Innovating Beyond the Classroom: Ashley’s MSIL Journey

Ashley Dickson-Ellison’s journey into podcasting began as a way to have thoughtful conversations about books. After 17 years in the classroom, most of them spent teaching high school English, Ashley and two fellow teachers launched a podcast to share their love of literature with a broader audience.

Ashley handled editing, wrote show notes and blogs, and managed the podcast’s website, supporting its growth to more than 300 episodes. That experience naturally led her to take on freelance clients, offering similar post-production services. In 2021, she launched her own business, Unabridged Digital Media Solutions, LLC.

Through her company, Ashley works as a podcast producer and strategist, providing audio and video editing, show notes, and video clips and content for social media. As demands for her services increased, so did her challenges. Her growing business brought in more work than she could comfortably manage, and Ashley realized she needed to develop a new skill set that focused not only on serving clients but on running a more effective business.

That realization led her to explore the Master of Science in Innovation and Leadership (MSIL) program at Furman University. Designed for curious, collaborative leaders eager to tackle tough challenges in their organizations and communities, the program’s innovative curriculum supported Ashley where she needed the most development to address the challenges she faced as a business owner. The MSIL program was the solution she needed to learn how to be a more capable, confident business owner, equipped with tools she hadn’t had access to before.

The program appealed to her due to its focus on creativity, design thinking and an in-person cohort model. Ashley enrolled in the program’s inaugural cohort and found immense value in learning alongside her classmates, while also appreciating the support of faculty. The diversity of perspectives enriched classroom discussions and strengthened collaborative projects.

“I think something that’s really rich about the program is everyone had very different expertise and came from very different industries and that informed the things that came out of the classes,” she noted.

The skills Ashley gained in the program strengthened her business. She discovered how to better identify problems and move through them, which was a valuable skill to her as an entrepreneur. She also learned to recognize her strengths and areas where she struggled. Through coaching and design thinking exercises, Ashley developed practical strategies for building confidence, even during challenging moments.

For the first time, she was encouraged to reflect deeply on her own goals as a professional.

“I had basically built my business serving the clients and never working on my own goals, my own perspective,” she said.

Her capstone project laid the groundwork for the second phase of her business: a program to support aspiring podcasters as they launch or manage their own shows. Even though she graduated in August 2025, she continues to build on the foundation established through her capstone work. This new program, which she plans to launch in fall 2026, allows her to diversify her business and reach a new client base that she doesn’t currently serve with her one-on-one business model.

The impact of the MSIL program continues to show up in Ashley’s business performance. Her 2024 revenue represented roughly a quarter of her 2025 earnings, highlighting significant year‑over‑year progress for her business. This growth enabled her to bring on subcontractors, which she didn’t have before entering the program, to help manage her expanding workload. She also secured a large client, which she attributes to her increased confidence that she gained during the program.

The MSIL program helped Ashley transform both how she leads and how she operates her business. Her business has evolved into a thriving, scalable firm grounded in intentional leadership and design thinking. With new offerings on the horizon and a growing capacity to serve more clients, Ashley’s story reflects the lasting impact of investing in both professional skills and personal growth.