Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ashley Engbrecht. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Ashley, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
My resilience comes from many generations of women and men who have cultivated a life of resilience. It was embedded in me as a child. Family aside, getting support from my mother so that I could achieve and go anywhere I wanted gave me the resilience to move to London, England, when I was 19. It is the inner knowing that I am going to be okay because of how I move through this world with ease, joy, alertness, and curiosity. My resilience was deeply challenged during a 10-day Vipassana (silent meditation) where I was away from external factors, including technology, no talking and lots of meditating. A gift from this life that I hold dear to my heart. It was through the moments of feeling scared, lost or challenged that I made it through.
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?
This is always a question I struggle with! I am a multifaceted creative in the realms of sewing, dancing, singing/songwriting and beat making. I owe a bunch of these skills and inspiration to my grandmother, who loved to dance and sing herself. When I was 7-17 I was a competitive dancer in jazz, tap, ballet.. You name it! I took an Electronic Music program in London, England and had a band for a short time. I’ve sung in London, England and Calgary, Alberta, for shows and release parties. In 2017, I studied at a Fashion School in Calgary as a costume design major, as I always wanted to create a fashion line (loved The Fashion Network) since I was 6 or 7. My last project was creating sustainable dog hoodies for my mom’s 2 dogs.
As you can see, I have struggled to just stick with 1 creative endeavour, yet I know each one has provided me with a world filled with love, support and gratitude.
Switching gears to my “day-job,” I am currently a freelance Online Business Manager, or as I like to say… Your Strategic Operations Partner with a twist of EA. I started out freelancing this way because I was let go of a job that was not serving my highest good. Grateful for that adventure ending, I landed myself THE best job title, “Keeper of the Vibe”, at a co-working space in Toronto. It was during this time that I had heard of the term Virtual Assistants. As my professional experience consists of various admin roles, this felt like a natural next step. Curious to know yet also wanting to utilize my Life & Wellness Coaching certificate, I set out to test two pathways… Virtual Assistance and Life Coaching.
Long story short, my VA services kicked off with gaining 2 clients from the co-working space. I also had taken a program about turning your freelance gig into an agency model and thought, “sounds good to me!”. Now, 3 years later, I look back, even though I do not have an agency model business, I have learned A LOT about myself and how I present myself to this world through gaining clientele. It is my goal to work with sustainable mission-focused leaders and businesses. The ones who want to create a bigger, more positive impact in this world. I’ve helped clients build their Zoho One, create better workflows/organization, research the best and cost-efficient programs for their company, LinkedIn recruitment, Coaching, Accountability, and light executive assistant work. I hold the team spirit with a loving and joyful attitude, cultivating a grounding presence. The calm to the chaos. I have limited availability, yet always open to speaking to those who need some help. A good way to get your toes in would be through my VIP day or my 7-Day Declutter Challenge.
I look forward to connecting 🙂
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Love this! Below, I will share what I know and how one can develop these as they are primo for adding them early in your journey.
Quality 1: I once had a CEO in a company who said to me, “Come to me with a solution, not the problem,” meaning, trust the knowledge you know, do a bit of research on what you don’t and share a few options on what you believe would work best. This helped guide me to a more proactive approach in the work that I do. To me, this is how you think like a leader. It is all about mindset.
Quality 2: Be mindful of how you feel in your body. If something feels off, take note of it and sit with it. There is a reason why it is coming to your awareness. Maybe you feel exhausted, which would mean you are more likely to be in burnout mode. TAKE A REST! De-stress in a healthy way, go for a walk in nature, have a cup of tea, dance at home with your headphones, you get to choose ;).
Quality 3: Do not listen to everyone on social media or even around you. You are your own sovereign being. Seeking advice from too many people, including those on your social media account, will leave you feeling even more confused. Take time to know what you actually need. There is no fast approach or method. If someone is telling you there is, they are lying. Hard work comes at a cost to adjust your lifestyle and wellbeing to one where you thrive in what you do. Grab a journal, utilize AI to help you create a short course that will help you with *insert what it is* and choose one credible person (maybe it is a faith-based teacher) that can help you get there. Tell it to be non-biased and tell it to coach you. You don’t want the answers handed to you. Play around with it. Yet don’t get attached. You already know what you need when you sit with yourself to breathe and let the heart share.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
I am always open to partnerships or collaborations with others. I love to hear ideas and see if we align with them. It reminds me of the days I would be seeking new band mates, when you know, you know! I am looking to work with mission-focused leaders and businesses that want to create a positive impact in this world. You could be a C-Suite leader, an accountant, a creative, a developer who wants to create a new tool, or a coach who supports entrepreneurs/small business owners. If you are someone who feels there is a way to improve others’ lives, then I am here to connect!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ashleyjeng.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashley.jeng/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyjeng/
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
