#10: Ashlee Smith, Confidence & Empowerment Coach

Allie, who you know as well, said that, like, if we don't put ourselves out there to help people, we're doing a disservice to the people who need our help.

Awesome. So welcome back, everyone, to the Aligned Coach Interview Series. I have lost count on what episode we're on here. I think it's like episode 8 or 9. I don't know, I could be wrong, but I'm super excited to have you here, Ashley. Um, Ashley Smith is— we have mutual— we're gonna call them like coach cousins or something. I feel like we're kind of related, right? Like we come out of like this generation of, um, coaches. So yeah, I'm gonna call us coach cousins. And yeah, yeah, I'm super excited to have you here today, Ashley.

Thank you. Thank you so much for having me. I've been loving this series. I've caught up on a couple of them, um, and watched a little bit of the one you just did a second ago. It's very— lots of good stuff coming out of these. Thank you for doing them.

Yeah, yeah, you're welcome. Honestly, December was like all about— I don't know what's going on with this. December for me was just all about like slowing down and connecting with other women and connecting with other coaches and really just like serving the community. And I thought, what better way to do it than to talk to people and do it publicly? So let's have public conversations. So that's exactly how it was born.

Perfect. And people love to talk about themselves, so it's great, right?

Exactly. We do, we do, we do love that. So yeah, I'm super excited to have you here, Ashley. Um, so tell us about a little bit about you. Where are you from? I don't know your story, like what kind of people do you help, what type of coach you are. Yeah, give us all the deets. Spill the beans. Sure.

So I am from Maryland. I kind of bounced around for the first 5 years of my life with military family, but we settled in Maryland for a while and then I moved to Arlington, Virginia is where I technically live right now, but I'm quarantining with my parents in Maryland. So got to be where they have a dog. So, um, yeah, so East Coast. I've been an East Coaster the majority of my life. And what is my story? Well, I really got into the whole coaching thing kind of by accident, I guess, through my own personal issues in that I've been working in the television industry for about 5 years now, and it's lovely, but I had one position in there that was just really difficult for me, and I felt really stuck. It's very much like quarter-life crisis type of period of life where I felt like unhappy to get out of bed to go to work every day and didn't like my job when I was there, and then wasn't working out or eating well and or sleeping well, or— and it all spirals into this giant mess that you just can't dig yourself out of. And so while all that was going on, I managed to— or I started having medical issues as well, where I'd be like dizzy every single day, all day long. And wow, yeah, and having some constant panic attacks day after day. And I wound up deciding like, how am I— I have to stop this. Enough has to be enough at some point. And so I went to the hospital, tried to figure out if it was medical, and I think it really really all came down to the way I was living and the fact that I wasn't happy with what I was doing. And I think that's a huge thing. Like a lot of stress and anxiety from life, um, can affect us in such physical ways. And so I think that was really the start of this whole journey for me was realizing I had to be the one to make a drastic shift. And so at that point, I found— I don't know if you know Elevate the Globe, their lovely account on Instagram and Facebook, but they do meditation and astrology and all this great stuff. So I found them and started getting into a meditation practice and mindfulness and really figuring out that where I was was not best aligned with me and my intentions in my life. So I dug myself out of this hole, figured out a way to make things work for me and do what I wanted to do and set boundaries with people that weren't doing things I wanted to do. And then through that, I really kind of figured out, hey, I could maybe do this for other people too.

Yeah, no, people pay for that. Huh?

Yeah, absolutely. So I helped myself, and then through that, trying to figure out what actually I'd be the most happy doing, considering like, what do I daydream about? What am I obsessed with? Obsessed with, and it was all personal development, personal development books, conferences, films, everything like meditation, mindfulness. And I thought, there's got to be a way. If that's what I'm sitting here daydreaming about doing, there's got to be a way to do that, um, for my job. So that introduced me into the whole coaching business and industry, um, and so I just decided to kind of give it a whirl. Struggled a little bit to get it up and running, but, um, found an amazing course, which I know that you know of, and really launched this business this year in a big way, which has been wonderful. And so I really decided to focus on helping women, young women who were going through what I was going through, which is that quarter-life crisis period of life where everything you thought you were supposed to do in college, everything you trained for, everything you've been working for just doesn't feel right anymore. And it can just feel like this pit that you can't dig yourself out of. And I remember thinking when I was first figuring out who I wanted to work with, thinking of this as kind of like quicksand. You get dragged down into the quicksand and you can't get yourself out. But what I wanted to do to help people was help them see that they're already holding a rope. They already have that tool there with them and they can dig themselves out. You just kind of sometimes need someone to push you and to make you realize that it's there. There. So yeah, so that's where— how I got started in coaching. And now I've been doing it, uh, for the last COVID experience of a year. And, um, yeah, that's, that's my story.

That was a beautiful story. That was like so many points that I relate to, so many points that I hear other women relate to, that like, um, this— and it's like we almost laugh at it. Oh, you're having a quarter-life crisis? But it's like, that's very real because we, you know, grow up thinking that we're supposed to do life a certain way. So we go to college or we don't, or we get a job right off the bat, or we think that we're going to do, um, life one way, and then, you know, like, you have kids or you don't, or you do this, right? And so it's like, we— there really is a such thing, you know, and it really is not funny. Yeah, because it's like we're having to retrain our brain to think like, okay, this is okay that you're here. Like, it's okay You know, and I like what you said about the quicksand, and it's like you do already have the rope, you know, like you are your best tool. Everything that you've been through has prepared you for this moment, you know. So, so it's— I think that you're so right. Sometimes it's having someone to like shine the light onto that rope and to say, look, there it is, you can get out of this, you know, like you know what's next, like you have that inner knowing. Um, so funny story, I actually did not— I have never, or I had never read like a personal development book. I didn't know anything about it. I didn't know anything about it until last year. Yeah, I was, um, miserable as a teacher, first grade teacher, quarter-life crisis, you know, um, realizing that was not what I could do. I loved the students and I loved helping people, but it just, it didn't feel aligned, right? It just wasn't what was right for me, and that was fine. So I got my very first personal development book by Marie Forleo. Have you ever—

oh yes, Yeah, love Marie.

Okay, so yeah, I think— I don't even know how I got her book, but it was a, um, it was Everything Is Figureoutable. I like pre-ordered it, um, went through the whole thing, and then yeah, from there it's been like this just huge eye-opener of like what's possible, of the power that our thoughts have over our decisions, over our behaviors, over the patterns that are in our life, right? Like all of these things. Um, so yeah, you're so that like you do have the power over your life. Like you can change it and you know, it's okay to change your mind. You know, once you're 25, 26 years old, like you can change your mind and it's, it's not too late and it's not too early either. Right? Yeah.

I mean, I know probably every single friend that I have has gone through a period like this where it's just such a different time in the world because, you know, 100 years ago, 50 years ago even, people had to climb the ladder and that was it. And you did what you were, you know, educated to do, and that was all your life was going to be. And now it's just at any time in your life you can make a change. You can go back to school, you can quit your job and start over, and it might be difficult, difficult, but it's a thing now, and people don't have to look down on it anymore because everyone's doing it. And so if that's Everyone's doing it. Why stay miserable where you are is kind of the way I look at it. Yeah, so it's just, I'm really passionate about it because I think so many people feel stuck and like, well, I've told everyone my whole life that I'm gonna be a doctor, a lawyer, XYZ, do what I learned in college. And now that I don't, who am I and what am I gonna do? And that's one of the big things I like to focus on with people is that what am I going to do question? Because a lot of us don't know. Um, and so I really like to help people to realize who exactly they are because we're so caught up in this whirlwind of life that we don't take time to sit with ourselves. And what I've come to realize this last year is that who I thought I was a year ago is so far from who I actually am. Like what I value, what my priorities are, they're shifting every day. And it's just amazing to see like one once you finally value yourself and allow yourself to be at the top of your own list of important people, that everything can change for you. And I just want everyone else to be able to, to see that for themselves too.

So, so true. And you know what, it's so funny, it's like every time you find yourself, like, it's kind of like you change again, you know? It's like this constant, like, evolving process. Like, you're just like peeling back the layers, or you're At least it's true for me, I am constantly changing what I'm into or the things that interest me or what I'm passionate about and stuff. I mean, the theme is always kind of the same, but it definitely changes. So yeah, it's always, well, who am I this year? What do I want to do this year? Yeah, yeah.

And it's okay to be that way, which is I think so important for people to realize is you can change. I think change is often so feared. Even myself, scary having a new thing to go after, a new thing to want or to like, and it's easier to do the same thing over and over again. Um, but it's so much more fulfilling to lean into the change. So I love that. I mean, we're always different. You're so right. Like, what I value today might not be what I value in a month, and that's okay.

And that's okay. Absolutely. We, um, I did an interview yesterday with Liz McMurray, and she was saying how she's actually still a, a counselor. She's still a counselor and she coaches, right? And it was like this huge like shift, or like this permission that she had to give herself to do both. You know, we think they're like, oh well, you have to quit your job now. Oh, you have to do it this way. You've gotta, um, you know, be seeking to be a millionaire or to have like a million dollar business. But it's like, if that doesn't feel aligned to you, then like you don't have to do it that way, you know?

Absolutely. Yeah.

So what have, have there been any instances like in your business or in your journey where you've just really had to give yourself permission to like break the mold or to do it differently than how you've seen other people do it?

Yeah. I mean, not even just in my business, but in life in general. You just said reminds me of a quote I heard. I believe it was Jamie Kern Lima, who's the founder of IT Cosmetics. She was in television and she was a news anchor and she, felt like there was more out there for her and said sometimes you have to know when to give up on one dream in order to pursue another. And I felt like that was so deep because, you know, it's been my dream forever to do something in the media with television, whatever, and I'm here and I'm living it. I'm still doing it and I love it, but that doesn't mean that's the only thing I can do. Um, yeah, give myself permission to, to follow this next career path or this next part of my career path or side goal or whatever it is, um, because that's something else and that makes my life busier and that makes everything different when I try to go after the second dream. So definitely that, um, and I think it's even like outside of the business world, it's— I have to give myself permission every day on a personal level to do this stuff because we're here in COVID and friends want to do Zoom calls, or, you know, it would be great to sit down and watch 15 hours of television, and that would feel better for me. And sometimes I have to tell myself, yes, it's okay to say no to this Zoom call. It's okay to say no to do X, Y, and Z because you're following your passion. Like, even though some people aren't gonna get it— why is this girl spending every waking hour of her evening after her day job working on this business? Yes, I love it. I want to be able to do that. And so you have to give yourself permission, I think, to be seen as a little bit crazy.

Oh my God, that is so good. I have to like make a note of that. Permission to be seen as a little bit crazy. 100%. Oh, this is so good. Yeah, some people are like, what is a coach? What do you do? What is personal development? You know, and that's okay because I also had to learn, right? A few years ago, I didn't even know what a coach was. And that's okay, right? So I— it's, it's just a process. And by you showing up unapologetically yourself and like pursuing this dream and like not being, you know— and maybe you were afraid to be seen as crazy at first, but now, you know, you're still doing it anyways. Like, even if it's just planting like a seed along the way, like, you're giving them permission, like, you're giving them, um, the slip to to tell them that it's okay to be their self too.

Absolutely, absolutely, yes. And I, oh, what was I gonna say? I just totally lost it. But it's just about, oh, that's what it was, yeah. I think what's sad a lot of times about the coaching business is that people who aren't fully okay with themselves in their life yet don't necessarily see this as a path that is smart or sane even. And so it can be, it was hard. And I noticed a few of your coaches you interviewed said it was hard to start getting myself seen, to put myself out there, to go on my first live or whatever it is, because you are worried about what people might say or what they think of like a life coach type of industry. And so yeah, it's, I think the more we put ourselves out there, the more people will accept it. And only you need to accept yourself is the other part to that. Like, who cares what somebody says? They probably need a life coach if they're the ones who are, you know, you know, giving you crap for being a life coach. But, um, and it's like, I know Ali, who you know as well, said that this is like, if we don't put ourselves out there to help people, we're doing a disservice to the people who need our help. And I think that's really important to remember, and it helps me a lot to think when I feel like I'm failing and I just want to take a night off or not do it today or quit altogether, it's like, but that's a whole group of people out there who are just waiting for someone like me who could maybe help them. Absolutely. It's really powerful, I think, to remember.

I literally remember having that same— I don't know if it was, if it was her who said it, if it was someone different, but I remember just being like have this realization it's not all about me, you know, like, this is my experience, but like, what about the people that I'm not helping, you know? What about the person that like really needs to hear this today? Like, even with these— like, with this interview series, I've had several people reach out and say like, oh my gosh, thank you so much for doing this, like, it really helps me, you know, I've been thinking about doing this, you know. And it's like, that one person can now go help other people, right? So I just threw my pencil across the room. It's like, it's this ripple effect, you know? Like, you help one person, they change their life, they go help someone else. So it's, it's literally the best. It's the best, you know?

Yes.

Yeah, it really is the best. Totally, totally. And like, not just on— and it's like, you're not just building a quote-unquote coaching business. Like, you're literally building like your, your, um, you know, your lifestyle. Like, you're building this freedom that can change, right? Because like, as we've said, things change with time. You know, you have the power to now write a book, you have the power to, you know, host a retreat, you have the power to like, you know, have this workshop or whatever. Like, it's not even just about, oh well, I take coaching clients, um, on Zoom and we talk about your problems and you, you know, set some goals. Like, it's literally building this lifestyle of helping people and so many different capacities if that's what's true to you, right? Like if that's what feels good to you.

Yeah. Absolutely, yeah. My number one value when I did values work was freedom. So it's funny that you say that because that's exactly what this is. It's like there's an entire world of opportunity open and even, like I don't even have to be an individual business coach. I could go work as a consultant for a different coaching group or whatever it is. There's so much available. And it's exciting to have the whole world open with things that I actually enjoy. And I just want more people to be able to see that they can enjoy their life. I think it's so sad that it's so hard for some people to see that. Yeah, I think we're all collectively helping to raise that a little bit for everyone, which I love.

Yes. Yes, I love that. So if you could give someone a piece of advice that was like venturing into starting their own business or they're thinking about they want to help people, what would you tell them? Like what would be like, it's like a little tidbit for them.

Just do it. I talk about a lot with my clients is with motivation. It was Brendon Burchard that said something along the lines of the power plant doesn't have energy, it makes energy. And it's the same with motivation and getting started. You don't just have it. It's not going to exist if you sit around waiting for it. You're going to be sitting around forever. Um, so that's good, you know? And I think that's the biggest thing, um, was taking a moment to figure out exactly what I wanted and how I wanted to get it. But aside from that, to invest in yourself, because spending money on yourself and finding ways to— even free ways to improve yourself to rent a book from the library that talks about what you want to get started, anything. That's how you're going to move forward. And so it's all going to only happen from sheer force of will. So just do it is what I would suggest.

That is some, some good advice right there. That's like tough love. Like, just do it. Yeah. I've never heard that about the power plant.

Oh, it's one of my favorite quotes. I use it like every single day at least once. So true, and it's— I think that's the hardest thing I had to realize about motivation because I struggle with motivation. I think there's not a soul on the planet who hasn't had to struggle with motivation. And that's the thing you have to remember, is that it's not gonna be there until it becomes a habit for it to be there. So we really need to just get started, and then that's gonna start fueling the dopamine production and everything working. So then we actually look forward to doing these things, working towards our goals.

So that is so good. I wonder, I'm like, what's coming up for me right now is about like kinetic energy.

Yeah.

You know, and about how like it's like the energy of movement, but like that energy doesn't happen until it's already moving.

Yes.

I'm gonna have to like nerd out on this after, after this call. Yeah.

I keep quoting people, but I'm obsessed with like personal development, as I said. But Tony Robbins says, change your state, change your story. Um, And that's huge. So if I'm sitting on the couch feeling unmotivated, maybe get up and dance and blast music and just change your entire state because even just moving your body in a way that's different will kind of jumpstart you in a positive direction. So that's another big thing I like to share with people too is get up, move around.

Absolutely. That is so good. Yeah. Yeah. That's exactly what I did before we jumped on this call. Just finished up the other interview and I was like, all right, I've got to get up, I've got to like walk around, like turn on the music really quick, like grab my water. Yeah, that's exactly what I did. Um, and then in like a negative sense, what I used to do before, um, leaving teaching, what I would do in the mornings— and I've shared this story several times— is on the more like in the mornings on the way to school, for me to like get into the energy that I needed to have mentally to like go into school for 8 hours is I would play the song Lizzo, uh, Truth Hurts by Lizzo on the radio like the entire way to school. I would just like jam out to it. I'm like, all right, like I gotta get this energy, I've gotta do this, like here we go. Yeah, and it was, and it was like I just had to do it, otherwise I would like just be dragging myself in, you know.

Absolutely. My song for the morning is Good Morning by Max Frost. Big time suggest for everyone, it's the best. Okay, but you remind me that at work whenever I have to go in and have a difficult conversation or I have an interview for a promotion or whatever it is, I listen to Eye of the Tiger every single time.

I love that.

Yes, it gets you pumped and then you're ready to roll and turn it off and march in, and that's totally different energy than you would have if you just sat there nervous the entire time before going in.

That is so good. Yesterday, so I shared with my coach— this is like so personal for everyone listening, but I share with my own personal coach yesterday about how I felt resistance on showing up on Instagram, like on my stories. And that is something that usually comes very natural to me, like, and it's no problem. And it's just like I just show up and I just do it and I just talk about whatever and like, it's fine. It's never been an issue. But this past week or so, like, I don't know, I just felt like this resistance. And anyways, we talked through it and found out what was coming up for me. And she was like, okay, so the next time you go on, you've got to play a song right before you hit the, you know, hit the button. And you've got to like just jam out, get your headspace right, and then go do it. So, so I have reverted to the Lizzo, you know, True Hearts, because that's been like a theme song for me. So, so yeah. Um, are there any times like in your business where you've just had to suck it up and like just do it?

Oh yeah. I mean, yeah, I have a lot of times when I feel like I'm having to drag myself through the process. And there was a time, um, I don't know, a couple of weeks ago where I was, felt like I was ready to phone it in and just call it quits. Um, which is a pattern for me. I have often through my life called it quits.

Quits.

Um, then there's two parts to this. First part to that is that it's okay to call it quits sometimes. Um, it's not right for you, which is what I've had to kind of talk myself down on a lot of times when I think I'm a quitter. I'm not a quitter. I just found things I didn't love and changed them. But anyways, second part to that is I was feeling like quitting, but I knew deep down that this is not one of those things to quit. This is one of those things that I love. And so how I help myself get through those times is say, 3 years from now when I have my book about my successful giant coaching business, chapter 3 is going to be about the time I almost gave up and I didn't. And so that's how I try to push myself through. You know, every business owner anywhere in the entire world has a story like that where it got too difficult and they thought they were going to call it in and they didn't.. And I want that to be a chapter in my book, not the end of the story.

That's so good.

You were just like full of like wise advice from all the millions of books I've read.

Right. I love it. I'm a nerd too. It's okay. Um, yeah, no, I love that. That is so true. And you know, another thing that, that kind of like piggybacks off of that is no matter what you do in life, whether or not you're working at a 9 to 5, especially if you're an entrepreneur, if you have your own business, whatever you do in life, like, it's going to have its series of hard things. Like, it's gonna be hard in its own way. So like, you just have to choose your hard. Like, you just have to choose, well, do you want to wake up every day and go to a 9 to 5, or do you want to wake up every day and like work to make your business work? You know, like, which one is it? Or do you want to do both, right? But like, it's your choice.

So I love that, choose your hard. That's an Excellent quote.

Thank you. Thank you.

But it's so true, and I mean, I— this is what I work on a lot for myself because I have trouble sitting in the discomfort when it comes to absolutely anything. Like, I'd rather experience immediate joy than a little hardship followed by extreme joy. Um, so that's something I'm trying to relearn for myself, and I think it really goes to what you just said in that, um, would I rather go to work and make a consistent, nice, easy paycheck every day but maybe not love it as much as I could? Or would I rather sit through some really hard times building a business and failing and getting up and failing and getting up and absolutely love my life at the end? And so I think that's really important how you just said that.

I love that. Yeah, that's so true. And, and it's like, honestly, any type of business that you grow, anything that you're— or anything that— not even just a business, like, think about planting a seed, right, to like grow a plant. Or think about like raising a child, you know, like birthing your first child and raising them up. Or, um, you know, starting a new relationship. Like, anything, literally anything that like you are nurturing and you're growing, like, it's going to have its obstacles or it's challenging or you're going to want to pull your hair out sometimes. But it is. It's like, I like it. It's like, this is just a chapter of the story. This is not the end of the book.

Yeah, absolutely. And is it worth it if it doesn't hurt a little bit?

Yeah, exactly.

So true. I mean, I listened to a podcast the other day with a neuroscientist who was explaining that you get more dopamine released from the process of achieving a goal than from actually achieving the goal itself. So if it was easy, that literally means we would have less dopamine release because we'd achieve the goal immediately. We get more from the process. So you want it to be a little hard because every hurdle you overcome is going to be just another spurt of dopamine. Wow.

That is so good. That's some good stuff. Yeah, that is good. That's real good. You should get— so, okay, so what is your favorite book? If we were to like go pick out Ashley's favorite book, what would it be?

Well, my favorite book of all time is Wild by Cheryl Strayed, which is not really personal development, but you can get personal development out of it. Okay. Which, have you read it? No. Oh my God, it's incredible. It's this woman who— it's also a movie with Reese Witherspoon, but She had a really difficult life and her mother passed away and she just was at the bottom of the bottom doing drugs, all this stuff, and decided one day to just like quit everything and hike the Pacific Crest Trail, which takes months. And so it's just her journey through the Pacific Crest Trail, figuring out who the heck she was for 2 months by herself on a trail, having to survive. Wow. And it is so incredible. Absolutely 100% recommend everybody read that book. I'm interested. Um, personal development-wise, I'm trying to— I'm seeing if I have it in here. Um, I would say The Defining Decade is about your 20s, and if you are in the quarter-life crisis area in your 20s, there is not a better book to read on this entire planet.

The Decade— I've never— who, who, who is that by?

Oh gosh, it's by some doctor.

Defining—

Meg Jay. Okay, it's Why Your 20s Matter and How to Make the Most of Them Now. Yeah, it's amazing. Okay, yeah, I got all the book recs.

Yeah, I love that. I'm definitely gonna have to check those out. Wild and The Defining Decade, totally. Those are awesome. My favorite, I would say, is Everything Is Figureoutable. Definitely, um, that deserves a spot on the, on the shelf. And then also The Dark Side of the Light Chasers was really good, which that That one's personal development also. That's about shadow work and like owning, you know, the dark sides of yourself and like the parts of yourself that you don't want to own.

Yeah. Oh my gosh, that's so good. I'm going to put that on my list. I'm actually starting in 2021 a personal development book club online, my platforms and everything. So that feels like a great one to put in there. So I might have to do that.

That sounds fun. Add me to that.

I want him. Absolutely. My first module in my program that I do is all about fear work and limiting beliefs and darkness and all of that. So I think that'd be a great one to even start the book club with, just to get— you kind of have to start as to— in any journey is to acknowledge the dark parts of your life and yourself so that you can find ways to live with them and figure out the good things that you love and So thank you for that recommendation.

You're very welcome, and I'm excited to read about Wild. Is that a fiction or is it like a memoir or memoir? Okay, I love memoirs. I love to listen to memoirs like through Audible.

She might read her own, I don't know actually.

Oh, that's my favorite. Yeah, those are my fave. I'm listening to Becoming by Michelle Obama right now.

I read that this year. Oh my God, it's one of my favorite books, probably.

I said that one. Yeah, that one's good.

So many good ones.

I know, I know, we could totally like nerd out on this. Okay, so this has been so good, Ashley. Let me think, where else do I want to go with this? I'm just like, well, what else, you know? Um, tell me about— okay, so like if someone— if you— are you working with clients right now? Are you taking in new clients? Yes. Okay. So what is it that like you help your clients with? What type of, you know, if someone wanted to work with you, like what would you help them with?

Sure. So I basically try to take my clients from a point of being, feeling stuck and unfulfilled with where they are to getting to a point where they have an idea and a plan of where they want to go. So I basically, right now I have a group program that getting together, which is good for the point. It's good because everyone can work together to help each other, support each other. But I also do one-on-ones, and I take them through about a 5, 5-module process where you're gonna get clear on what's going wrong, what you're not enjoying, what your limiting beliefs are, and then figuring out what you value, what your strengths are. And then I do a whole 2-week reset where we work on habits and routines and morning and evening and getting everything restarted. And like, you know, look at what your schedule looks like, where you might be wasting time that you could use to follow these dreams that you think you don't have time to follow. And then we do life priorities, figure out what actually matters to you, what you do about what people that you know might think that you'd be really good at, and it can help you figure out about what you might wanna do, what might be the best step for you. And for some clients, it's a huge new career opportunity, and for some, it's starting with a new routine that's gonna be like the first step in their process. And then finally, I do a behavior change plan going through how we take about 3 goals, going through how exactly you can achieve those 3 steps, by when you wanna do them, how you're gonna keep yourself accountable to them, and what the heck happens if it doesn't work.

Work?

That's a big part. How do we work through it if, if it doesn't get achieved after you have this plan? Um, yes. So I do that both in group and one-on-one, and that is what I work through with my clients.

I love that. That is so needed too, especially right now. Once again, like COVID, you know, people's lives are changing and their direction is changing and what they want, right? So it's like, I can just see this helping so, so many people, so many young people that are in their 20s that are trying to figure it out, you know, that are breaking the mold, that are doing new things in their life. Yeah, this is going to be so, so good for them. So if they wanted to explore that, if they wanted to explore, um, what it was like to work with you, they wanted to see if they were a good fit for it, how could they do that?

Yeah, so they could first of all reach out to me on any platform. I'm Discovering Sparks is my business title. I'm on Instagram there, Facebook there, DiscoveringSparks.com. And if you go to DiscoveringSparks.com, there is a link to set up a clarity call with me. So on there, I do a 30-minute call just to talk. It's not— you don't have to purchase anything afterwards. You don't have to sign up, but it gets clear, helps us to get clear on where exactly you are and whether I could help you or whether there might be something better for you or different that you need.

I love that you can point them in the right direction and give them some tangible tips to walk away with.

Yes, absolutely.

Yeah, that's awesome. Okay, Ashley, thank you so much for coming on today. This episode was so good. I know that anyone listening definitely took away some good book recommendations. They took away their Post-it notes with our quotes listed on them.

I love it.

Yeah, we're just like self-development gurus. I know, obsessed. Okay, so thank you so much, Ashley, and we will see you all next time.

Thank you.