We had the good fortune of connecting with Ashli Montgomery and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashli, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
“It is not our abilities that show what we truly are; it is our choices.” – Professor Dumbledore, Year 2 I believe we all have natural tendencies; we are all “wired” a certain way. For me, I tend to be a “big idea” thinker, a visionary, and a results-over-relationships bulldozer. I’m a good leader, not afraid to stand up and take the reigns to make things happen. At the same time, I’m not a great people person, not good at remembering to be a good friend. My innate personality has strengths and not-so-strong characteristics. And that’s okay! I love that I can know those facts about myself, embrace my abilities, but still choose to override my weaknesses. I make conscience decisions to respond rather than react, slow down rather than steamroll through, and make sure others feel important and valued rather than assume that they know how I feel, there’s no reason to say it out loud. Dumbledore is absolutely correct: I get to choose who and what I truly am.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My quilting journey has three distinctive paths: speaking, designing, and creating. I travel across the country to visit quilt guilds and present a program for their meetings. My presentation is quite unique in that wound throughout my story is an educational element that explains the basics of Alzheimer’s disease and how the quilting community can be an advocate for a world without ALZ. I was just beginning this phase of my business when COVID-19 and quarantining hit our country, and I am eager and excited for the opportunity to continue later this fall and into 2021. While sheltering at home, I have spent a lot more time designing quilts. For years I have put my own layouts together, tweaked and changed designs, and simply sewn “on the fly” to build a quilt. Now I am putting those ideas on paper, writing up the instructions, and publishing my work. I’m honestly a bit surprised at how rewarding the design process has proven to be for me, and I look forward to finalizing more designs to help build our Quilt 2 End ALZ following. We’ve all heard that “the cobbler’s children have no shoes” and after a year of establishing my nonprofit quilt business, I realized that I was turning into the cobbler. I was spending so much time on the company that I was not leaving time for what inspired the company in the first place: my quilting. Now, I utilize a realistic time-blocking schedule to create my “ideal day” so that I don’t neglect my art while still running an organization. I keep several sewing projects going at once, each one with a beautiful and unique story to tell through pattern, colors, and fabrics that I put together. Seeing them finished is a gift that I treasure and vow not to forget again!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Tulsa, Oklahoma is a fun place to visit! We have the amenities of a big city but the feel of a small town. It has a great music scene – I would definitely try to hit a concert at Cain’s Ballroom or the Tulsa Theater! I’ve had the opportunity to see a few musicians perform at them both, and the experience is intimate and engaging. The acoustics are natural, and the crowds are hopping! Tulsa is also an incredible food town. We would be sure to stop by Brookside By Day for a Country Benny breakfast, hit the brunch buffet at the Oaks Country Club, and grab a Cinnamon-Pecan Roll at Savoy. For scrumptious lunches we’d run by Tally’s for a retro 50’s feel, The Knotty Pig for burgers and BBQ, Queens for soups and salads, and Dilly Diner for unique fare and unbelievable pies. I love to dress for dinner, so we’d make reservations at The Bull in the Alley (a modern-day speakeasy), The French Hen, and Juniper to head downtown for exquisitely fine dining. While downtown, we’d be sure to visit the Greenwood Cultural Center which educates and honors African-American heritage and the Woody Guthrie Center which celebrates the artist’s “message of diversity, equality and social justice.” Other museums that would be great to see are the Gilcrease which houses “one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of American Indian and Western art, showcases Oklahoma’s one-of-a-kind American Indian history,” the Philbrook Museum of Art and its phenomenal gardens, and the Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art which works “to preserve and share the legacy of Jewish art, history and culture.” After mornings of indoor attractions and cultural growth, we’d need to stretch our legs at Gathering Place, a one-of-a-kind, riverfront park that one has to see to believe, hike Turkey Mountain, take pictures at the Botanical Gardens, and say hello to the vast collection of animals at the Tulsa Zoo! To finish our week right, we head to The University of Tulsa to cheer on the Golden Hurricane Football Team on Skelly Field in historic H.A. Chapman Stadium, home to Tulsa Football since 1930 and the perfect size stadium to feel close and connected to college football. They play fast and physical, and it’s a ton of fun to watch!! By the end of the visit, we’d be full, fatigued, and feeling fairly fabulous!!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My family deserves my loudest shoutout. As a child, my mom and dad always gave me the impression that I am intelligent and capable. I think since they approached me that way, I believed it, too. And if my parents thought I was smart, my grandmothers made me feel downright brilliant! My Momadele, Grandma Syble, and Mema all three had a gift for listening as though my words and ideas were positively profound; their conviction lives in me still. As an adult, I somehow managed to marry the most supportive, patient, and kind man on Earth. Regardless of how “out there” my pipe dreams sound, Philip – lovingly called Coach by all – is the best sounding board! He has a knack for hearing my goals and intentions underneath my lofty plans. And he never says “no” or “that might not be wise” or “I don’t think that’ll work.” He is my encourager, and without him, I’d never move beyond dreamer to doer. As my husband is my champion, our daughter, Maci, is my staunchest supporter. She reads every word I produce, she follows – and even gets notifications about – every blog I write, every Instagram I post, and every Twitter I tweet. Without hesitation, Maci is always on my side (And don’t we all need someone like that to keep us certain and sane!). Best of all, when we both know I’m wrong – or IN the wrong – she helps me find grace and forgiveness for myself. She is the person who makes me want to be a better person, to be a light to others, to be more. In addition to my family, I have quietly watched and been motivated by several successful women in my world. Shannon Wilburn, Founder and CEO of Just Between Friends, is my example of how one does all things as service and work for the Lord’s kingdom; she’s open and honest, faithful and kind, in all that she does. Priscilla Shirer, author and minister with Going Beyond Ministries, is my example of how we can use our gifts to serve and be a light to others; when she speaks, I am riveted and moved and overwhelmed which all make for a better ME. Val McKenzie, owner and artist of Ruby & Lucy Frames, is my example of how to run beautiful craft-based business that is unique, original, and of the highest-quality while remaining well-balanced with what is most important: faith, family, and friends. Brenda Stephens, mom and community servant, is my example of how one person, even amidst their own sorrows and strifes, can impact a community; our children went to the same school district years ago – she won’t even remember me, but she made an impact on me that I’ll never forget. Annie Hanson, fellow coach’s wife and Assistant Athletic Director at the University of Oklahoma, is my example that spirit, spunk, and smarts can change the world when we are willing to think big, get creative, and find ways to turn good into better into best. And speaking of thinking big, my dear friend Tricia Milford-Hoyt, Senior Director for Major League Fishing, is my example that there is no ceiling to the outreach, connectivity, and engagement that one can have in the world; no matter my hair-brained idea, she sees validity and value in it, and then she talks through a million and one ways my little idea can be huge. Obviously, I am blessed!

Website: www.MeAndCoach.com
Instagram: @meandcoach
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashli.l.montgomery
Other: My business website: www.quilt2endalz.org