Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Spence
Hi Ashley, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Ashley and I’m a wife, mom x3 and now Mark Your Mahjong Line Marker™ founder. I’m passionate about helping others enjoy learning and playing the game of Mahjong.
A couple years ago I saw a few people posting about Mahjong on Instagram and thought it looked like so much fun! I saw it as an opportunity to learn something new and have some fellowship with friends, so I set up our first group Mahjong lesson. It was immediately clear after the first several lessons that I was going to be HOOKED. The game tiles were beautiful (Thanks to The Mahjong Line), the game itself was challenging but fun and most importantly it brought together a sense of community with fellow moms. One aspect of the game that continued to be a big challenge for me each time I played was keeping track of which line I was playing. I would look up to grab a tile, chat with friends, bird bam cheers (IYKYK) and next thing I knew I had lost track of my line. I knew there had to be some way to keep track of the line you were playing but also be cute….because when you have pretty accessories you play better, right?
I initially hand painted the Line Markers™ just for my Mahjong group. I posted a photo to my Instagram page and people really resonated with them and so I started making them for more players! Once I couldn’t keep up with hand-painting, I leaned back on my graphic design skills and worked with a manufacturer to create my first collection of Line Markers™ and developed the official brand Mark Your Mahjong™! The Line Marker™ for the Mahjong Card was officially born.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s been a really fun and exciting experience so far. Learning how to run a small business has certainly had a big learning curve, but with my background in social media marketing, I have been able to use some skill sets to my own advantage. In the past year I have learned that things move quickly and you must choose to stay focused on what drives your business forward, helps those in your inner circle and makes a genuine impact. Those are the things that truly matter and keep me enjoying what I do!
One of the biggest sources of motivation is receiving messages from Mahjong players who are just learning the game. They tell me their Line Marker™ has been a great tool in not only getting their first Mahjong, but also feeling confident in playing different lines. And that’s what it’s all about!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Mark Your Mahjong has 10 different Line Marker™ designs offered on the website. Each design was created by me over the past year as I have played Mahjong with friends and fellow players. Our Line Markers are meant to help you keep track of your line on the card as you play Mahjong. So if you aren’t yet a Mahjong player, what are you waiting for? We have a great resource on the website now that rounds up a lot of wonderful Instructors from all across the United States who teach beginners, host events, host leagues and can show you the ropes of all things Dot, Crak, Bam!
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I don’t really show my face or talk too much about myself personally on the Mark Your Mahjong site, so most on there may not realize I have three little boys all under the age of 5. So I am a full-time Mom and part-time Entrepreneur is what I like to say. I would also guess most who follow the brand may not realize I started off by hand-painting these Line Markers™! Pretty wild to see the progress that’s been made so far. I am excited to see what’s next. Please be sure to check out all our Mark Your Mahjong Line Markers over on www.markyourmahjong.com
Pricing:
- 1 Line Marker™ is $30
- 2 Pack of Line Markers™ is $50
- 4 Pack of Line Markers™ is $85
Contact Info:
- Website: https://markyourmahjong.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markyourmahjong/
Image Credits
Ashley Spence
