Name: Ashley Miller
Age: 30
Title/Company or main life pursuit: Owner, Miller and Sons Plumbing, Inc.
What is your word and why did you choose it? The word I selected was “luminary”. I chose “luminary” because its definition resembles the person I want to be. I enjoy being able to inspire and influence others. I love sharing the knowledge and experience I have with others and helping them grow into something more, whether it be my children learning something new, my husband and I growing our business, other business owners reaching out to us to learn how we do things, members of boards I am a part of that are looking to grow or move in a certain direction, or my family that just reaches out to me for help with their everyday things. I tend to be leaned on a lot and, although some days it is a lot, I look at it as, they are coming to me as their light, their help when they need it, their inspiration or their influence in making their decisions. If I can be a light in someone’s life, I can count myself as privileged and truly blessed.
What aspirations do you have for yourself in the next 40 years? Over these next 40 years I cannot even imagine the places we will be. My husband started our business to allow us more time to “live,” which as business owners we know rarely happens. You spend most of your time working in your business which gives you less time to really live your life and our hope for the next 40 years is to really not have to do that. We want to be successful with our business as it is our job, but we want to be able to enjoy our children, our backyard, one another, and just be able to enjoy the little things. We want to be able to spend more time giving back through the organizations we work with and being in the community more and allowing our business to be an outlet to help those around us.
Favorite way to give back to the community? I spend a lot of time volunteering. I try to always be aware of my surroundings and see that person that may just be having a hard time and needs a warm meal or maybe someone that needs a connection with someone I know that can help them. We have done lunch giveaways at the Salvation Army, volunteering on the board for the Veteran’s Park and donating time for Christmas tree sales for ARC. More recently we’re trying to be involved with Ignite, which one my mentors had introduced me to. Some days there are so many different things that can and need to be done and it makes it hard because you feel like you have not done enough, but we try to do what we can and when we can we bring our entire family so we are spending the time together and our children are also seeing and understanding how the world is working around them.
What do you love and/or hate about the Ocala area? The list can go on, but there is not one thing that I hate. I am from New Hampshire born and raised, and coming to Florida is a major difference in climate and, of course, your season. I have to say Ocala is by far the closest thing to New Hampshire that I have seen. We have the trees, the springs, the rivers, and it is very country and I love it. It feels like such a small town, yet a city with a number of things to do. We love the historic district which really gives it that hometown feeling! I could not be happier here. Plus, I met my husband when we both moved here so it was fate! That is my number one thing I love about Ocala!
A few albums and movies you’d bring to a deserted island?
If I had to only select three albums, it would be the following:
REO Speedwagon – Hi Infidelity
Duffy – Rockferry
Lauren Daigle – Look Up Child
If I had to only select three movies, it would be the following:
“Labyrinth”
“Pitch Perfect”
“Grease”
You never leave home without:
My rhinestone-outlined name tags that my bestie Diane from Ocala Promotions made me. They are a great ice-breaker and always get me an introduction when I have it on.
If you could tell your 16-year-old self one thing:
Be patient. Your life will one day blossom and you will be the person you were always meant to be and you will be blessed to have a different life that is so much better.
Anything else you’re super passionate about that you’d like to tout:
I have so many things that I am involved in and I would love to say that I am passionate about one over the other, but the truth is, I love helping. I love to help my husband succeed, I love to teach my beautiful three boys, I love to help the organizations I am in give back to the community, I love to help my friends grow in their career or business. I am just really passionate about being able to share the things in my head with other people and really see them benefit from it.
