53 www.ReadMPM.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.MountPleasantPodcast.com In those early days, Motley frequently worked 15hour shifts from 8 a.m. until 3 a.m. the next morning, while 9 months pregnant and with a toddler on her hip. Her husband Mark still had a demanding job outside of the store. Now they run the business together, which she said has been amazing. “We have an incredible team and store manager that allow us to spend time with our three kiddos, show up to all their sports functions and be there when they get home from school. Throughout all the years of hard work and growing to a point of stability, we feel incredibly grateful to all of Mount Pleasant for giving us the opportunity to build something this special. Our customers have carried us through and kept our business not only alive but thriving and we owe so much to this community.” She added, “As the company has continued to grow year after year, we have never taken for granted that folks could shop elsewhere for their bird feeding supplies and they trust us, our products and our advice to be the very best here in our local area. That’s a responsibility we don’t take lightly.” The most rewarding part of the business, Motley said, is educating customers who come in looking to attract a certain species, such as painted buntings or nesting bluebirds, and helping them achieve success. For Motley, seeing people fall in love with a rewarding hobby that benefits wildlife, watching them care for the birds in their backyard and beyond and seeing that passion blossom is incredibly touching. “There’s something special about sharing moments with nature and hearing stories of how birds have brought people solace during a difficult time, the excitement in people’s voices when they see their first hummingbird or the disbelief when someone spots a painted bunting – it’s all so magical and never ceases to keep us inspired to do what we do.” Despite the ebb and flow of availability for natural bird feed sources, Motley maintains a positive outlook in the knowledge that the birds are simply enjoying natural food sources – and she’s grateful that they’re able to do so. “Our customers still come in and share stories with us and ask questions so we never lose the motivation,” she said. Outside of work, Motley is passionate about working in her garden, researching native and host plants, searching for caterpillars and looking for birds. She also enjoys writing about bird feeding and other backyard adventures with the children. Additionally, she and Mark, who is an avid coin collector and spends his spare time playing a round of golf, love to travel when the family’s schedules allow. CRAIG AND TANYA ASCUE As Ascue’s Auto Body & Paint Shop CEO and Ascue Capital founder and CEO, Craig Ascue, along with his family, runs the family business that his father, Timothy, opened in 1968. Over the decades, customers and friends throughout the community have continued to support the company because of the shop’s commitment to its customers, both old and new. “We understand the value of good business practices. Our continued willingness to have an entrepreneurial spirit is reminiscent of what my dad had when he started the shop, when everyone said he couldn’t,” Ascue said. For Ascue, owning a generational business in Mount Pleasant means leadership, which he defined as “setting a strong foundation for everything that happens next.” That includes building character along the way by having the right attitude, taking the correct actions, being consistent with decision-making and focusing on the work the shop does as a team. “Everything does not go right all the time, but it has to start and end with integrity,” he said. Through the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur, Ascue has relied on faith and family. “Family and faith are all you really ever have,” he said. “So you have to work on them. The business is just an extension of the temporary asset we’ve been given to steward while we are here.” He stays inspired by admiring the community’s ability to care for each other in a meaningful way and by Ascue’s staff of talented, certified technicians who keep up with the ever-changing collision repair market by leading in tooling technology, knowledge of vehicle safety and using top-quality original parts to repair customers’ vehicles. Because of their crew, he and Tanya have had the opportunity to spend time where it matters most. “The most rewarding part of our career has been the ability to spend time with our girls as they grow and educate them through music, sports and live entertainment,” recounted Ascue. “At this time in our lives, as empty nesters, Tanya and I get to enjoy seeing them do some of the things they learned with us at home.” The Ascues agreed that finding the work-life balance is family Tanya and Craig Ascue
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