Strategy Is Your Superpower

A Note from the CEO

Last night, I had the honor of returning to my high school, The Ellis School, to deliver the 2025 Commencement Address. What a responsibility! I was asked to offer advice to a generation stepping into an unpredictable, high-pressure world. What could I say that would truly matter?

I turned to my chessboard. Of course I did.

In a world spinning with urgency, distraction, and noise, I knew I couldn’t offer empty encouragement or a tidy roadmap. I had to be honest - about the landscape we’re living in and about the mindset required to navigate it. And what surfaced was this:

Strategy is a superpower.

Not just the corporate kind. Not just for CEOs or politicians. I’m talking about the everyday, deeply personal kind of strategy. The kind that helps you pause before reacting, make decisions rooted in your values, and lead with clarity even when the path is unclear.

This isn’t just advice for graduates. This is for all of us.

We’re watching headlines unfold that challenge our rights, our identities, and our leadership. We’re being told to stay small, quiet, or “in our lane.” And yet, the most powerful resistance - especially for women, especially for young leaders - is to move with intention.

To play the long game.

Strategy isn’t about being loud or polished. It’s about being ready. It’s not about chasing validation - it’s about building what only you can build.

I’ve been underestimated. Told I was doing too much. Called a “legacy aspirator.” (Yes, that’s a thing.) But what I’ve learned - again and again - is that when you lead with strategy, you’re not reacting. You’re designing. You’re creating your own blueprint instead of waiting for permission.

And you don’t need a chessboard to live this way. You just need to think like a strategist:

• Pause. Don’t let urgency control you.

• Plan. Think bigger than the moment.

• Pivot. Let friction refine you - not define you.

• Protect your energy. Not everyone deserves access to your brilliance.

• Lead with purpose. The world needs your kind of leadership.

So no, this wasn’t just a graduation speech. It was a call to action - for all of us, and what an honor it was! 

Strategy is how we reclaim our power. It’s how we move from reacting to redefining. And in a world that’s constantly trying to box us in, that kind of thinking is more than powerful.

It’s revolutionary.

xx,

Ashley Lynn Priore

Quote of the Week

“Because when the world tells you to wait your turn, strategy gives you the power to take it - and lead.” - Me (Who else!)

Coming Up in the Pod

Karley Berry on Building a Career in Football and Empowering the Next Generation of Women in Sports

In this inspiring Queen Me conversation, we’re joined by Karley Berry—Senior Director of Football Operations at the NFL. Karley opens up about her journey from a small internship sparked by family ties to becoming a driving force for equity and inclusion across the football world. From legal insights to leadership philosophy, this episode explores what it takes to break into—and rise within—one of the most competitive industries, all while staying rooted in purpose, integrity, and faith.

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