Biography

Chris earned his first pilot licenses while in High School and finished his commercial and instrument ratings at the Mankato Airport concurrently with his undergraduate studies at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter Minnesota. Today, Chris is a second generation airline pilot who currently works as a first officer for Sun Country Airlines operating their fleet of 737’s. The decade following the 9-11 terrorist attacks forced Chris and many other pilots into other careers. During that time, Chris was deeply involved in the hospitality industry and fell back back on his finance degree in other businesses. Not happy with residing inside a cubical, Chris broke up with office life and went back to graduate school at Bethel University. He earned a Masters Degree in Organization Leadership under his advisor, speaker, and best selling author on leadership and trust; Dave Horsager. The day before Chris was getting his paperwork signed for graduation, his father Dan called Chris and told him he had a following of 700,000 on Pinterest and wanted to know if it was worth building a business around. Dan was an early adapter of Pinterest and was richly rewarded for it. Chris, walking the hallways of Bethel University to get paperwork signed counted no less than 11 undergraduates shopping for wedding dresses on Pinterest. Chris quickly understood the value of his fathers account and they formed their first influencer business the next day. Within a few short months they became food, garden, and travel bloggers. This is why Chris considers himself an “accidental blogger.” He spent summers flying seaplanes and taking VR photography of resorts and the Minnesota wilderness as far back as the 1990’s, and only by sheer chance did this opportunity fall in his lap. But it led to many opportunities recognized by the likes of the Wall Street Journal, Investment News, and IZEA, inc. Dubbed an “Online Celebrity” by the Wall Street Journal, Chris Ashbach has a practical and insightful view of social media and content marketing developed from a deep history in the hospitality industry. Being both a business owner and professional blogger, Chris has a rich experience in both small business and social media fields and can help you bridge the gap toward a successful content marketing and social media strategy. Beyond the social media and blogging itself, Chris speaks with authority on topics three primary topics. A self taught foodie, recipe development, including video and photography is a top area for Chris. As an airline pilot and traveller more than 15 days per month, Chris speaks with authority on travel. He also writes about and consults individuals and families who have children interested in becoming airline pilots. Finally, Chris has been recognized as an established gardener and featured in best selling author, and Ted Talk speaker, Joel Karsten’s book “Straw Bale Solutions: Creative Tips for Growing Vegetables in Bales at Home…“

Personal Info