Blogger Spotlight: Ashley Uy of Ashlinspiration

Our featured blogger for today is a certified woman techmaker and game changer. Aside from blogging, she is one rockstar designer. Whether web or graphic, this talented lady can definitely meet your design inspirations. When you speak of events,  well, Geeks On A Beach, StartUp Weekend Bohol, StartUp Weekend Cebu, Ideaspace Bootcamp Bohol are some of the awesome events she helped organized. Cool huh!

With no further adieu, Drift Stories is proud to give you the dynamic and truly a superwoman author behind Ashlinspiration, Ashley Uy.

TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND HOW YOU GOT INTO BLOGGING?

Ashley: I’m a resident consultant at a tech company called Symph. I’m currently based in Cebu buty my roots are back in Bohol where I do community work for the bloggers and makers there. I got into blogging back in 2012 when I first started to engage the community alongside one of the blogging community , then, Bohol Blogging Society core members, Dalareich Polot of Ginto Luxury Chocolates. I got so into the spirit of media, delivering a unified message, and creating impact that I started writing down my experiences that later on formed into my blog that I maintain until today

WHERE DID YOU GET THE IDEA OF YOUR BLOG’S NAME?

Ashley: I have the tendency to add “Ash” to the beginningbegging of the things I own as soon as I found out the first syllable of my second name can be attached to anything (like ashPod, NokiAsh, and ashDrive). Since I wanted to remember the people and experiences that “inspired” me, I chose “ashlinspiration” as my blog name. Kind of embarrassing and dorky, I know, but it grew on me over the years. LOL..

WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT BLOGGING?

Ashley: The fact that it has the potential to create impact. It can inspire, bring out a vocation, or convince someone against or for a certain insight really called out to me. It frustrated me so much that a lot of those that I knew didn’t wish to change the situation they were in at the moment even though they had so much talent and potential, whether their situation wasy were bad or just stagnant, many didn’t want to strive for more. And that, in my idealistic youth, urged me to want to help change that mindset..

WHAT IS THE NICHE OF YOUR BLOG AND WHY DID YOU CHOOSE IT?

Ashley: Technology, entrepreneurship, and community have always been some one of my passions. It’s only recently that I’ve decided on my niche and have started catering content along those lines in my blog. Not many blogs are about those topics specifically  so, I thought, if I love doing what I’m doing and sharing about it in hopes to inspire, why not just go all out and focus my content on that, right?

ARE YOU MONETIZING YOUR BLOG? HOW DO YOU MONETIZE YOUR BLOG’S TRAFFIC?

Ashley: If what we’re talking about is directly earning from my blog through ads or products, then I’m earning very little. I get a bit of pocket money every now and then but not too much. I can say though that I’m earning from my blog indirectly by it being able to elevate my credibility, in a sense, by positioning me well in the industry I want to be in. It’s embarrassing to say but my bosses admitted to staying updated on my opinions on my blog and to me, that speaks volumes

TOP 5 SITES YOU VISIT (ALMOST) EVERYDAY

Ashley: I’m assuming you mean blogs mainly here as the most obvious sites that I’ll say is

• Facebook
• Gmail
• Trello
• Google Drive
• Slack

I often use my twitter account as both a bookmark and library of sorts to see what’s good to read for that day so I’ll have to say Twitter, Inc Magazine, Medium, Entrepreneur, and Buzzfeed’s YouTube account because that’s always fun.

TOOLS YOU USE WITH YOUR BLOGGING

Ashley: I mainly host my site in Blogger and just pay for the domain name. I check my Analytics and AdSense account every so often as well to stay up to date with what’s going on with my blog.  I do like using LiteWrite or ZenPen while I’m writing though to stay focused and listen to tracks in Coffitivity if I’m at home as there’s something about the sound of a busy environment that keeps me focused (neeeerrd)

WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION FOR YOUR BLOG POSTS?

Ashley: From the activities, events, and people I encounter everyday. I’ve worked (and am currently working) with amazing people and I can’t be thankful enough for it. Especially now that I’m working remotely with the Boholano community in organizing Startup Weekend Bohol this April, and building products with the people here at Symph, everyday is a blast! The downside to it is that I tend to enjoy myself TOO much and forget to update my blog. Oops!

BESIDES BLOGGING, WHAT OTHER INTERESTS DO YOU HAVE?

Ashley: Well, other than my work, I enjoy drawing and art in general, listening to acoustic or classical music, cafe-hopping, doing pilates workouts, playing video games (Borderlands, Bioshock, Guild Wars 2), and watching anime(Haikyuu I will watch yuuu). Geek to the core? Yes I am. Oh, and doing extensive research on things that I can’t use in real life (i.e. alternate Xmen universes, 1950s train types, and galaxy documentaries).

GIVE US 5 OF YOUR BEST BLOG POSTS

• Bloggers’ Adventures in ANDA, Bohol – bohol blogging community’s first big event
• Top 10 Things I Learned at Geeks On A Beach 2 – when I saw the value of a blog and the chain of events that can occur after posting the even the shortest of blog post
• Developing Startups and my Internship – when my bosses admitted they read my blog
• Branding: TAFIAS’ World Famous Tilapia Chips – when I realized that I was helping communities by reaching out and spreading the word
• Reaching Goals and Setting New Ones – the blog post that I go back to every now and then to remind me of what I want to achieve

HOW WAS YOUR BLOGGING SO FAR? HAVE YOU RECEIVED AWARDS AND RECOGNITION SINCE YOU STARTED?

Ashley: No awards or recognition really. I’m honored that Drift Stories is considering a feature of me though!

WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE WHO JUST STARTED BLOGGING

Ashley: Your blog will evolve and change (for me it was a personal blog turned techbiz blog). Embrace it, invest in it, and consider it your journey of who you were, who you are, and who you want to become. The more personal it is, the more it’ll resonate with the audience that matters.

LASTLY, WHERE DO YOU SEE YOUR BLOG IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS?

Ashley: I would like it to be something I can throw at people if they want to learn more about me and my story. I would also want it to  double as a filter for the right type of opportunities to get to me. I mean, birds with the same feather flock together, right?

Before we go, here are 10 Quick Facts about Angel

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Angel is …

• RATIONAL (but a little crazy won’t hurt here and there 😉
• Depends really when a situation calls for it 😉
• AMBIVERT
• I thought I was more active in the Left Hemisphere but my passions and role require skills from the Right so.. both??
• Again, it depends. Follower if the leader is worth following. Leader if the situation calls for one 🙂

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Angel’s Favorites

• Author: None in particular right now
• Book: So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport
• Band: HAHA OTAKU MODE ON (ONE OK ROCK)
• Song: Not one in particular but right now, La Vie En Rose seems to be on my mind a lot lately
• Food: Nothing beats momma’s cooking ( I like everything that’s why I can never diet )

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There you have it folks. Thank you for reading. Stay tuned and watch out for our next edition of Blogger Spotlight.[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]