Protecting Flexibility while Gaining Career Growth & Income: Ashley’s Journey Transitioning Back to Full-time Work

Ep: 133

Often, we feel like we need to settle in our careers. We think that if we have ONE desirable thing, we can’t possibly ask for more (OR that we have to trade one for the other). For example, if you already have the flexibility you need, you might be afraid to reach for the growth you desire out of the fear of sacrificing what you already have. But with clarity, confidence, and support, you really can achieve that growth, without sacrificing the flexibility, if you just know how to communicate and position yourself to stand out in the market.

In today’s episode, Blake welcomes Ashley to share her story. Before joining the program, Ashley already had the flexibility of remote work to her advantage. She had been working part-time for the last 9 years so she could have the flexibility she needed for her family, but felt like she was sacrificing her growth and income in exchange. Through the program, she was able to maintain the flexibility she needed while simultaneously achieving growth in her career AND more than doubling her income. She learned how to take the next steps by leveraging her skills and knowing how she worked best in order to transition into a new industry. The best part? She achieved all of this in just 2 months!

What You’ll Learn:

  • Being clear about what you need in your next job (5:30)
  • Why being good at something doesn’t mean it’s what you should be doing (8:52)
  • Discovering your secret sauce (20:25)
  • Why transitioning into a new industry might be easier than you think (22:43)
  • How confidence can help you pave the path forward (33:10)


Favorite Quotes:

  1. “You have to kind of go along this journey of reflecting and learning what your life’s goals are, your non-negotiables, what you’re willing to sacrifice, and what you’re not willing to sacrifice.” —Ashley
  2. “Just because you’re doing something well at work, doesn’t actually mean that that’s what you’re best at doing.” —Ashley
  3. “If you’re just mindlessly applying to all of these different positions, you’re wasting your time. There is a better approach.” —Ashley
  4. “There’s an art and a science to networking. And if you don’t have that secret sauce pitch, or you don’t understand or have clarity, just talking to somebody won’t open the doors for you.” —Blake
  5. “I knew that I was worth more, that I wanted to grow, and I wanted to be compensated for what I knew I was worth.” —Ashley
  6. “Work should be something that you’re passionate about. And that work should be something that allows you to lead the life that you want and have the balance that you want.” —Blake

Rather than hoping the grass will be greener, identify what the RIGHT next step is.

We can help you do just that.

Get clarity on where you are on your journey to career fulfillment, where you’re headed, optional paths to get there, and the right next step to take.

Start your complimentary, Personalized Career Fulfillment Plan by going to www.thebridgetofulfillment.com/plan

Want free resources to set your job search up for success? You can get them by going to: https://thebridgetofulfillment.com/mistakes

Transcript

Blake Schofield 0:03 My name is Blake Schofield, founder and CEO of connections eliminated mom to three and former corporate executive who got tired of sacrificing my life for a comfortable paycheck. My mission is to change women’s perspectives about what is possible, empowering them with the tools to create greater impact at home and at work without sacrificing their health time family or income. This is the bridge to fulfillment. Hello, and welcome back to another episode of the bridge to fulfillment today, I’m really excited to have my client Ashley on to share her journey with you. Ashley’s story is unlike any that we’ve told so far on this podcast, and it’s one of the reasons I’m really excited to have her here. We were just talking about when she joined the bridge to fulfillment program. One of the discussions we had was that she wanted to be a client success story. And how cool is it that we’re literally like, a little over two months later. And here you are so welcome. I’m so excited to have you today.

Ashley 1:05 Thank you. Yeah, I’m really excited because like Blake had mentioned, I put on one of my documents that my goal was to be featured in a success story, because that’s where I wanted to end up. So I’m really happy that we’re here. And honestly, it didn’t take too long. So I am happy that I get to share that. But more importantly, I want to be able to advocate for other women who might be in that same position and needing to hear this.

Blake Schofield 1:32
So actually, can you share a little bit about what was going on in your life before we connected what was happening in your life and career?

Ashley 1:38 Yes, so I have been working at the same large medical institution for the past 12 years. And for the past nine years, I’ve actually been working part time. So when I first started, I was in more a junior position, working alongside someone. And then after I got pregnant with my first baby, I really felt that tug of not knowing what to do, I still wanted to work. I’m definitely an ambitious person. I really get fulfilment through working, but I wasn’t sure how to blend those lives. So I had asked if I could go back part time. And thankfully, and I’m still so grateful for this. But my organization allowed me to do this. So for the past nine years, I have been working part time and felt very fulfilled for the majority of the beginning of that I ended up having a second child. And I kind of told myself that I had the ideal position because I was still working, I was still getting to do what I loved. While I wasn’t doing a lot of growth in my role, I was still getting to do my job and what I liked while focusing on my family and having, you know, kind of two days where I can kind of get things done. But I did tell myself, okay, so when my youngest gets to kindergarten, I probably will want to think about integrating more into full time work, or just working on growing my career and taking that next step. And then well, first of all, when that happened, COVID happened. So it kind of delayed me a year. But even throughout that year, I’ve just felt this low lying anxiety about oh, gosh, what is what is this going to look like? It’s time It’s time, I really want to do something. So I got to this point where I felt like I was ready for that next step. And I just couldn’t take it anymore. And there had been a lot of changes in my role at work. And there had been a lot of changes in the team. And it was it was just clear to me that it was time. And so I had this moment of like, okay, I know that I’m ready for this. But what does that look like? How do I do that? What What am I even looking for next, because I’ve been in this position for so long without really any external growth. So if you looked at me, externally, you wouldn’t necessarily see someone who every year had changed title. And now that doesn’t mean I wasn’t learning things there and gaining experience, I think I’ve gained a ton of experience through my position and worked with some of the most fascinating, brilliant people. But I was worried how that will look externally, when I’m going to be one of 100 applicants. So that’s when I found you Blake on LinkedIn and started seeing some of these stories. And then I’m like, What is this? And then I listened to a couple of the podcasts that you have. And it was just this lightning bolt. I was like, this is exactly how I’m feeling. This is these women were saying the exact same things I was saying every day and I’m like, Okay, I need to learn more about this. It was verbatim the things that I had been thinking so that’s when I reached out to you and said, Help me What can I do? How can how can I find out what it is that next step is and how does that look?

Blake Schofield 4:52 And so when we connected and chatted about where you are and what it is that you are really looking for one of the big things we had talked to Out is wanting growth. But also you had a lot of flexibility you had a lot of flexibility for a long time, is that one of the things that you felt like was really keeping you stuck in this job search and trying to figure out what was next is how do I not move from like, one side of the pendulum to the other?

Ashley 5:15 Absolutely, I had been working flexible and that I was working remotely. So you know, I had to go down to meetings and whatnot and had calls on but my, my home base was at home, and that was wonderful. And my biggest fear was that I had to find a job that also had that flexibility. And whether that was full time, part time, whatever that looked like, I need that flexibility. And I really wanted to be remote. And I have to say, prior to the pandemic, it would have been a lot harder, because I had looked at roles and there weren’t remote roles in some of the companies that I had interest in. And then COVID happened, and I’ve saw a ton. But that also added the issue of anybody could reapply could apply to these remote roles. So it even made it harder, because I was one of 1000s that could be applying to something wanting this remote opportunity. But it was probably my number one kind of non negotiable is that I still need flexibility. Because while my husband works, and they have a family business, and that is our livelihood. And I know and want to be the role of the caregiver, and taking my kids to appointments and showing up to different school plays and any anything like that. So I needed to be able to be the person that could be on call, but also still have a job that was meaningful and new match. It matched up with what I knew I was capable of, I knew that I could do both mom’s world, the world. So you know, I wanted to be able to work hard, but also be there for my kids. So yes, flexibility was my top concern.

Blake Schofield 6:55 So when we decided to work together, and you got started on this journey, what did you think it was gonna feel like? And how was it different than what you expected?

Ashley 7:07 So I think when I first talked to you, I’m like, I just want answers, I want someone else to give me the answers of what is it that I want to do? Which sounds kind of silly thinking back about that can help? Why am I asking someone else to tell me what I want? I know intrinsically what deep down, I would want. But I guess what I didn’t realize is that you would be helping me find those answers on my own. It wasn’t someone who was going to tell me but you kind of guided me to figure out and go through this journey. So that it was you know, big bold letters, okay, this is what you don’t want. This is what you don’t even realize that you’re saying that you need or don’t want. So that was probably I went into this thinking, Okay, I’m gonna get the answers from someone else. But what you do, what you do for a lot of people is help them find the answers within themselves. But you have to kind of go along this journey of kind of reflecting and learning what your life’s goals are your non negotiables, what you’re willing to sacrifice what you’re not willing to sacrifice. And you may think that you know, those, but sometimes someone asks you them in a different way, or they ask you to tweak things, or you take a certain quiz and you learn about yourself. And you’re like, what, I did not know that that was actually how I worked or how I didn’t work. And I did learn that through you. You know, I kind of what I thought just because you’re doing something well at work, doesn’t actually mean that that’s what you’re best at doing. Just because someone at works like oh my gosh, yes, you’re the person who’s super organized and can and run this program. It’s like, well, well, sure. But actually, there’s other things I can do. And I’m actually even better at it. So you know, it’s you’re really taking a look at all of those things.

Blake Schofield 8:52 That one of my favorite moments in the journey with you was really uncovering your natural way of working in what you are gifted at doing what you’re sort of alluding to, and helping you see and understand. Right that yes, just because you’re good at something doesn’t mean that’s what you’re best at. But even when you had that aha moment of like, oh, wait a second. I’ve been doing all this stuff. This isn’t actually how I’m wired to work. There was even a moment in a period after that where we really started talking about how do you communicate your skills? How are you helping other people see what you’re good at? That was like a big aha moment. Do you remember that? Yes.

Ashley 9:35 And it changed the way I even approached interviews because I was explaining what I did. But I wanted to make it clear that this because that’s what I did in my previous job doesn’t mean that’s what I want to continue doing. You know, we’re maybe I was more of an implementer before I wanted to be more strategic moving forward. And I’m actually really good at that. But I just because I was good at implementing I just kept doing it and You know, it’s funny people say they have different work styles at home and at work. And I do, I can see that. And I feel like it became more and more apparent. But it was a big aha moment because it changed the way that I was looking at job descriptions, it changed the way I would describe myself to others in what I wanted to be doing. Sure I can do these things, and I’ll be good at it. But my goal is to be doing some other things as well. And that’s what I needed to learn how to communicate. And I had to learn how to seek because I didn’t necessarily know that that’s the way I was wired.

Blake Schofield 10:39 So you said coming into the program, you just six you were thinking, right, we’ll just give you the answers. And through the journey, you actually realize what we were doing, or the way I like to describe it is we were giving you the skills to understand who you are, how to solve your problems, how to communicate differently, how to create the life that you want, right, as opposed to, it’s the whole, like, teach, teach person how to fish and they’ll never starve kind of mentality is how I look at it. This is a very different thing than going in somebody tactically going, Oh, this is what you’re good at. And this is what you should do. How has the process of gaining the skill and the ability to sort of dig in and understand who you are, what you need, and gain clarity on how to create a path forward? How has that changed your life? And how will that change how you do things in the future?

Ashley 11:30 Well, it changes because as I have conversations with other women, and I start hearing that they’re in similar circumstances, I just want to help them and be like the answers are within you, you just need to help find a path and to bring those out. And then it also helps because even though I’m starting, I’ve switched industries, in some sense, and I’m going to be learning a lot more, that doesn’t mean that that stops, because I found a different position, it actually just kind of accelerates that. And I want to continue using those tools to grow my career and even personally, so it’s in conversations that I have with other people, it kind of makes me want to support them, and help them in the same ways that kind of helped me. And then also to know that it doesn’t end here, just because you’ve found maybe the next step, you’re going to continue using these kind of principles, and you have this criteria for life and that you just keep growing and you keep going and every step doesn’t have to be a final step. Maybe it you think it is for a while. But I think if you use these same practices that we’ve learned, it’s it’s gonna make it feel like it’s just one continual growth journey. It’s not just you’re not just stopping here.

Blake Schofield 12:43 Oftentimes, I think we get most stuck in the place that you were when you came to me, it’s the place I was stuck for well over a decade, it’s easy to tell somebody, the answers are within you. You just have to seek them. But the reality is very far different when you’re sitting in that spot, and you’re stuck. And so for women that are stuck that hear you, because you’ve you’ve gone over, you’ve built your bridge, right? You see the other side, it’s simple to you when you understand the path, right, but those who aren’t, are stuck there for a reason. Do you think Ashley, you would have been able to get the clarity and the understanding that you have now if you had just tried to figure it out on your own?

Ashley 13:23 No. And I think I think there, there were pockets of I knew this information, I didn’t feel confident and that that was true. I think I was looking at somewhat of the right companies and industries. But I wasn’t, again, competent, that that was the intentional next steps. So what you did, really is helped me pull out why I would have had those fears, or what was holding me back. And then also to help articulate this is what I don’t want. And this is what I do want. And there were a couple instances, you know, I was talking to a couple couple different companies. And I kind of was able to pull some out, because I spoke with you and learned more about my work style and learned about the type of company that would work best for the way I work for my mentality for what I was looking for. And if I hadn’t done that, I don’t think I would have gotten to where I am now and felt competent, that that was the right decision. So you really helped me pull these pieces out, saying okay, well, you might have been drawn to this company for for one reason. But you actually don’t like the the instability for that type of environment. or Yes, this one shows a lot of flexibility. But you’re going to be on your own. Do you want to be on your own all the time because it seems like you seek a little bit more collaboration. And you know, you tell yourself these stories and you you you believe it one way but sometimes you do need that support from other people asking you those questions asking you to write them down coming up with Situ Patience and saying, Okay, actually, you’re right, let’s kind of go down the road. And I don’t want to be a year into this and be like, cool. I didn’t make that right. I didn’t do this, I didn’t do this right, I made, I made a mistake. And that’s not to say I won’t down the road. But I think it’s I gained so much more clarity and thinking it all out that I feel confident going into this next step being like I made the right decision. I’m glad that I didn’t take this other opportunity. Or I’m glad I explored this other one more, and maybe down the road, there will be other possibilities, but where they’re at right now, it doesn’t work. And I would not have known that if I didn’t work with you.

Blake Schofield 15:36 Awesome. There were a number of things that you felt like were really blocking you from getting where you wanted to go. I’m gonna read a couple from my notes that you know, I have of our journey. And then I’d love to get your perspective. So you had shared, you feel like you don’t have knowledge of a certain industry, like software, funnily enough, you ended up moving into tech you had shared, you know, maybe you like certain environments, but not sure that you were going to be right. And then you talked about you didn’t know how to stand out in an interview. You worried about competing with people, you mentioned that all over the world. Now, because it’s remote. You talked about not having your masters in did you need more certification? A lot of the things that sort of came up for you as barriers are very common barriers I hear from women all the time. How did going through this process help you overcome some of those barriers, or see that maybe some of the things you thought were reasons why you couldn’t be successful, or thought or reasons why people wouldn’t pick you actually weren’t true.

Ashley 16:34 The things that I wrote down that I thought were not a thought were barriers. For some of them, I knew that they weren’t actually barriers, but I just needed to be able to talk to that person first, I knew that once I got the interview and talked with them, that it would be okay. Because not working in the job that I am now even, you know, you have you have to stand out somehow, kind of the Masters thing, like I knew that, if I had spoke to you, you probably would know that it’s not necessarily something that I had to have, I think it’s great if you have it, but I know that it shouldn’t have been something that set me back from others. And then also standing out on a crowd, one of the things you really helped me with is what you call the secret sauce. And that really helped me identify how I am different. And what I bring to the table. Everyone has these same two or three sentences of looking for, you know, I am this, I’m demonstrated history and this and what you know, all that same kind of stuff. And that’s great, you see the same things like so what you’re getting 300 of those same things. So you really helped me develop something that really like described me to a tee of how I would bring, how do I want to say this, it helped me, it might attribute it’s how I was different, it was so much more in depth without going you know, paragraphs wise, like you gave me the skills, okay, in two to three sentences, I can explain to you how I’m different and how I’m going to help your business. And so that gave me a lot of confidence as well. Also, it’s a lot of networking. So a lot of times you’re thinking of applying to these jobs, and you’re just applying blindly. And sometimes people say you have to apply to 100 places in order to hear back. And it was such a waste of time. Because all it took so much time, it’s another job. And I kind of learned that that’s actually not the best route and all of jobs, all of the jobs that I’ve ever really ended up becoming a real potential or possibility came from conversations that I’ve had people that I know, talking through, and honestly, every person that you speak with, if you want to hear about their story, or if they’re, if they’re in an industry that you like, I would say, you know, start talking to them have an informational interview. Tell me about what you do. Oh, tell me about what that looks like day to day, does that sound like something that you would like, because that’s where you make the real connections? And, and you really, you really sell that. And so if you’re just mindlessly applying to all of these different positions, you’re wasting your time. There is a better approach. And and I think that is kind of something that rings true loud and clear. That that’s there’s a better way to do that.

Blake Schofield 19:25 Well, and certainly your results show that right two of you, you literally landed this job, it was like a day or two before you hit two months in the program. And that was a result of right exactly what we talked about gaining the clarity, understanding how to position and communicate yourself understanding how to align yourself with the right organization, the right opportunity that would be a fit for you. And then really leveraging that knowledge to have the right conversations to open those doors. It’s funny I go back to some of the things you were worried about when you started the program. And you had said one of your fears was reaching out to people and talking to them. And that’s what I constantly hear from women. Right? There’s an art and a science to networking. And if you don’t have that secret sauce pitch, or you don’t understand or have clarity, just talking to somebody won’t open the doors for you. It isn’t. It’s having both of those elements together so that you can be successful. And that person can show up and help you.

Ashley 20:23 Exactly, yeah, I think I’ve talked to people in the past. And I’m like, I wanted to hear more about their jobs. But I didn’t have that picture of myself. So that’s great. I was still learning what they did what the company was like. But I didn’t necessarily know what I could bring to that. And you don’t necessarily need to know, for that first conversation. But if you want to continue down the line, and you really think that it’s a place that you can see yourself, you do need to have that, I mean, how you need to tell them, like how can I how can I improve your current business because I’m there. And that’s, that was something that was really helpful. And I also want to note that, even when you think you are applying to one position in a company, there may be other positions that are a better fit the the position that I’m in now is not the position I applied for. And actually, I had talked to several different people. And as they’re talking, you know, and they’re like, oh, you know, you’re saying all these things. And I actually think you’d be really good for this one, this other position, and you know, and they’re saying, like, I don’t want to deter you from this, but I actually think he may really enjoy this. And honestly, I ended, I feel like I ended up in the exact right position that I’m supposed to be within this organization after speaking, you know, and you have all these interviews, and there’s this huge panel interview. And I had the most wonderful feeling from the people that I were interviewing with. And it was this, really, you know, people always think to grass is greener, on the other side, you’re starting somewhere new, and you’re like, oh, it’s going to be great. And then you kind of get in and of course, there’s work, there’s going to be challenges absolutely everywhere. But for me, it was I really needed more of a positive morale. And when things were hard that you still wanted to work through it together. And I was so impressed by that feeling that I got from them. And it was kind of it was fun talking to them, which is so weird. I’m like, when is an interview ever fun. So I was so glad that I got to that point. But I got to that point by really expressing what I wanted and needed and what I was hoping to get out of it. And I don’t think I would have been able to articulate that had I not gone through the program.

Blake Schofield 22:25 Awesome. So let’s talk a little bit about Yeah, if you can, what were you doing before, and now you’re about to move into your new role and about a week? So tell us what is your new role? So what what was that transformation? I always hear from women, and they’re like, Well, what were they doing before? And what’s the new job?

Ashley 22:43 Okay, well, I’m still in marketing, and I’m still gonna be doing marketing, but it’s somewhat of a different industry. So I started in healthcare at a large organization. And that’s, and I think many people know, it’s more of a traditional academia style. I’m now going over on the tech side, which I feel like is a world of a difference. It’s just a different every day even sort of living, whereas the traditional is more buttoned up and a little bit more formal, I would say the tech side is less so. And while I’m in tech, I’m still actually going to be working in the healthcare realm for tech. But I actually think there’s some other opportunities there, that wouldn’t be in the healthcare round. But I felt most comfortable kind of learning about those, those parts of it first. And that’s where they also were like, yeah, like this is, this is great. And they even gave me the option like, do you want to do this? Or do you kind of want to check out another area first? And I was like, well, because I’m going to be drinking, you know, from a firehose, at first, I think this would be a great way to introduce myself into it. But I kind of love that it’s not, it won’t just be that I have an area to learn, I can grow about other can grow and other industries as well. But yeah, it’s the tech side. So we’re doing software, we’re doing tech and one of my maybe insecurities before was in our, in our previous or in my previous position. We didn’t do we didn’t use a lot of different software. And I was afraid that that would hurt me. But honestly, it didn’t. Because I was still doing the same thing. We were just tracking them and doing them in a different way. And when I was explaining it in my interview, the several of them had actually also come from the healthcare industry. So they knew and they’re like, oh, yeah, and it’s just a matter of learning. And I actually really liked technology. And I love learning about different programs and apps. And so, again, it wasn’t something that I was afraid that I couldn’t do. I was just afraid that if they saw that I didn’t have a ton of experience with it, it would hurt me but in the end, it was kind of the way that you do your work and the way you are as a person and how you plan on treating other people that you’re working with or how you approach your work. Those were the things that seemed like it mattered the most. I had the skill I had the education it was all there. It was just a matter of explaining, you know my priorities and how I worked as a person and viewed my work. So it’s different. It’s different industries. And it’s going to be a whole new world for me, but you can absolutely do it.

Blake Schofield 25:12 Oftentimes, I think women when they are transitioning into their career, a lot of times, you know, we’ve had a lot of women in full time jobs, right, and then looking to move. And what I see consistently is women taking pay cuts, thinking they had to take pay cuts to get flexibility. In your case, you had the flexibility, and you were looking to actually right move into a full time role, but continue to keep the flexibility and the things that matter to you most. And so on the flip side, you were in a situation where you weren’t worried about making less money, but there’s the opportunity of am I really going to maximize my skills? I’m going to create the right financial and career trajectory for myself. And can I do that, while also right, working at a job that I’m energized and passionate and valued, and also have the balance I want for my family? So can you share a little bit because I think oftentimes, I talk about the types of results women get in this program. But it’s hard for women to understand truly the impact either from a what you would miss if you did this on your own, to what the real type of opportunity is, because I think so many women believe you have to trade off, you have to trade off. If you want flexibility, you got to trade off money if you want. And, you know, job you’re passionate about, you have to give up something else. And what we always talk about here is that you don’t right, our focus here is really how can you maximize all parts? So can you share a little bit of what you’re comfortable with about how this is impacted you and your family from a financial and a career trajectory and balance and all of those things to help women understand that you don’t have to sacrifice?

Ashley 26:51 Well, first of all, that was absolutely true that I felt I had to sacrifice money for flexibility. And I feel like even when I had conversations with people, and I’d be like, Well, I’ve kind of stalled on my career. And they’re like, Yeah, but look at the flexibility you have. I’m like, right, but I actually don’t think they’re mutually excuse exclusive. I don’t. And I knew that. And I believe that. And I would tell other people that but yet, I wasn’t doing any doing anything about it. Because for a while, that was what I wanted. And I was willing, you know, to be part time for that flexibility without having an incremental growth financially. And then I kind of got to the point where I was like, Okay, first of all, in the world that we’re living in, that’s absolutely possible, you have to believe it, and it’s out there. And you also have to demand it. You know, that’s, that is also the reality of it. And there are many powerful, driven working moms out there who do have that flexibility and are making what they’re worth. And so for me, I wasn’t worried about losing money financially, this was more about was I I knew that I was worth more, and that I wanted to grow. And I wanted to be compensated for what I knew I was worth. So I decided, okay, yeah, and some people were like, why would you want to go back to full time, but um, you know, I honestly, it wasn’t even part time versus full time, it was necessarily looking for the kind of company I wanted the kind of flexibility. And most often, I knew that that would look more like a full time position. So, and going back to that world, and my kids are in school, I felt like it was kind of the natural process for me. So I was amazing. And so actually helped my family a ton, because, you know, I’ll be making more than double than what I did before. And I had to realize that I was worth that. And, you know, you taught me about negotiation. But I also had a wonderful mentor, actually, from one of my other positions, who was very adamant about you are worth this, and you don’t take less than this. And, you know, this is an you know, and he was a male, and he was like females undercut themselves so much. And if it was this other person, they wouldn’t even blink an eye about asking for this. And that that was just kind of in my head a lot. And I remember even, you know, being a little bit nervous about like, an offer and a counteroffer or whatnot. And then, it was so silly at the end of the day, because it was like yeah, of course, like, yep, like, this is what we’re going to do. So, you know, again, I learned that from the program and kind of really looking at the whole package. Don’t just look at like that first number. This is everything. This is when you’re getting your reviews, when you’re getting your bonuses, how often are they what does the health insurance look like? What are the other amenities that are offered, you know, all of those things mean something and you need to look at that whole total package and this will be extremely helpful for my family and I feel like I feel competent, and I feel I’m kind of I wouldn’t call myself a feminist. I mean, maybe I know I am a feminist. You know, I believe women can do everything and it’s funny because my husband she’s like, oh, boy, you know, here she goes like, you know I run this ship at home. And so I wanted, you know, I knew that I wanted a certain amount and what I wanted to do, and so now, I feel like I guess I’m contributing, but you know, I also am kind of really running this family as well. So we are equal partners in this. And that will probably take some flexibility on my husband’s part as well. But, um, I really feel like we are in a good place, and I’m really excited about it. But I would just say to, you know, other women that you just start having these conversations, and you can get what you’re worth, for sure, you know, my husband might be the person who has his family business, and, and I’m the one doing so much for the family, but this family would literally fall apart if I wasn’t doing all of those things. And then he knows that, and I think he never held me back. And he’s proud of me, but he knows that I don’t, I don’t ask for his permission for things, you know, I just do it. And I know that I’m worth a certain and, and I see so many other women, so often worry about that. And my, I feel bad for them. Because I’m like, you don’t, you don’t need a man’s permission to do that. And like you are worth so much more. And of course, you know, like your partnership with your husband and whatnot. And maybe sometimes I should be working together more. But I’m like, you know, they don’t ask your permission. You know, this is the it’s just understood, and you have every right to be as successful, and have all those same dreams. And I grew up in a household where my father did a lot of the cooking and the cleaning and getting us ready for school. And so, and his father was the same way. So I grew up in a household where everybody had a shared role. And I married into a family where it was not like that. And it was the women did all of that stuff. And the husband worked. And I’m like, you know, and I’m like, stop making him his plates for dinner. He can get it on his own, you know, but it was our backgrounds, but it was because I’ve never seen anything different. And I’m like, Well, of course I can do that on my own horse. I can work horse, I can do this. And my dad was always there rooting for me think Well, of course, why wouldn’t you? You know, yeah, you can do all those things. So I’m very grateful and thankful that I’ve had that upbringing, upbringing, and it continues on but as you know, as you’re a mom, you kind of lose those things sometimes. And you need to be reminded that you can do all of them. And you’re worth it.

Blake Schofield 32:21 Yeah. And by you choosing to do this work and claim and understand who you are, and stand in that value. Right, you’re going to teach your children to do the very same for themselves to teaching them what work should look like for them. That work should be something that you’re passionate. And that work should be something that allows you to lead the life that you want and have the balance that you want. And I just I think that that’s beautiful, I’m super pleased and happy with where you’ve landed, and the trajectory that you’re on. It’s just been such a fun journey with you. Ashley, I know we’re running close at a time. So I’d love to end by asking you is there anything I didn’t ask you, or anything you want to share that you think’s important that you’d like to share with when listening today?

Ashley 33:10 I just hope that others realize that no matter what they’re going through, I feel so much more competent. And that next step now, I don’t question it. And whereas maybe I somehow would have, you know, I would have found this company or opportunity before I would have continued to question Did I make the right decision? Am I going the right way is the right industry? Is this the right position? And now I have absolutely zero question. This was the right decision. This was the right choice. And I’m going into it with that competent state of mind, which I think will also just help me so much. Because that positivity, and that confidence will only benefit me as I go into this next role. You think your circumstances are different, I can promise you that they’re not. And I and one of the things also that really helped me in this program were the calls, I didn’t realize that I’d be on calls with other women. And that was mind blowing to me, because I was on the calls with some of these other really driven, highly experienced women who were also questioning what their next step was. And at first, you know, on that first call, it’s kind of vulnerable. You’re like, oh, my gosh, we’re like really talking about this. Because, you know, and it is a very private environment, no one was allowed to take any information out of those calls. But seeing people in those, those same circumstances of questioning was really enlightening, but also you help each other. And you’re finally able to kind of talk about what your real concerns are. And you know, when you say the numbers out there, or you say, Hey, I’m questioning, do I really want to even do this? Am I good at this? And it’s really cathartic and therapeutic to get that out there and you get a lot of that from the call. So I would say if you’re skeptical or you’re questioning I feel like that’s very normal. I think probably every single person is before they start this program, but I can promise you, you You’re going to learn a ton about yourself. And it’s also going to want to make you start advocating for other women. Once you see that it’s possible for yourself and you, you start seeing maybe your friend who’s kind of having those same questions. And you’re like, trust me, I know you got this, like, I know you got this, you we just need to approach it in a different way. And so that would probably be my final kind of takeaway to this as this was a great group, to just learn more about myself to learn that you are not alone. And these questions and and I think we all know that. But you really can get what you need in terms of tailoring. What it is that you’re trying to find in this life career rise. And I think you’ll learn about that, that that extends personally as well. You’ll, you’ll use the same practices. So go for it, start asking these questions, start having the conversations and have an intro call with Blake so that she can kind of explain to you what this would look like if you were work together.

Blake Schofield 35:56 Thank you, Ashley. It’s been such a pleasure to be a part of this first leg of the journey with you. I know we’ll stay in touch and keep seeing your progress and growth as you go. And thank you guys for listening and joining today. I hope Ashley story has inspired you to think about and really go after what’s possible for your life as well. Thanks so much for joining me today.