Meet Updater: Ashley Lunsford, People Experience Manager
Ashley Lunsford, nicknamed the office “fun manager,” knows how to get the party started. Her unique sense of fashion extends to everything she does at the Updater office, from planning happy hours to helping design team swag. Ashley’s the perfect People Experience Manager for Updater and we’re thrilled to have her on board!
Do you have a moving horror story?
One of my first apartments in New York turned out to be a really bad idea (creepy landlord, tried to break in – you get the picture) so I had to get out, and get out fast! I called my mom at 5 p.m. on a Thursday night and moved out Friday morning at 6 a.m. My mom drove all night to meet me! Luckily, I didn’t have much furniture at the time.
What’s your best piece of moving advice?
Hire help! Not your mom, dad, or cousin – hire the professionals!
What’s the largest item you’ve ever had to carry on the subway?
It wasn’t on the subway, but I moved a 100-lb full-length mirror five blocks through crowded SoHo streets, and then up six flights of stairs. It was given to me as a gift and I had to have it.
How many times have you moved?
In my life, six times.
You’re about to move, what would you make sure to never do again?
Move into a walk-up apartment without hired help. Never again!
What’s your favorite thing about working at Updater?
Unlimited chocolate covered almonds, duh! No really, it’s the environment. Updater really cares about its employees. I was hired to help them up their game even more!
How did you come to work at Updater?
MB, who is one of our recruiters at Updater. We worked together almost four years ago at SoulCycle HQ and recently ran into one another — the rest is history! Just goes to show that you never know where one person will lead you.
What’s the best part about working on a small team?
Getting to know everyone on a personal level and building that camaraderie that usually only exists in small groups. It takes a while to build, but it’s worth all the time invested.
What motivates you to come to work every day?
The people.
It’s the zombie apocalypse. Where do you hide?
In Montana. Undisclosed location.
If your life was made into a TV series, which celebrity would play you?
Emma Stone.
What’s your favorite quote?
A very dear friend told me this quote and I will never forget: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
What’s the first app you check in the morning?
My alarm clock. Although, I wish I could just hit the snooze button!
You have a time machine, but you can only make one trip. Where do you go?
June 10, 2017, It’s the day I got married. It went by in a blink of an eye!
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Gypsy by Fleetwood Mac.
If you could travel to work every day on a vehicle without wheels (think: hovercraft, broom), what would you choose?
A magic carpet.
What are four things you can’t live without?
1. Insulin – unfortunately, I truly can’t live without this. I have a battery pack that always requires it (insulin pump).
2. My husband. He is a must-have always, and my best friend.
3. An eye mask. I hate the light, at least when it’s bed time.
4. The sun, because it makes me feel alive.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up on a 200-acre grain farm in Virginia, where you can drive tractors, ride horses, and harvest miles and miles of fields. Now, living in NYC, I get the best of both worlds!
What are two personal tidbits about you?
1. I truly love fashion. I thought I would like to pursue a career in it but it turns out that loving fashion doesn’t mean it’s the best fit as a career. So I sided with my passion to be the consumer instead 🙂
2. My first driving lesson was on a John Deere combine (9500 to be exact).
More Updater Life
Changes to Updater’s team
16 August 2022
Updater raises $215M to accelerate product, design, data, and engineering
19 May 2022
