Safety and Security Accessible to All

Introduction and My Cause

Hi, my name is Ashley, and I am the owner of Ask Ashley, LLC and creator of the brand Mission Safety 360+™. Mission Safety 360+'s goal is to: Empower individuals to alleviate fear by making safety and security accessible to all. In addition to taking the plunge of starting my professional consulting firm, I am laser-focused on this mission. It's my "Big Why." I struggle with asking for help to springboard this effort for many reasons, mostly pride. But, this is bigger than me...so...I decided to become my own client and advised myself to be brave and ask for help.

In addition to a traditional career, I have trained and provided safety and security products and services since 2016. During lectures and training sessions, I usually talk about the reality of how important it is to BE safe and that the false sense of FEELING safe is not enough. Think for a moment how different our world would be if we trusted we were, in fact, safe and secure.

I challenge you to pick a moment in time when violence was initiated. Try convincing yourself that the person having caused irreparable damage felt safe and secure. I am convinced people feeling safe and secure do not and will not cause harm to themselves or others. While I cannot save the world, I can help save corners of it–we all can. Perhaps our corners will overlap someday. Granted, this is a bit kumbaya....but it sure beats the alternative of giving up. We all have a choice, and I choose to leave this world better than when I entered it. Will you help me?

Please know these funds are being entrusted to someone well-educated and experienced in business management and negotiation. They will also be used by someone who likes to sleep at night, meaning...I am completely transparent and honest to a fault, and I'm not sure how to be any other way.

The goal is $25,000 and will be divided among the categories of providing discounted (and free) self-defense products and services, grassroots marketing campaigns, continued education, business expenses, and in full transparency, money to supplement my income while involved in non-money-making activities. Ideally, these efforts will result in a non-profit being formed.

Thank you for your time in reading this so far. If you would like to learn more, please visit www.AskAshley.life. I am still building this site and improving it daily, but you will find information regarding my consulting business and Mission Safety 360+. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly with any questions you have.

Stay curious and kind,

Ashley Lawson, BBA, CAPM, MCNE

Chief Problem Solver

Ask Ashley, LLC

Mission Safety 360+

9805 Sandy Rock Place, Suite C515

Charlotte, NC 28277-7718

How Funds Raised Will Be Spent and Who Will Benefit

I have no idea what to expect from this plea for help and have tried to include as many details as possible. I have included percentages used in case the goal is not met and caps in case this fundraiser goes beyond a dream come true.

Self-defense products and services - $5,000 (or 25% of funds raised, no cap)

Used to purchase safety and security products. The advantage of buying from me is that I have researched these products and promised to only sell what I would buy and use myself.

I am currently negotiating contracts to purchase generic products and will resell them at cost + 25% markup + $2 handling fee (plan is to eliminate this fee as soon as possible) + shipping.

A tourniquet can cost between $10 and $35 (plus shipping and taxes) if ordered online or purchased in a store. Safety 360+ can sell this same (unbranded) tourniquet for approximately $4.50 (plus shipping and taxes). In my experience, many people don't buy the right products because they aren't affordable and lack the knowledge of what works best for them. A tourniquet is one example of the scores of products I would like to offer. Not just for personal use but for the severely underpaid teachers, security and law enforcement in our country.

Grassroots Marketing Campaign - $3000 (or 9% of funds raised, no cap)

Grassroots marketing is a way of making every dollar multiply and involves networking with the community and creating win-win situations. These funds will be used to promote the importance of safety and security while providing free products and training at steep discounts, and in most cases free, to the participant(s). The money raised will cover expenses like products, travel, and additional trainers and pay me a fair/reasonable amount to provide services. In addition to regular training and services, I will be launching what I hope to be a viral tourniquet campaign via social media.

Continued Education - $5000 (or 25% of funds raised, capped at $5000 for 2022)

Used to pay for the cost of, and expenses related to, continuing education and certifications related to topics such as: active shooter, human-trafficking, self-defense etc. Although I already possess a large bank of experience and knowledge, continued education is incredibly important. I have a wonderful gift (and curse). People listen to what I have to say. Because of this, I make sure that what I say is the truth. Fair/reasonable amount to supplement my income during non-money-making activities.

Operating Expenses - $6000 (or 24% of funds raised, capped at $10,000 for 2022)

This amount will cover roughly three to four months of operating expenses such as rent, utilities, software licensing, etc. Additional assistance after that time will not be needed. $1500 of this will also be used to pay down balances of credit cards used to dig into this project before acknowledging I need some help.

Personal Expenses - $6000 (or 24% of total funds raised, capped at $12,000 for 2022 )

I am most excellent at advocating for others and providing support and help to those in need. I'm not the best at doing this for myself, so...this is the most challenging part of this post...asking for help. Start-ups are incredibly expensive, even when using a lean-startup method. Until this point, I have not asked for help myself. I have used my money and only my money, but the reality of it is that I am incredibly low on funds. I have also spent an incredible amount of time working a paid job to get this kicked off. This amount will help pay down my personal credit cards used while working on this project and supplement my income while I'm invested in making this work.

About Me

I relocated to Charlotte, NC in May of 2017 after experiencing the lowest and weakest points of my life. I was assaulted in my home by my husband, a police officer, in November of 2016. We lost five police officers in our city and suburbs that year and his drinking had become out of control. I happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and his hand ended up around my throat. I vowed to NEVER be that weak again. Ironically, I was already training real estate agents in safety and security, and later pre-licensing classes.

I have made a ton of progress compared to when I relocated to Charlotte, NC in 2017. And because of this progress, I have been able to make a ton of headway personally and professionally. I have learned how to protect myself and others. :) With your help, I can continue this progress, but in an exponential way and perhaps reach my full potential and the reason I am in this universe.

I have spent my whole life collecting golden nuggets of knowledge and life experiences–good and bad. Throughout my life, I have been insatiably curious and learned how to ask the right questions. When a topic appealed to me, I would learn all I could about it, master it, and then teach it. Eventually I get bored, but I am always learning something new and teaching myself when I can't find answers elsewhere. I have tried following the rigid path of going to college and living in the corporate world environment, but this isn't where I shine. Where I shine most is when I'm presented with a problem, have the opportunity to analyze the situation and then create or deliver the solution.

The one thing I have never become bored with is safety and security. It has remained a passion of mine for six years and I feel so incredibly fortunate to be brave enough to take this plunge.

Some of my experiences include:

-training safety and self-defense to real estate agents, college students, etc.;

-worked with domestic violence and sex-trafficking victims to provide self-defense training;

-trained executive protection and countering the threat of an active shooter to law enforcement;

-trained security guards/officers; consulted professional contract security companies;

-provided executive protection to those at high risk, including a presidential candidate, nationally syndicated pastor, and ATM technicians;

-provided armed security to high-risk areas such as patrolling Sugar Creek/Hidden Valley in Charlotte, NC;

-some rather mundane (but important) things like posting up at grocery stores to make sure everyone goes home the way they arrived.

Please visit www.AskAshley.life if you'd like to learn more about me, my company, or my mission.

Thank you!