A Q&A with Fulbright College Alumna Ashley Robinson

Robinson traveling in England in spring 2017. Photo by John Robinson.

Ashley Robinson
Founder and Lead Storyteller at Interrobang and 2016 Graduate of the Ph.D. in English Program

In this conversation, Robinson talks about why she decided to pursue a career as an entrepreneur, how her skills from graduate school come in handy, what the biggest challenges of running her own business have been, and how she still manages to nurture her love of literature. 

You graduated with your Ph.D. in English in 2016 after defending your dissertation, titled “Cowboys and Victorians: The American West in English Victorian Literature.”  

Since then, you’ve started your own brand storytelling company, Interrobang. What gave you the idea, and courage, to pursue this less traditional professional path for a literary scholar?

I started researching both the academic and traditional job markets. It became apparent that the professoriate wasn’t the only—or even the best—way for me to reach my goals.

So I ended up at a split decision: I was far enough along in the Ph.D. program that finishing my degree made sense, but I wasn’t interested in fighting for a tenure-track position. I needed to figure out how I could write a great dissertation, graduate and simultaneously build a professional portfolio.

I came from a background in communications and freelanced while teaching, so I had a decent sense of how my skills translated into the mainstream marketplace.

Moving into the private sector is as valid, challenging and rewarding a career path as the professoriate. But you have to commit to your decision.

Robinson graduating from the U of A in May 2016. Photo courtesy of the U of A.

What would you say are the two most important skills developed in graduate school that you’ve applied to your process of setting up and running your own business?

I’d say the two most critical skills I picked up were writing flexibility and critical thinking. 

Let’s start with writing. The ability to write quickly, accurately and clearly in different voices and styles is hugely marketable. Companies usually have multiple communication channels, all of which require different tones and strategies.

My clients don’t have to worry about whether I can handle such a diverse workload—my degree pretty much guarantees that I can tackle whatever they throw at me. And when you can do lots of things well, it makes you a more valuable hire!

The same holds true for critical thinking skills. Whether it’s streamlining internal procedures or selling a specific brand of diapers to parents, business propositions hinge on identifying problems and figuring out creative, executable ways to solve them.

Not only that, you have to articulate that solution to clients to sell them on the idea. And guess what? That’s what English majors are trained to do! 

In terms of my work, my ability to “read” a problem multiple ways, draft potential solutions, then build a body of research around them has been invaluable. That’s exactly what my company Interrobang does for our clients. As a storytelling company, Interrobang writes stories that transform our clients’ content—and their businesses.

What technology skills would you recommend students try to master before going on the job market?

Businesses today expect you to have a high level of technological competency. This is especially true if you want to get into any sort of business writing.

At minimum, students should be familiar with every major social media platform, how to post to it, and what good posts look like.

If you haven’t messed around with collaborative writing software like GoogleDocs, get on that, too. I also think knowing your way around WordPress can be extremely helpful, especially if you’re interested in blog writing.

What has been your biggest challenge as a small business owner?

I didn’t have much business experience before I started Interrobang, so every day has been a learning experience.

I’d say the biggest challenge has been adjusting to the idea that there’s no playbook for starting a successful business. It’s such a big change from graduate school, where you’re given a specific course of study. But starting Interrobang didn’t come with that sort of road map. (It does come with a stack of tax documents, though!)

Ultimately, it’s up to me to figure out how to run my business, land clients, and build a revenue stream. That can be a huge challenge sometimes, especially when there are multiple solutions to a problem and I have to pick one path forward.

Photo by John Robinson.

What’s been the biggest perk?

I’ve found there are two huge perks to owning my own business.

First, it’s as intellectually challenging as anything I tackled in grad school. I knew I’d need a career that was rigorous and, well, not boring. Boy, did I find one!

I do something new and interesting every single day. I’m not just a scriptwriter or a proofreader; I can take on any project that aligns with Interrobang’s brand and run with it.

Second, Interrobang gives me the chance to create my dream job. Interrobang lets me combine my passion for storytelling, communication, education and leadership into a role that makes it fun to get out of bed in the morning. 

My ultimate goal is to grow Interrobang into a progressive creative company that provides viable career paths for post-graduates facing the same challenges I faced. I’d like to support a diverse workforce with generous wages, flexible scheduling, inclusive policies, and meaningful work.

In other words, I’ve got big plans! I’ll be the first to admit that owning a small business isn’t for everyone, but much to my own surprise, it’s been a great fit for me.

You’ve continued to write scholarly articles and keep your hand in teaching by offering courses through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI)–a course on Dracula last year and another course on Robert Louis Stevenson this past October. Why have you continued to engage in these activities on the side?

When I first started thinking about leaving the academy, I spent a lot of time thinking about what I’d miss. I loved teaching. My husband suggested that I just take the things I loved with me. 

So now I teach OLLI classes twice a year to get my classroom fix. Basically, it’s all the fun parts of my old job without the stress of grading or getting published. And you never know…maybe one of those things could lead to a new business opportunity down the line!

A version of this article also appeared in The Wild Blue Yonder English M.A./Ph.D. Alumni Profile Blog.