Page 35 of Beautifully Broken

Ashley

A lot of people say it's important to separate work from your real life, but I think that's bullshit. My work is my life, and I'm completely okay with that.

Hi, I'm Ashley Stafford. Heir extraordinaire to the Stafford fortune, out-and-loud son of the wonderful Evelyn and Edwin Stafford II, and grandson to the rather down-with-the-times Edwin Stafford I.

Not to mention the proud owner of Shelter Together , a safe space for animals and humans alike, and also my home. Hence the whole “my work is my life”.

I've always known I wanted to work with animals when I grew up; I just wasn't sure at what capacity.

When I was twelve, my grandpa took me with him to a fundraiser for the local animal shelter.

He not only highlighted the importance of donating funds but also donating our time to help a great cause.

While at the fundraiser, we set a time to volunteer at the shelter.

That first day I spent cleaning kennels and litter boxes changed my life.

I knew then that I wanted to either work for or run my own non-profit animal shelter.

I didn't only want to run it; I wanted to be on the front line, helping the animals.

My grandfather, being the sweet yet powerful man he is, set me up for the best possible future to make that happen.

Many in his circle had an elitist air about them, but not my grandfather.

He came from money but was raised as if they had none and, in turn, he raised my father the same way, even though he took the fortune his father had left him and tripled it.

Sure, he attended the outlandish fundraiser and rubbed elbows with the “who's who” of the large city I grew up in, but he also rolled up his sleeves and cleaned those dog kennels right alongside me.

Not only is my grandpa down to earth, but he and my parents are more accepting than the entire elite population I grew up with.

My name has been a running joke in my family; since I was a little boy, everyone has known I'm gayer than a twirler in a pride parade. Ashley is a popular boys’ name in our family, but it's also fitting since I'm femme as fuck.

I've always loved dressing up—anything with glitter, pink, heels, and glam.

Thank goddess for inheriting my mother's luscious locks.

I love my long chestnut hair with its many layers and golden-kissed highlights.

I have never been able to grow facial hair, which suits me just fine since I love my makeup as much as the next bitch.

Well, except for at work. I tone it down there since those mongrels are messy AF. Running Shelter Together is about the only time my serious side comes out. Those precious babies need me on my game more than me acting a fool, so I make sure I give them my all every day.

With the generous help of my grandfather, who granted me access to my trust fund early, I opened Shelter Together.

It took me a while to find the perfect location, but as soon as I did my research, I knew that Lakewood Falls was the perfect place to open my rescue.

Unfortunately, due to lack of funding, this part of Tennessee runs into issues of pet overpopulation and most shelters end up euthanizing due to space restraints.

There was a need for a no-kill shelter, and I could provide it.

I knew I'd have my work cut out for me when I decided to open my non-profit several hours from where my family name meant something, but my worry was short lived. At my grandpa and parents’ guidance, along with my vet tech degree, I majored in business, which gave me a solid foundation to run my business.

The other invaluable lesson they gave me was knowledge. So much knowledge.

My grandpa had inherited the investment business from his father and taken it to a whole new level.

My father loved my grandpa's business and what the company's values stand for, so he followed in his footsteps.

In the spirit of giving back, since we've been blessed with more than most, my grandpa started a non-profit to help people get a new start in life—be it by getting a job, a degree, or even housing.

My mother was the director for his non-profit and, according to my father, it was love at first sight.

With their help and expertise, my dream came to life right in front of my eyes.

Once we found Lakewood Falls, we started looking for property to purchase.

We were able to snag a ten-acre stretch of land that butted up against the lake and had about five acres’ worth of forest. It would be a paradise for the animals we rescued.

My main focus was domesticated animals, but I wanted the space and capability to house farm animals as well. The land we’d found fit both needs.

Even though I had the money from the trust, my mother helped me apply for some grants that funded half the cost of building the state-of-the-art facility.

The other half, we raised by hosting a fundraiser for the upper elite my grandpa has been rubbing elbows with most of his life.

The only thing I paid out of pocket was the barn, and that was because it doubles as my home.

The barn is also state-of-the-art and huge. It has enough stalls to house as many animals as I could manage, along with half the loft that’s my studio apartment. It's more than I could ever need and exactly what I wanted. It allows me to be close to the animals.

We opened the doors three years ago, and business has been booming ever since. I'm proud to say that it's not only strays of the animal variety I've taken in. Shelter Together is a safe space for queers of all kinds.

My mama had the brilliant idea of building a little dorm on the property, run by her foundation.

It's a safe space for anyone who falls on the queer spectrum specifically and needs a helping hand.

From her foundation, we've been able to fully staff not only my shelter but also the dorm.

Our head vet is a kickass lesbian and a badass boss bitch.

So, to all those haters who harp on me for not being able to separate my work and home life, I say fuck 'em. Like Shelter Together, I'm thriving and living my best life.

At least, that's what I thought until I met him .