Meet Ashton

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ashton a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashton, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?
As a kid growing up in Toronto I had a major fear of speaking to any cashier or making an order especially if there was a line behind me. That fear probably stemmed from that notion of being embarrassed or coming off not knowing what I’m doing and aiming for the best approach. The funny thing about that is I’m almost certain I never conquered that side of me. Even after performing in front of an audience multiple times or approaching women I’m interested in. The only difference between now and then is I embrace failure, or rather, I embrace learning the possible outcomes and disconnecting from what I’m expecting that could be. You’ll never learn if you don’t try and you can’t improve on what you don’t do.

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?
It all started with a girl, my friends crush to be exact. In the time of MSN and young love I gained a reputation of being able to talk to girls, comfortably. Growing up in a household ran by women you’d think I’d pick up on that sooner but it didn’t click in until I was labelled the love doctor amongst my friends. Knowing this, a close friend of mine in grade school called on me to help him ask this girl out he’s been crushing on all year. How could I say no, especially when class is boring and I could sneak away to the washroom and plot, so I did just that. I wrote a poem from his perspective to give to her, just voicing his thoughts, and low and behold it actually worked. Another achievement as the “love doctor” and my initiation as an artist. After that day, I never looked back and even cut school to make music in my friends basement with a camcorder and pantyhose as a microphone in high school. Cut to present day and I’m more focused than ever on being the voice that connects the room, bringing people closer.

2023 and I’m a few years in building this brand I have with my brother Tai-Sean called OT. It stands for Over Time, as in “all good things come over time” and it’s represented by patience, authenticity, and the sentiment of the upside down roses my mother would hang on her master bedroom wall. We’re really running a company driven by our reputation amongst our community, the music we cook, and the rich fabrics we embroider. The future is gorgeous.

Currently, I’m wrapping up this album a couple years in the making titled Amaretto. To some that means a bitter-sweet goodbye, to me, an opportunity to reintroduce myself. Being an artist focused on craft isn’t as instantly gratifying as hosting a podcast, or jumping on any social media that will have me share my thoughts and get superficial love through a ‘like’. What I find important and take pride in is being clear, concise, and beautifully representing my people by expressing myself with good intentions, real connections. The goal has always been to impact the world positively and in a real way, that takes time.

That being said, my best work yet.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Integrity, focus, and being a good listener.

Those three are what have gotten me into rooms with bolted locks on the doors and solidified amongst my people.
Integrity keeps you real with yourself and allows you to establish real relationships respectfully. Without focus how could you ever get anything done? Especially in a world built to grab your attention, your most valuable asset. Last but not least being able to listen allows you to 1: read the room, and 2: be able to understand what’s being asked of you. Very few people learn with their mouth open and ears closed. Just a word to the wise.

What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
Emotional growth. Nurturing that part of myself has allowed me to be more patient with the situations I come across daily. These days, rationality is more of an asset than impulsiveness and mixing that with good intentions has only helped me find success.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Photos provided by Isa Visuals (IG: Isa Visuals) & Myles Jay (IG:mvterivlistic)

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