Ashley Parker RecyclingMeet Ashley Parker

Ashley Parker never guessed part-time bar tending to put herself through college would inspire her career. She attended Sofia University and majored in marketing and design. While her passion lay in graphics and branding, she couldn’t ignore the enormous amount of discarded bottles as she closed the bar at night. “There were no real answers for taking care of waste at that time in the city of Atlanta,” she says. “That’s what piqued my interest in recycling programs.”

Energized by her new direction, Parker channeled her marketing expertise to begin developing recycling programs.

Taking on such a large project was challenging. She had a lot of blanks to fill in terms of creating and launching her own recycling business. “I needed on-going education,” she says. “I needed foundational support.” She turned to the GoodBIZ!@Goodwill program for micro-entrepreneurs in search of support and answers.

“The Goodwill program allowed me to pinpoint gaps in my business plan,” Parker says. “It helped me with managing my finances and even provided a refresher course on marketing.” Upon completing the program Parker made a few small but impactful changes to her business model. She learned where to focus her energy and when to call on others for support. Today her business is flourishing and expanding. All she needed for her success was a little goodwill.