The Tricky Thing About Assumptions

I hit a personal milestone this week. I posted about my journey after launching Work with Ashley R. on LinkedIn.

Why is this a milestone, you ask? It’s because the thought of posting about my business gives me the heebie jeebies. I can’t explain why — it just does. Ultimately, I faced my fears, wrote what was on my heart and my mind and pressed send. It felt good.

This isn’t a post about posting on LinkedIn. It’s about all the different ways we disprove assumptions about ourselves each day, each week, each month. And how sometimes, behind those false assumptions lies a significant professional (or personal) milestone. Sometimes our limiting beliefs (or as many would mistakenly call it — self awareness) hold us back from taking big leaps. I reflected a bit on why I feel so proud of what I accomplished and I want to share my top 5 with you in hopes that you might feel inspired to shake things up for yourself too :)

I know how to sell my expertise

I always thought of myself as someone who was good at operations and not at sales. I started my career in marketing, I loved the analytical pieces of being a digital marketer but ultimately, found a better home for myself in ops. I loved solving problems big and small, I loved the rush of figuring out how to turn a complicated and customized sale into a delivered promise, I loved leading and managing teams, I loved building decks and leading meetings, I loved the numbers (all of the numbers), and I loved figuring out how to increase the bottom line. I loved running businesses, but I thought I hated getting business. Turns out, I don’t. I love talking to potential customers, talking about the problems I’m solving or have solved, and identifying ways that I can help them solve big, scary, and/or exciting challenges ahead of them. The difference is that it’s easy for me to sell something that I believe in. I believe in myself and I believe in my ability to catalyze change. I also believe I’ve developed an insane amount of grit — I’m now addicted to getting sh*t done. Being good at selling (or, at the very least, building really great relationships) is the key to me being able to continue getting sh*t done. So guess what? Now, it’s my thing.

I know how to get publicity

I have no connections to journalists nor do I have any media training, but since October, I’ve landed 7 features in publications where I’ve shared my expertise on leadership and careers. I somehow landed in the NY Post (online and in print) and US News & World Report. I used to hear about the importance earned media all the time, but never considered the fact that one day my features in reputable publications would be a driver for my business. Now that I know how to secure coverage, I’m setting my sights on continuing to pitch journalists (including cold pitches). I’d like to secure features in Forbes, WSJ, NYT, and similar publications. I’ve learned that in order for people to want to write about you or your expertise, you have to get comfortable with selling (wink, wink). I don’t think it’s a coincidence that I got good at pitching because I worked on my sales muscle.

I know how to launch and scale a small business without a budget

I alluded to this in the first takeaway; I’ve been the secret sauce behind achieving scale at multiple startups. Business acumen is one of my core competencies. But I have never been challenged with having to launch and grow a business solo with no (corporate) backing. This is a completely different ballgame. My business outcomes are directly related to how much I invest my time and energy in the right things. The emphasis is on the right things on purpose. There are so many things you can focus your time and energy on when you run a small business. I am getting really good at going all in on the things that drive positive results for me and not paying much attention to the things that don’t. I build relationships, I make 1-2 new connections a week, I invest in doing deep research and generating detailed notes for my clients, I automate and invest in tooling where it makes sound business sense, I post and engage on LinkedIn, I continue writing on Substack and connecting with other talented writers, and I keep myself informed about industry trends but don’t follow them all. Focus is key.

I have at least one creative bone in my body

Prior to launching this endeavor, I would have never described myself as a creative. It’s not an identity that I related to or a set of skills that I believed I had. I was wrong. I built my website, I cobbled together a logo that works for me right now, I went to a DIY portrait studio with my boyfriend and art directed my own headshots based on Pinterest photo inspiration, and I design all my business one pagers in Canva. Did I go off and become a pro at Illustrator or Photoshop, no. Lol god no. I found a set of tools that provided me with some training wheels and that unleashed my creative spirit. Sometimes that’s all it takes.

I know how to network and build relationships

If you would have asked me my thoughts on networking a year ago, I would have told you that I HATED it. I thought that networking was for extroverts and people who were just good at speaking, like sales people. I would have described myself as someone who prioritized going deep on the work and being heads down. I was wrong. Every single client that I have now came from a relationship. Whether it be a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd degree connection — the work I do wouldn’t be possible without my network. I’ve come to love hopping on calls with strangers to learn more about what they do or what they’ve built. Do I get nervous sometimes? Yes. Is the outcome generally always a good one? Also yes. And that’s what keeps me going.

BONUS ITEM: I can execute

After working at a “frustration factory”, I started to question my ability to get things done. Whether I was an effective communicator, politically savvy enough, or had the skills to push things forward. Working for myself has proven to me that the executor that was once there was alive and well and an incredibly effective doer. Sometimes it just takes a context change.

Hopefully, seeing my journey and how it was full making choices to do the things that I either thought I couldn’t or wasn’t good at got me to where I am today.

💡Now that I’ve typed it all out, I basically coached myself for the past 7 months. This is why I do what I do. And still, my mind is blown 💡

About me

I’m Ashley, a Performance Coach & Leadership Consultant. I work with founders and HR leaders to implement high-quality leadership development programming - leading to increased retention, better engagement, and ultimately improved business outcomes. As a coach at Reworkit, I also work with individuals throughout their career journeys; helping them find meaning in their career journeys.

I love this work and chose this path because after spending a decade in tech, successfully navigating fast-paced work environment and climbing the corporate ladder — I realized that my passion is helping others do the same.

Shoot me a line at hello@workwithashleyr.com if you think we should be in touch.