Although Ashley knew he didn't want to work a traditional corporate job, he didn't necessarily have his sights set on the creative industry or modelling as his future career. "I was not really looking to be a model. I would joke about it in high school, and at 19, I was asked to take photos for a new photographer's portfolio," he explained to Jejune Magazine. "After that shoot [the photographer] never returned my calls or emails, and I never saw the photos."
After graduating with a degree in Psychology at Fairfield University in Connecticut, Ashley took a job as a social worker at an LGBTQ centre. "I saw everyone living their authentic lives, being able to go to work and make a living. I was like, 'Wow, I can do this.'"