Q & A: With Ashley Kiely, Founder and Owner Of AKL
Work-Life Balance, Design Inspirations And What Keeps Her Up At Night
As a founder, mom of two, wife and friend to many, how do you balance the pressures of work and life?
It’s a daily practice and, I promise you, I don’t have it all figured out! Boundaries at work are hard for me because I love what I do so much. I’m also a mover and a shaker, so sitting still feels super uncomfortable. The biggest and most helpful tool in juggling mom life and founder life is delegation. I have an INCREDIBLE team of organizers, designers and contractors who encourage me to ask for help and not do it all on my own. That’s what really makes the difference.
What inspires you everyday?
Hands down, the creativity and drive of my team. From the earliest days of AKL, I’ve been so lucky to be surrounded by the most incredible people. Most of my organizing team is made up of moms, and to show up and work alongside them everyday is humbling. I know the sacrifice they make to be somewhere other than home and for them to choose AKL. Our contracting team is so talented and really cares about doing good work. It just means the world to me.
What’s the biggest hurdle being a female-founded and -led company in the construction industry?
I’ve been so lucky to be surrounded by trades in the industry that are close family friends or who have worked with my dad in the past. I’ve been given grace, support and encouragement even on the days I’m making mistakes and learning as I go. Of course, there are times where I have to work twice as hard to prove myself because I’m not respected or ignored on a job-site. But, that has been few and far between.
Any advice for a woman just starting out?
Just do your best. Prove them wrong and kill them with kindness. You do need to earn respect, but not in the way you would think. By always having my team’s back, I’ve earned respect much faster than by bossing them around and expecting them to work hard for me in return. Simple gestures of kindness show that you appreciate the creativity and craft they bring to the jobsite. We have a snack cart at every jobsite for them to have whenever they want. It truly is the little things.
What’s the work stuff that keeps you up at night?
So. Many. Things! I swear my brain never stops. If we have a particularly challenging space, I lay awake playing Tetris in my head with the different layout options that might work. I obsess over details. I never want to let anyone down. Especially my team and my clients. I’ll get up and make to-do lists or checklists of questions I need to ask our clients to make the project the best it can be. For remodels, there can be 5,000 details that need to be executed, delegated and brought to life without making any mistakes along the way. It’s a lot, but I LOVE it.
What’s been your biggest learning since you founded AKL?
That my to-do list will never be complete. I’ve definitely had to learn how to prioritize urgent versus important tasks and still feel accomplished at the end of the day when things aren’t 100% completed. When I first started, I wanted everything to be set up and dialed before jumping in. I did lots of preparation and research. But, I quickly learned that nothing is as impactful as action. My new mantra: Jump in and start. I give myself a little grace and know that I’ll make mistakes (which I hate doing!) but it’s through trial and error, risks and rewards where the learning happens. It’s a roller coaster of a journey, but it’s the BEST job!