We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ashley Paul a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Ashley, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
I was lucky enough to have two strong working parents that valued the opportunity to work and make a life for themselves. When I was a little girl my dad would take me with him in his work truck where I got to meet and see his clients, how he worked and how valued and accepted he was. We would drive in his locksmith truck with the keys clinking behind us and it was the best feeling to see your parent work hard at what they were good at. This endearing man has taught me the importance of relationships and showing up.
My mom raised me and my sisters in a single parent household and she distilled in me the importance of goals, hard work and determination. With no real college degree, my mom taught herself in her field and became really good at what she did. She has retired now in the same field that she started teaching herself at the early age of 18. This remarkable woman has taught me the importance of determination and hard work.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Firstly, I am a nomad to this Earth and adore, need, eat and dream of travel. So, not only did I choose a career that gives me the freedom to see the World and to have the clock start and stop when I want, but I also got to choose a career where I get paid to sometimes travel for work! I am a lifestyle photographer working with brands, large companies and agencies as well as people in love. I work with analog film and Digital.
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?
Top three is hard because it is a domino effect, isn’t it? Everything works together but I would say top three are: Persistence, Inner Truth & Confidence, and the ability to say it isn’t working out.
When we see what we want we sometimes forget that there are many other avenues at hand and you can truly create your own if you listen to your own voice. Listening to yourself builds confidence that will only strive to make your goals stronger because the focus is on YOU not what everyone else might be saying or doing.
Having that little nudge of “maybe this way isn’t really for you, try something other than this and see how that goes,” is probably what all business owners would say. You think you are going to go one way but you end up side stepping into YOUR OWN VOICE and you don’t get there without Persistence!
Strive to be the best for you in your own field, persist on that goal and have an open mind to change it if your inner voice is saying so.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Yes of course and always! THIS is what gives me and us (creatives) the power to keep creating. My ideal collaboration would be the All American branding that wants to have lifestyle shots of their company at work. Wether this be a winery/brewery, a chocolatier, maybe someone who makes leather goods for rodeos… my most ideal collaborators would be the companies who are working with real people doing the things that they love.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ashleymariemyers.com
- Instagram: AshleyTruly
Image Credits
I am the photographer
