Articles, interviews and media featuring Ashley Mills and Built Without a Blueprint

Built Without a Blueprint by Ashley Mills has sparked national conversations on resilience, identity, leadership and modern fatherhood. Blending lived experience with leadership insight, Ashley’s voice has featured across major UK media including BBC Radio, The Sunday Times, The i, The Huffington Post, Grazia, The Big Issue, People Management, HR World, CIPD and more.

Through interviews, opinion pieces and live broadcasts, Ashley explores breaking cycles, redefining masculinity and leading with empathy - positioning him as one of Britain’s most compelling new voices on belonging, identity and modern leadership.

BBC Radio - Live Interview

Press Coverage

  • The Sunday Times

    The Sunday Times

    “I didn’t know my father’s name, but I knew I was missing out”
    November 19, 2025

    In this deeply personal Times essay, Ashley reflects on childhood in Morley, the mentors who stepped in when a father couldn’t, and the moment his daughter’s birth turned old wounds into a new sense of purpose. The piece explores how absence, belonging and resilience can become the foundations of leadership and fatherhood today.

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  • Newspaper article titled 'I grew up mixed-race in Yorkshire in the 80s - I know why people vote for Reform' with a large photo of a young boy in a school uniform and another photo of a person doing sports.

    As featured in The i Paper

    “I grew up mixed-race in Yorkshire in the 80s - I know why people vote for Reform”
    October 13, 2025

    Growing up in 1980s Yorkshire, Ashley Mills experienced the violent reality of racism. Decades later, he explores how absence, of fathers, belonging, and leadership, continues to shape Britain today.


    → https://inews.co.uk/author/ashley-mills

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  • ....in the Huff Post

    “The Emotional Impact of Birth - And What It Taught Me About Fatherhood”
    November 1, 2025

    In this HuffPost feature, Ashley Mills reflects on the transformative power of becoming a father. From the operating room to the quiet moments that followed, he explores how birth can awaken identity, empathy and the resolve to break generational cycles.

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  • The Yorkshire Post

    “Why Growing Up in Working-Class Yorkshire Shaped My Leadership”
    December 6, 2025

    From the rugby pitches and factory towns of Yorkshire to leading teams across the world, Ashley Mills reflects on how his northern roots shaped his values, leadership, and belief in straight-talking resilience.

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  • People Management

    “Why Fatherhood Should Be Seen as Part of Professional Growth”
    26 November, 2025


    Ashley Mills explores how becoming a father reshapes identity, deepens emotional intelligence, and strengthens leadership. He argues that parenthood, especially for men, deserves recognition as a catalyst for growth rather than time away from ambition.

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  • A screenshot of Big Issue magazine website showing a headline about Britain's mental health crisis, with navigation links and a subscription banner at the top. There is also a magazine cover featuring a reindeer on the right side.

    Also featured in The Big Issue

    “Britain’s Mental Health Crisis Is a Crisis of Leadership”
    October 21, 2025

    Ashley Mills argues that the roots of Britain’s mental health crisis lie in emotional disconnection at the top. Drawing on Built Without a Blueprint, he explores how empathy, vulnerability, and presence are the true foundations of effective leadership.

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