Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Foote.
Hi Ashley, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always been a dreamer. Design found me everywhere I looked: in art, in fashion, in websites, even in music. I believe every piece tells a story, so let me tell you mine. It starts somewhere you might not expect: a server room.
My father served in the Navy for 23 years, so home was always changing, but San Diego is where my heart settled.
After school, I’d head to my grandparents’ company, Netpacq, which provided managed IT services, network infrastructure, and computer repair. I still remember stepping into those dark server rooms, surrounded by blinking lights and humming machines, all working together to bring someone’s vision to life. One day, my grandfather let me assist him with a client, and I moved quickly through their programs, catching and fixing errors. I could see how impressed he was. He saw potential in me that day, long before I did, and it was the first time I realized I had an eye for the small things others miss.
In high school, my graphic design teachers, Mr. Joel P. West and Ms. Heidi Frampton, saw that same spark. They challenged me and believed I was ready to make my mark. I even received an early job offer in design, one my parents still half-wish I’d taken. But I didn’t yet see what they saw.
So I went to college planning to become a doctor. Then I failed biology. At the time, it felt like my plans were falling apart, but it was really the moment they started coming together. I realized I deserved a path where I could thrive, not just survive, and I earned a degree in Graphic Design with a minor in Psychology. Looking back, nothing was wasted. Psychology taught me to hear what a client wants before they can put it into words. Netpacq gave me the comfort with technology to design for both print and the web. And growing up on the move taught me how to make something feel like home.
Everything came full circle this year, when I designed my cousin’s wedding invitations and website. It was my first multicultural invitation: red and gold, with the feel of a postcard from the city we love. I used my Cricut to cut delicate lanterns into the trifold shell, so that when guests opened it, the invitation shimmered with images of San Diego’s hotels and venues. My cousin told me guest after guest asked where she’d found them and how much she’d spent. That was the moment I stopped wondering whether I was a designer and knew that I was one.
Today, I create custom cards and stationery for life’s biggest moments, from birthdays to weddings, and I manage websites for two San Diego locals: Scott T. Barnes, author and publisher, and Bonita Florist. My style is clean and modern, but every project starts with the client and who they want to reach. By day, I manage operations for a biopharma testing company in Sorrento Valley, which keeps me organized and deadline-driven. My clients know they can hand me an idea and get back something finished, beautiful, and on time.
Looking ahead, I’d love to work with small businesses that believe professional design is out of reach. I know what it’s like not to see your own potential, and I’d love to help them see theirs. And to anyone who has failed at something they thought they were meant to do: that detour might be exactly what leads you home.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
A smooth road? What’s a smooth road? You need a few speed bumps to make the ride thrilling. Have you ever cruised down the 52 and hit those bumps in the freeway? That’s what makes it exciting.
My first bumps came early, though most people would never notice unless they caught me without my glasses when I’m really tired. I have a lazy left eye with very little vision and no peripheral vision on that side, which makes me an easy target for anyone who wants to sneak up on me. Before my eye surgery, I saw double, which made reading a daily struggle. After the surgery, I lost my depth perception, which makes 3-D movies a lot less enjoyable.
But to me, my vision isn’t a weakness. It’s a superpower. Because I’ve spent my whole life working harder to see, I’ve trained myself to catch the small details everyone else looks right past. It’s the same eye my grandfather noticed that day at Netpacq, and it’s exactly what makes me good at what I do.
The hardest bumps were the ones I couldn’t see coming. I went to college convinced I was going to be a doctor, and failing biology felt like failing at who I was supposed to be. It took time to accept that letting go of one dream wasn’t giving up; it was making room for the right one.
Even after earning my design degree, the biggest obstacle was me. For someone who has worked so hard to see, the hardest thing to see was my own potential. My teachers and family believed in me long before I believed in myself, and for years I treated design as something I did on the side instead of what I was meant to do.
Today the challenge is more practical. Building a design business while working full time means late nights, weekends at my Cricut, and learning to protect my creative energy after a long day at the office. But every invitation that makes someone gasp reminds me why I keep going. The road hasn’t been smooth, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a graphic designer who specializes in custom cards, invitations, and stationery, along with website design and management for small businesses. If it has a story to tell, I want to design it, whether that’s a birthday card for one person or a full wedding suite with a matching website.
What I’ve become known for is invitations that feel like an experience rather than a piece of paper. With my Cricut, I cut layered pieces, textures, and shapes that turn an envelope into something people want to keep. My cousin’s red and gold wedding invitations, with their hand-cut lanterns, are the perfect example. Guests were still talking about them long after the wedding.
On the web side, I manage the sites for two San Diego locals: Scott T. Barnes, author and publisher, and Bonita Florist. I love taking a client from print to screen and keeping everything feeling like one cohesive brand.
What I’m most proud of is that people trust me with the moments that matter most to them. A wedding invitation is the first impression of one of the biggest days of someone’s life. A small business website might be the first thing a customer ever sees. Being the person they hand that to, and then seeing their reaction to the finished piece, is the best part of what I do.
What sets me apart is the combination I bring to the table. My psychology background means I listen for what a client really wants, even when they can’t quite describe it. Growing up around my grandparents’ IT company means I’m just as comfortable building a website as designing a card. My eye, quite literally, catches the small details others miss. And my day job managing operations keeps me organized, deadline-driven, and easy to work with. Clients get someone who is both creative and reliable, and that’s a rarer combination than it should be.
How do you think about luck?
Luck has played an amazing role in my life, starting with the fact that I’m here at all. I wasn’t expected to survive my first day, so every day since has felt like a gift. But I’ve learned that luck and determination go hand in hand. Luck opens the door, and you still have to walk through it.
Some of my greatest luck has been having two wonderful parents who have supported my dreams every step of the way. Through every Navy move, every change of plans, and every detour from pre-med to design, they’ve been in my corner. They saw my potential early (they still half-wish I’d taken that first design job offer!), and they kept believing in me even before I believed in myself. Not everyone gets that kind of support, and I never take it for granted.
My luck also showed up in a strange way. The running joke with my mother is that I was banned from entering any more contests after I won 13 of them in a single year. The big one was front-row pit tickets, a sound check, and lunch for me and ten of my closest friends at the Jonas Brothers’ Burning Up Tour. But the one I think about most was a CVS contest for razors, of all things. I won the grand prize: a year’s supply of razors and a signed copy of Taylor Swift’s first album. I still remember coming home from a rough day at school to find that box waiting for me. Of course, you can’t win 13 contests without entering a lot more than 13. Even then, I was learning that you have to put yourself out there for luck to find you.
For me, luck shows up exactly when you need it, and that’s the role it has played in my design work. Designing my cousin’s invitations felt like one of those moments. I said yes without knowing how much people would love them. It was like sitting at a red light for years, so focused on the road ahead that I didn’t notice it had turned green, until suddenly I looked up and realized I was finally moving. Luck is the magic in this world that sparkles just when you need it. You just have to be ready to say yes.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ashleyefoote.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleyefoote
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyefoote/
- Other: https://www.weddingunderthestars.com
