As a business school graduate from Santa Clara University, Leila (Khalil) Lewis’ career began in publishing, where she worked in marketing and editorial roles for business and lifestyle publications. Since transitioning into the wedding business in 2004, Leila has nearly 10 years of wedding marketing experience under her belt, and is the industry’s go-to for public relations services, brand development and business consulting.

Combining her love for weddings and her professional expertise in media and marketing, Leila created Be Inspired® PR in 2007, the first full-service public relations agency dedicated to the wedding and special event industry. Passionate, focused and results-driven, Leila works closely with wedding and lifestyle brands – educating clients on marketing strategies, rebuilding corporate image, securing top-level media placements and helping them book new business.

You’ll know when Leila’s excited and inspired about something when she starts talking fast!  She comes from a big family and is the oldest of five, many of which can be seen alongside and partnering with the Be Inspired® brand! When she’s not working, Leila can be found scouting gelato shops in Italy, dressed in cowboy boots, sipping on a glass of Demetria Pinot Noir or spending time on the beach with her husband, Tony, and golden retriever, Marlo.

Born and raised in small-town Arizona, Ashley moved to Los Angeles to attend USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. As a proud Trojan alum, Ashley joined the Be Inspired® PR and Inspired by This team in 2009 bringing with her a skill set that has been indispensible ever since. Her creative thinking and writing skills have penned dozens of pitches to editors resulting in client features. She also manages client photo selections for editorial submissions, while keeping company projects on track and on time. In 2011 Ashley married her best friend with the help of the Be Inspired® family and recently welcomed home her Army brother serving overseas. She currently lives in Hermosa Beach, CA, and can be found riding her cruiser on the beach, scuba diving in tropical locations around the world and reading through the New York Times best selling list.

A lover of all things wedding related, Courtney joined the Be Inspired® PR and Inspired by This team in 2011. Her knowledge of wedding industry brands has helped her develop The Be Inspired® Network, our compilation of the best of the best in the industry.  A native of South Orange County, Courtney moved up to Los Angeles to pursue an undergraduate degree at UCLA while being taught and mentored by Leila. Using the time management skills and determination she acquired as an NCAA collegiate gymnast, she will be graduating in 2013 and joining the team full time as our Director of Design. Out of the office Courtney can be found traveling the country with her flight attendant mother, spending time with her adorable nephew or serving the beautiful people of Haiti.

Bay Area born and raised, Lauren moved to Southern California to attend Vanguard University.  She is now the Social Media Manager for Be Inspired® and is passionate about sourcing and coordinating content to inspire readers. Lauren’s finely tuned eye and natural knack for spotting up and coming trends has enabled her to help fashion the blog into a daily source of wedding and lifestyle inspiration. Outside of the office, Lauren can be found performing with the Radio City Rockettes in Nashville for their Christmas show, hanging with her husband of 5 years – Nate, or playing with her 2 kitties – Georgie and Chachie.

Born and raised in beautiful Palos Verdes, Jenny grew up in a large and active family with four brothers. Being an avid lover of Southern California sunshine, Pepperdine University was the natural choice for college, where she received her bachelor’s degree in Theatre and Television. Jenny then pursued a career in the entertainment industry, focusing her sights on performance and production. She quickly found herself at auditions for “American Idol”, “The Voice” and worked on various TV & film projects including “Ocean’s 13”. Shifting directions, she earned her Masters in Teaching from the University of Southern California. Quickly after graduation, Jenny was given the opportunity to work Press Advance for the 2012 Presidential campaign. She travelled all over the country with the candidates, and worked closely with local, national and international news correspondents on a daily basis. Her love of media relations led her to Be Inspired PR, where she began in March of 2013. When she’s out and about, Jenny can be found spending time with her family and friends, riding her beach cruiser on the strand or singing karaoke with friends.

Marlo was brought into the Be Inspired® family during Christmas 2010 when Leila adopted him into her home. He’s quickly become the favorite in the office with his hilarious Instagrams, priceless business advice and quick witted responses.  Everywhere he goes people stop and stare, girls often taken by his handsomeness and gentle spirit.  When he’s not working, Marlo enjoys long walks on the beach, a nice pair of shoes to chew and chasing cats around town.