say is that was really a test of like your agility in this business, being able to pivot and be flexible. 

And I remember there was a moment that took place and they asked me to come back behind stage to a place that actually even I as the producer, lead producer, didn't have access to. But I remember in that moment as Vice President Kamala Harris was about to walk to the stage, we locked eyes and she says hello and I’m like "hi" and so it just made my day and so I say that to say it has truly been a wild ride so for me to pinpoint one I don't know that that would be fair because I think it's just like you hit a high and you hit another high and I’m really just grateful for it all it really tells you that, you know, dreams come true when, you know, hard work, determination and opportunity meet. You see the fruition of it. And that's just been a part of my journey. So I’m always grateful. 

Aja Bradley-Kemp            32:54

Speaking of the former vice president, do you have any advice for women, especially women of color who want to work in sports? Because you are in a male industry. I mean, granted, we're women in sports are getting a lot more attention now, but it's still overwhelmingly run by men. So any advice since you've been doing this now for 10 years in sports?

Ashley Hamilton                33:21

It's been a little over. It's been a little over that. So we're coming in on 15 June So it's been a journey.  

Aja Bradley-Kemp            33:27

Yeah. So and you and you just keep going from strength to strength. So I know that our audience would love to, you know, hear what advice you have and, you know, what you think has gotten you to this point. 

Ashley Hamilton                33:42

Like a key element of my just success and what I've been able to accomplish is one is skill and being able to operate in excellence. But what I would really, really lean into is community relationships. You cannot do anything alone. I always say I don't think I've ever gotten a job or an opportunity from just going online, applying and hoping somebody saw my information. It was, hey, I’m looking for a new opportunity or, hey, I've applied for this. Do you have a contact there or can you connect me with someone here?

And that has literally been the story. And so not only are you prepping from a standpoint where I am coming in with this skill, I’m coming in with a level of excellence. I think those are key pieces here, because when people are putting their name or their personal or professional brand on the line and recommending you or referring you to either a job, an opportunity, they want to know that you're going to deliver. 

And so I am making sure that I can always guarantee that. But in addition to having that, it's the relationship, the connection, but the genuine one, you know, much like we met, you're not meeting with the first time we're talking. It's like, what can you do for me? A lot of times it's, hey, who are you? Tell me about you. And you find that synergy and that connection. And you may look up in eight years, you may say, I may say, hey, thinking about you for this, what are your thoughts? And I think we've even done that. And so that is my recommendation is one to become as skilled as you can and whatever line of work you decide to do. 

But also be sure to build relationships on the way no one person gets to anything alone majority of what we do is relationship based and I say that because what can go wrong will go wrong but a lot of how we get through that it's with each other it's having support it's the loyalty it's the camaraderie and then it's the skill layered in that says here is how we're going to get through this we're going to do it together and now you in that says, here is how we're going to get through this. 

We're going to do it together. And now you have that full team effort running toward that goal together. So it's really, it's community, it's excellence and skill set and bridging those together and being ready when opportunity comes.

Aja Bradley-Kemp            35:59

I love it And you definitely embody all of those. So you have told no lies. I’m so happy that you could be on Making the Moment today. Before you go, we have one last question. It's a fun one that we like to ask our guests. I know you like to travel a lot. So your moment question is, where is having a moment?

Ashley Hamilton                36:26

You know what?

Aja Bradley-Kemp            36:27

Because you are a jet setter. You are always somewhere. Always on a plane.

Ashley Hamilton                36:32

I just follow the vibes. I like to say I follow the vibes. What I would say, where is having a moment right now? You know, I won't say it's a place. What I would say is the live event scene is having a moment. concerts. I think, you know, I could always say, you know, if you go to varying countries in Africa, I do see the tourism growing in like West Africa, East Africa. I've seen that a lot, which I think is beautiful. But you've also seen it in Europe and other places. 

But what I would say is having a moment because every time I turn around, there's a new concert coming this summer and I will be present and accounted for. But I think that's what's having a moment. And it's us getting back together. It's that, again, community feel, having a ball, as we would say. I’m not, me and my friends have a thing. We're like, we're not saying no to anything. So what I would say is really just that community feel that live entertainment but also just getting together and enjoying where we are that's what's having a moment to me 

Aja Bradley-Kemp            37:34

So it's the one  

Ashley Hamilton                37:35

Hey 

Aja Bradley-Kemp            37:36

What for you is having a moment not the way \

Ashley Hamilton                37:38

It's the one it's the what because really is really about it's not always where you are is who you're with and what the experience is like. And that's the beauty in building experiences. So, yeah.

Aja Bradley-Kemp            37:50

Love it. So we need to keep tabs on you. Where can we find you? See what you're doing, what you're doing and where you're doing it, where you're making these moments. How can we?

Ashley Hamilton                38:02

Yes. Yes. So you can always find me on LinkedIn, Ashley P. Hamilton. That's the professional side of the house. And then I sort of capture my journey here and there on behind the experience. So Instagram, it's behind the EXP. Again, at behind the EXP. And that's where I sort of capture my experience as an event producer now I’m leading bids for our temple events here um so yeah I’m really excited for that 

Aja Bradley-Kemp            38:34

Well we will keep following you and thank you so much for joining us today and uh we will we look forward to having you again because I know you're gonna have some more gems for us to drop uh soon with all of the things that you work on so we're gonna have to have you back because we got we have more to . . .

Ashley Hamilton                38:51

Say no more always count on me friend of the show uh you're amazing and I’m proud to see you bring it to life so anytime 

Aja Bradley-Kemp            38:58

Thank you, Ashley.