Tell us a little bit about you and your family! Where did you grow up? How long have you lived in the area? How many kids do you have?
Hi! I am Ashley Earle, mom of 3 not so little boys (12, 14, 16) and wife to my hubby of almost 19 years. I also can’t forget our furbaby, Gracie. (8-month-old French Bulldog) I grew up right in Severna Park. Besides my years at Salisbury University and living in the Chicago area for 4 years for work, I have lived in this area my whole life. I am really proud to be a 5th generation Severna Park resident. That is pretty hard to do, as that takes you to the founding of the area. My family also has deep roots in Annapolis. My dad is from Eastport and had many family homes in downtown Annapolis, so of course Annapolis holds an extremely special place in my heart.
The secret is finally out…YOU run Annapolis Influencers! What motivated you to start the page? Tell us the goal of the page, how it’s helped other local influencers, the process of how influencers are featured, and anything else you’d like to share!
Yes! I run Annapolis Influencers! It has been something I have been brainstorming for a few years now. I have always loved supporting my friends who have local businesses by word of mouth. When I find something I love, I love to share it with everyone. This stemmed from a dear friend of mine who owned a flower shop. She is the best of the best and I would tell everyone about her. When I would go see her she would tell me, Ashley people walk in that door and call and tell me you sent them! This made my heart so incredibly happy! I loved that I was a small part of helping her business grow. So I brainstormed a way I would help other businesses locally and what better way than social media! I have been so lucky to meet so many new people and connect with businesses in our area that would not have happened without Annapolis Influencers.
I really love to show the person behind the page, so I ask for pictures of them and what they would like to showcase. I also ask for a bit of information about them and their business. Once I have all of their information I put them on the schedule. At this time, I share someone new Monday through Friday each week. I love seeing people meet in the comments. I have seen so many new connections made. Seeing collaborations made by people finding someone new on the page is exactly what I hoped for.
I have lots of things in the works for Annapolis Influencers, I will absolutely keep you posted on the fun to come.
You’re also a Realtor for Monument Sotheby’s! How did you get to your career today? Tell us how you got started and your big plans for 2024.
Yes! My real job is a Realtor with Monument Sotheby’s International Realty! All things home is my passion, helping buyers, sellers, decorating, designing, and beyond. I have always been the friend asked to go on showings when people were looking to buy houses, to get my opinion, to help decorate or redesign. I thought this is silly, why am I not doing this for my real job!?! So going on 5 years later, it is still my passion. It is truly what I was meant to do, it never feels like work to me. It makes me so happy to help people with one of the biggest decisions they will ever make. I love helping people through this process. I have met some of my closest friends through real estate. Once the transaction is over, it doesn’t truly end. We stay connected and I love to be your top local resource, Annapolis Influencers has helped me with this as well.
How has your job shifted your perspective of Motherhood?
My job has made me realize the importance of showing my children hard work. Real Estate is very much an all in type of job. I work a lot of nights and weekends and am on call just about all the time. You have to work hard and I like being that example for my kids. Hard work creates great results and I believe at their age, they are now understanding this.
What are some tips and advice you can give us if we’re looking to buy or sell our home in 2024?
My biggest tip at this moment is, if you are thinking about buying or selling, do it! The interest rates are dropping and there have been a lot of buyers and sellers putting moving on hold because of this. As the rates keep coming down, more buyers are going to enter the buyer pool. This causes one thing, competition for houses and it will potentially drive the cost of the house up. It is far better to pay a bit more in interest now that you can change in the future, than to pay too much for your home. You can’t change that. If you have more questions or would like to know more about our current market, I am happy to chat any time.
What’s one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
I grew up locally, but my parent’s home is set back in the woods and we had a small farm growing up. This is absolutely not the norm for this area. We had dogs, cats, bunnies, chickens, roosters, ducks and goats! Our goats were Cindy and Violet and they were so adorable. It was a ton of work but it was so much. Everyone always wanted to come play at our house. I also know every word to Taylor Swift’s All Too Well 10-minute version!
What’s something you love that’s just for you?
I love arranging flowers. I always have fresh flowers in my house and I love making arrangements. I also love planning parties and events (which isn’t exactly just for me but brings me great joy 🙂 I also love a good book. I am in two book clubs so that keeps me busy.
Best mom hack that makes your life easier.
I think my best advice is cliche but don’t sweat the small stuff. Life moves so quickly and things that are difficult now won’t be soon. We only get a short amount of time with our children so let things roll off your back and enjoy the ride.
Name something you hope your children look back and remember about their childhood and you as their mama.
I hope my children look back and say they had the best childhood. Parents that love them and lots of incredible experiences and support. I hope they look back at their childhood and have a warm fuzzy feeling of home, Christmas mornings, family vacations, and traditions that we carry out.
What’s your favorite family activity to do in the area?
I love all things holidays and traditions so I’m a sucker for fun things we do every year. Including the Annapolis St. Patrick’s Parade, May Day, and Dinner under the Stars. Outside of Annapolis, we look forward to the Maryland Renaissance Festival every fall. And we go to Wolf’s Pine Valley Tree Farm to cut down our Christmas tree each year.
What have you learned from your children?
My children have taught me so many things, but now that they are older they have taught me the importance of time. Things are very different when you aren’t in the everyday chaos of little ones. Now I savor every moment and activity I get with them. Driving them to sports and spending time making a meal with them isn’t daunting, it’s time spent together that I feel is running out. I will take every minute they choose to spend with me. Our countdown to college is getting closer by the day, I wish I could stop time for a bit.
Greatest gift about being a mom.
The greatest gift is seeing things through your children’s eyes. My most favorite thing is seeing their excitement over things. Getting to experience new things with them, including new restaurants, new food, new vacation spots, excitement of holidays and birthdays. Their excitement is infectious.
Best advice for mom guilt.
I once was told, if you have mom guilt that means you are doing it right. And I try to remember this. When we are stressing over what we think we messed up or what we did wrong, how we could have done this better, this means we are a good mom. Being concerned with how we are raising our children makes us good moms. Easier said than done, but I do believe this is true.
Annapolis Influencers is an all inclusive community fostering collaboration, growth & friendship supporting local influencers, bloggers, and small businesses. To be featured, please contact [email protected].
In addition to Annapolis Influencers, Ashley stays busy with her true job as a realtor on the Stahley Thompson Homes Team of Monument Sothebys International Realty. Ashley is committed to client satisfaction and understands that buying or selling a home is a significant life decision. Each transaction is approached with patience, professionalism, and understanding. Whether you are a first time home buyer navigating the real estate market or a seasoned seller looking to make a move, Ashley is dedicated to guiding you through the entire process with clarity and ease. Ashley prides herself in client care and response.
If you are looking to buy or sell or have questions about our current market. Or even considering a current market value of your home, contact Ashley Earle at [email protected] or @ashleyearle.realestate
We love to support local businesses! What are your favorite local places to:
Get coffee: Oh this is hard! I love so many! I would say Rise Up and Curate
Go on a date night: This one is hard too! So many good ones to choose from. I would say Preserve.
Go out for a girl’s night: Harold Black is a good time! It feels so exclusive and has yummy Espresso Martinis. Pussers on a summer night is always a favorite too.
Go out to dinner as a family: We love to go out to breakfast. For that, we love Garry’s Grill. We have also loved Nano recently for lunch and dinner. Sushi is our favorite.
Get your hair done: Shelby Ervin at Hair Rehab, the best!
Shop for your kids: I feel like we do all of our shopping at Dick’s Sporting Goods or a hockey rink pro shop. 🙂
Get your nails done: Beaute Nails in Severna Park is my go to.
Have fun as a family: We love to boat in the summer. Being on the water and outside is our favorite thing during the warm months. We are members of the Annapolis Boat Club. This is a perfect solution for busy families that don’t want the maintenance of a boat year round. We also love to go to Caps games and traveling to Florida’s gulf coast in the cold months.
Photography by: @jennifercaseyphotography
