She Rocks...
ASHLEY PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANGELICA ARES
GRINDSTAFF Ashley Grindstaff has always been a goal-
oriented person and loves challenges.
She is inspired by the giving spirit and compassion of those who call the Tri-Cities home. She is inspired too by her family since they drive her to work hard. Asked to give advice to those wanting to get started in the region and she says, “do whatever it takes to get to the goal you have in mind. Have passion, don’t get discouraged by others, and listen to people who can advise you in business.” She works hard, still, to follow the advice of those who have been where she wants to get because she knows that their advice is indispensible. 114 | VIPSEEN | JUNE 2014
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shley Grindstaff was born and raised in Tennessee, and although she is originally from Signal Mountain, she moved to Kingsport in 1993. Her mother moved around a lot as a girl because Ashley’s grandfather was in the military, but when her grandparents passed through on vacation one year, they became smitten with the area and decided to put down roots. Her mother is from a German-Italian family that Ashley remembers as being very hardworking, strong-willed and loud and her father is of German-English descent and is himself from a hardworking family as well. “My dad’s childhood home still sits on Main Street in the historic district of Piney Flats. He was one of eight children. With the mixture of my heritage and the values my parents instilled in my sister and I, we learned at a very early age to work hard for whatever it is we wanted in this life.”
When Grindstaff was Miss Johnson City she was awarded a scholarship from Steve Grindstaff since he had served as a longtime sponsor of the pageant. When she was Miss Kingsport she saw Steve Grindstaff and took the opportunity to thank him for the scholarship that she had received the previous year. “He was surprised that I thanked him because no one had personally thanked him before. After the pageant was over he walked over and said that he was opening a new dealership and needed a spokesperson.” In January of that year Ashley became the official spokesperson for the new Grindstaff KIA, eventually marrying Steve and owning the dealership herself. “He gave me butterflies in my stomach and made me blush anytime I was around him. The rest, like they say, is history.” She credits her husband with taking her under his wing and showing her the ropes when it comes to business.