Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ashleigh Lemon. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Ashleigh, so great to have you on the platform and excited to have you share your wisdom with our community today. Communication skills often play a powerful role in our ability to be effective and so we’d love to hear about how you developed your communication skills.
I believe a few key points in my life have really molded my ability to communicate effectively; 1. Being a military brat and 2. The Miss America Pageant System.
My younger years consisted of being a “military brat” experiencing frequent moves which forced me to adapt to new environments, schools, and different people and cultures. Building friendships in each new location allowed me the opportunity to learn how to build strong social skills, learn how to approach and communicate with new people!
My participation in the Miss America Pageant System (Miss Ohio and preliminaries) helped me focus on various aspects of communication and presentation skills including public speaking, interviews, talent showcases, and community engagement. The Miss America Pageant system has helped hone my ability to articulate thoughts effectively in front of an audience or panel of judges. It also allowed for the opportunity to showcase my talent on stage and provide me with an outlet to advocate for social causes that I am passionate about.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am the owner of Lemon Garden Designs offering garden design, maintenance and plant based workshops. My inspiration for my business came from learning the love of gardening from my grandma combining a love for teaching as well as a desire to break stereotypes in a traditionally male-dominated industry. Our expertise lies in garden design, maintenance and the art of seasonal container gardening. However, an area of our business that we are growing and extremely excited to share with clients are our hands-on, plant based workshops. What sets us apart from other landscape companies is our engaging workshops that unite teams and ignite creativity. These workshops are perfect for team-building events or a memorable girls’ night out, where participants can explore the wonders of plants and unleash their inner green thumbs. Keep your eye out for our fall and holiday workshops throughout Columbus in the coming months.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1. Early in my 20’s pageant coach shared her favorite quote with the ladies competing for a title and scholarship which was, “Be yourself, but be your BEST self.” That advise stuck with me in almost everything I embarked on in my life after and serves me well to this day. 2. Something valuable I have learned as a business owner is the ability to pivot and be ok with it. I wish I would have learned to embrace this earlier in life and realize that not everything has to go as you planned.
3. Learn how to say “No.” This is something I have not quite perfected yet but I am learning. Saying “no” sets boundaries and helps define your limits to yourself and others. This most definitely helps reduce stress and burnout. I also firmly believe it builds stronger and more open relationships while giving you time for self-care. Again, I wish I would have learned the art of this earlier (haha).
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Currently we are partnering with other businesses with unique spaces where we can offer our plant-based workshops to the community. We have been blessed to partner with great restaurants and breweries such as Red Brick Tap and Grill and Parsons North Brewing Co. and soon with Daily Growler locations. We are continuing to expand our workshop offerings and would enjoy the opportunity to work with other small businesses throughout Columbus to host workshops either open to the public or private, team-building events! Other businesses interested in learning more can always email me for more information at [email protected] or reach out via our website at www.LemonGardenDesigns.com
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lemongardendesigns.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lemongardendesigns/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LemonGardenDesigns
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lemon-garden-designs
Image Credits
Whitney Brewer Photography
