How the Marketing World Keeps Spinning With Ashleigh Gardner

The marketing industry is hectic. Meetings are constantly booked. Project deadlines must be met. Creative work has to be done — and done well. It would be sheer chaos if there weren’t people dedicated to organizing it all and ensuring our team is on the right track. 

Project managers truly keep the Brafton bus from going off the road. Plus, they ensure our team uses the same roadmap and moves in the best direction. As a Senior Project Manager, Ashleigh Gardner is one of the key success drivers for our clients, always staying one step ahead of project demands and managing expectations for external and internal teams. 

In her own words, she fell into project management at the perfect time, finding her calling without knowing exactly what she was looking for. Here’s what you need to know about Ashleigh’s story and what makes her excel in this position. 

Turn Left: From Psychology to Agency Work

If you’ve ever chatted with Ashleigh or worked on a project with her, you’ve probably noticed how adept she is at reading situations and paying attention to small details in conversation. While this is simply part of the way she works, she also completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology and Communications in West Virginia, giving her a bit of insight into how people function. 

“While I’m not taking theory and putting it into practice, my study in psychology does come out in how I operate internally and interact with others,” she said. “Subconsciously, it’s something that has influenced how I measure work and respond to things.”

She found studying fascinating, but knew she didn’t want to pursue it as a career. Instead, she moved back home to Jamaica and joined a production house focused on TV advertising. After some time, Ashleigh took the opportunity to become an Operations Manager at a startup creative agency, securing her foot in the marketing door.

“Being part of building that agency from the ground up was a pivotal experience,” she said. “It helped me realize how much I enjoy working with creative teams to bring ideas to life and shape how audiences engage with content.”

This experience cemented her path in marketing and project/process management. She’d found what she truly excels at and what she enjoys doing.

“I don’t consider myself a creative, but I do love working with creatives,” she said. “I love seeing what they can do and how they bring a vision to life. And I love to create frameworks and systems that support the work and improve communication.” 

She later was an Account Manager at one of the Caribbean’s largest advertising agencies where she had a hybrid role that combined both account and project management responsibilities, further filling her rolodex with skills necessary to be a powerhouse for clients and internal teams alike. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the world began to shift, as did her desire to explore opportunities outside of Jamaica. Living on a smaller island, she wanted to expand beyond local constraints and tap into more global opportunities. That search steered her toward remote opportunities, where she could collaborate with international teams, work across diverse brands and industries and continue growing both professionally and creatively. 

Falling Into Project Management

As luck would have it, Ashleigh came across Brafton on LinkedIn while exploring remote work — and in just the nick of time. She was hired in May of 2022 as a Project Manager, and then was promoted to Senior Project Manager a year later. 

“I was even considering relocating, but finding Brafton allowed me to stay in Jamaica while still gaining global exposure and collaborating with teams and clients around the world,” she said. 

While Ashleigh is cool, calm and collected during every interaction with clients and internal teams, she shared that she initially felt nervous stepping into an internationally focused role. Having previously worked exclusively with Caribbean-based clients, she knew she would need to navigate the nuances that come with different cultures, experiences and perspectives. But she embraced it with a clear sense of purpose. 

“It’s always been about creating space for other people to enter this field,” she said. “If I can help someone else get to the positions I’m in or bring the other person along, since I know how hard it is to enter certain spaces and rooms, it’s extremely important to me. I won’t give anyone a free ride, but I do think it’s crucial to help people see the opportunities available to them.”

Her passion for a marketing industry that reflects a wide range of voices, perspectives and ideas is evident in how she supports her coworkers, answers questions and approaches every situation. 

To complement her project management role, she completed a Master’s in Business Administration with a focus in Advertising. Her decision to go back to school was driven by her desire to gain more of a solid theoretical foundation in the field and deepen her strategic and business understanding of marketing work. 

She works on one of Brafton’s largest clients, helping them manage a massive amount of projects spread over multiple companies and growing their relationship. “Through strong delivery and collaboration, we’ve not only retained the business but expanded it, including additional work across associated brands,” she added. 

Because Ashleigh loves to problem solve and never backs down, even when things get tricky, Brafton has been a place for her to grow. 

“I’ve been constantly challenged in a way that encourages growth, and I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside a talented and supportive team.” 

A Day in the Life of Brafton’s Organization Connoisseur

One thing to note about marketing is that no two days are ever the same, which Ashleigh believes keeps things “dynamic and engaging, even on the more demanding days.” Wondering what a Senior Project Manager’s work looks like? For our leading lady, it’s a lot more behind-the-scenes tasks than you’d think. 

She ends each evening by going over the calendar for the next day and pre-planning what she’s expecting to work on and what people might need from her. During this time, she color-codes her internal notes and trackers and marks her calendar with helpful details to map out her day. This gives her a good framework and ensures she can log in in the morning and jump into the tasks ahead of her. 

During her day, she does administrative tasks such as note-taking during meetings and sending out dozens of emails to communicate with her team and clients. You’ll also find her mapping out project work and timelines, ensuring everyone has what they need to get the work done well, within scope and before the deadline. 

Lastly, she’s generally the final checkpoint for all creative assets, looking over all work to ensure quality control and adherence to expectations. Then, she ensures that work is put into the client’s hands. 

Ultimately, Ashleigh has learned to take each day as it comes, striving to be the best version of herself, no matter what. “Not every day is a 100% day, and I’ve learned to be okay with that,” she said. “Some days, you give 50%, and that’s enough — because it allows you to come back stronger the next day.”

Leaning on Strategic Relationship Building: Ashleigh’s Tips for Project Management Success

Success in project management doesn’t just come down to timelines and deliverables (while those are important); it’s about people. Ashleigh credits her effectiveness to her ability to build strong relationships, both internally and externally, and to adapt her approach depending on who she’s working with. 

Here are her tips for success:

• Know how different creatives work: No two creatives are the same, and it’s helpful to know how different people operate and produce the best work so you can get the best results. “You have to create parameters, but also give people the space to work in the way that works best for them,” she explained. Whether someone’s a night owl or thrives on structure, tailoring your approach helps ensure deadlines are met without sacrificing quality.
• Come prepared and build trust: For Ashleigh, preparation is everything. Showing up to meetings with context, solutions and a clear understanding of project goals helps establish trust with clients and teammates. 
• Don’t just flag problems, bring solutions: Challenges are inevitable in marketing, but she emphasizes the importance of being proactive. Instead of simply identifying issues, she always aims to present a potential solution. This keeps projects moving forward and reinforces confidence among stakeholders. 
• Adapt, don’t apply a one-size-fits-all approach: While understanding the fundamentals is essential, flexibility is what sets great project managers apart. Each client and team requires a slightly different approach, and being able to pivot is key to long-term success

Unwinding After Hours

When she logs off for the day and puts project management to rest, Ashleigh makes time to recharge. She loves to travel and is often either planning her next trip or enjoying one. In between adventures, she’ll scroll through Instagram or settle in for a binge-worthy show, whether it’s something new or a familiar favorite.

By combining structure with flexibility and creating intentional working relationships, she embodies what it means to be a modern project manager: adaptable, thoughtful and deeply committed to both people and process. 

And while the marketing world never really slows down, it’s people like Ashleigh that make sure it never spins out of control.