June 3, 2025 • 55 mins
What Your Dream Board Can Teach You About Success
Ashley Shaw's journey from commercial to residential real estate offers a masterclass in building a thriving business while navigating the complexities of motherhood.
Starting her career at just 21 in the male-dominated commercial real estate world, Ashley developed foundational skills in farming territories and pioneered door knocking as a strategy – something unheard of in the commercial space. Though successful, she found herself drawn to residential real estate, making a bold transition after five years to join Canada's number one team at Royal LePage.
What truly distinguishes Ashley's story is her unflinching honesty about the challenges of balancing professional ambition with motherhood. Three days after giving birth to her first child, she was back showing houses – not only from necessity but because work provided moments where she "felt herself" again during a time of overwhelming change. With candor that will resonate with many working mothers, she reveals her struggles with nursing, postpartum depression (which she only recognized retrospectively after her second child), and the guilt that comes with dividing oneself between business and family.
The evolution of Ashley's business reflects her strategic thinking. After joining Sotheby's in 2017 with a newborn, she quickly achieved the Senior Vice President designation in just nine months. When her business coach, Jim Miller, recognized her path to burnout, he refused further coaching until she hired support staff – advice that transformed her practice. This emphasis on creating systems, from scheduled client calls to her family's understanding of when she's "going in the zone" for urgent work, demonstrates how thoughtful boundaries create space for both professional success and quality family time.
Perhaps most inspiring is Ashley's commitment to intentional living. Her annual solo retreat to evaluate the year and set new goals, followed by alignment discussions with her husband, ensures their shared vision remains cohesive. Her morning exercise routine, family involvement in her children's activities, and dedicated connection time with her spouse create a sustainable framework for balancing it all.
For anyone feeling pulled between career ambitions and family responsibilities, Ashley leaves us with powerful advice: "Make sure it's aligned with your passion, because entrepreneurship is not easy. There's a lot of tough moments." Her story proves that with passion, persistence, and proper systems, checking off those dream board goals one by one is entirely possible.
Connect with Ashley:
Contact the Host, Kelly Kirk:
- Email: info.ryh7@gmail.com
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Credits:
- Editor: Joseph Kirk
- Music: Kristofer Tanke
Thanks for listening & cheers to Reclaiming Your Hue!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Good morning Ashley.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Good morning Kelly.
How are you?
Speaker 1 (00:09):
I'm good thank you, good, good.
I'm so happy to see you and sohappy that we were finally able
to nail down a date.
It feels like months and monthshave passed, but here we are,
and I'm glad that our listenersare going to be able to hear
your story about mompreneurship.
(00:29):
So let's go ahead and dive in.
First question that I wouldlove for you to share with our
listeners is how you and I areconnected, cause it's a fun.
It's a fun story.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
I love that.
So I met you through yourlovely husband, joe.
Joe and I have the samebusiness coach and we work at
Sotheby's and you know we gotconnected through Jim Miller and
basically we're immediate bestfriends.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
I know I love it and then what was really interesting
.
So I think there's a kind of atwo part here.
So Sotheby's is international,which you know.
Some listeners may not knowthat about the brand itself, but
can you share real brieflywhere it is that you're hailing
from?
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Yes, so I'm here in Canada and I specialize in the
West end of Toronto,specifically South Etobicoke.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Okay, wonderful.
And when you and I likeofficially met in person, it
wasn't here in the States, itwas actually we had.
We had gone to visit some ofJoe's extended family in Toronto
and we had a wonderfulopportunity to actually get
(01:52):
together with you and yourfamily, and that was my first.
I was like, who are we going tomeet?
He's like Ashley Shaw.
She's incredible, she's a partof Sotheby's and so it was so
fun to like start to connectthose dots in terms of like who,
who Joe had been like havingconversations with from you know
(02:12):
, this funnel of Jim Miller andall of the people who are
coaching with him, and I waslike, ah, got it.
Okay, now I understand whoAshley Shah is.
This is amazing.
So I was so happy to meet youand, by the way, we will be
coming to Toronto at some pointor another, so get ready,
(02:32):
because we'll find another timeto all get together the whole
family?
Absolutely For sure.
So let's go ahead and dive intoyour story.
Can you share with thelisteners what came first for
you?
Was it motherhood or was itentrepreneurship?
Speaker 2 (02:50):
So it was entrepreneurship.
Actually, I was extremely young, I was 21, turning 22.
And I jumped into commercialreal estate to commercial real
estate, specifically industrial,in a male dominated business.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
And that's where I started my real estate career.
Wow, I had no idea.
I mean, I'm going to belearning quite a bit here too,
but to start in the commercialrealm of real estate is quite
interesting.
So let's let's elaborate onthat.
Like, what are some of theskills that you felt you learned
in starting off on thecommercial side before going
over to the residential?
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Yes.
So I actually loved thecommercial side.
I love the transactions, but Ihave to say I didn't love the
product.
It didn't excite me.
Industrial buildings talkingabout truck level shipping and
400 amps and 22 foot clearheight, so it didn't.
(03:59):
The product itself didn'texcite me, but I loved the real
estate.
I love the process.
The product itself didn'texcite me, but I loved the real
estate.
I love the process and I amhappy that that kind of was my
introduction to real estatebecause I found that gave me a
really good foundation.
They.
They taught you a lot actuallyabout farming and that's that's
(04:23):
where I took kind of thoseskills and it on the residential
side, um, and there was a lotof cold calling.
I remember I'd have my my mapsand I'd highlight the streets of
who I was calling and thengoing back again I did something
different too in commercialreal estate that nobody really
(04:44):
was doing at the time, which wasdoor knocking, and I love door
knocking but nobody really doorknocked commercial buildings,
and so I found great successactually through door knocking.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Interesting, and I do believe that that is something
that you still implement in yourresidential business, correct?
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Yes, I love door knocking.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Well, in the specific neighborhood that you and your
family live in, that's the onethat you really farm, correct,
and so it's.
You know, if you've got kind ofa smaller perimeter of a
neighborhood, it certainly makesit a little bit easier.
(05:34):
But I think for some of thelisteners who are in that like,
they're in that mindset ofresidential real estate, are in
that mindset of residential realestate, absolutely not going to
do the door knocking.
What are some tips that youcould give them to overcome that
(05:56):
?
Because for some people I thinkof video, ashley, some people
for social media and theirsocial media strategy absolutely
not going to do video, that's athat's a no go for me.
And I'm sure that there aresome people who are listening
and who are going as residentialrealtors, they're going
absolutely not going to doorknock.
But why is door knocking so orso important for you as a
(06:19):
strategy for your business?
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Well, there's not a lot of turnover where I focus.
Usually, you know, people don'twant to leave the neighborhood,
so I find what?
If I can get in front ofsomebody, they will.
You know it's better than acold call to me, that's you know
where they'll see me.
You know I live in theneighborhood.
Usually they open the door andit's almost like a warm welcome.
(06:45):
They already know who I am.
But also I'm proactive, likeI'm not waiting.
Like if I have a buyer and theytell me what they want, I will
go out and find it for them.
I'm not going to wait for it topop up on MLS, I'm going to go
find those opportunities forthem.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
That's so incredible.
It's the go-getter attitudethat is like just in, especially
in the business of real estate,that sort of mentality is like
you've, you've got to have thattrait within you, especially if
you've got, if you've got aclient who is has a specific
(07:25):
need, it's like, okay, well, Ican sit on the sidelines and try
to figure out how to havesomething pop up on MLS so they
potentially heart it.
You know, and you're like that,that just doesn't work for the
specific neighborhood, it's justnot going to.
So, okay, I love that We'vetalked a little bit about, like
some of your business strategy,but I want to weave in
(07:48):
motherhood as well into this.
So we'll kind of do a littlebouncing back and forth.
But can you, can you share whatthe timeline was from starting
in real estate on the commercialside until you made the switch
over to residential?
And, by the way, I'm justhaving this like light bulb
(08:08):
moment too, where I'm like, ohmy gosh, I totally understand
like how you and Joe clicked,because he started off in the
commercial side of things but inproperty management and then
made his way over to theresidential side of the business
, and so I am like I'm justconnecting the dots.
(08:29):
You're going okay.
Yeah, just, I completelyunderstand how that connection
was just like boom right away,so for sure.
Anyways, I would love for youto just kind of share what that
timeline looked like, fromcommercial to residential and
then where the family started tofold into all of it.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Yeah, so I spent five years in commercial real estate
and you know, so that's where Istarted and then about after
four years that's when I metactually before then but I got
married four years intocommercial real estate, um, and
(09:12):
after a year being married incommercial real estate, you know
, I went to my husband.
I said I think I need a changeand I want to do residential.
Um, and I think some peoplethought I was absolutely crazy
because I was really buildinggreat momentum on commercial
real estate when I first joined.
(09:33):
I was actually on a team for myfirst two years and then I
branched off and went off on myown.
So I was really starting tobuild momentum.
And then I took a leap of faithand switched.
I joined the number one teamfor Canada at Royal LePage.
(09:54):
So I figured, if I'm going toleave and I'm going to do
residential, I want to go jointhe best of the best.
So I interviewed with them andyou know, luckily they hired me
kind of right of the best.
So I interviewed with them and,you know, luckily they hired me
kind of right on the spot andstarted my journey in
residential.
And so that was.
(10:14):
That would be about almost 12years ago and anyway it was.
It was a great experience.
I worked on on that team forfive years and that's where
that's when I had my two kids um, there was no mat leave.
You know, three days later Iwas back out showing houses.
(10:51):
Luckily, my mom helped me out,but she would drive the
neighborhood with the baby inthe back while I showed houses.
But I have to say that, youknow, becoming a mom and it was
it was a dream of mine, my wholelife.
But the reality of reality of it, you know, was a lot.
(11:13):
It was a lot at the beginningand I think, you know, actually
my work was a place and a spacethat I felt myself.
A place and a space that I feltmyself.
So, you know, looking back, itsounds crazy that I was out
showing houses three days after,but those, those were my
moments that I felt, felt myselfagain.
(11:35):
And you know, here you'rebuilding a business right, like
you've worked with somebody forfour months looking for the
perfect house, and it's like Ican't drop them because now, you
know, all of a sudden, I have ababy.
So it was really juggling and Iwas, you know, so lucky that I
had, you know family and my momto kind of help me along during
(11:58):
during that Jersey journey.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
Yeah.
So something I want to tie inhere is when you took the leap
of faith from the commercialside to the residential side.
But then you know the this inis one.
You found a passion, right, youknew that you wanted to stay in
(12:34):
this real estate realm is whatI'm hearing right.
So you wanted to still be apart of this, but just in a
different format, so to speak,and that is where you found your
passion, and passion is veryimportant when it comes to what
you're doing and building forbusiness.
(12:56):
But I am curious if we mightjust explore this a little bit,
like what it may have lookedlike and how it could have
looked different if you wouldhave stayed in commercial and
had your child while you were incommercial.
I think that I want to explorethis a little bit because for
(13:16):
some of the listeners and I'mhaving some like, some like ties
come up on my end Like okay, Iam starting to connect the dots
Like when I was in mortgageformerly in mortgage and had
Maddie, I didn't have a truepassion.
I didn't realize I didn't havea true passion for mortgage
(13:40):
until I had my child and I had agreater, bigger purpose in life
.
And now I'm working in acomplete, completely different
realm, working with my husbandin B in business, but so
passionate about what I'm doingand how I'm serving, and serving
in completely different ways.
(14:00):
I would love to explore thisand just talk through it a
little bit more.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
Yeah, absolutely.
If I had stayed in commercialit would have been very
different.
I think Commercial is veryMonday to Friday and your
business hours and you're in theoffice.
I think it was like a nicebalance actually being on the
residential side, because youare sometimes showing houses in
(14:28):
the evenings and weekends and soI could have some time with the
baby during the day and I.
I think actually it wasprobably the best thing that
ever happened, because myhusband had our daughter in the
evenings and weekends and theydeveloped such a strong bond
(14:50):
right from the beginning becauseit wasn't you know, mom was
around and mom does everythingyou know.
So he'd call me and he's likeshe won't stop crying.
I'm like, yes, that's what shedoes for me too, like you need
to figure it out, just like I'mtrying to.
What are your coping mechanismshere with?
Speaker 1 (15:05):
this Like how, like you need to figure it out.
Just I'm trying to what areyour coping mechanisms here with
this, like, how are you gonnaadapt?
Speaker 2 (15:11):
yes, and I have to say our daughter was colic for
about six months.
So, um, yeah, it was.
It was some challenging times,for sure, but I think it yeah it
was it was best thing, for Ithink you know he could see as
well like what's involved withtaking care of a baby.
(15:32):
You know he'd work long daysand come home and then it would
be like okay, over to you, andnow I'm out showing houses and
this was before DocuSign and wewould be sitting outside a house
waiting to present our offerand then sitting in the car to
find out if we got the house.
(15:55):
So, yeah, yeah, but it was,yeah, you know what, going back,
I wouldn't change anything.
Actually, I think it gave, youknow, allowed a special bond
with my husband and the kids andallowed me to to continue on
(16:15):
and and have something formyself too.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
Totally.
I also think that it would benice to sort of piece in the
borders and boundaries that needto be created when it comes to
the dynamic between husband andwife, right, but then what does
(16:38):
that look like too, with thebusiness and family time?
So would you be open to sharingwhat that looks like or how you
and your husband have evolvedwith that, and then how that has
evolved with your business?
Sure, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
I mean today now it's very different, I would say,
than you know the earlier days,for sure.
Thank you, docusign.
Yeah, no, kidding, kidding, thatdefinitely helps, for sure.
And, um, even like a kind of ashift with COVID, like I found
that there is a little bit offlexibility with clients and you
(17:17):
know they will go during duringthe week, during the day, to
look at houses.
So I, I actually find lessevenings and weekends now and
you know, because my clientelethey're, they're like me, like
we're busy with the kidsactivities, so they don't want
to go actually in the eveningsand weekends, they want to go
(17:39):
during the day when the kids are, you know, at school.
So that actually, I think, um,you know, with DocuSign and
COVID, just a little shift in inmy market and where I work, um,
so, yeah, so I think it's, it'snice now like I have a real,
you know, work-life balance.
(17:59):
Um, I've also hired some peopleto help on the back end, so
that frees up some of my time tobe there for the family and to
provide a better service to myclients, because I'm only one
person, so, yeah, having anamazing team behind me is really
(18:25):
what makes everything flowperfectly.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
What do you feel the turning point was for you in
recognizing that it was time tohire somebody on?
I think that there's so manywomen who I've had such a an
array of mompreneurs on thepodcast from you know very
(18:51):
infant stages of their startupbusiness to you know 10 plus
years in business and and kidsare in a very different season
of life as well.
So for you specifically, whatdid that turning point look like
and how like?
How do you think that thatcould be um recognized for other
(19:15):
people, other women in theirbusinesses?
Speaker 2 (19:20):
Well, okay, I think I should go back to when I left,
actually the, the residentialteam, and then started off on my
own, sure, so, uh, because thatkind of ties into my to the
journey a bit.
So, um, 2017 is when I had myson and you know I was working
on this other team, you know,building my own business, and so
(19:45):
it was great because they hadeverybody you know the team
behind to, you know do paperworkand photos and everything.
So they had the processes there, which is great, so I could
kind of work and focus on mykids.
But then it got to the pointthat you know I took a look and
I'm like, okay, well, the amountof money that I'm giving them,
I can hire like three people tosupport me.
(20:07):
So it almost didn't make senseto be on this other team.
So 2017 is when I took anotherleap of faith and I switched
over to Sotheby's.
It was the only brokerage Iwanted to be at, coming from the
commercial world, where it isvery corporate, the you know
(20:29):
your business cards doesn't haveyour face on it like it's very
client focused.
And that's where I thinkSotheby's connected with me
because it had really theprofessionalism and the you know
the brand, the corporate, buton the residential side.
So for me that was marryingkind of the two worlds together
(20:50):
and it was the actual bestbrokerage for me and um.
So, 2017, when I joined um, Ihad a new baby and they said
that you know, when they hired.
They said that you know, whenthey hired, they said we have
one title and one title only,and that's senior vice president
(21:10):
and you have to reach thisthreshold.
So I am, you know, surprise,surprise people a little type A,
very driven towards goals.
So I said, okay, what is thatthreshold?
I will have that before the endof the year Turns out nine
months later, I hit thatthreshold and along that way, I
(21:32):
met another Sotheby's agent thatsaid Riley, she connected me.
She says you need to meet JimMiller.
He coaches one-on-one.
He doesn't coach very manypeople, only with Sotheby's.
So thank you, riley, forconnecting us.
And so I met Jim in 2018.
(21:56):
And here I am.
I'm like, oh yeah, jim, I'mdoing it all.
You know, I've got the, I'vegot the kids, um, and I'm, I'm
working, I'm folding letters atnight till midnight, getting
ready to doorknob the next day.
Uh, this is when we did finallyend up hiring a nanny because
(22:17):
it was like, okay, you know, we,I can't pack up two kids to my
parents' house every time I havea showing showing.
So this is when I said to myhusband I really want to go all
in and and on my business.
So that was when I joinedSotheby's.
We ended up getting a nanny toto help us out with the kids.
And, um, yeah.
(22:38):
So then I met, I hit thethreshold, met Jim I'm all
excited telling him everythingI'm doing.
And Jim says I'm all excitedtelling him everything I'm doing
.
And Jim says I'm not going totake our next call until you
hire somebody to help you,because you are going to burn
out.
You cannot work till midnightand get up again at you five,
(23:05):
six in the morning.
You can't physically keep it up.
So and I was like, no, I can doit, I can do it, jim.
He's like nope, nope, nothaving our next call till you
sort this out.
So, um, that's when I ended upgoing down the route of finding
an assistant to help me out,which is a journey itself, I
(23:27):
have to say.
I went through an agency thathelped me find somebody, and I
think I went through threebefore we found the right one.
I was starting to think therewas something wrong with me, but
I'm very particular and I, youknow, want things done a certain
way and it was, you know,finding finding the right person
(23:48):
.
And then that's when Helenjoined in 2018.
And she's still with me today.
What I do without Helen, but,yeah, it was actually really Jim
that forced me to go hiresomebody, which, again, was, you
(24:10):
know, the best, the best thingthat really happened for you
know, for the team, um, and, and, yeah, my business.
Speaker 1 (24:18):
I'm like getting teary eyed because he's been
instrumental in supporting Joein.
Instrumental in supporting Joein in both personal and
professional.
Frankly, happy broker, sellmore real estate, it's like his
little tagline and, um, hereally does such a fantastic job
of encompassing the whole, whatI like to call like the whole
(24:42):
whole self, the wellness wheel.
Like the whole whole self.
The wellness wheel um, not justall about business and
forgetting about the other veryimportant pieces of who we are
essentially as people.
And I just can wildlyappreciate it about Jim.
Um, so shout out to Jim Miller.
(25:03):
We kind of want to keep him alittle bit of a diamond, a gem,
secret, right Cause, like.
But we also need to honor himbecause he has, like it's very
evident that he was instrumentalin supporting you from you know
where you were already at andthe level of success that you
already had in your business.
(25:24):
But he's like, if you want, ifyou want to continue to coach
with me, I'm setting the borderand boundary for myself.
Like you, I I refuse to likecoach somebody who's going to
end up burning out, right, he?
He's like he wants to becoaching people who really take
into consideration, um,harmonizing their business with
(25:47):
their personal life.
It's so cool.
So, um, you really kind ofchecked off the box too of like
what, uh, support has lookedlike for you.
But I think that, um, in termsof the business side of things,
but how about, um, personally aswell?
Can we kind of evolve orevolutionize what that has
(26:08):
looked like?
You've briefed on it, but like,let's really go into what some
of that secret sauce has lookedlike for you on the personal
side for support.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
Yeah, so you know, obviously, having having a nanny
that helps, you know my job isreally I just want to see
clients and be with my familyand so you know they really take
a load off of you know, runningthe house and you know having,
(26:39):
you know, the food ready for thekids.
Like she is able to do all ofthat so that I can be a hundred
percent into my kids and my work.
I find that really, reallyhelps.
Again, I think really, um,really creating systems and
processes help as well.
(27:01):
So it it takes a lot off myplate and then I schedule.
You know my clients know youknow we have our weekly call at
this time so I'm not gettingpanicked calls at eight o'clock
at night when I'm trying to putthe kids down.
Um, you know, and, and I feellike the clients they're no,
(27:21):
they know there's a system, theyknow there's a process and it
actually calms them and it'slike, okay, she, she's got it.
You know, connect on Monday attwo o'clock and that's when
we're going to review everythingweekly.
So I find the systems andprocesses also really help have
(27:42):
just a better flow to thebusiness, more more buying back
more of my time and it alsoensuring the confidence with the
clients that that they sheknows what she's doing.
Like she's got it covered.
Speaker 1 (27:58):
Yeah.
So something that is coming tomind, ash, that I want to, I
want to talk through with you,is the, the support that you
have from the nanny right Forfor some people.
Um, I could see that in hiringsomebody to support within the
household, you could see thependulum potentially swing a
(28:22):
little too far where you'reyou're wholeheartedly, like,
focused on the business, andthen it really doesn't it's not
serving the purpose that it'sreally supposed to, which is it
allows you the freedom becauseyou have the systems, the
processes and the procedures inyour business to be able to
spend more quality time withyour family, with your kids.
(28:43):
So what has that looked likefor you in hiring somebody on
and then implementing bordersand boundaries for yourself?
Speaker 2 (28:57):
with what that looks like.
Yeah, no, I would say my familyis absolute priority.
I mean, that's really what wehave at the end of the day.
So, as much as I love my workand I'm very passionate about it
, I also, you know, recognize itand don't want to miss
important moments for the kids.
(29:18):
That's where I think, you know,I do have certain boundaries
and you know I'm heavilyinvolved.
I volunteer a lot in the kidsschool.
I'm the manager of my son'shockey team and so I go to all
of their activities.
Like that, that's somethingthat to me, you know, I do make
(29:40):
a priority.
And the reality is, you know,we're not surgeons, so usually
it's not life or death, and youknow, unless it's like time
sensitive and there's an offerwhich my kids know, okay,
mommy's going in the zone, youknow.
And my husband understands toohis, you know my world being.
(30:02):
You know that he's incommercial real estate, he
understands.
So like, okay, you've got thekids and this is, I'm going in
the zone, we're going in.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
Is that what you say?
Is that what you say, ash, likeI'm going in the zone.
Speaker 2 (30:17):
Do you go?
Speaker 1 (30:17):
up to the third level of the house too.
Speaker 2 (30:21):
If it's in the evening, yeah, so I'm in the
third level.
The door's yeah, so I'm in thethird level, the door's locked,
I'm in the zone and, um, I mean,sometimes I get odd little text
messages that pop up from thekids like a little message if
I'm on my on the phone with aclient.
But, um, you know they're,they're pretty good at
understanding, you know just howour lives work and but no, I
(30:46):
mean most, unless it's reallytime sensitive, most things can
get scheduled for for anothertime.
Yeah, you know, I again, I dealwith a lot of families.
I think that they also respect,you know, family time is
important too.
Speaker 1 (31:04):
Absolutely.
Another thing that I know to betrue in just interviewing 50
plus women so far is theimportance of how you are
filling your own cup in theprocess of being a mompreneur.
Can you share what that haslooked like for you?
What does self-care really looklike?
Speaker 2 (31:26):
Yeah, so exercise for me is a big, big thing for me.
That's kind of my outlet.
So that's, you know, six in themorning at, you know, the local
, local gym.
I actually love the energy fromthe 6am club.
Nice, yeah, you know, get itout of the way, the kids are
(31:48):
usually still sleeping and bythe time I come home then it's
back on to, you know, mom worldand getting the kids off and for
ready for school.
Um, but yeah, I think you know,taking, taking that time is
really important for my healthand mental health.
You know, with working out andwe're actually pretty good at
(32:13):
scheduling time for date nights.
My husband is probably mybiggest supporter, my best
friend.
So I, you know, we do make apoint, you know, even after the
kids go down, just to sit in theliving room and kind of
reconnect and and talk about ourdays, like I said, I mean, we
(32:34):
both really understand eachother's worlds.
Uh, we bounce a lot of thingsoff of each other.
Sometimes I'm in negotiationsand I'm like I'm'm going to go
back at this and he's like no,no, no, I would, I would, I
would go back at this, right.
So I think it's, it's really,really important, you know, and,
again, like you know, the kidsare going to leave the house one
(32:54):
day and and you know, you turnand you look over like that's
who you have, at the end of theday, to spend the rest of your
life with.
So I think it's important to toyou know, make sure that you
know life is busy and and notfocusing, you know, not getting
consuming my life with work andthe kids and forgetting about,
(33:15):
you know, my significant other,which is really important.
So, yeah, we try to do that,you know.
At least a trip every year,just the two of us try to do
that.
You know.
At least a trip every year,just the two of us.
Nights, um, but really making apoint to you know, stay
connected and communicate.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
Something I can really appreciate, Ash, is that
you've you've listed off somereally wonderful um
opportunities to be able toconnect with your significant
other.
But I love that you started itoff with saying, like sometimes
it's just sitting in the livingroom, you know, and kind of
(33:52):
debriefing and and finding thattime to connect, and sometimes
that is all it really takes tobe able to come back together at
the end of the day after thehouse is a little bit more quiet
and you're not, you know, beingpulled in other directions by
clients, right.
(34:13):
It's just maybe 15, 20 minutesis all it can really take to go.
How are you doing?
How's life, you know?
How can I support you?
Support you, what do you need?
And and it's just 20 minutessometimes.
Speaker 2 (34:30):
I know for sure and honestly, like actually just not
having a tv on.
You know, I think it's so easy.
You go all day and I get it.
You want to just turn thingsoff and you don't want to talk
and put a show on, but reallythat's not connecting, like
you're just sitting in the sameroom.
You're not connecting.
(34:50):
So, yeah, I mean, I love totalk, he loves to talk.
So you know, you're, if it's acoffee in the morning and just
like, okay, recapping, okay,this is what's gonna.
You've got this going on aboutthis going on.
Okay, with kids need to get tothis activity.
Speaker 1 (35:05):
But just like, just connect about what's going on in
each other's worlds it is veryevident, and because I I know
you on just a little bit more ofa personal level, um it the
listeners are probably pickingthis up that you're a very
strong woman, right, and youeven alluded to like I'm type a.
(35:29):
I'm type a, but I also knowthat we all have our moments.
There are peaks and valleys andyou've lift you've you listed
off moments of like how you workthrough some of what you need
to in the harmonization ofmotherhood and entrepreneurship.
But have there been momentswhere you found yourself in sort
(35:54):
of the valleys and, if so, whatwere some of the strategies?
Being a type A person that youare, what are some of the
strategies that kind of helpedyou to work through that?
I just feel that motherhood ischallenging.
It is quite possibly thehardest job, and then you fold
(36:16):
in being an entrepreneur.
It comes with its challenges.
Speaker 2 (36:22):
Yeah, no, I've definitely had challenges along
the way.
I will say that it is not allbeing rainbows and sunshine.
Um, I had to say, actually Ireally struggled when, when I
had my daughter, um, I hadproblems with nursing her.
Um, she was colic, I was.
I didn't even actually realizeI had postpartum until I had my
(36:45):
second and I was like, oh, thisis how it's supposed to feel.
But yeah, I was really reallyoverwhelmed with my first.
But I have to say I just reallyhave a never give up attitude.
Speaker 1 (37:03):
And.
Speaker 2 (37:04):
I would say my daughter has taught me more than
probably anybody else on thisentire planet.
Um, she's pushed me in a in awonderful way.
Um, but yeah, like I had areally hard time nursing her, I
went to seven lactationconsultants.
I think it was seven lactationconsultants, I think it was yeah
(37:30):
and then, but I was like, no,I'm going to figure it out Like
I know, you know I'm gonnafigure it out and we did and it
was amazing, it was a specialbond that that we had, you know,
and I do think you, you know,because I was leaving and
working, like having thosemoments, you know, and it's like
at night, and it's just the twoof us, like that was, that was
(37:52):
our moments, and but, yeah, likeshe really gave me a strength
that I never even knew wasexisted and yeah.
So I think she really like Ijust keep that, I just keep
going, like, even though Iactually had a struggle last
year, 17 years into the business, at the one last year, I was
(38:17):
losing so many meetings and I'mlike Jim, like I don't know what
to do.
I was like, should I, should Ipack it in?
Like is this a time that Ishould?
Maybe I should meant to be astay-at-home mom, you know,
maybe we do that.
And then, and then, the dealstarted clicking again and I was
like no, no, no, we're back,we're back, we're not going
anywhere, you know.
(38:39):
But yeah, like there's it'snatural to have moments in your
life and I think everybody seesthings on the outside and it
looks perfect and it looksamazing.
But no, there's definitelystruggles and I think it's just
that like just keep going, justkeep going, and then things
(39:01):
click right.
Speaker 1 (39:03):
So yeah, I think the the process of nursing is.
You're not the first person,first woman who has been on this
podcast who has talked aboutthe struggles of nursing and
(39:23):
talking to lactation specialists, and um, it's, it can be, as
you're already coming off theheels of birth and the shifts
that are happening with yourbody, the shifts that are
happening with our hormones, andthen you piece in wanting the
like.
There is that tie, thatconnection that comes with
(39:48):
nursing that is just so intimateand so special.
And for the individuals who arelistening right now that you
had struggled with that, justknow that you're not alone, even
even for individuals likeAshley and I, who, who worked
through cause I'm right therewith you.
I didn't go through sevenlactation specialists.
Um, I went to go and see oneand it finally, just like, then
(40:11):
it, then it clicked for for us,but it it still does something
to you on a mental level.
That is so challenging,incredibly challenging, and um,
I I know like for me personally,I just wanted to be able to
provide for Maddie in a in a waythat I didn't feel, and it it's
(40:37):
a, it's a personal thing forevery single woman or individual
or couple who is going throughthat process.
But I, for me personally, I waslike I just want to be able to
provide for her in this way.
I've got to make it work toyour point, I've got to make it
work.
I want to have those intimatemoments and I think back to two
(40:59):
years ago and like those, thosemoments in the evenings before
they're going to bed, and it'sjust the two of you.
Yes, it is incredibly intimateand that bond that happens
through it's like the desire forwomen who are unable to do that
.
I can imagine.
It's just soul crushing yeahsoul crushing, but you can still
(41:23):
have the bond.
Speaker 2 (41:24):
It's just you know it's, it's not through that
particular pathway yeah, I alsofound too, though, to be honest,
like a little bit you know whenit when it wasn't clicking at
first, um, but I also found alittle bit overwhelmed, like oh
my, like this baby literallydepends on me living.
(41:46):
Like it was kind of a veryoverwhelming feeling that this
baby cannot physically survive,like without me caring for her.
That that, I think, was reallythat was.
Speaker 1 (42:04):
That was overwhelming , I think at the beginning, and
I think that's like a mix withthe hormones, though, like it
was just like yeah, it's amental trip, it really is, and
it puts you into this headspacewhere you're like what it's like
do or die almost.
And you're like, how can I, howcan I and I commend you, ash,
(42:24):
that you, like you, have thatI'm not going to give up
attitude to your point.
And you went from one to theother through seven different
lactation specialists.
Like the tenacity there is.
Speaker 2 (42:40):
God willing, it was a comedy skitit, I think.
At one point, like I remembersitting down and the lady like
freaking out, like oh my gosh,running, and she like wet two
diapers and like stuck them onme and she's like oh my gosh,
like we have too much milkproduction here, like oh my, she
(43:02):
was the lactation consultant,was overwhelmed and they're
being like I don't even knowwhat is going on.
Speaker 1 (43:10):
It's such a trip.
It really is, yeah, but you hadyour second and you're like, oh
, okay, well, I've got this.
Like I, I, I understand, andit's like how quickly you can
like flip back to, even thoughyears and years have passed, our
brains.
Just don't forget what thatlooks like and feels like and
(43:33):
sounds like.
So, my goodness, thank you forsharing that too, because for
some people, that's a, it can bea traumatic experience and that
you worked through it.
And, and I think for for thelisteners, I think it's
important to just understandlike one, you're not alone in
(43:54):
that, in that process, in thatjourney, Um, especially as it
pertains to nursing your childUm, there's probably some
listeners that are gearing up tohave a baby and, um, just know
that, like, you've got thesupport around you.
You just need to continue tolean into it.
(44:15):
If you're not exactly gettingwhat you need out of it and this
is I mean, this goes forbusiness too it's like if you're
finding yourself hitting a wallor some sort of speed bump,
it's going who and what are theresources around me right now
that I can lean into, because wecannot do it all, we cannot,
(44:41):
and leaning into that proverbialvillage around you is just so
highly critical and highlyimportant.
Speaker 2 (44:49):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (44:51):
I feel like we've kind of like I'm really
relatively surprised at howquickly we've been able to get
through everything.
Ashley, here I am, before westarted going.
Oh, my goodness, like we'reprobably going to go like an
hour and a half and I just feellike we've been able.
I think it's because you'reyou're type A We've been able to
(45:13):
bullet points through all ofthem.
So I think I'm going to stealone of Jim's Jim Miller's lines
and say it's we're going tostart to land the plane here.
Could you, first and foremost,I would love to hear from you
Like what's, what's a piece ofadvice that you would give a
younger version of yourself,knowing all that you know now?
Speaker 2 (45:38):
Again, it's like don't give up, like keep going,
have your goals and you will,you know, start ticking them off
one by one.
It's come to a point.
It's almost a kind of a joke inour family, because my mom says
what else are you going to puton that dream board of yours,
Cause you just keep knockingthem off.
So yeah, I mean, have a visionand just keep going.
(46:02):
Like don't give up, just keepgoing.
Speaker 1 (46:07):
Okay, I actually we might go a little bit longer,
cause I just had something elsecome to mind.
Um, how important.
I'm thinking, actually, to the,the gal who I had on just
before you last week, who isvery much type a as well, and
all she talked about, ash isplanning, planning, planning,
(46:30):
planning.
Like she I mean almost to afault plans out everything in
her life.
What does that look like foryou in terms of setting those
goals and being able to go?
Yeah, like my, I have familymembers who are going.
What else, ash?
Like what else are you going toaccomplish here?
Cause you keep checking off allof those items on your dream
(46:53):
list.
So how important.
Like talk, talk myself and thelisteners through.
Like what does the planninglook like for you in terms of
goal setting?
Speaker 2 (47:02):
Yeah, so every year, um, every year, I go away by
myself my kids know my, myhusband knows, booked, booked a
night away, Um, it's usually thethe end of the year, november,
around November, and I will, andI need to be in a completely
different setting, like I can'tbe.
I need to need to go book ahotel and that's when I review
(47:27):
the entire year what worked,what didn't work, what do I want
to change, not just with evenbusiness, my entire life, like
family, like I break it down,family, what you know, what
would I, what do I want to dodifferently?
What do I want to implement,you know, same with same with
(47:47):
business.
And that's when I I redo kindof my, my goals and my vision.
I have short term, I have longterm.
(48:10):
I am so passionate that I canliterally feel, at 10 years from
now, when I'm 50.
I, like, I have this visionbecause, like, our dream is to,
you know, have a place downsouth.
I literally feel like Ericdriving the car down south and
like looking at me, like huh, wemade it like with his big smile
(48:31):
up.
You know, eric, you know thatsmile, um, but, yeah, like I can
feel, like I know differentstages of my life.
Like I know that these next 10years it's busy with the kids
It'll be getting them off touniversity, but I have, um, I
have kind of visions of likedifferent stages, like I know I
(48:51):
know where you know, hopefullywe're going and and we actually
sit down and at the kind of endof the year, beginning of of
January, and we go over um, ourgoals and we actually make sure
we are aligned and we want thesame thing and that's what also
helps keep the relationshiptogether, because if you want
(49:12):
completely separate things,that's when things can go.
Speaker 1 (49:16):
Yeah, yeah, um, so does Eric do something very
similar, or yeah?
Speaker 2 (49:23):
Yeah, he, he not as much as as myself, but no, I
think he's.
He's definitely in that umpractice of like what's the next
three years, what?
I mean he's probably gonna havea lot going on and kind of in
his, in his world business wise.
You know he he's the youngestof his two other business
(49:44):
partners and so there's probablya succession plan there of like
what's that going to look likefor you and and your business
and where it's going?
And yeah, but no, I think we,we are both very aligned in in
our goals and our visions.
What a.
Speaker 1 (50:03):
What a beautiful like nugget for people to take away
to, to like.
It's so simple, right?
It's a simple implementation ofcarving out some alone time.
I mean that's my takeaway, likeI've had many takeaways, ash
and we'll we'll be connectingfurther out outside of the
podcast, but to have that alonetime to just clear your head
(50:30):
really honor and um honor.
But then evaluate, like, howthis past year has gone and then
what are evolutions and changesof that.
That can happen, going into thefollowing year and just doing
it on your own, without havingto like, peck at other people
and go what do you think aboutthis?
(50:50):
What do you think about this?
Because sometimes that can justbe too much like, too much
noise, like too many too many uhcooks in the kitchen, so to
speak.
So, and and the the key here isyou don't just go and do that
and go yep, this is it, this iswhat what I'm doing.
It's coming together because ifyou're going to hit all
(51:13):
components of that wellnesswheel, that involves your family
too, which means having aconversation with your
significant other and makingsure that there's alignment in
that.
Jim would be so proud of us thatwe're.
We're talking about like whereare you aiming?
Yes, what does that three tofive year goal look like and how
(51:33):
are you, how are you breakingthings up to get to what that
vision looks like over here?
So super incredible, superincredible.
All right, thank you forcovering those grounds.
I appreciate it.
I think that that was reallyimportant to share for the
listeners.
So I've asked you the questionwhat's the advice that you would
give a younger version ofyourself?
(51:54):
What's a piece of advice thatyou would give a woman listening
right now who, let's see, isnibbling on the edges of
entrepreneurship and they are amother they're like in in the
throes of motherhood right nowand they've got this business
idea.
Or perhaps, let's let's kind ofkeep it in the vein of of the
(52:19):
real estate industry Like theyare exploring becoming an agent.
Let's go in that route.
What's the advice you'd givethem?
Speaker 2 (52:28):
Make sure it's aligned with your passion,
because I feel like you need tohave a very strong desire,
because entrepreneurship is noteasy.
There's a lot of tough moments,and so I think you have to
really, really be passionateabout whatever you're exploring
(52:51):
beautiful advice.
Speaker 1 (52:52):
I love it.
What would be a good connectionfor you right now um?
Speaker 2 (53:03):
I'm not quite sure, actually, to be probably the
first time you actually have mesilent.
Speaker 1 (53:10):
How about this?
Um, if it comes to mind afterwe're finished up with the
podcast, I'll put it into theshow notes.
Okay, perfect, okay, Great.
How can people find you?
How can they get connected toyou, ashley?
Speaker 2 (53:26):
Instagram is a great way.
My handle is Ashley SeanAssociates.
It's A-S-H-L-E-Y, that's howit's actually spelt Shaw's very
simple S-H-A-W.
So Instagram probably Instagramwould probably be be the best
way to to connect with me.
Speaker 1 (53:46):
Beautiful Sounds good and I'll make sure to add that
to the show notes so there isn'tany confusion and the link and
everything.
So, ashley, this has been soincredible.
I feel very honored to have alittle glimpse into your life,
both personal and business, andappreciate you coming to share
(54:09):
that story and share some ofthese amazing gold nuggets of
information for the listeners aswell.
So thank you so much forcarving out the time.
Speaker 2 (54:19):
Thank you so much for having me.
It was an honor.
Speaker 1 (54:21):
You are so welcome.
I hope you have a great rest ofthe day, you too.
Good morning Ashley.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Good morning Kelly.
How are you?
Speaker 1 (00:09):
I'm good thank you, good, good.
I'm so happy to see you and sohappy that we were finally able
to nail down a date.
It feels like months and monthshave passed, but here we are,
and I'm glad that our listenersare going to be able to hear
your story about mompreneurship.
(00:29):
So let's go ahead and dive in.
First question that I wouldlove for you to share with our
listeners is how you and I areconnected, cause it's a fun.
It's a fun story.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
I love that.
So I met you through yourlovely husband, joe.
Joe and I have the samebusiness coach and we work at
Sotheby's and you know we gotconnected through Jim Miller and
basically we're immediate bestfriends.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
I know I love it and then what was really interesting
.
So I think there's a kind of atwo part here.
So Sotheby's is international,which you know.
Some listeners may not knowthat about the brand itself, but
can you share real brieflywhere it is that you're hailing
from?
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Yes, so I'm here in Canada and I specialize in the
West end of Toronto,specifically South Etobicoke.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
Okay, wonderful.
And when you and I likeofficially met in person, it
wasn't here in the States, itwas actually we had.
We had gone to visit some ofJoe's extended family in Toronto
and we had a wonderfulopportunity to actually get
(01:52):
together with you and yourfamily, and that was my first.
I was like, who are we going tomeet?
He's like Ashley Shaw.
She's incredible, she's a partof Sotheby's and so it was so
fun to like start to connectthose dots in terms of like who,
who Joe had been like havingconversations with from you know
(02:12):
, this funnel of Jim Miller andall of the people who are
coaching with him, and I waslike, ah, got it.
Okay, now I understand whoAshley Shah is.
This is amazing.
So I was so happy to meet youand, by the way, we will be
coming to Toronto at some pointor another, so get ready,
(02:32):
because we'll find another timeto all get together the whole
family?
Absolutely For sure.
So let's go ahead and dive intoyour story.
Can you share with thelisteners what came first for
you?
Was it motherhood or was itentrepreneurship?
Speaker 2 (02:50):
So it was entrepreneurship.
Actually, I was extremely young, I was 21, turning 22.
And I jumped into commercialreal estate to commercial real
estate, specifically industrial,in a male dominated business.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
And that's where I started my real estate career.
Wow, I had no idea.
I mean, I'm going to belearning quite a bit here too,
but to start in the commercialrealm of real estate is quite
interesting.
So let's let's elaborate onthat.
Like, what are some of theskills that you felt you learned
in starting off on thecommercial side before going
over to the residential?
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Yes.
So I actually loved thecommercial side.
I love the transactions, but Ihave to say I didn't love the
product.
It didn't excite me.
Industrial buildings talkingabout truck level shipping and
400 amps and 22 foot clearheight, so it didn't.
(03:59):
The product itself didn'texcite me, but I loved the real
estate.
I love the process.
The product itself didn'texcite me, but I loved the real
estate.
I love the process and I amhappy that that kind of was my
introduction to real estatebecause I found that gave me a
really good foundation.
They.
They taught you a lot actuallyabout farming and that's that's
(04:23):
where I took kind of thoseskills and it on the residential
side, um, and there was a lotof cold calling.
I remember I'd have my my mapsand I'd highlight the streets of
who I was calling and thengoing back again I did something
different too in commercialreal estate that nobody really
(04:44):
was doing at the time, which wasdoor knocking, and I love door
knocking but nobody really doorknocked commercial buildings,
and so I found great successactually through door knocking.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Interesting, and I do believe that that is something
that you still implement in yourresidential business, correct?
Speaker 2 (05:11):
Yes, I love door knocking.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Well, in the specific neighborhood that you and your
family live in, that's the onethat you really farm, correct,
and so it's.
You know, if you've got kind ofa smaller perimeter of a
neighborhood, it certainly makesit a little bit easier.
(05:34):
But I think for some of thelisteners who are in that like,
they're in that mindset ofresidential real estate, are in
that mindset of residential realestate, absolutely not going to
do the door knocking.
What are some tips that youcould give them to overcome that
(05:56):
?
Because for some people I thinkof video, ashley, some people
for social media and theirsocial media strategy absolutely
not going to do video, that's athat's a no go for me.
And I'm sure that there aresome people who are listening
and who are going as residentialrealtors, they're going
absolutely not going to doorknock.
But why is door knocking so orso important for you as a
(06:19):
strategy for your business?
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Well, there's not a lot of turnover where I focus.
Usually, you know, people don'twant to leave the neighborhood,
so I find what?
If I can get in front ofsomebody, they will.
You know it's better than acold call to me, that's you know
where they'll see me.
You know I live in theneighborhood.
Usually they open the door andit's almost like a warm welcome.
(06:45):
They already know who I am.
But also I'm proactive, likeI'm not waiting.
Like if I have a buyer and theytell me what they want, I will
go out and find it for them.
I'm not going to wait for it topop up on MLS, I'm going to go
find those opportunities forthem.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
That's so incredible.
It's the go-getter attitudethat is like just in, especially
in the business of real estate,that sort of mentality is like
you've, you've got to have thattrait within you, especially if
you've got, if you've got aclient who is has a specific
(07:25):
need, it's like, okay, well, Ican sit on the sidelines and try
to figure out how to havesomething pop up on MLS so they
potentially heart it.
You know, and you're like that,that just doesn't work for the
specific neighborhood, it's justnot going to.
So, okay, I love that We'vetalked a little bit about, like
some of your business strategy,but I want to weave in
(07:48):
motherhood as well into this.
So we'll kind of do a littlebouncing back and forth.
But can you, can you share whatthe timeline was from starting
in real estate on the commercialside until you made the switch
over to residential?
And, by the way, I'm justhaving this like light bulb
(08:08):
moment too, where I'm like, ohmy gosh, I totally understand
like how you and Joe clicked,because he started off in the
commercial side of things but inproperty management and then
made his way over to theresidential side of the business
, and so I am like I'm justconnecting the dots.
(08:29):
You're going okay.
Yeah, just, I completelyunderstand how that connection
was just like boom right away,so for sure.
Anyways, I would love for youto just kind of share what that
timeline looked like, fromcommercial to residential and
then where the family started tofold into all of it.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Yeah, so I spent five years in commercial real estate
and you know, so that's where Istarted and then about after
four years that's when I metactually before then but I got
married four years intocommercial real estate, um, and
(09:12):
after a year being married incommercial real estate, you know
, I went to my husband.
I said I think I need a changeand I want to do residential.
Um, and I think some peoplethought I was absolutely crazy
because I was really buildinggreat momentum on commercial
real estate when I first joined.
(09:33):
I was actually on a team for myfirst two years and then I
branched off and went off on myown.
So I was really starting tobuild momentum.
And then I took a leap of faithand switched.
I joined the number one teamfor Canada at Royal LePage.
(09:54):
So I figured, if I'm going toleave and I'm going to do
residential, I want to go jointhe best of the best.
So I interviewed with them andyou know, luckily they hired me
kind of right of the best.
So I interviewed with them and,you know, luckily they hired me
kind of right on the spot andstarted my journey in
residential.
And so that was.
(10:14):
That would be about almost 12years ago and anyway it was.
It was a great experience.
I worked on on that team forfive years and that's where
that's when I had my two kids um, there was no mat leave.
You know, three days later Iwas back out showing houses.
(10:51):
Luckily, my mom helped me out,but she would drive the
neighborhood with the baby inthe back while I showed houses.
But I have to say that, youknow, becoming a mom and it was
it was a dream of mine, my wholelife.
But the reality of reality of it, you know, was a lot.
(11:13):
It was a lot at the beginningand I think, you know, actually
my work was a place and a spacethat I felt myself.
A place and a space that I feltmyself.
So, you know, looking back, itsounds crazy that I was out
showing houses three days after,but those, those were my
moments that I felt, felt myselfagain.
(11:35):
And you know, here you'rebuilding a business right, like
you've worked with somebody forfour months looking for the
perfect house, and it's like Ican't drop them because now, you
know, all of a sudden, I have ababy.
So it was really juggling and Iwas, you know, so lucky that I
had, you know family and my momto kind of help me along during
(11:58):
during that Jersey journey.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
Yeah.
So something I want to tie inhere is when you took the leap
of faith from the commercialside to the residential side.
But then you know the this inis one.
You found a passion, right, youknew that you wanted to stay in
(12:34):
this real estate realm is whatI'm hearing right.
So you wanted to still be apart of this, but just in a
different format, so to speak,and that is where you found your
passion, and passion is veryimportant when it comes to what
you're doing and building forbusiness.
(12:56):
But I am curious if we mightjust explore this a little bit,
like what it may have lookedlike and how it could have
looked different if you wouldhave stayed in commercial and
had your child while you were incommercial.
I think that I want to explorethis a little bit because for
(13:16):
some of the listeners and I'mhaving some like, some like ties
come up on my end Like okay, Iam starting to connect the dots
Like when I was in mortgageformerly in mortgage and had
Maddie, I didn't have a truepassion.
I didn't realize I didn't havea true passion for mortgage
(13:40):
until I had my child and I had agreater, bigger purpose in life
.
And now I'm working in acomplete, completely different
realm, working with my husbandin B in business, but so
passionate about what I'm doingand how I'm serving, and serving
in completely different ways.
(14:00):
I would love to explore thisand just talk through it a
little bit more.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
Yeah, absolutely.
If I had stayed in commercialit would have been very
different.
I think Commercial is veryMonday to Friday and your
business hours and you're in theoffice.
I think it was like a nicebalance actually being on the
residential side, because youare sometimes showing houses in
(14:28):
the evenings and weekends and soI could have some time with the
baby during the day and I.
I think actually it wasprobably the best thing that
ever happened, because myhusband had our daughter in the
evenings and weekends and theydeveloped such a strong bond
(14:50):
right from the beginning becauseit wasn't you know, mom was
around and mom does everythingyou know.
So he'd call me and he's likeshe won't stop crying.
I'm like, yes, that's what shedoes for me too, like you need
to figure it out, just like I'mtrying to.
What are your coping mechanismshere with?
Speaker 1 (15:05):
this Like how, like you need to figure it out.
Just I'm trying to what areyour coping mechanisms here with
this, like, how are you gonnaadapt?
Speaker 2 (15:11):
yes, and I have to say our daughter was colic for
about six months.
So, um, yeah, it was.
It was some challenging times,for sure, but I think it yeah it
was it was best thing, for Ithink you know he could see as
well like what's involved withtaking care of a baby.
(15:32):
You know he'd work long daysand come home and then it would
be like okay, over to you, andnow I'm out showing houses and
this was before DocuSign and wewould be sitting outside a house
waiting to present our offerand then sitting in the car to
find out if we got the house.
(15:55):
So, yeah, yeah, but it was,yeah, you know what, going back,
I wouldn't change anything.
Actually, I think it gave, youknow, allowed a special bond
with my husband and the kids andallowed me to to continue on
(16:15):
and and have something formyself too.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
Totally.
I also think that it would benice to sort of piece in the
borders and boundaries that needto be created when it comes to
the dynamic between husband andwife, right, but then what does
(16:38):
that look like too, with thebusiness and family time?
So would you be open to sharingwhat that looks like or how you
and your husband have evolvedwith that, and then how that has
evolved with your business?
Sure, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
I mean today now it's very different, I would say,
than you know the earlier days,for sure.
Thank you, docusign.
Yeah, no, kidding, kidding, thatdefinitely helps, for sure.
And, um, even like a kind of ashift with COVID, like I found
that there is a little bit offlexibility with clients and you
(17:17):
know they will go during duringthe week, during the day, to
look at houses.
So I, I actually find lessevenings and weekends now and
you know, because my clientelethey're, they're like me, like
we're busy with the kidsactivities, so they don't want
to go actually in the eveningsand weekends, they want to go
(17:39):
during the day when the kids are, you know, at school.
So that actually, I think, um,you know, with DocuSign and
COVID, just a little shift in inmy market and where I work, um,
so, yeah, so I think it's, it'snice now like I have a real,
you know, work-life balance.
(17:59):
Um, I've also hired some peopleto help on the back end, so
that frees up some of my time tobe there for the family and to
provide a better service to myclients, because I'm only one
person, so, yeah, having anamazing team behind me is really
(18:25):
what makes everything flowperfectly.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
What do you feel the turning point was for you in
recognizing that it was time tohire somebody on?
I think that there's so manywomen who I've had such a an
array of mompreneurs on thepodcast from you know very
(18:51):
infant stages of their startupbusiness to you know 10 plus
years in business and and kidsare in a very different season
of life as well.
So for you specifically, whatdid that turning point look like
and how like?
How do you think that thatcould be um recognized for other
(19:15):
people, other women in theirbusinesses?
Speaker 2 (19:20):
Well, okay, I think I should go back to when I left,
actually the, the residentialteam, and then started off on my
own, sure, so, uh, because thatkind of ties into my to the
journey a bit.
So, um, 2017 is when I had myson and you know I was working
on this other team, you know,building my own business, and so
(19:45):
it was great because they hadeverybody you know the team
behind to, you know do paperworkand photos and everything.
So they had the processes there, which is great, so I could
kind of work and focus on mykids.
But then it got to the pointthat you know I took a look and
I'm like, okay, well, the amountof money that I'm giving them,
I can hire like three people tosupport me.
(20:07):
So it almost didn't make senseto be on this other team.
So 2017 is when I took anotherleap of faith and I switched
over to Sotheby's.
It was the only brokerage Iwanted to be at, coming from the
commercial world, where it isvery corporate, the you know
(20:29):
your business cards doesn't haveyour face on it like it's very
client focused.
And that's where I thinkSotheby's connected with me
because it had really theprofessionalism and the you know
the brand, the corporate, buton the residential side.
So for me that was marryingkind of the two worlds together
(20:50):
and it was the actual bestbrokerage for me and um.
So, 2017, when I joined um, Ihad a new baby and they said
that you know, when they hired.
They said that you know, whenthey hired, they said we have
one title and one title only,and that's senior vice president
(21:10):
and you have to reach thisthreshold.
So I am, you know, surprise,surprise people a little type A,
very driven towards goals.
So I said, okay, what is thatthreshold?
I will have that before the endof the year Turns out nine
months later, I hit thatthreshold and along that way, I
(21:32):
met another Sotheby's agent thatsaid Riley, she connected me.
She says you need to meet JimMiller.
He coaches one-on-one.
He doesn't coach very manypeople, only with Sotheby's.
So thank you, riley, forconnecting us.
And so I met Jim in 2018.
(21:56):
And here I am.
I'm like, oh yeah, jim, I'mdoing it all.
You know, I've got the, I'vegot the kids, um, and I'm, I'm
working, I'm folding letters atnight till midnight, getting
ready to doorknob the next day.
Uh, this is when we did finallyend up hiring a nanny because
(22:17):
it was like, okay, you know, we,I can't pack up two kids to my
parents' house every time I havea showing showing.
So this is when I said to myhusband I really want to go all
in and and on my business.
So that was when I joinedSotheby's.
We ended up getting a nanny toto help us out with the kids.
And, um, yeah.
(22:38):
So then I met, I hit thethreshold, met Jim I'm all
excited telling him everythingI'm doing.
And Jim says I'm all excitedtelling him everything I'm doing
.
And Jim says I'm not going totake our next call until you
hire somebody to help you,because you are going to burn
out.
You cannot work till midnightand get up again at you five,
(23:05):
six in the morning.
You can't physically keep it up.
So and I was like, no, I can doit, I can do it, jim.
He's like nope, nope, nothaving our next call till you
sort this out.
So, um, that's when I ended upgoing down the route of finding
an assistant to help me out,which is a journey itself, I
(23:27):
have to say.
I went through an agency thathelped me find somebody, and I
think I went through threebefore we found the right one.
I was starting to think therewas something wrong with me, but
I'm very particular and I, youknow, want things done a certain
way and it was, you know,finding finding the right person
(23:48):
.
And then that's when Helenjoined in 2018.
And she's still with me today.
What I do without Helen, but,yeah, it was actually really Jim
that forced me to go hiresomebody, which, again, was, you
(24:10):
know, the best, the best thingthat really happened for you
know, for the team, um, and, and, yeah, my business.
Speaker 1 (24:18):
I'm like getting teary eyed because he's been
instrumental in supporting Joein.
Instrumental in supporting Joein in both personal and
professional.
Frankly, happy broker, sellmore real estate, it's like his
little tagline and, um, hereally does such a fantastic job
of encompassing the whole, whatI like to call like the whole
(24:42):
whole self, the wellness wheel.
Like the whole whole self.
The wellness wheel um, not justall about business and
forgetting about the other veryimportant pieces of who we are
essentially as people.
And I just can wildlyappreciate it about Jim.
Um, so shout out to Jim Miller.
(25:03):
We kind of want to keep him alittle bit of a diamond, a gem,
secret, right Cause, like.
But we also need to honor himbecause he has, like it's very
evident that he was instrumentalin supporting you from you know
where you were already at andthe level of success that you
already had in your business.
(25:24):
But he's like, if you want, ifyou want to continue to coach
with me, I'm setting the borderand boundary for myself.
Like you, I I refuse to likecoach somebody who's going to
end up burning out, right, he?
He's like he wants to becoaching people who really take
into consideration, um,harmonizing their business with
(25:47):
their personal life.
It's so cool.
So, um, you really kind ofchecked off the box too of like
what, uh, support has lookedlike for you.
But I think that, um, in termsof the business side of things,
but how about, um, personally aswell?
Can we kind of evolve orevolutionize what that has
(26:08):
looked like?
You've briefed on it, but like,let's really go into what some
of that secret sauce has lookedlike for you on the personal
side for support.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
Yeah, so you know, obviously, having having a nanny
that helps, you know my job isreally I just want to see
clients and be with my familyand so you know they really take
a load off of you know, runningthe house and you know having,
(26:39):
you know, the food ready for thekids.
Like she is able to do all ofthat so that I can be a hundred
percent into my kids and my work.
I find that really, reallyhelps.
Again, I think really, um,really creating systems and
processes help as well.
(27:01):
So it it takes a lot off myplate and then I schedule.
You know my clients know youknow we have our weekly call at
this time so I'm not gettingpanicked calls at eight o'clock
at night when I'm trying to putthe kids down.
Um, you know, and, and I feellike the clients they're no,
(27:21):
they know there's a system, theyknow there's a process and it
actually calms them and it'slike, okay, she, she's got it.
You know, connect on Monday attwo o'clock and that's when
we're going to review everythingweekly.
So I find the systems andprocesses also really help have
(27:42):
just a better flow to thebusiness, more more buying back
more of my time and it alsoensuring the confidence with the
clients that that they sheknows what she's doing.
Like she's got it covered.
Speaker 1 (27:58):
Yeah.
So something that is coming tomind, ash, that I want to, I
want to talk through with you,is the, the support that you
have from the nanny right Forfor some people.
Um, I could see that in hiringsomebody to support within the
household, you could see thependulum potentially swing a
(28:22):
little too far where you'reyou're wholeheartedly, like,
focused on the business, andthen it really doesn't it's not
serving the purpose that it'sreally supposed to, which is it
allows you the freedom becauseyou have the systems, the
processes and the procedures inyour business to be able to
spend more quality time withyour family, with your kids.
(28:43):
So what has that looked likefor you in hiring somebody on
and then implementing bordersand boundaries for yourself?
Speaker 2 (28:57):
with what that looks like.
Yeah, no, I would say my familyis absolute priority.
I mean, that's really what wehave at the end of the day.
So, as much as I love my workand I'm very passionate about it
, I also, you know, recognize itand don't want to miss
important moments for the kids.
(29:18):
That's where I think, you know,I do have certain boundaries
and you know I'm heavilyinvolved.
I volunteer a lot in the kidsschool.
I'm the manager of my son'shockey team and so I go to all
of their activities.
Like that, that's somethingthat to me, you know, I do make
(29:40):
a priority.
And the reality is, you know,we're not surgeons, so usually
it's not life or death, and youknow, unless it's like time
sensitive and there's an offerwhich my kids know, okay,
mommy's going in the zone, youknow.
And my husband understands toohis, you know my world being.
(30:02):
You know that he's incommercial real estate, he
understands.
So like, okay, you've got thekids and this is, I'm going in
the zone, we're going in.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
Is that what you say?
Is that what you say, ash, likeI'm going in the zone.
Speaker 2 (30:17):
Do you go?
Speaker 1 (30:17):
up to the third level of the house too.
Speaker 2 (30:21):
If it's in the evening, yeah, so I'm in the
third level.
The door's yeah, so I'm in thethird level, the door's locked,
I'm in the zone and, um, I mean,sometimes I get odd little text
messages that pop up from thekids like a little message if
I'm on my on the phone with aclient.
But, um, you know they're,they're pretty good at
understanding, you know just howour lives work and but no, I
(30:46):
mean most, unless it's reallytime sensitive, most things can
get scheduled for for anothertime.
Yeah, you know, I again, I dealwith a lot of families.
I think that they also respect,you know, family time is
important too.
Speaker 1 (31:04):
Absolutely.
Another thing that I know to betrue in just interviewing 50
plus women so far is theimportance of how you are
filling your own cup in theprocess of being a mompreneur.
Can you share what that haslooked like for you?
What does self-care really looklike?
Speaker 2 (31:26):
Yeah, so exercise for me is a big, big thing for me.
That's kind of my outlet.
So that's, you know, six in themorning at, you know, the local
, local gym.
I actually love the energy fromthe 6am club.
Nice, yeah, you know, get itout of the way, the kids are
(31:48):
usually still sleeping and bythe time I come home then it's
back on to, you know, mom worldand getting the kids off and for
ready for school.
Um, but yeah, I think you know,taking, taking that time is
really important for my healthand mental health.
You know, with working out andwe're actually pretty good at
(32:13):
scheduling time for date nights.
My husband is probably mybiggest supporter, my best
friend.
So I, you know, we do make apoint, you know, even after the
kids go down, just to sit in theliving room and kind of
reconnect and and talk about ourdays, like I said, I mean, we
(32:34):
both really understand eachother's worlds.
Uh, we bounce a lot of thingsoff of each other.
Sometimes I'm in negotiationsand I'm like I'm'm going to go
back at this and he's like no,no, no, I would, I would, I
would go back at this, right.
So I think it's, it's really,really important, you know, and,
again, like you know, the kidsare going to leave the house one
(32:54):
day and and you know, you turnand you look over like that's
who you have, at the end of theday, to spend the rest of your
life with.
So I think it's important to toyou know, make sure that you
know life is busy and and notfocusing, you know, not getting
consuming my life with work andthe kids and forgetting about,
(33:15):
you know, my significant other,which is really important.
So, yeah, we try to do that,you know.
At least a trip every year,just the two of us try to do
that.
You know.
At least a trip every year,just the two of us.
Nights, um, but really making apoint to you know, stay
connected and communicate.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
Something I can really appreciate, Ash, is that
you've you've listed off somereally wonderful um
opportunities to be able toconnect with your significant
other.
But I love that you started itoff with saying, like sometimes
it's just sitting in the livingroom, you know, and kind of
(33:52):
debriefing and and finding thattime to connect, and sometimes
that is all it really takes tobe able to come back together at
the end of the day after thehouse is a little bit more quiet
and you're not, you know, beingpulled in other directions by
clients, right.
(34:13):
It's just maybe 15, 20 minutesis all it can really take to go.
How are you doing?
How's life, you know?
How can I support you?
Support you, what do you need?
And and it's just 20 minutessometimes.
Speaker 2 (34:30):
I know for sure and honestly, like actually just not
having a tv on.
You know, I think it's so easy.
You go all day and I get it.
You want to just turn thingsoff and you don't want to talk
and put a show on, but reallythat's not connecting, like
you're just sitting in the sameroom.
You're not connecting.
(34:50):
So, yeah, I mean, I love totalk, he loves to talk.
So you know, you're, if it's acoffee in the morning and just
like, okay, recapping, okay,this is what's gonna.
You've got this going on aboutthis going on.
Okay, with kids need to get tothis activity.
Speaker 1 (35:05):
But just like, just connect about what's going on in
each other's worlds it is veryevident, and because I I know
you on just a little bit more ofa personal level, um it the
listeners are probably pickingthis up that you're a very
strong woman, right, and youeven alluded to like I'm type a.
(35:29):
I'm type a, but I also knowthat we all have our moments.
There are peaks and valleys andyou've lift you've you listed
off moments of like how you workthrough some of what you need
to in the harmonization ofmotherhood and entrepreneurship.
But have there been momentswhere you found yourself in sort
(35:54):
of the valleys and, if so, whatwere some of the strategies?
Being a type A person that youare, what are some of the
strategies that kind of helpedyou to work through that?
I just feel that motherhood ischallenging.
It is quite possibly thehardest job, and then you fold
(36:16):
in being an entrepreneur.
It comes with its challenges.
Speaker 2 (36:22):
Yeah, no, I've definitely had challenges along
the way.
I will say that it is not allbeing rainbows and sunshine.
Um, I had to say, actually Ireally struggled when, when I
had my daughter, um, I hadproblems with nursing her.
Um, she was colic, I was.
I didn't even actually realizeI had postpartum until I had my
(36:45):
second and I was like, oh, thisis how it's supposed to feel.
But yeah, I was really reallyoverwhelmed with my first.
But I have to say I just reallyhave a never give up attitude.
Speaker 1 (37:03):
And.
Speaker 2 (37:04):
I would say my daughter has taught me more than
probably anybody else on thisentire planet.
Um, she's pushed me in a in awonderful way.
Um, but yeah, like I had areally hard time nursing her, I
went to seven lactationconsultants.
I think it was seven lactationconsultants, I think it was yeah
(37:30):
and then, but I was like, no,I'm going to figure it out Like
I know, you know I'm gonnafigure it out and we did and it
was amazing, it was a specialbond that that we had, you know,
and I do think you, you know,because I was leaving and
working, like having thosemoments, you know, and it's like
at night, and it's just the twoof us, like that was, that was
(37:52):
our moments, and but, yeah, likeshe really gave me a strength
that I never even knew wasexisted and yeah.
So I think she really like Ijust keep that, I just keep
going, like, even though Iactually had a struggle last
year, 17 years into the business, at the one last year, I was
(38:17):
losing so many meetings and I'mlike Jim, like I don't know what
to do.
I was like, should I, should Ipack it in?
Like is this a time that Ishould?
Maybe I should meant to be astay-at-home mom, you know,
maybe we do that.
And then, and then, the dealstarted clicking again and I was
like no, no, no, we're back,we're back, we're not going
anywhere, you know.
(38:39):
But yeah, like there's it'snatural to have moments in your
life and I think everybody seesthings on the outside and it
looks perfect and it looksamazing.
But no, there's definitelystruggles and I think it's just
that like just keep going, justkeep going, and then things
(39:01):
click right.
Speaker 1 (39:03):
So yeah, I think the the process of nursing is.
You're not the first person,first woman who has been on this
podcast who has talked aboutthe struggles of nursing and
(39:23):
talking to lactation specialists, and um, it's, it can be, as
you're already coming off theheels of birth and the shifts
that are happening with yourbody, the shifts that are
happening with our hormones, andthen you piece in wanting the
like.
There is that tie, thatconnection that comes with
(39:48):
nursing that is just so intimateand so special.
And for the individuals who arelistening right now that you
had struggled with that, justknow that you're not alone, even
even for individuals likeAshley and I, who, who worked
through cause I'm right therewith you.
I didn't go through sevenlactation specialists.
Um, I went to go and see oneand it finally, just like, then
(40:11):
it, then it clicked for for us,but it it still does something
to you on a mental level.
That is so challenging,incredibly challenging, and um,
I I know like for me personally,I just wanted to be able to
provide for Maddie in a in a waythat I didn't feel, and it it's
(40:37):
a, it's a personal thing forevery single woman or individual
or couple who is going throughthat process.
But I, for me personally, I waslike I just want to be able to
provide for her in this way.
I've got to make it work toyour point, I've got to make it
work.
I want to have those intimatemoments and I think back to two
(40:59):
years ago and like those, thosemoments in the evenings before
they're going to bed, and it'sjust the two of you.
Yes, it is incredibly intimateand that bond that happens
through it's like the desire forwomen who are unable to do that
.
I can imagine.
It's just soul crushing yeahsoul crushing, but you can still
(41:23):
have the bond.
Speaker 2 (41:24):
It's just you know it's, it's not through that
particular pathway yeah, I alsofound too, though, to be honest,
like a little bit you know whenit when it wasn't clicking at
first, um, but I also found alittle bit overwhelmed, like oh
my, like this baby literallydepends on me living.
(41:46):
Like it was kind of a veryoverwhelming feeling that this
baby cannot physically survive,like without me caring for her.
That that, I think, was reallythat was.
Speaker 1 (42:04):
That was overwhelming , I think at the beginning, and
I think that's like a mix withthe hormones, though, like it
was just like yeah, it's amental trip, it really is, and
it puts you into this headspacewhere you're like what it's like
do or die almost.
And you're like, how can I, howcan I and I commend you, ash,
(42:24):
that you, like you, have thatI'm not going to give up
attitude to your point.
And you went from one to theother through seven different
lactation specialists.
Like the tenacity there is.
Speaker 2 (42:40):
God willing, it was a comedy skitit, I think.
At one point, like I remembersitting down and the lady like
freaking out, like oh my gosh,running, and she like wet two
diapers and like stuck them onme and she's like oh my gosh,
like we have too much milkproduction here, like oh my, she
(43:02):
was the lactation consultant,was overwhelmed and they're
being like I don't even knowwhat is going on.
Speaker 1 (43:10):
It's such a trip.
It really is, yeah, but you hadyour second and you're like, oh
, okay, well, I've got this.
Like I, I, I understand, andit's like how quickly you can
like flip back to, even thoughyears and years have passed, our
brains.
Just don't forget what thatlooks like and feels like and
(43:33):
sounds like.
So, my goodness, thank you forsharing that too, because for
some people, that's a, it can bea traumatic experience and that
you worked through it.
And, and I think for for thelisteners, I think it's
important to just understandlike one, you're not alone in
(43:54):
that, in that process, in thatjourney, Um, especially as it
pertains to nursing your childUm, there's probably some
listeners that are gearing up tohave a baby and, um, just know
that, like, you've got thesupport around you.
You just need to continue tolean into it.
(44:15):
If you're not exactly gettingwhat you need out of it and this
is I mean, this goes forbusiness too it's like if you're
finding yourself hitting a wallor some sort of speed bump,
it's going who and what are theresources around me right now
that I can lean into, because wecannot do it all, we cannot,
(44:41):
and leaning into that proverbialvillage around you is just so
highly critical and highlyimportant.
Speaker 2 (44:49):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (44:51):
I feel like we've kind of like I'm really
relatively surprised at howquickly we've been able to get
through everything.
Ashley, here I am, before westarted going.
Oh, my goodness, like we'reprobably going to go like an
hour and a half and I just feellike we've been able.
I think it's because you'reyou're type A We've been able to
(45:13):
bullet points through all ofthem.
So I think I'm going to stealone of Jim's Jim Miller's lines
and say it's we're going tostart to land the plane here.
Could you, first and foremost,I would love to hear from you
Like what's, what's a piece ofadvice that you would give a
younger version of yourself,knowing all that you know now?
Speaker 2 (45:38):
Again, it's like don't give up, like keep going,
have your goals and you will,you know, start ticking them off
one by one.
It's come to a point.
It's almost a kind of a joke inour family, because my mom says
what else are you going to puton that dream board of yours,
Cause you just keep knockingthem off.
So yeah, I mean, have a visionand just keep going.
(46:02):
Like don't give up, just keepgoing.
Speaker 1 (46:07):
Okay, I actually we might go a little bit longer,
cause I just had something elsecome to mind.
Um, how important.
I'm thinking, actually, to the,the gal who I had on just
before you last week, who isvery much type a as well, and
all she talked about, ash isplanning, planning, planning,
(46:30):
planning.
Like she I mean almost to afault plans out everything in
her life.
What does that look like foryou in terms of setting those
goals and being able to go?
Yeah, like my, I have familymembers who are going.
What else, ash?
Like what else are you going toaccomplish here?
Cause you keep checking off allof those items on your dream
(46:53):
list.
So how important.
Like talk, talk myself and thelisteners through.
Like what does the planninglook like for you in terms of
goal setting?
Speaker 2 (47:02):
Yeah, so every year, um, every year, I go away by
myself my kids know my, myhusband knows, booked, booked a
night away, Um, it's usually thethe end of the year, november,
around November, and I will, andI need to be in a completely
different setting, like I can'tbe.
I need to need to go book ahotel and that's when I review
(47:27):
the entire year what worked,what didn't work, what do I want
to change, not just with evenbusiness, my entire life, like
family, like I break it down,family, what you know, what
would I, what do I want to dodifferently?
What do I want to implement,you know, same with same with
(47:47):
business.
And that's when I I redo kindof my, my goals and my vision.
I have short term, I have longterm.
(48:10):
I am so passionate that I canliterally feel, at 10 years from
now, when I'm 50.
I, like, I have this visionbecause, like, our dream is to,
you know, have a place downsouth.
I literally feel like Ericdriving the car down south and
like looking at me, like huh, wemade it like with his big smile
(48:31):
up.
You know, eric, you know thatsmile, um, but, yeah, like I can
feel, like I know differentstages of my life.
Like I know that these next 10years it's busy with the kids
It'll be getting them off touniversity, but I have, um, I
have kind of visions of likedifferent stages, like I know I
(48:51):
know where you know, hopefullywe're going and and we actually
sit down and at the kind of endof the year, beginning of of
January, and we go over um, ourgoals and we actually make sure
we are aligned and we want thesame thing and that's what also
helps keep the relationshiptogether, because if you want
(49:12):
completely separate things,that's when things can go.
Speaker 1 (49:16):
Yeah, yeah, um, so does Eric do something very
similar, or yeah?
Speaker 2 (49:23):
Yeah, he, he not as much as as myself, but no, I
think he's.
He's definitely in that umpractice of like what's the next
three years, what?
I mean he's probably gonna havea lot going on and kind of in
his, in his world business wise.
You know he he's the youngestof his two other business
(49:44):
partners and so there's probablya succession plan there of like
what's that going to look likefor you and and your business
and where it's going?
And yeah, but no, I think we,we are both very aligned in in
our goals and our visions.
What a.
Speaker 1 (50:03):
What a beautiful like nugget for people to take away
to, to like.
It's so simple, right?
It's a simple implementation ofcarving out some alone time.
I mean that's my takeaway, likeI've had many takeaways, ash
and we'll we'll be connectingfurther out outside of the
podcast, but to have that alonetime to just clear your head
(50:30):
really honor and um honor.
But then evaluate, like, howthis past year has gone and then
what are evolutions and changesof that.
That can happen, going into thefollowing year and just doing
it on your own, without havingto like, peck at other people
and go what do you think aboutthis?
(50:50):
What do you think about this?
Because sometimes that can justbe too much like, too much
noise, like too many too many uhcooks in the kitchen, so to
speak.
So, and and the the key here isyou don't just go and do that
and go yep, this is it, this iswhat what I'm doing.
It's coming together because ifyou're going to hit all
(51:13):
components of that wellnesswheel, that involves your family
too, which means having aconversation with your
significant other and makingsure that there's alignment in
that.
Jim would be so proud of us thatwe're.
We're talking about like whereare you aiming?
Yes, what does that three tofive year goal look like and how
(51:33):
are you, how are you breakingthings up to get to what that
vision looks like over here?
So super incredible, superincredible.
All right, thank you forcovering those grounds.
I appreciate it.
I think that that was reallyimportant to share for the
listeners.
So I've asked you the questionwhat's the advice that you would
give a younger version ofyourself?
(51:54):
What's a piece of advice thatyou would give a woman listening
right now who, let's see, isnibbling on the edges of
entrepreneurship and they are amother they're like in in the
throes of motherhood right nowand they've got this business
idea.
Or perhaps, let's let's kind ofkeep it in the vein of of the
(52:19):
real estate industry Like theyare exploring becoming an agent.
Let's go in that route.
What's the advice you'd givethem?
Speaker 2 (52:28):
Make sure it's aligned with your passion,
because I feel like you need tohave a very strong desire,
because entrepreneurship is noteasy.
There's a lot of tough moments,and so I think you have to
really, really be passionateabout whatever you're exploring
(52:51):
beautiful advice.
Speaker 1 (52:52):
I love it.
What would be a good connectionfor you right now um?
Speaker 2 (53:03):
I'm not quite sure, actually, to be probably the
first time you actually have mesilent.
Speaker 1 (53:10):
How about this?
Um, if it comes to mind afterwe're finished up with the
podcast, I'll put it into theshow notes.
Okay, perfect, okay, Great.
How can people find you?
How can they get connected toyou, ashley?
Speaker 2 (53:26):
Instagram is a great way.
My handle is Ashley SeanAssociates.
It's A-S-H-L-E-Y, that's howit's actually spelt Shaw's very
simple S-H-A-W.
So Instagram probably Instagramwould probably be be the best
way to to connect with me.
Speaker 1 (53:46):
Beautiful Sounds good and I'll make sure to add that
to the show notes so there isn'tany confusion and the link and
everything.
So, ashley, this has been soincredible.
I feel very honored to have alittle glimpse into your life,
both personal and business, andappreciate you coming to share
(54:09):
that story and share some ofthese amazing gold nuggets of
information for the listeners aswell.
So thank you so much forcarving out the time.
Speaker 2 (54:19):
Thank you so much for having me.
It was an honor.
Speaker 1 (54:21):
You are so welcome.
I hope you have a great rest ofthe day, you too.
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