In recent years, the concept of women’s empowerment has gained significant attention worldwide. Women from diverse backgrounds are breaking barriers, challenging stereotypes, and making remarkable strides in how they show up in the world. Although this movement is still ongoing, it is crucial to recognize the women who are taking the initiative to contribute to the growth of their own ecosystem.
Ashlee Laughlin, a budding entrepreneur based in Maryland, has demonstrated her dedication to empowering women with the establishment of Célébrez la Femme, Inc., an organization focused on uplifting women from diverse racial and socio-economic backgrounds on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Returning to her hometown of Salisbury, Maryland, she embarked on a journey to rewrite the rulebook of women’s empowerment and redefine the paths toward success.
By examining her story, we aim to shed light on the importance of redefining empowerment and understanding her goals as a visionary leader.
Where were you raised and why did you decide to move back to Salisbury after such a long stretch of time?
AL: I grew up in Baltimore for a portion of my life and then around middle school, my mom, brother, and I moved to Columbia, MD. That’s when I finally felt like I was in the right place. I made friends and felt safe in Columbia; that is where I truly began finding myself.
In February of 2022, I decided to move back to Salisbury when I realized I needed a reset. Not sure if you have ever felt like you were avoiding God’s calling on your life? I felt the urge to go back home. So I returned to Salisbury to ground myself and really bond with the people living and thriving in the area. I wanted to watch Salisbury come to life and be a part of the evolution if you will.
Considering the lengthy period you were away from Salisbury, what drew you back there?
AL: Well, I went to college in Salisbury. I graduated from Salisbury University in 2009, so I actually lived in the area for schooling purposes, and over the years, I visited my family during the holidays and over the summer. It always felt like home even though I had to pack up and leave to head back “across the bride” to the western shore.
Salisbury has always felt like home to me.
You mentioned Baltimore, did the Baltimore area ever feel like home to you? How did you spend your time growing up there?
AL: Baltimore never truly felt like home. Columbia did. That’s where I met my friends and I actually got to settle down there. I became a cheerleader, and a dancer and came into my own in Columbia. I had friends who were black, white, and Hispanic, it was a beautiful melting pot. I loved growing up there.
It takes courage to lead people and from what it sounds like, you are leading the charge in the realm of “Female Empowerment.”
AL: Girl, NO! I am naturally shy (and silly). I think I’ve become more of myself outwardly in the last decade. I think my presence showed up as a leader in my earlier years, but I never believed myself to be in leadership. I just knew that I could perform and execute. I only really wanted to do my part and go home. Even as a cheerleader. I was co-captain my senior year and in my mind, I knew I could do it, but I had reservations about whether or not I was equipped to be in leadership.
I am also very scared of the words “female empowerment” or “women’s empowerment.” Those words scare me because I have encountered women in those spaces who were not nice or empowering! I never want people to have that experience with me so I am genuinely kind and try my best to not be problematic in any way.
I decided to create a women’s empowerment network to support women like me. Whether you are new to the eastern shore or have been around forever, what we need to do is show up for each other for real. And I cannot stress that enough. It was hard finding people to connect with when I moved back here, and that can be depressing. I came here vulnerable and finding other women to connect with was not easy. So I am my own wildest dream and hopefully will become a dream come true to someone who needs this level of love and support.
Tell us about Célébrez la Femme and why this movement is such an exciting one.
Célébrez la Femme, Inc. is a representation of so many things for me. I have always loved the intimacy of networking over the years. I am not as crazy about going to events where the bottom line is to close a deal. I truly have been able to grow in life because of my relationships with other women who believed in me. After college, I went to DC to start my career, and the love I was shown in such a big city full of executives and politicians, I thought I would show up on the scene and get swallowed up because I didn’t know enough or didn’t look the part. Not only did I get what I needed professionally, but I also made friends with women whom I got the privilege of laughing with on the phone, over dinner, and sometimes in pajamas over wine.
My network organization is multi-cultural on purpose because it took women of every shade to pour into me and develop me as a woman. If I had been in any other environment that wasn’t inclusive I might not have made it professionally or personally.
Célébrez la Femme, Inc. was created to bridge the gap between women of all shades intentionally. There are spaces in Salisbury that are inclusive, but to acknowledge that we can do better as women across the board to build relationships with each other and lift as we climb both personally and professionally is where God has presented me with an opportunity to help enhance the lives of women I know and will soon get to know.
That is exciting and I can only imagine what will come out of this.
AL: I am nervous because any time you embark on your divine work, things become amplified. It gets loud around me all the time because my heart is open to how I am supposed to serve the women around me. For instance, now when I am out and about in town, I hear how women need “something.” I hear how women want to connect with other women for lunch, or how remote employees are looking for girlfriends to converse with, I even hear about folks just like me who have moved to various cities on the lower shore who have no friends here. We find each other in the most random places, but what if we find each other through this network? What if we actually have a thriving community of women who want nothing more than to see each other win in life? I love the thought of facilitating that movement.
What can people expect from Ashlee Laughlin in the next 5 years? You have to have some kind of plan after launching this network.
AL: I am a creator. That’s what I plan to continue doing. People can expect events for sure through Célébrez la Femme, of course. We are reaching for the stars with our programming because we want to always surpass the normal day-to-day function. I am a producer of curated events so the goal is to pique the interest of businesses that are just as invested in seeing women win–so we are not having to struggle to sustain our existence. That is not the space we deserve to operate in. I am aiming high every time because we are women first, mothers, sisters, cousins, wives, daughters, support systems, and bearers of mankind so the investment should be a no-brainer.
Aside from CLF, I have an experiential marketing firm with my friend Drew. We have similar passions in aligning ourselves with businesses that want to bring innovative activations to the Eastern Shore. We love our city and have high hopes to pour our best into it. There’s no space for aiming low because we’ve done that already.
So in five years, hopefully, my businesses will be thriving!
I will have my Project Management certification so I’ll be in tech or the architecture and engineering field as an executive or lead project manager.
Above everything, in five years I will have an 11-year-old son. I pray I am at a football or basketball game cheering him on while pressing send-on contracts that are making us very stable and comfortable. I will be managing my son’s career so I am getting all the practice I can get now through my own endeavors. He is my ultimate dream for success, happiness, good health, and wealth!
How does being a mom impact you in business?
AL: Being a mom is first! My son gets to witness how hard I work for us. I am trying to create a legacy for him and my nieces so they look back and say wow, my mom/aunt made an impact. I need them to understand that it’s nice to live a low-maintenance life but it’s also great and very necessary to dedicate yourself to creating your story in history. When folks read the book of Ashlee, I hope what’s received is that I love bringing people together. That makes my heart smile.
I hope I inspire him to love his calling the way I have embraced mine.
Do you want him to become a philanthropist?
AL: I want him to write his own story. Whatever that might be as long as he is passionate about the story, and it allows him to be his most authentic self, that is what I want for him.
You can find Ashlee Laughlin on Instagram & LinkedIn.
Visit her women’s empowerment network at: www.celebrezlafemme.org!
Follow Us On Social Media!
