Meet The Publisher of Cypress Digest🌲

Welcome to Cypress Digest. We are a local newsletter that covers— well, news, but only the good stuff, and we throw in some events and deals when they are available.

Meet The Publisher: Ashlyn

Hi, I’m Ashlyn, a Cypress local and the voice behind The Cypress Digest. I’ve lived in the north Houston area all my life and don’t ever see myself leaving. I am married to my wonderful husband Zach with our son Jaxson and our two dogs, Beaux and Bailey.

Fun Facts About Me

I’m proud to say that I have been outgoing to a fault and have some great experiences to prove it. Here are my favorites:

1. I was an engineer for a construction company

I helped build roads and bridges as a heavy civil field engineer before becoming a professional writer. My favorite thing about this was my team, I met some extremely talented people. My least favorite— the hours. 10-12 hours per day was an average and extremely taxing.

2. I’ve been published in Forbes, USA Today, BankRate and more

I have a deep resume to prove my qualifications for starting my own publication. Some of my best work has been featured in major publications that you may know of or read yourself. Here are my most notable:

• Forbes Marketplace

• Kiplinger

• Bankrate

• Investor

• USA Today!

• MSN

• AOL

• Business Insider

3. I was a Cheerleader for The Houston Texans

I tend to gloss over this one for fear of backlash from a non-Texans supporter but ehhh. I was an HTC for one season in my final year in college. It was my first time trying out and I figured it would be a good way to challenge myself. Never in a lifetime would I believe I’d make it— let alone on my first try. Wonderful memories and my family are Texans fans to this day.

My Background

I graduated from Sam Houston State University with a degree in Engineering Technology in 2018 and worked as a heavy civil field engineer for over two years. I’ll finish my MBA this spring in General Business.

So how did an engineer wind up writing a local newsletter?

After my construction project was near completion, I was very adamant about finding a career that was less taxing and more family friendly. I couldn’t imagine continuing to work 55-60 hour weeks for the rest of my career and I LOVED TO WRITE.

I had done freelance writing on the side for years and my then fiancé (now husband) gave me the pep talk I needed to finally pull the trigger and put in my two-week notice.

I guess he knew something I didn’t because I ended up making a great career out of writing. I have been published in Forbes Marketplace, USA Today, Kiplinger and Bankrate for my work in the finance space.

Enter 2025: The Birth of Change

2025 brings in a new wave of change, not just for me, but my community as well. Cypress is now home to over 200,000 residents, and that’s not counting our neighboring towns (Tomball, Fairbanks, etc). There are some amazing local events, small businesses that need our support, and a growing number of niche restaurants to eat.

But the more I looked, the more I found a considerable gap in a central location to find out about these wonderful things being offered locally. So here’s what I’m planning:

1. A positive local newsletter. I’m leaving out the politics and negative news.

2. This publication will be about what great events are happening in the community, our schools, and their events, plus any discounts I can find to share with my readers.

3. Helping community locals be in-the-know about good news, good offers and a good time.

What do I need from you?— Information!

Tell me what you’re interested in most. Hit reply and tell me in detail or simply select your favorite on the poll below.

I hope this has given you a little more info about me and what you can expect each week. Thank you for joining me, I’m so excited for what this year will bring for the community and Cypress Digest.