Latest / The Inspired Stories Podcast / Ashley Chapman on Pink-Barbie Hard-Hat Construction Marketing and Tax-Exempt Booking Strategies

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Ashley Chapman on Pink-Barbie Hard-Hat Construction Marketing and Tax-Exempt Booking Strategies · The Inspired Stories Podcast

0:04
Welcome to another edition of the Inspired Stories podcast
0:08
where leaders share their experiences so we can learn from
0:11
their successes and be inspired by how they've overcome
0:14
adversity. My name is Anthony Kotaspodi and
0:17
today's guest is Ashley Chapman. She is the Director of Sales at
0:21
the Staybridge Suites in Indianapolis Carmel, part of IH
0:25
D's extended stay brand dedicated to providing a home
0:29
like comforts for business travelers and families alike.
0:33
Staybridge Suites offers complimentary hot breakfast,
0:36
free Wi-Fi and a welcoming atmosphere that helps guests
0:39
feel right at home. Ashley has helped grow this
0:42
property's community partnerships and initiatives.
0:45
Under her guidance, the location continues to enhance its market
0:50
presence and maintain high guest satisfaction.
0:53
She previously held sales leadership roles with Hilton and
0:57
IHG Hotels and Resorts, where she honed her expertise and
1:01
revenue strategy and brand storytelling.
1:04
Now, before we get into all that good stuff, today's episode is
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back benefits.com. All right, back to our guest
1:56
today, the Director of Sales at Staybridge Suites in
1:58
Indianapolis, Ashley Chapman. Thanks for making the time to
2:02
Share your story today. Thank you for inviting me, I'm
2:05
so excited to be here. OK.
2:08
So Ashley, what started first for you?
2:10
Was it your attraction to hospitality or to sales?
2:15
So Long story short, my dad was a used car salesman growing up.
2:21
I sold my first car at five years old, believe it or not, at
2:24
Crest Cadillac in Nashville, TN. And that's kind of where I
2:29
learned, like, I'm sure I had a little bit of brownie points
2:35
because I was little with pigtails and everything like
2:37
that, and they couldn't really say no.
2:39
But I learned then to read people and things like that
2:43
where I could pick up on certain cues and where I could, you
2:50
know, sympathize with them or also find common ground where I
2:53
could open up a conversation with them.
2:57
I will always say my daddy is one of the greatest salesman
3:00
alive. He still is, but he just is
3:03
retired now. OK, So what do you remember
3:06
about selling that first car at the age of 5?
3:10
So he told me it was Alan Jackson.
3:12
I have confirmed that was not the truth.
3:17
I think he just wanted me to feel better.
3:20
I just remember it was white and it was when Cadillacs were big,
3:24
like super popular. Everybody had one.
3:27
I was born in 84, so it was like 89.
3:30
So yes, it was a big deal I didn't get the Commission port
3:34
sadly. My dad did, but still.
3:37
I'm sure I wiggled them out of some boots or an outfit or
3:39
something. And so how did you sell it?
3:42
What did you do? I, I actually, I don't remember
3:46
the whole thing, but my, this is for my dad.
3:48
And then of course the lady that the Comptroller that granddad
3:53
phones and everything, she would kind of babysit me during the
3:56
days and stuff. She said that I just looked and
3:58
I said, I bet you that man, let's go buy a car.
4:00
And I walked up to him and I grabbed the keys to a white 1A
4:04
black one and a red 1. And I said, what color do you
4:07
like Sir? And he said aren't he basically
4:10
told me I was too little to be out there.
4:12
And I said I can drive this thing and he didn't want me to
4:17
drive it. So he drove it and he ended up
4:20
buying it. I don't know if it was a pity
4:22
buy or what, but pity buy or not, I still got it sold.
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So that kind of lit a fire under my tail like it's adrenaline,
4:31
you know, when you make that first sale.
4:34
And so, Hado, did you eventually get into the hospitality space?
4:39
Hospitality actually came afterwards.
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I was going through a divorce, as many of us do.
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I was. I went from being a stay at home
4:48
single mom to going through a divorce and I didn't have a job.
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I had a charity before, probably two or three years before and
5:02
one of my volunteers reached out and said, hey, Ashley, I've seen
5:05
what you did on this charity and how you basically got everything
5:10
for us for free. I know you'd be great at a sales
5:13
manager or front desk manager or something.
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We just come try it out. And so I tried it out and I
5:18
loved it. I I they say it's getting bit by
5:22
the hospitality bug and I got bit big time.
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What was it that you loved so much?
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And the people, it never being the same every day, just there's
5:37
so many things about hospitality.
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My favorite's got to be the people, though.
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I've heard so many stories. I've heard, you know, I've met
5:49
people's grandbabies. I mean, once you become like a
5:54
staple in somebody's life, even at a hotel, they will bring
5:59
their grandchildren to it. Like, meet you.
6:02
I've got one lady that her, I think it's her granddaughter
6:08
calls me her godmother. And I don't know how that works,
6:12
but OK, I'll take it. That's sweet.
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And I think you have the advantage, at least where you
6:18
are now with Staybridge Suites, where this is like an extended
6:20
stay environment, so you get to be around the guests for a
6:23
longer period of time. How did the opportunity to join
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IHG Staybridge Suites come about?
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So basically I feel like I had been looking at extended stay
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for a while because I had been at transient hotels and
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transient hotels for who? Who the people who don't know
6:43
are the ones that you know two to three days or maybe even one
6:46
day you check out, it's quick flips.
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That model is great and everything, but you don't get to
6:54
know your guests, you don't get to know your groups.
6:57
You don't, they don't always return.
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It's not always like repeat business and I like building
7:04
those relationships. Well, with Staybridge, I get to
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build those relationships every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, we
7:13
have the social hour, which we get I I do not participate.
7:19
I just serve the beer and wine and then heavy our doors, mostly
7:24
carbs and then we all hang out onto the island.
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And then like we went from just doing that to making it fun like
7:33
bingo and games. Still trying to talk in my GM
7:38
and to my karaoke machine because Costco has one.
7:41
But we're on the rental right now, so I got to wait a little
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bit. OK.
7:48
So tell us more about the guest experience, this extended stay
7:52
option. Why is it better than some of
7:54
the other places out there? Sure.
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So what a lot of people don't know is with extended say
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there's a couple of different types of extended say we are
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like considered sweets and it's a, it's more of a hotel extended
8:14
stay. You get all the benefits of a
8:16
regular extended stay, but it is actually going to be like, and
8:21
the doors will be inside. It'll be a hotel, not a motel.
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You're going to have things like, you know, community,
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you're going to have free laundry.
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That is a big one if you're going to have lots of different
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things like that and community is a huge thing here.
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There's a lot of different people and guests that we have
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that are relocated because there was something wrong with their
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house. I've got a couple here now that
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they have been here for almost 2 years because mold infestation.
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Oh my gosh, yes. They, their whole bodies have
8:58
been attacked. I feel so bad for them for it,
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but this is their safe place now, and I'm glad that we can
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provide that for them. Even during, you know, our Reno,
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we were worried about the Reno, you know, I don't know how to
9:15
explain it, but, you know, destined up some air and, you
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know, reactivating something. But they've been doing so great.
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So yes, we have lots of things like that.
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And for the guests who stay for a really long period of time
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like that, are there any extra advantages for them?
9:34
Oh, for sure on I advise everybody I even if you're only
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going to stay two or three days when you call and book a room,
9:41
never book it online. Call and ask to talk to the
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director yourselves and we'll give you a better rate.
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It's usually going to be 20 to 25% off the BFR, which is Yeah,
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it really is. And if you stay over 30 days in
9:56
most states you go tax free. So those taxes that were taken
10:00
off will then go be applied as a credit to your your bills.
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So you'll get a couple days free.
10:06
Wow. Yeah, that's it.
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Is it just sales tax or because there's a lot of times there's?
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Lodging tax. Lodging tax, right?
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Does it apply to the lodging tax as well?
10:18
So I know in the state of Indiana, we don't have lodging
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tax here, it's kind of wrapped up in one, but city of Alabama,
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it's a $2.00 per night and it does apply for that.
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You'll get that $2.00 per night back.
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And so who are you typically selling to?
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Is it the just like individuals like you talked about, like
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something happened with their home or do you have agreements
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with insurance companies or bigger corporations?
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A little bit of everything. My job is to think way outside
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of the box because the big like problem with extended stays is
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finding the right people to stay in them because most people that
11:02
need hotels only need them for like, you know, a day or maybe a
11:05
week. I go up there and find, you
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know, people's appointments that have burned down.
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I will go on the site, you know, with some boots on or
11:16
construction sites. I have my pink or we have that's
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been trademarked now and when they see me coming, they know
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she's going to give us a good deal.
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You know, things like that. We've also got different groups.
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We still have, you know, sports groups that come in.
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We have lots of local negotiated rates with businesses around
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here because Carmel, IN is booming.
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We have tons and tons of medical places which we offer a medical
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rate. Just if anyone's wondering.
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We have tons of construction going on.
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There's so many things that when people say I don't know where to
12:02
find business, I just sent them a list.
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You know, I tried to help my fellow DOS is out as much as
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possible. You talk about going to a
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construction site. Why is that a good target for
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you? OK, so basically a construction
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site, they're going to come in and they're going to need rooms.
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The foreman is going to stay at a nicer hotel, like a
12:25
Renaissance or something because, you know, they get to
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spend more money basically. Now they're regular work guys.
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They will get to stay here and I will negotiate a rate.
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So say they're going to be here for six months, I'm going to
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make sure and negotiate that rate where they will stay with
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us and say a rate for the Queen's studio is average 169.
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I'm going to drop it down, you know, at least 25% where they
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can see I want them. And also let them know we've got
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free breakfast because with the construction guys, they want
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chicken and waffles and then we've got free laundry and then
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the pool and everything else. They love the free beer as well.
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I have had to cut a couple off, but yes, that's pretty much how
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it goes. And so you talked before about
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the the value and the importance of the community there.
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Do you find that a lot of the guests do want to interact with
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each other and get to know each other?
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No, absolutely. So on.
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If you're ever in Indiana, you should come by they staybridge
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because we have a it's where it's called the island on my
13:46
Mary Donnelly. She was the director of sales
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that opened this property and she was an absolute legend.
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We call it Mary's Island and everybody kind of prowls around
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it and it is laughter jokes. We do every card games, anything
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you can think of and everybody helps out.
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Once a nights, like I said, are bingo.
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It kind of gets stressful for me.
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One person bingo, porn, beer, you know, doing everything else.
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My guest helped me and I feel bad.
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They're like, no, no, we're good.
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You know, just because they are appreciative that they're
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getting to do something besides just watching ATV.
14:25
Yeah, that's fun. You've dropped a couple of names
14:28
of folks. I wonder if there's somebody in
14:31
particular, Ashley, that's been really helpful for you and had a
14:34
big impact on your career. Honestly, one of my biggest role
14:40
models. I hope she doesn't watch this
14:43
because I'm going to be very embarrassed, but it's our VP of
14:48
operations, Joy Underwood. She is one of the most resilient
14:53
women I've ever met. She actually just got the
14:58
promotion to VP back in June or July, but she's the one that
15:04
she's the type of woman that makes the path for us other
15:08
women. She's been AGM, she's been
15:11
everything. She never gets upset.
15:14
She's very cool, calm and collective.
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But at the same time, she knows what she's talking about and she
15:22
gets things done, and I respect that a lot about her.
15:26
Is this is she at your specific location or kind of over the
15:31
larger hotel group? So she's with AHM, but she's in
15:34
Michigan. Yeah, but she kind of goes
15:36
everywhere at this point. Give her name again.
15:39
I want to make sure we get it in the show now.
15:42
Joy, please don't kill me. Joy Underwood.
15:44
You said nothing but wonderful things.
15:46
I think she'll be appreciative. We talked about the tax savings,
15:52
which is really cool. How else do you guys stack up
15:56
against some of the other extended stays?
15:58
Why? Why is Staybridge better?
16:01
Free laundry have Yeah, that's a huge one.
16:04
I I can tell you I had to wash my kids baseball pants in
16:09
Huntsville, AL at a hotel and it cost me $14.00.
16:13
So that right there, yeah. And is the laundry in each room
16:17
or it's like in a centralized like hallway location?
16:19
That is a great question. No, Sir.
16:21
It's downstairs next to the gym, but it's not your basic laundry.
16:26
We have like the big laundry loaders, front loaders, folding
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stations, TV's in there, and it's right off of the gym.
16:35
You can access it through the courtyard or through just, you
16:38
know, the main hallway too. That sounds great.
16:42
It is really nice. So big picture, whether it's
16:45
been in hospitality or somewhere else, what's something about
16:49
sales that you've come to understand through your
16:52
experience that's maybe different from what your initial
16:55
approach was years ago? Like how is your approach to
17:02
sales evolved over time? Sure.
17:05
I'm not afraid to be told no. In the beginning, when I was a
17:08
baby sales leader, I would be terrified to be told no.
17:13
I don't know why. And now people tell me no.
17:16
I'm like, OK, I'll move on to the next one, you know, because
17:19
for every yes you get, you're going to get 3 or 4 Nos and you
17:25
have to put yourself out there pretty much or you won't get
17:28
anything. So that's what I would think of.
17:33
Did you develop that thick skin or do you think you've had it
17:36
since an early age? Oh, I have definitely not had
17:39
it. I've had to develop it.
17:42
Yes, Sir. And how did you do that?
17:45
Is it just more repetitions, like just sort of the pounding
17:48
of no, no, no, you just sort of get a little bit immune to it
17:51
after time. After you've been told no so
17:55
many times, it's just you're like, OK, you know, it doesn't
17:59
hurt your feelings anymore. You don't take.
18:01
I stopped taking it personal is what it was.
18:04
And in the beginning I was taking it personal.
18:06
I was like, they don't like me. They don't like this.
18:08
And I'm like, you know what, I, I'm great.
18:10
I did, I pitched that perfectly. I did everything great on this
18:15
hotel's amazing. We just got a Reno.
18:18
What what could they not want? You know, I gave them a great
18:21
price. So at that point I throw it back
18:23
at them. That makes me sleep easier at
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night. I don't know if that's correct,
18:29
but it works for me and I don't have the guilt anymore.
18:34
Well, and I think that's really key because I mean, so many
18:36
people are afraid of sales, don't like sales because that
18:40
rejection is really hard to take and it's just natural.
18:43
As much as you could sit here and say, don't take it
18:45
personally, that's exactly how people are are wired.
18:48
They're going to take it personally for you.
18:51
Was it a gradual transition or was there kind of a a light bulb
18:55
moment where you made this big transition?
18:59
If I'm going to be honest with you, there was a light bulb
19:02
moment because there was this man that was incredibly rude to
19:06
me. And at that point I thought I
19:10
would never let a stranger make me feel this way again when I
19:14
was just trying to help him out, you know?
19:16
So it was just I was done. Tell us more about that because
19:21
I think there's a lot of people in sales or considering sales
19:25
that would like to have that light bulb moment.
19:28
Sure. So in sales, it's all about the
19:31
pipeline. You know, I have been trying to
19:34
get an appointment with the CEO for a long time.
19:39
It wasn't at my current property.
19:41
It was at a property in Huntsville and he was on the
19:45
Arsenal. So he was in the military and he
19:50
would not take it. He would not take it.
19:52
I found somebody on LinkedIn that knew him and I was like,
19:57
listen, I'll take you upstairs or whatever it is.
20:00
I need to talk to this man. You know we've got product, you
20:03
know I've got. Basically, they had a training
20:07
program that they were going to do and we were right up the road
20:10
from him. We had shuttles and nobody else
20:13
had shuttles. It was perfect.
20:14
I could give him a great right. And he pretty much told me at
20:18
the time, you know, he didn't trust me because I was not old
20:20
enough. And I was, this was like not
20:25
even but 8 to 10 years ago. And that he felt like it would
20:31
be more trouble than than it what it was worth.
20:35
And I was like, really, please explain it to me.
20:37
Why? And he couldn't explain it to me
20:39
why? And that is when my brain
20:41
literally just shifted. I don't know how to explain it.
20:45
It's just was like, OK, you can't explain to me.
20:49
So then you must not really have an answer.
20:51
And I know that sounds not the nicest, but it it was the truth.
20:56
Yeah. Talk to us, Ashley, about how
20:59
you use social media marketing and the work that you do.
21:04
I love social media marketing that is probably mine, one of my
21:10
#1 like strengths. I love to engage your guests in
21:16
what's going on and I feel like they love it too.
21:21
It's important, especially because we're going through Rena
21:24
right now. I and our renovation is split up
21:28
into for example, we did the third floor and we did half of
21:33
it and then we did the other half.
21:36
So we're now down at the first floor.
21:39
So that's going to be a little bit messy with the lobby and
21:41
title and things. All I have to do is post online,
21:44
hey guys, you know the lobby's going to be closed.
21:47
We're going to do some detours and things like that and
21:50
nobody's mad now. If we would not have done that,
21:54
everybody would have been upset about it and we would have been
21:58
having to refund money and give points away and things like
22:01
that. So not only is it useful, it it
22:05
can highlight guests on their opinions on things.
22:09
I've done interviews with the couple that I said had the mold,
22:12
toxicity, just things like that. It gives different people a way
22:20
to look at people like themselves, pretty much.
22:25
So that's interesting because I thought you were going to give
22:27
me an answer about how you use it to bring in new business.
22:31
And I think that's sort of peripherally what you were
22:33
talking about. But the one specific example
22:36
that you gave that caught my attention was, hey, I let people
22:39
know that the lobby's going to be shut down.
22:41
And how are you letting them know?
22:43
Is this like a Facebook post? Yes, Sir.
22:45
So basically I'll just put on Facebook and or anything that's
22:50
or for example, if the fire department says we're not going
22:54
to have water that day for our extended stay guests, sometimes
22:58
they may not see the letter under the door because they are
23:01
night workers or something. I make sure all of them are
23:04
subscribed to our Facebook page. Like I will take their phone and
23:07
go like this. I was going to wonder.
23:10
Yeah. So that that you make sure that
23:12
every guest gets subscribed. Yes Sir, and I make make sure
23:15
they all know how to use their IHG rewards points.
23:19
I've helped out a lot of them get Christmas cards for the
23:22
grandkids and everything like that.
23:24
So yes, I also use it for getting business as well.
23:32
Sometimes, especially January through March, it's usually
23:36
really slow for hospitality unless you are in like a
23:41
tropical area. We have been actually blessed
23:46
the last Four Stars reports that we've had.
23:50
We've been #1 which with Renault and having 25% of our rooms out
23:57
of order, that's a miracle to me.
24:01
But I also think it's because I was posting our basic flyer that
24:08
we have made on just basic, you know, Indiana, like places that
24:13
needed homes or like groups and things like that.
24:16
That's not usually my go to route because sometimes you will
24:22
get, you know, different types of people and then you have to
24:28
filter them out and see who's real and you know, things like
24:31
that. But it it has helped bring it in
24:33
for sure. TikTok is our newest thing.
24:39
How? Are you using that to get new
24:40
guests? So that is going to be more for
24:44
like our younger guests. I have I have an 11 and 13 year
24:51
old son and they're telling me what each, you know, social
24:56
media is they said, you know, Facebook is for my age.
25:01
Instagram is basically just sharing mains and TikTok has to
25:05
be silly and funny and for their age.
25:08
And with that being said, everybody wants to be silly and
25:14
funny. So example yesterday we made a
25:17
tick tock and one thing we have here is we do sell out a lot.
25:23
So people will come in and they will automatically want to check
25:26
in early at 6:00 AM. I don't have any rooms there
25:30
that early because we were sold out.
25:32
So some people are not great at hiding their facial expressions
25:37
all the time. So if you watch the video, our
25:41
AGM, who is an absolute doll, she makes this face when the
25:46
lady comes in and it's actually my sales assistant that's coming
25:50
in playing the customer. And I put a piece of tape over
25:54
her head and it's a :) to mask her face, facial expressions
26:01
that she cannot control. So we're doing different things.
26:05
When our GM was out of town, we did a like, kind of like a
26:09
scavenger hunt with them. We took his picture everywhere
26:12
and things like that. We're just it, we're trying to
26:17
make more time for TikTok, but I think TikTok is really where
26:21
we're needing to lean into more in the next year.
26:26
Where have you seen, whether it's TikTok or Facebook or any
26:29
other platforms you might be using, have actually helped to
26:32
bring people into the the hotel? I would say TikTok and Facebook.
26:40
Facebook for sure on Facebook does Facebook ads on.
26:47
So the ads are working, but are the organic posts bringing folks
26:50
in do you think? Yeah, but I've only done, I'll
26:54
be honest with you, I've only done 3 rounds of the ads, the
26:58
organic post. I think why they are working is
27:01
because the demographic who already is friends on that page
27:07
and they share it. We've got a lot of people that
27:11
come here because we have price vision and we've got formal
27:14
plastic surgery. They're supposedly the number
27:17
one plastic surgeons around. We've got a lot of medical
27:23
tourism here. And so with that being said,
27:26
they pass the word around and they'll just share our page.
27:30
Well, we have a 99 medical rate, so people jump all over that and
27:35
it's advertised there as well. Nobody else has that around us
27:40
on nobody in our comp set, so it works out really well for us.
27:44
And Price Vision, they're great. They push us and push us and
27:48
they handed our flowers out like we probably have about 8 Price
27:52
Vision people a week so we love them.
27:55
Wow, that's fantastic. You know, before we went live,
27:59
you and I were talking and you mentioned before about, you
28:03
know, you're helping some of your guests around Christmas
28:05
time find cards for their grandkids and whatnot.
28:08
But as I understand it, you were the recipient of a number of
28:13
presents from your guests. Yes, Sir.
28:15
Do you want to say 1 now? Sure.
28:18
This is a little cowboy boot. One of my extended stay guests
28:23
got me Miss Peggy. She also got me a cowboy boot,
28:30
cactus holder thing and some earrings.
28:33
I love cowboy beats because I'm from Alabama.
28:36
Cowboy beats and dresses when it's hot, that's my thing.
28:39
And she just remembered that. And it was the sweetest thing
28:43
because most people don't remember little things like that
28:47
about you. And she did.
28:48
And that made my day more than anything.
28:51
You know, we did get lots of gifts and I was not expecting
28:56
that. You know, usually at a transient
28:59
hotel you don't. So I had to make sure and go and
29:04
like keep tally because I cannot get a gift without giving a gift
29:07
bag. Yeah, I was going to say, I've
29:11
stayed at countless hotels in my life, only a handful of extended
29:16
stays, but there's never been an exchange of gifts and I don't
29:20
remember any of the people that work there.
29:23
It sounds like you guys are doing something pretty special.
29:26
Thank you. Well next time you come to Indy
29:29
with your wife, please let me know and we will make sure and
29:32
take care of you and our rooms will be renowed by then.
29:36
So and if it's in April, you can come to a RE grand opening party
29:40
and meet Mr. IHG Elvis. OK, Mr. Who's Mr. IHG Elvis?
29:49
That's the joke that we call him Jimmy Taylor.
29:52
We're hoping that he does get to attend our re grand opening just
29:57
because he's such a light when he speaks like he's just
30:03
amazing, man. I get lost at words explaining
30:06
him. He's he's just great, you know,
30:10
And he's not. Yeah, he's not too silly.
30:13
Like, you know, when you meet people that are salespeople,
30:17
they're salespeople. And then there's salespeople.
30:20
That's their whole life. They try to sell everything to
30:23
everybody. They never stop.
30:26
That's not this man. He like you can, he loves golf.
30:29
You know, he will talk to you about other things besides ROI
30:34
or, you know, ADR or anything like that.
30:36
He wants to know how you truly are doing.
30:38
He remembers everybody's name. He my pink hard hat marketing
30:46
thing. He was very, very impressed by
30:48
that and that made my day. It made AIHG Sells call, so that
30:54
was rather nice. So yes.
30:58
Oh, that's fun. Let's shift gears, Ashley.
31:02
And I'd like to talk about a particular challenge that you've
31:05
overcome in your life, whether it's something professional or
31:09
personal, and how you got through that.
31:11
What did you? Learn trying to think there's a
31:19
couple. One thing I do not do anymore is
31:23
I do not drink because my dad was the same dad that's the car
31:29
salesman. It was an alcoholic or in is
31:32
still is. I used to drink when I was
31:35
younger and I feel like I just kind of partied my way out like
31:39
I phased out of it. I don't drink because and plus
31:43
it makes me not feel great in the morning.
31:46
Last time I drank, I I went to bed and I set my alarm and I
31:52
thought I woke up at 11 AM and I was at a conference.
31:55
It was 11:00 PM. So that's why I actually does
31:57
not drink because I freaked out for nothing.
32:02
Another thing is, is I stopped caring so much about what other
32:06
people thought about me and really dove deep into who I was
32:12
instead of trying to be something everybody else wanted
32:16
to be. Growing up in the South,
32:19
especially as a female, you have a lot of expectations on you
32:25
from your mom, your grandma, from random strangers, you know?
32:30
So I've learned to stop letting them project onto me and just be
32:38
happy being me. Let's talk a little bit about
32:42
stopping drinking. Was that a tough transition for
32:45
you? It'd been part of your life.
32:47
Maybe, you know something you did to celebrate, socialize, and
32:51
then suddenly yank the court on it.
32:53
Was that difficult? I'm so I was, I'm not going to
33:00
say it was a bad girl because I'm, I made great grades and
33:02
everything, but I was a little bit wild when I was a teenager.
33:05
I will say that I, I knew how to party when I was 16.
33:10
I had an ID that would would scan and everything.
33:14
Cops. If you're listening to FBI, you
33:16
didn't hear that. But yes, it would work.
33:19
So by the time I was like 2627, it wasn't fun for me anymore.
33:25
You know, I had done it all. I had been to all the bars.
33:28
I had done all and then I'm thinking the next morning my
33:33
hair stinks every. Like, you know, you feel
33:37
horrible, you don't want to participate in life, you know,
33:41
just things like that. So drinking for me every now and
33:47
then, like maybe once a year I'll have a Bloody Mary just
33:51
because I love tomato juice, but there's hardly any vodka and
33:56
eat. But my, what's funny is my
33:58
mother is French. She was born in Chattaroo and
34:02
her whole side of the family was.
34:04
So when we were younger, they would service wine with water
34:10
with dinner. So he, I mean, it probably came
34:14
from there. So, you know, you talked about
34:20
growing up in the South and there's a lot of pressure,
34:25
there's expectations comes even from complete strangers.
34:29
What do you mean by that? So when I moved up to
34:34
Indianapolis, I was shocked of that.
34:37
I could go to Kroger or Walmart without my hair and makeup done.
34:43
I could just have a ball cap on and nobody care because back
34:48
home I couldn't do that. Like you have to be, it's hard
34:52
to explain. Like my mom's still my mom.
34:55
If she's going to the grocery store, she is dressed in the
34:57
nons, you know, and it's freeing.
35:01
Like I dress up at work. I, I love to dopamine dress,
35:06
wear bright colors and stuff like that and funky stuff and
35:10
like to not have to worry about what I'm going to wear and
35:15
having to spend an hour just to go pick up a prescription or
35:18
some milk or like, you know, my kids and snacks.
35:22
That's, that's great. Nobody knows me here.
35:25
So it's like they can't touch me.
35:27
Now when I go home for Thanksgiving and Christmas
35:29
break, that's a different story. Mom's like you better put on
35:32
some lipstick. You're not going out on that.
35:35
It's just a different type of culture.
35:38
So I hear that that pressure is coming.
35:42
Is that you? That is me.
35:46
Our interview got delayed today because there was an issue with
35:50
the fire alarm on your side. Now we've got something going on
35:53
here. We'll see if they asked me to
35:55
come vacate in just a moment. This is how it goes.
36:02
But on your side, you know, so your mom's telling you got to
36:07
put on some lipstick before you head out.
36:09
But what if you didn't do that and you went out?
36:14
Would you get comments from complete strangers or would you
36:17
just kind of get like glares, like evil stares?
36:21
Flares or evil stares or she's let herself go on.
36:25
I'm from a town right next to Huntsville.
36:28
Do you know where the Space Space and Rocket Space Camp is?
36:33
Basically is where I say I'm from Space camp right there by
36:38
the Redstone Arsenal. It looks like it's huge, but
36:42
it's actually very, very small and close knit.
36:45
So anytime you go to the grocery store, you're going to run in
36:48
somebody and then they're going to put on Facebook or something.
36:52
You don't wear your cookie Monster pajamas to Walmart.
36:56
You know, that's just not something you do there.
36:58
Here in Indiana, they do that every day.
37:01
And I, I can't go that far yet. But yes, it's more they, it's
37:09
like they're going to say you went downhill or you're not
37:12
taking care of yourself or just rumors will fly or, you know,
37:16
just nonsense pretty much. Oh wow.
37:21
Yeah. And so how did you make this
37:24
transition, or maybe are still making this transition to caring
37:29
less about what other people think about you?
37:32
I love hats. Now on the weekends I wear hats
37:37
like I've got one that says put it on my husband's tab.
37:40
You would not have no idea how many men compliment me on that.
37:44
Like and I thought it would like determine.
37:48
No, they're like, you could put it on my tab.
37:50
I'm like husband, like, you know, but like I love hats and
37:56
like I can wear athletic clothes now and just stuff like that.
37:59
It's more comfortable, you know? I still look cute, I think, but
38:03
it's comfy cute, you know? So a big part of this for you is
38:08
about the dress, about how you can dress OK.
38:12
For sure I love. I don't know if you've heard of
38:16
dopamine dressing, but it's the first.
38:19
Time I've heard that phrase. Can I teach you about it?
38:22
It's great. Dopamine dressing is when you
38:26
wear something you like because it makes your dopamine elevate
38:30
bright colors. I love random dresses or you
38:36
know, rompers, things like that. I always dress my age
38:41
appropriately, but like with a little flair, you know, right
38:47
earrings, accessories, just things like that.
38:50
It's not going to be today. I'm actually kind of plain Jane
38:53
because I wanted to make sure and blend in.
38:56
But usually it's I'm really loud and fried.
39:00
Like I've got tilt colored boots and all sorts of stuff.
39:03
So. So it makes when you wake up in
39:05
the morning, it makes you just feel better and it makes you
39:08
have a better day. Yeah, you should try it.
39:10
I might. I've got sort of a.
39:12
If you watch my interviews, I've got sort of a standard uniform.
39:15
It is a. Dark.
39:17
T-shirt and and a white zip and occasionally I'll go to the
39:20
black zip up, but I just because it's easy like look in the clot.
39:26
Like what am I going to? It's the same thing.
39:28
But I do like bright colors and so I don't know, maybe it's time
39:31
for me to shift it up a little bit.
39:34
Do you want to know where I get most of my clothes from?
39:36
You're going to die. Tommy.
39:39
Goodwill, all my work clothes, all, I guess, all my work
39:45
clothes and they're all Ann Taylor and like mostly with tags
39:49
on them because, you know, work clothes are expensive.
39:52
So all of them come from there and a lot of them have tags.
39:56
I live in Carmel. I'm lucky.
39:58
And so there are a lot of bougie people that just donate stuff
40:02
with tags on it. So I go.
40:04
Go and get it real quick for 499 with.
40:07
Tags on it, meaning it's never been worn.
40:09
Exactly. Bizarre.
40:12
OK. Yeah.
40:13
All right, I may have to go check out a Goodwill again, see
40:16
if they've got anything in my size.
40:18
When you talk about the dopamine dressing is like a fun way to
40:20
start your day. Any other things that you do to
40:23
start your day kind of get you on track?
40:25
I listen to, well, I have a corgi and I listen to music
40:32
really loud on my way to work. I listen to music that people
40:38
probably wouldn't think I listen to it with listen to.
40:41
But it's like from growing up, like my teenage years, like it's
40:46
not gangster rough, I wouldn't say, but, you know, just like
40:49
rough and things like that. And so when I pull in the
40:51
parking lot, people look over at me like, who is this lady, you
40:54
know, with all these bright colors?
40:56
And yeah, so I definitely like to make people question.
41:04
Yeah, What's your superpower, Ashley?
41:08
I've got a pimple, actually, and I don't mean that writing.
41:14
Ever since I was little, people have always come up to me.
41:18
Kids, pets, anything. And I don't care if we're in
41:22
Walmart, I don't. And now I'm in a football game
41:26
anywhere. They will tell me their whole
41:28
life story and I'm a fixer. So I'm going to try to fix our
41:32
whole life story and an hour that we got, you know, and I've
41:39
got a couple other ones. My boss told me that I was he I
41:44
was medicine in human form, which I don't know if that's
41:49
good or bad. Sounds fantastic.
41:53
Depends on what kind of medicine, but yeah, I try to
41:58
stay positive at all times just because negative Nancy is
42:02
getting nowhere. You know, if you are, if you
42:08
live in negativity, like you're going to stay there, you're
42:12
going to be stacked then, so why not be positive?
42:17
Do you have any books or podcasts that you might
42:19
recommend to our listeners? I do.
42:22
This kind of goes with, you know, positivity and stuff on
42:26
The Secret. I know it's been out for a
42:28
while. I've read it 3 times and I just
42:31
read it again. It's really good and it really
42:35
can change your life. Just, you know, if you won't
42:39
realize that the way you look at things affects the way things
42:45
happen to you, you know, And then my favorite podcast is
42:50
either Joe Rogan or No Vacancy. I love No Vacancy because it's a
42:54
Hospitality 1 and he's hilarious.
42:58
Say more about the book The Secret, and maybe can you give a
43:02
specific example of how you approach things changes how you
43:07
receive things? I think that's roughly what you
43:09
said. So the secret to me, everybody
43:15
interprets it kind of different ways.
43:20
It depends on your beliefs and things like that.
43:22
But I, I believe it's more about kind of like manifestation and
43:26
asking what you want and things like that.
43:28
I, I do believe that manifestation is real.
43:32
I believe anything can be real. Pretty much if you know, don't
43:36
knock it until you try it type thing unless it's too crazy.
43:42
But I have, I've practiced it and I've seen like lots of
43:49
improvements in my life just being.
43:52
Any specific examples? Let's see, before I met my
43:59
fiance, I I was a little bit of a hot mess express, I'll say,
44:09
and I just wanted to date somebody I wanted to love
44:13
because after my divorce and my ex-husband then moved on, I
44:16
hadn't I was dating, you know, and I read the book again and I
44:21
put specific like, you know, not mantras out there, but I
44:26
manifested and like said, exactly what I wanted in a man
44:31
and I wasn't over like I want him to be 6 mine.
44:35
You know, I was realistic with it, you know, not non realistic
44:40
and I I couldn't ask for anybody better.
44:44
He treats me like apprentice. You know, he's hilarious.
44:48
We get along great. He loves my kids.
44:51
I love his son. So I think that's one good thing
44:55
that's come out of it. My sister and I had a little bit
44:59
of a strange relationship for a couple years, read that book
45:04
again and applied those same things and we're back talking
45:09
and doing good again. So.
45:11
That's awesome. And how did you and your husband
45:14
meet? He's my fiance right now.
45:19
Actually. He came and fixed a boiler at
45:22
one of the hotels I was working at.
45:24
That man has had so many lives. He was the security head for
45:28
Governor DeSantis. He has been a cop and now that
45:35
he is in Indianapolis, he works for boilers and service because
45:39
they made more money so. What's something fun you like to
45:44
do outside of work? Shopping and 13.
45:47
OK. And I love to decorate like I
45:50
love to decorate. I get that from my mom.
45:54
Yeah, what else do you get from your mom?
45:59
I look just like her, pretty much literally.
46:02
We're carving hobbies. I get, I'm trying to think we
46:10
butted heads a lot growing up and I thought we were nothing
46:15
alike, but now looking back, it's because we were so much
46:18
alike. We're both I, I don't know if
46:21
you know anything about numerology, but we're both
46:24
master number elevens. So that it kind of explained a
46:28
lot while we were butting heads a lot.
46:31
Plus I was a teenager and I wasn't very nice, you know, and
46:35
my mom was not one to tolerate. That was back in the day where,
46:40
you know, I had my own phone line in my room and I thought I
46:45
was so cool and I would beg to get spanked instead of they
46:49
didn't take away my own phone line, you know, like I wanted
46:53
the painful punishment instead of just taking my phone line,
46:57
so. You talked about you were a wild
47:00
child. I was wild, but it wasn't like I
47:04
compared to my other friends, I was the mother of their grades.
47:08
And that that should scare you too, you know?
47:12
That says something about the crew you were hanging out with
47:14
at the time. Well, and The thing is it's like
47:16
it was all that. We all made good grades and
47:19
everything and like we all played sports and stuff too.
47:23
So and we're all on homecoming court.
47:25
We're just, we liked field parties, beans farm and Mad Dog
47:31
22. So I don't know how I could do
47:33
that today. I would not.
47:37
A different phase of life. Well, Ashley, I've just got one
47:39
more question for you today. But before I ask it, I want to
47:42
do three things. First of all, anybody who wants
47:44
to get in touch with Ashley, you can find her on LinkedIn.
47:47
Ashley Chapman, search for IHG Staybridge Suites in
47:51
Indianapolis, Carmel, and also we've got the phone number for
47:55
the hotel here, 317-582-1500, 317-582-1500.
48:02
And we've also got our e-mail address.
48:03
So if you're going to be in the area, you need a place to stay.
48:06
You can contact her, ask for that better rate.
48:09
She'll help you out. ashley.chapman@ahm-hotels.com.
48:15
We'll have that in the show notes for folks.
48:17
But once again, ashley.chapman@ahm-hotels.com.
48:24
Also, as a reminder, if you want to get more hotel employees
48:28
access to doctors, therapists, and prescription meds that, as
48:31
paradoxical as it seems, actually increases your
48:34
company's net profits, reach out to us at Add Back benefits.com.
48:38
And finally, if you're enjoying the show today, a quick comment
48:41
or review on your favorite podcast app goes a long way
48:45
towards helping others discover our show.
48:47
So thank you for taking a quick moment to do that right now.
48:51
So last question for you, Ashley.
48:52
A year from now, what is 1 specific thing that you hope to
48:55
be celebrating? I've been a director of sales
49:01
for a while now. In a year I hope to be a
49:06
regional director of sales. All right, to move up and
49:11
another band on this finger. Is there a date set yet?
49:17
Still in progress. It's it's both our second, you
49:21
know, it's not really a rush. It's more like we're just moving
49:25
through the motions right now. But my major goal is I know what
49:30
I'm capable of and I think I can definitely bring creativity and
49:37
open doors for hospitality agencies that have not been
49:41
using social media or AI and things like that because they
49:45
don't realize what it can give them, you know?
49:49
And I don't know if that would be consulting because I really
49:52
don't want to leave AHM, or a regional manager like a regional
49:58
DOS world. But that's really where I'm
50:00
wanting you to go. I love to teach people because I
50:03
love to see them start and then when they finish and blossom,
50:08
that makes my heart so happy. You just touched on AI, How are
50:13
you using that? I use it everyday.
50:17
I use it, OK. I I use it to cheat, not cheat.
50:22
But on our star reports, do you know what a star report is?
50:26
No, OK. It's basically our measurements
50:28
of the week of how we did and our comp set.
50:32
Usually there's about 6. Lately we've been #1 which is
50:37
great because when I started here, we were number six and
50:41
that was not good. But basically I'll just upload
50:46
that file in there and it'll tell me everything I need to
50:49
know. Like briefly where I don't have
50:51
to sit there and scan it for an hour.
50:54
I use it for social media post. I use it for all sorts of
51:01
things, slides. I used it recently to make three
51:04
different signs for our detour when we're having to tear off
51:11
the tile to send to the printer's office.
51:16
I me and ChatGPT are like this. If I ever die, I need somebody
51:21
to delete that history so. It's become a big part of your
51:26
daily work routines, yes. Yes, it has.
51:30
Well, Ashley Chapman from IHG Staybridge Suites in Carmel,
51:34
Indianapolis, I want to be the first to thank you for sharing
51:36
both your time and your story with us today.
51:39
I really appreciate you. Thank you, Anthony.
51:43
I appreciate you having me on. Folks, that's a wrap on another
51:47
episode of the Inspired Stories podcast.
51:49
Thanks for learning with us today.