What an honor to be named one of 425 Business 30 Under 30 this year amongst such an impressive class! Not only that, but I am featured on the cover of the September issue. Coming from years working in the modeling industry, to be on the cover of a magazine for my business accomplishments is a reward unlike anything I can describe. I am so grateful and proud to represent female entrepreneurs and hope to inspire a next generation of young business people everywhere.
A huge thank you to the core companies I have worked for that lead me here, Finish Line and Influence.co, as well as the incredible company I work for now that gave me a launch pad to showcase all of my talents, Ascend Hospitality Group.
For those of you who don’t know, my career path started in 2012 when I became the first-ever women’s fitness writer for sports retailer Finish Line with the launch of its inaugural blog. During this time the term ‘influencer’ was just surfacing and the athletics industry was predominantly male. Looking back I feel this step set the tone for my passion in guiding female entrepreneurs to fulfill their aspirations, personally and professionally.
At the same time, I led market research and brand development at a pioneering influencer tech start-up, influence.co. There I noticed a significant gap in traditional influencer marketing and aimed to fill that vacancy with my own freelance work, built upon developing strong content for new brands. Throughout my career, I have always made sure everything I produces has an extra level of polish, which thrives on rich content, driving the brands I lead forward and elevating the projects I serve.
Currently I sit on the Executive Leadership Team for Ascend Hospitality Group, where I am responsible for all marketing, advertising, public relations, brand design, and innovation for the multi-brand restaurant hospitality company based in Bellevue, Washington.
Check out the entire 30 Under 30 class here!
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xx – Shelby
Shelby Elmore 