Simpson University Business Graduate Runs Thriving Etsy Business

For Immediate Release

04.30.2015

REDDING, Calif. - Recent Simpson University graduate Ashley Shamp started her own online business when she was only 20 years old. She sells customized, handmade organization boards through her Esty shop, After the Leaves Fall.

“I love creating and crafting,” she said. “Never could I have dreamed that I could make a living doing that.”

Since her shop’s creation in January 2012, Shamp has sold almost 2,000 boards, which can be used to organize items such as keys, notes, and jewelry.

“I manage the shop, handle all customer service emails, created all the graphics; I handle all the ordering and creating. Literally every aspect of this business is my life,” she said.

A year after she started her business, Shamp, a Modesto, Calif., resident, transferred to Simpson from Modesto Junior College as a communication major and business minor.

“I had friends here and had visited a couple times and really enjoyed being on campus,” she said.

Shamp continued taking communication classes at Simpson but soon realized she wanted to double-major in business.

“I really enjoyed my business classes, and I was really good at them,” she said. “Plus, my business had taken off so the knowledge was really applicable to my daily life.”

One of Shamp’s favorite business classes was Business Law.

“It was the first class that really interested me and sparked a passion for business in me,” she said.

Shamp also enjoyed working with and learning from Simpson’s business professors.

“They were always helpful and willing to work with me when it came to projects,” she said. “A lot of times when I had assignments I would be able to talk with my professors and turn it into a project that was applicable to my business and that was actually beneficial. I’d be working on school work but I would be also creating a business plan that was real.”

Balancing her business and being a college student was not easy, especially during the holidays.

“It takes a lot of time, and there's a lot that goes into it,” she said. “One of the hardest things I've ever done is running this business as a college student.”

Now that she has graduated from Simpson, Shamp said she would like to own more startups and possibly go into consulting.

“I really love making my own schedule,” she said. “It can be incredibly stressful at times, but it’s rewarding when you've built something from scratch on your own.”

-By Elise Wilson

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Simpson University, established in 1921, is a Christian university offering undergraduate, graduate, and teaching credential programs. The university celebrated its 25th year in Redding and the completion of a Science and Nursing Center in 2014. Academic programs include ASPIRE, a degree-completion program geared toward working adults with both on-campus and online course offerings, including degrees in psychology and organizational leadership. For information about the university, or to arrange a campus visit, call 1-888-9-SIMPSON or visit simpsonu.edu.

 

Contact: SU Public Relations
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(530) 226-4737