Meet Ashley Edwards

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ashley Edwards. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ashley below.

Ashley, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I found my purpose when I had to watch a gentleman lose his family home to foreclosure, a property that had been inherited from his grandfather. Hindsight is always 20/20, however I wish I had gotten to them sooner so that I could have helped them save their home. It was in that moment, where I realized I needed to dig out my gift and use it to bless others. Then I thought about my own children. I have two little girls who call me “Mommy”. They’re dependent on me to show them the way, to make a path for them, and give them the tools that they need to create a life where they can thrive. I don’t want them to have to “get it out the mud”, because they shouldn’t have to, if I’m doing what I am supposed to do while I am alive. Thinking back on the gentleman who loss his family home to foreclosure, I knew I needed to really take this thing seriously and get my own affairs in order, because I would never want my children, or any generation that comes after me, to experience what I saw that young man experience, simply because the family’s affairs weren’t properly in order. My goal is to reach the masses and invite them to come with me on the journey of getting affairs properly in order, so that no other family has to experience the loss of a home that could’ve been the catalyst to generational wealth for the family. This gentleman could have saved this valuable asset that was literally given to him, had he been given the tools and resources that he needed, in order to maintain it after his grandfather’s passing. This is when AAA Probate Resources was birthed; a resource business designed to assist families through the Probate process after the death of a loved one, but more importantly, educate families in advance of Probate, so that they are encouraged to get their affairs in order while they are alive, versus passing away and leaving their families left in chaos and confusion. Then came the Getting Our S.H.I.T. Together movement; an initiative where individuals and families are provided the tools and resources that they need to do just that…”Get Their S.H.I.T. Together”. In this case, S.H.I.T. stands for Securing Heirs property, Investments, and the generational Transfer of wealth. We’re getting our affairs in order, we’re becoming financially literate, we’re learning the power of money and how to use it properly, AND we’re creating a generational wealth plan that can be passed down for generations. The Bible says “A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children, but the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous” (Proverbs 13:22). My belief is that everyday we should be living by that. Death is inevitable, therefore is something we should prepare for. Benjamin Franklin said it best, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. I don’t want to fail, nor do I want my family to, after I’m gone. It was these experiences and realizations that led me to finding my true purpose!

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I like to say I do “All Things Real Estate”. I began my real estate career as a Realtor, representing clients who were wanting to lease, buy, or sell real estate. After being licensed a few years, I decided to obtain my Broker license. My plan at the time was to open up my own Brokerage. Also at this time, I had primarily began working with investors, assisting them in the acquisition, rehab, and resale of properties. From here I began investing in real estate myself, working on fix and flip properties in and around Atlanta. While I enjoyed that immensely, it got to a point where I felt like God was telling me to take a pause. During this pause, I began managing rental property for other owners, working with a non profit on their housing team, assisting a colleague with some Probate matters, and was working with clients here and there with the purchase and selling of real estate. From here I decided to get my Probate Real Estate Specialist certification, so that I could dive deeper into this Probate thing. It was at this point I began feeling like all of the pieces were coming together. I began working on structuring AAA Probate Resources, again, designed to assist families through the Probate process after experiencing the death of a loved one What I think is most exciting about what I do, is that I’m changing lives…for generations, simply by providing resources that will help align families with the tools that they need to be successful financially. We’re not only teaching, but we’re showing families how they can make their money work for them better, and we’re doing it in a way where not only they benefit as an individual, but they’re able to leave a legacy. One way that we are doing this, is through our YouTube Channel, Getting Our S.H.I.T. Together AAA, where we interview industry professionals and discuss various topics around Probate Real Estate, Financial Literacy, and Generational Wealth Planning. We also interview families who have experienced Probate after the death of a loved one, and we have them share their story, in hopes that it will help another family avoid some of the challenges of Probate. Another way that we provide these resources, is by hosting what we call Will Writing Parties. These are opportunities for families to come in, talk with an attorney, and ask all of their estate planning or Will preparation questions. We provide an inviting atmosphere, have a live DJ, soul food dinner, and talk about all of the components of estate planning, specifically your Will. We even give attendees an opportunity to write out their Will, and we do a raffle for a free attorney-filed Will. It’s a different approach to the conversation of “end-of-life planning”. We’re approaching it from a positive perspective (all the great things you can leave for your family when you pass, since death is inevitable) versus from a negative perspective (avoiding the conversation as if that will make it not one day become a reality). Currently we are hosting these Will Writing Parties twice a year, February (in honor of Black History Month) and August (in honor of Make-A-Will Month), however anticipate increasing this number soon. We are also hosting other events throughout the year, all centered around Probate Real Estate, Financial Literacy, and/or Generational Wealth Planning.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that I think have been most impactful on my journey are: one, my ability to embrace change. As uncomfortable as it can sometimes feel, I associate change with growth. To be scared of change is to be scared of new levels, and I don’t feel like one should ever stop wanting to elevate; two, I have never been one to allow challenges to interfere with my goals or the direction I desire to move in. This quality too, I associate with growth. A challenge forces me to see new perspectives, which helps me to be more creative. As crazy as it may sound, challenges actually excite me, because I know there’s a lesson in it, and even better, a blessing on the other side of it. What’s the saying? “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”? Sometimes I just have to add a couple shots of tequila, and that’s OK, because life goes on! Not one challenge I’ve faced has killed me. I made it through all of them. And in making it through all of them, I turned out better than what I was before the challenge; three, I’d have to say is my zeal and passion for what I do. My dad has been an entrepreneur for as long as I can remember, and three things that he always taught us growing up as it relates to business, is “Do something that you love to do and you will never work a day in your life”, “Find your passion and money will find you”, and “Do something that you love so much that you could do it for free. Not that you WOULD do it for free, but you COULD”! Those three principles have always stuck with me in the sense that money has never been a driving force for me. I’ve had a very unconventional career path, which has been a direct result of me spending time doing only the things I love. I learned early on that all money isn’t good money. My approach to everything in my career is that I only want to do things that make me happy, that makes me feel good, and that serves someone else. My advice to anyone who is early in their journey, whatever that may be, is to think about the things that you could do even if you didn’t get compensated for it. That’s where your passion lies. Once you’ve found your passion, find a way to monetize off of that. I believe these traits will help you improve in all areas of life, in and outside of your career. Do what you love!

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I am absolutely looking for people to partner and collaborate with! Because AAA Probate Resources is a resource business, it’s imperative that I connect with other industry professionals who provide services that coincide with the resources I’d like to provide to my sphere. The business itself is designed to assist families through the Probate process, but because the Probate process can be so convoluted, my goal is to reach these families in advance of Probate, so that they can have all of the resources that they need in order to get their affairs in order. The resources a family would need is going to be anything centered around Probate Real Estate, Financial Literacy, and Generational Wealth Planning. With that, I’d like to connect with professionals that are somehow connected to these industries. This can be anything from Assisted Living Facilities, Funeral Homes, or Grief Counselors, all the way to Accountants, Estate Sale Companies, Financial Advisors, and Home Appraisers. Our goal is to provide all of the resources families would need to navigate through the Probate process, after experiencing the death of a loved one, planning for end of life, or starting a family. Whatever stage of life these families are in, our goal is to help them create and maintain a generational wealth plan, so that they are able to maintain their family’s assets. In order to do that, they must understand how to connect the pieces that are involved in their financial and generational wealth building plan. We help them connect all of the dots so that everything that they need is at their fingertips. If you are an industry professional associated with these resources, please feel free to connect with me via email at aaaprobateresources@gmail.com or on social media (IG and YouTube) @gettingourshittogetheraaa

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Image Credits
Kizzy Michelle Photography Kamesha Yvonne Photography

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