Meet Ashley Toman

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ashley Toman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Ashley , we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

I don’t think I always had the confidence I have today, I think it took many years of self doubt and questioning my worth to finally realize how dope and special I am. I know that nobody can be Ashley the way I can be Ashley. I know what I bring to the table. Whatever I lack, I have a dozen more things I do bring to the table. I think it’s important to be aware of our strengths and weaknesses and be aware of what we DO have vs what we lack. It took years for me to finally find my own power, but I can truthfully say, I am a very confident woman today and it took a lot of trial and error and ups and downs in my personal journey to be the woman I am today. For that, I am grateful!

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

First and foremost, I wear several hats. I am a recording artist, songwriter, business owner, singer and entrepreneur. If you would have asked me this question a few years back, I probably would have just said im a singer/recording artist. The journey has changed quite a bit throughout the years. I’ve always been a singer- since I was a little girl I was always singing. Fast forward it wasn’t 2013 when I was in the Mathew Knowles showcase (ICE artist showcase) at the house of dereon that I got super involved in the Houston music scene which then led to becoming Houston Press ‘Best New Artist’ and then going back and forth between Houston and LA, getting credits with Chaka Khan and Disney, and then starting my own songwriting business. It’s been a beautiful journey with many ups and downs. My focus has expanded past my own artistry to owning my own business, songwriting and my clients. At the end of the day it’s all intertwined. I find purpose in music- weather that be my own music, songwriting for other artists- it’s all tied to my purpose and I believe im fully walking in purpose doing what im assigned to do on earth! And that, is very rewarding.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Definitely networking was #1! Without networking, I know for a fact I wouldn’t be where im at today! Humbly speaking, im a great networker. At the early days of my career, I went to literally any and everything, applying all of the knowledge I could to try and get me where I want to go. They say it’s all about who you know, so I was determined to be in all of the right rooms meeting the right people. The 2nd skill would be to continue honing into your craft. For me, that would be singing and writing, performing etc to a point where it became second nature. I never stopped. I still don’t. And last, would be to keep myself centered as much as possible. This industry can burn you out very quickly, to the point you want to give up. Believe me, ive wanted to so many times where I was on the verge of tears, I couldn’t take it anymore. However, I know with every fiber in me that God didn’t give me these gifts for fun. I have purpose. And through that, I have to keep myself centered and protect my energy! I’m very protective of myself and the spaces I enter and the people I surround myself in. So for me personally, the most important skills are networking, honing into your craft and PROTECTING your peace! You can’t do anything without peace, so that one is THE most important in a business like music!

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I’m not necessarily “looking” or seeking out people to collaborate with, I just typically can feel it out and when it feels right, I just know. For instance, I connected with a producer name Marshall Leathers who is signed to Sony- I met him through a label last year and we’ve created over a dozen songs, two of which I released this year (Adreanline and Turn on Your Light) and we’ve never even met in person! We’ve been virtually working and it’s been pure magic. Same situation with my engineer Lab Ox. We met a few years back on a songwriting panel where we were both guest speakers, and after our first session, I knew he was forever my recording engineer! Sometimes you have those magical moments in the industry where you meet the right collaborators for you. But to answer your question, im not necessarily seeking that out, but when it’s aligned, you just know it. So im definitely open to finding more likeminded collaborators to create with and clients who would be interested in my songwriting services! I pray for alignment to find likeminded creatives!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: AshleyToman
• Facebook: AshleyTomanMusic.com
• Twitter: @ashleytoman
• Youtube: AshleyTomanMusic