From Creative to Strategist: A Look Inside Marketing for the Modern Business World

Written by: Maggie Murphy

Business Goes Everywhere

What does it take to build a career that blends creativity with strategy? I had the chance to sit down with Ashley Wold, a Senior Marketing Strategist, who works across two companies in the business travel and property technology space — Reside, a Wyndham Residences and a company called 3Sixty. Her role sits at the intersection of brand identity, client relations, and creative direction, making her an ideal person to learn from about what marketing looks like at a professional level.

Keeping Her Creative Juices Flowing

She didn't set out with a rigid plan. From a young age, she knew she was creative, but she also wanted a career with flexibility — one that wouldn't lock her into a single path. Business, and eventually marketing, offered exactly that.

During college, she minored in studio art alongside her business degree, and she leaned into internships to explore different areas of the field. One standout was a sports marketing internship she almost skipped because she wasn't a sports fan; however, it ended up being one of her favorites, largely because of the community around it. Those early experiments helped her zero in on what she loved: bringing someone's vision to life and helping businesses communicate who they are more effectively. She landed her current role through an internship turning into a full-time position, a real-world example of the networking she now actively champions.

Everything That Touches The Brand

Her day-to-day covers a wide range. She oversees anything that touches brand reputation for both companies — internal documents, client-facing materials, website experience, and RFP support for the sales team. She has led two full rebrands and is currently managing a website refresh.

One telling example: the original Reside, a Wyndham Residence brand used a deep magenta-plum palette that printed poorly and felt misaligned with the upscale tone the brand wanted to project. She led a rebrand to an elevated mauve and blue that better matched the guest experience. It's the kind of cross-functional thinking. The combination of design, strategy, and copywriting is what defines her role. The skills she emphasizes most: a strong eye for detail, organizational discipline, and the ability to translate a client's vision into a cohesive brand story.

Automation or Unique? Can It Be Both?

AI is the defining conversation in marketing right now, and she has a grounded take on it. She sees real value in automation, but is clear about the tradeoff: speed often comes at the cost of originality. AI-generated design and copy are increasingly recognizable, which she believes will raise the bar for marketers who can demonstrate genuine creative thinking.

She's also watching the security risks that come with widespread AI adoption — proprietary business information being fed into AI tools is something the industry hasn't fully reckoned with. In her own work, the emphasis stays on the human touch, especially in hospitality, where guests still want a real person, not an automated experience.

You Never Know Unless You Ask

Her advice is practical and direct. Try things that don't seem like an obvious fit — you'll either love it or learn something. Don't wait for opportunities to come to you: advocate for yourself, ask for growth, and negotiate. "Nobody else is going to do that for you," she said. She also encourages marketers to look beyond the 9-to-5 — side projects, volunteering, and personal interests all develop skills a job alone can't. And build your network genuinely, because real connections open real doors.

Hand In Hand

What struck me most was how intentional she's been about staying adaptable. She didn't follow a straight line — she explored, pivoted, and built a career that reflects both creative instincts and strategic thinking. Her point about AI resonated with me: rather than seeing it as a threat, she frames it as a filter separating marketers who rely on shortcuts from those who bring something original. It also reinforced how important it is to invest in relationships early, not transactionally, and because those connections shape your career in ways you can't always predict.

The Human Touch

This conversation offered a clear-eyed view of what a marketing career looks like in practice: dynamic, detail-oriented, and deeply relationship-driven. From rebranding a hotel company to navigating the rise of AI, she stays ahead by staying curious. Her core message, "advocate for yourself, keep learning, and invest in people", applies whether you're just starting out or already well into your career.

Written by: Maggie Murphy