The Elise Project | Before the Blueprint

Written by Ashlei Elise

One idea. Two shows. A platform of my own.

Long before I was developing campaigns, leading marketing teams, or building brands for other organizations, I was building something of my own.

In 2010, I founded The Elise Project, an independent media platform centered on news, entertainment, and the conversations shaping my generation.

The idea was simple: create a space where young voices, relevant topics, and a little personality could come together. And rather than wait for someone to hand me a platform, I decided to build one.

The Ashlei Elise Show

The Ashlei Elise Show became one of the original programs under The Elise Project, giving me an opportunity to develop and host video content, explore interview formats, and learn what it takes to bring an idea from concept to production.

It was an early education in storytelling, audience engagement, and the many moving pieces that go into creating something people actually want to watch.

Ask Ashlei

The project also extended into radio through Ask Ashlei, which aired on Radio Free Charlotte.

Radio brought a different kind of challenge. Without the benefit of visuals, everything depended on conversation, pacing, personality, and the ability to connect with listeners.

Different format. Same curiosity.

More Than a Show

Looking back, The Elise Project was an early introduction to many of the skills that would eventually become central to my career: brand development, content strategy, creative production, interviewing, and building an audience.

It also gave me firsthand experience with the less glamorous side of creating something from scratch: organizing people, managing ideas, and figuring things out as I went.

Was everything polished? Absolutely not. But it was mine, and it was a place to experiment, learn, and grow.

Years later, I can see how much of that early work carried forward into the way I approach storytelling and creative leadership today.

And it all started with an idea and a willingness to see what I could make of it.

PROJECT DETAILS

Project: The Elise Project
Role: Founder, Creator & Host
Disciplines: Brand Development, Content Strategy, Media Production, Interviewing & Hosting
Original Programming: The Ashlei Elise Show; Ask Ashlei
Year: Founded 2010

Project Archive: The Elise Project

Ashlei Elise

Hi. I’m Ashlei Elise.

I’m a marketer, writer, storyteller, and creator who has made a career out of figuring out what makes people care, and what makes a story worth telling.

My work has taken me across industries, organizations, communities, and more than a few unexpected turns. Along the way, I’ve built brands, grown audiences, created experiences, helped tell stories that matter, and learned that some of the most interesting ideas are the ones that don’t fit neatly into a job description.

These days, I’m making more room for those ideas through BAE Studios, the creative home for the things I want to build, write, create, and put into the world.

Sometimes that looks like marketing. Sometimes it looks like a conversation, a book, a product, a plane ticket, or an idea I can’t stop thinking about.

I’m interested in good stories, interesting people, meaningful work, and building a life big enough to hold all the things I am.

This site is where those things get to live together. Welcome. I’m glad you’re here.

https://www.ashleielise.com
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The Elise Project | The Ashlei Elise Show & Ask Ashlei - radio