We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ashley Travers . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ashley below.
Hi Ashley, you’ve got such an interesting story, but before we jump into that, let’s first talk about a topic near and dear to us – generosity. We think success, happiness and wellbeing depends on authentic generosity and empathy and so we’d love to hear about how you become such a generous person – where do you think your generosity comes from?
From a very young age, I was shown by my grandfather who was an extremely successful entrepreneur how much better it felt to GIVE than to receive.
I watched him change the lives of the people around him in so many ways, that it inspired me to want to do the same. Time and time again he helped anyone he met, even strangers…who were in need of something, be it big or small.
I quickly learned how those things multiplied and came back to him three fold, as well as inspired others who witnessed these good things to also give back. This created a ripple effect of KINDNESS all around me. I immediately began to idolize him, and continuing this after he passed away became my entire mission in life.
The best part of this is now showcasing these actions to both of my sons, in hopes they too will reap the benefits of what generosity can do for the world around them. At his funeral, I met countless people who knew my grandfather because of the incredible human he was. I heard story after story of his selfless actions, many I hadn’t previously known of, and to this day I am very proud of him and grateful that he and my grandmother played this gift within me to share.
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?
I graduated high school at 17, and went directly into cosmetology school. By age 18 I was working at a high end salon apprenticing for the owner, learning the ins and outs of salon ownership. I worked with her directly for 3 years before deciding it was time for me to open my own.
From the day I was able to understand how entrepreneurship worked, I knew I wanted to be in business for myself. I had excellent mentors throughout my life as I watched my aunts and my grandfather all create thriving companies. I took mental notes on “who I wanted to be when I grew up” as I shadowed them while they helped raise me. My mom was also extremely hard working and brought us up alone. Thankfully, I was blessed with a village of strong family that loves me very much. I was able to see extremely early on how much respect came with working hard, showing up, and fighting for what was right. Honesty, integrity, and transparency went much further than the typical bogus sales tactics. I learned to enjoy setting difficult goals, so I could prove to myself I could achieve them.
I continued to work for myself in the salon industry for 13 years. Everyone I had ever known had told me I was built for the corporate world, but I couldn’t ever place what it was that I would do there. I’m not sure when the calling inside of me to become more had started, but once it did, I couldn’t shake it, so I decided to “dabble” in Real Estate.
As I broke into the world of this new found interest, I quickly became addicted to the problem solving pieces of the homeownership process. It was challenging to me in all of the right ways, and it kept my brain busy with “out of the box” thinking, which is something I have always enjoyed. There were so many gaps in the processes and systems, so I decided to switch things up to try them my way, which led me to developing a very special discount program for Police Officers in need of help purchasing or selling a home.
At the time my husband was a law enforcement officer, and unless you have lived that life, it wasn’t something many understand. This program was a game changer for my blue line families. As my new business took off, my husband and I made the choice for him to resign after 10 years of service to our community. This wasn’t easy for him. He had a calling to help others deep inside of him, and he felt leaving was negating that passion.
The time had also come for me to open my own Real Estate Brokerage. I enjoyed educating and had such success early on, that studying and learning real estate law came easy for me. At that point in my career, I didn’t have a choice but to dive in deeper with the sales volume I was closing. I was essentially, and unknowingly, forcing myself to level up, and once again to take on a new challenge.
My brokerage RYSE Realty Group was launched. The Y in RYSE stood as a symbol for a “fork in my journey”. It was time to take another risk on myself, and I dove in head first.
As I began working with more and more cop families now that my company was open, we quickly realized what I was doing was not enough. Not only did I want to figure out a way to do more to further assist these heroes, but I also wanted to create an avenue that allowed my husband to feel he was helping his brothers and sisters in blue, again. From there our 501(c)3 Saint Michael’s Army, Inc was born.
We are now able to raise funds from the community through additional avenues alongside of an INCREDIBLE board of Directors and volunteers. To say it’s been both inspiring and fulfilling is an understatement. It has opened our eyes to the most beautiful stories, humans, and opportunities. There is still good in this world, and SMA allows us to be a small part of that good.
Along the way in all of this we found a love for vacationing in Nashville, Tennessee. We took our sons there often, so I decided to get my Real Estate Brokers license there, as well, I developed a partnership in Green Hills, and initially our plan was to move there one day when our kids were grown, until I was struck with sudden tragedy.
I lost my grandmother, my very best friend, in June of 2023. She and I were inseparable, and had a bond like I’ve never seen in anyone else. Losing her destroyed me, and I became intensely overwhelmed with massive amounts of grief.
Just a day before she passed, we had a discussion on what my life here would look like for me without her. She told me she’d known my entire life I had been built for more, and that when she was gone she had hoped I would explore that down in Miami, Florida where my newly married brother lived. She wanted us to be together and to bring my mom, so that is just what we did.
I am now the proud Partner/Broker at Simani Realty in South Florida, and have officially opened another firm.
Life is an adventure full of ups, downs, moments, and challenges, but in each of them there are some pretty incredible lessons.
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?
I’ve learned through my journey that life is a paradox. Without pain and failure we wouldn’t know happiness or success. Without chaos we wouldn’t know peace.
Risks are scary, but staying stagnant and never growing to see your max potential is even scarier.
My advice is this.
As cliché as it may be, FOLLOW YOUR HEART.
This generation is so used to instant gratification. It is a rarity to find someone with consistency and patience, but even more of a rarity are purpose driven people. There is a reason why we are drawn to or impacted differently by certain things. Our passions are ours for a reason. Follow those passions and stop chasing the dollar. When others around you feel your authenticity, the money will come, but most give up much too soon. Stay the course, make mistakes, learn from them and keep GOING.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
Understanding the importance of who we surround ourselves with is essential, both in life and in business.
Honestly, one will affect the other substantially, so being extremely selective is very important to obtaining success and fulfillment in our journey.
For a long time I didn’t recognize or fully understand this. As things you create begin to work, you will begin to find that some people you care about might start to change. If you’re not prepared for this, it can be a bit hurtful.
For me the person who has helped me overcome the hardest challenges of this type of growth has been my husband.
He is my number one cheerleader, he has my back in all situations. He supports my hectic schedule and the non stop commitment it takes for me to be who I am today.
Having this kind of support system is something I’ll never take for granted because I know it isn’t easy to find. In marriage I was not willing to settle, just like I will not settle in business. I was patient. I found someone who genuinely cares for me, my strong values, and because of the genuine respect we have for one another, building with him has always felt safe even on the hard days.
If there are people in your life who make you feel ANYTHING aside from supported, leave them. If they do not reciprocate or mirror your core values or back you up on your achievements, you have outgrown them, and it is time to move on. There should never be someone sitting at your table who makes you feel anything but inspired to grow, and they’ll be clapping for you loudly when you do. If these people are not currently in your life, I highly suggest looking for them immediately. Having this kind of positive reinforcement will change your life in ways you never imagined possible!
Contact Info:
- Website: RyseRealtyGroup.org
- Instagram: @ashleytravers_
Image Credits
Ira Juke Photography Miami, FL
