In conversation with Ashleigh Ashley

Q.1 - Introduce yourself.

I’m Ashleigh Ashley

Q.2 - What is your job title?
Creative Producer

Q.3 - Who looks after the kids when you are working?

My husband is a freelance too, so we tag team a lot.  Routinely though my daughter is in school and my younger goes to nursery 3 days a week.  Ad hoc (especially for evening events) some lucky friend/family member gets a chance to hang with my kids lol.

Q.4 - How long did you take off work after having your baby?

With my daughter I had 1 year maternity leave from Disney, and had the luxury of an additional year to get my bearings/get back in - so 2 years total.  With my son I went back to work on Top Boy when he was only 3 months old!

Q.5 - Would you say that you have a good work/life balance?

Yes, mostly.

Q.6 - Are you job-sharing or working flexibly?

I work flexibly when I’ve got my Creative Producer hat on.  If I’m on a quick turnaround job (commercial) then I have very little flexibility, though for longer form things I’ll always enquire about the possibility to job-share or work part-time.

Q.7 - What do you think is the hardest part of being a working/industry parent?

Making the school run, sacrificing bedtime and often feeling financially unstable.

Q. 8 - What are your tips for any women out there wanting to have kids and keep a career in film?

Keep a toe in by working on things ad hoc between mumming, even if that means supporting a few independent projects.  

 Q.9 - Any advice for anyone about to return to work after maternity?

Be mindful about making genuine connections with people you work with (and get on with).  Your relationships will be your key back in and sometimes I think our industry can be quite transactional and we can forget to connect with people on a human level. 

Q.10 - What advice did you wish someone had given you?

That your network is your net worth.  It’s important to truly value the people you work with along the way.