Ashley Flowers, host of Crime Junkie and founder of Audiochuck, is a guest on this week’s episode of CNBC’s Changemakers and Power Players podcast.
In this episode she talks to CNBC Senior Media and Tech Reporter Julia Boorstin about how her volunteer work sparked a storytelling career and why advocacy remains central to her mission.
Flowers describes starting out at Crime Stoppers, where she offered to present a short weekly true crime segment on local radio in exchange for promoting the organisation’s work.
The feature became the station’s most popular segment, leading her to realise there was appetite for longer, more thoughtful storytelling and that she could develop those stories on her own terms.
She tells Boorstin that building a creative path requires taking opportunities wherever they appear, even outside a nine-to-five role. Early experience in other fields helped her understand what she didn’t want to pursue, and she says gaining skills in any environment can open doors later.
On the public fascination with true crime, Flowers says audiences are driven by a natural desire to make sense of the inexplicable, noting that this interest spans far beyond the US.
Flowers also speaks about purpose, explaining that focusing on individual cases and achievable goals keeps her grounded. She says contributing to even one solved cold case would make her work worthwhile, reflecting the values behind her nonprofit efforts to fund DNA testing for families.
