RANDOM
I built Wildflower Wax Co. when I was 16, which was once Singapore’s most popular Gen-Z record store. By the time I was 18, we moved into a retail store and were featured on places like Esquire, Vogue, CNA Lifestyle and Singapore Art Week.
As many record collectors often do, I also worked in advertising. After much deliberation, I still think it’s one of the best careers in the world to have. I first cut my teeth in the creative department, starting at BLKJ Havas and VICE as a copywriter/producer. At 20, I sold my record store and moved to the U.S for college.
In my sophomore year summer, I moved to California and interned at Apple’s Marcom department as a Design Writer.
Today, I’m a politics reporter for the Medill News Service, reporting daily on Congress, Supreme Court, and the Presidency c/o the Washington Post.
I also co-lead Lacking Agency, a cultural intelligence firm with my best friend Gabrielle Ang, help the Singapore government uplift our American diaspora through Red Dot Link, and often think about where I’m headed to next, with a large, satisfying, deep breath...
I’m always seeking ways to marry creative problem solving with finding out what makes people, things, and movements click.
I’m excited by nostalgia, writing for no audience (and all the audience), counterculture, music turned up loud, and the work, the work, the work.
After trial by fire, I’m completely burnt out by identifying what it is that I do.
I know I want to tell stories, be creative at scale, and make sure I keep my promises to kind human beings.
Right now, I’m figuring out a path forward in my career that will involve a happy combination of these things.
If you might have a clue, or just want to say hi, please drop me a line.
© Ashley Wong, 2025.