My name is Ariel Ellis, and I am a proud woman born and raised in Toledo. Growing up with a passion for creativity, I found myself especially drawn to creating art digitally through graphics, websites, and photographs. After graduating from Emmanuel Christian High School in 2011, I decided to attend Bowling Green State University because they had a unique program called Visual Communication and Technology where I was able to concentrate on graphic design, web design, and photography. While attending BGSU, I dove right in with internships at Promedica, Cornerstone Church, and a local marketing agency. It was at these internships that I began discovering my own style and brand. After graduating from BGSU I found an opportunity to join the marketing team at the Taylor Automotive Group. With the creative freedom I have been given, the multiple marketing strategies I have my hands in everyday, and the relationships I have built, working for Taylor has allowed me to grow exponentially. After being promoted Digital Marketing Manager, I started quieting the self-doubt, believing in my own talents and gained confidence to take on my own projects and clients.
What I love most about the work I do is being able to tell a story through items that I have created, such as a logo, video, or photograph. A moment that I am particularly proud of was with our final project in my college Ethics class. We had to create a visual that represented women being oppressed. I created a poster collage with images that I found of different women of nationalities and backgrounds and I titled the piece AIN’T I A WOMAN based off a poem that we read by Sojourner Truth. My professor was so impressed by the piece that she hung it up in the Women Studies building. Highlighting women’s rights and diversity is something I am very passionate about, and being able to tell that story and see the impact it made is something I will never forget.
Surrounding yourself with inspiring women and being involved with women focused organizations like Women of Toledo is crucial because when women support each other there’s almost nothing we can’t do. In my short career, I have already seen the power of relationships and on how finding people, especially women, to lift you up is the key to success. We weren’t meant to take this journey alone!
Ariel Ellis is the Digital Marketing Manager for the Taylor Automotive Group, and does freelance digital marketing for small businesses in the Toledo area. To connect with Ariel Ellis, visit her website at arielellis.com.