by Mary Wilson
With graduation now behind them, members of the class of
2018 are likely preparing to head off to college. Things like dorm room
bedspreads, microwavable meals and PC versus Apple have taken priority as they
set out to begin adulthood. However, one young graduate has her sights on
things a little out of the ordinary for someone her age.
Kansas City native Arielle Nash, who spent the last four
years at an elite private school, is ditching status quo and paving her way
straight into entrepreneurship rather than heading off to a university for the
next two, four or more years.
“My mom went to law school, and she has massive amounts of
student loans that she is still paying,” said Nash. “I’ve always been sort of
an outlier. Growing up the way I did, being exposed to different things, I
always had this entrepreneurial spirit thanks to my dad. I’ve always wanted to
do my own thing, be my own boss.”
Nash’s father, former Kansas City Councilman-turned real
estate developer and economic development consultant Troy Nash, has been a major influence in his daughter’s life and
ambition, exposing her to city government and the world of corporations at a
young age.
She has heard a lot of skepticism about her decision to
forgo college, but she is determined to be taken seriously in the corporate
world. One of the factors in Nash’s decision was the debt associated with a
traditional four-year degree.
“I went to Pembroke Hill, and it is assumed that everybody
goes to college right after graduation,” said Nash. “It’s a well-established
feeder school for the Ivy Leagues. But, doing my research and knowing the
things that my parents went through, I found there is nearly $1 trillion of
student debt in my generation. I would be a part of that, and I didn’t want to
start out my life at a financial disadvantage. I didn’t want the stress of
making such a big financial decision when I’m so young.”
“You don’t know what you want to do when you’re 16, 17, 18
years old, that’s why people change their majors all the time,” said Nash. “I
don’t want to spend money, time, effort and energy on something that may
change.”
Spending her childhood seeing women in power has inspired
Nash from the beginning. Women like former Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes, Ellen
Darling, who runs the company her dad works for, and Janice Howroyd, the first
African-American woman with a $1 billion business, have impacted and motivated
Nash to pursue her dreams.
“I spent some time with Janice a few weeks ago in Detroit,”
said Nash. “Being around her and seeing her entrepreneurial spirit, I thought,
‘why can’t I do something like this?’ I can do this too. These are ordinary
women who have led extraordinary lives through their work ethic and dedication.”
Her company, Arielle Marie Nash Enterprises, serves as a
consultant to corporations, nonprofits and other organizations to reach the
millennial population. She works with companies to help employers attract and
retain workforce, and then helping with branding, marketing and selling their
goods to the younger generation.
“I am a millennial, and I know what millennials want,” said
Nash. “What I’ve found is that others who are doing consulting with businesses
are not millennials themselves, which is pretty funny to me. So I saw there was
a gap, along with the generational gap in the workforce, and I can help people
in management positions talk to and relate to the millennial population.”
Through the influence of her father, Nash is also interested
in real estate development. Most recently, however, she published a book, Mixed Signals: Lessons Learned Outside the
Classroom, which focuses on things teenage girls struggle with like social
pressures and self-esteem issues.
“Nobody is really bold enough to talk about the real
issues,” said Nash. “So, I wanted to write my book and tell my stories to help
girls navigate this really vulnerable time in their lives.”
In the book, Nash addresses drugs and alcohol, self-harm,
depression, and an array of subjects that a typical teenager may experience.
Despite the social pressures and stigmas, Nash said there is a “light at the
end of the tunnel and you can be successful.”
She will be taking a trip to China to help cultivate a
worldwide consulting brand. She also hopes to break the millennial stereotype
and prove that innovation and change can be positive. Nash said that she has
received support from both of her parents, and gives credit to her father for
showing her the ropes and providing real-world education.
“My dad has been one-hundred percent behind me doing this,”
said Nash. “I spend every day all day with him, we’re business partners,
really. Our relationship has morphed into this really cool partnership. I feel
like school would be a waste of time and money for me, because four years from
now, I’m going to be pretty well-established, while my classmates will just be
starting out.”
She said, down the road, if she feels the need she will go
to college, but that right now this was the best option for her. She’d like to
continue to study Chinese, and will likely take classes here and there for different
things, as necessary.
“I’d rather take risks now, while I’m still young,” said
Nash. “I have the time, and I can always go back to school later. I don’t want
to look back and wish I had done this or that.”
Nash’s book is available on Amazon, and her business can be
found at ariellemnash.com.
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