Ashlee Branstetter

Check out more of Ashlee

Website: eyambition.com and ashleefay.com

Instagram: /ashleefayinspires

Tiktok: /ashleefayinspires

Facebook: /ashleefayinspires

Show Notes

Noelle Peterson 2:06
Thanks so much for joining us today. Ashley, we'd love to have you just start us off with telling us your story and how you got here.

Ashlee Branstetter 2:13
Oh my gosh, yes. Um, so it's like, where to start? Where's the big story? But um, yeah, today, you know, I am a speaker. And I'm an emcee. And I get to travel so much and host events. But it wasn't always that way. After my mom passed away, I really felt stuck and broken. And I didn't know who I was, you know, and I was a mom, right? But I just wasn't sure like, what, what I was supposed to be doing what my purpose was. And one fateful day, I sat down to do bills, and we had negative $54 In our checking account. And I don't know why. But that number for me, I was like, I have to change things. I can't live this way anymore. You know, we're just surviving and I want to live I know there's more to life before my mom passed away, she would tell me always have faith. And that I was meant for more. So like I knew deep down I was. But I was I was just kind of sitting, you know, I was just kind of surviving. I had been bullied in high school, I still had this kind of lower self esteem, lower confidence in what I could do. But that day hitting that negative 54 is like I have to do something, I have to do something and I felt called to go all in on my side gig, which was making glitter tumblers which is crazy. But that's what it was right? I was making glitter tumblers. I'm really good with my hands. I'm crafty. And so reluctantly, I said yes. Because I didn't want to be in production. That wasn't something I wanted to do with my life. But I went all in. I started going live on Facebook, my Facebook jumped from zero to 85,000 followers. It was like this crazy situation. And I started selling out these tumblers every day. I mean, it was just like a constant thing. And so we went from negative $54 to six figures within a year. And but I was in production. Like I told you I didn't want to be in production. I was there. That's what I was doing this every day all the time. And one night i i was showing them how I made them live on Facebook, and someone got on and they said how'd you get started? And I said I wanted to just tell them how I'd done crafts my whole life. Like I said, I'm really crafty. I'm good with my hands. I make things. It's what I do. But instead I share with them that negative $54 story. And I cried on the live and I went to bed I told my husband I said I messed up. No one's gonna see me as a professional businesswoman. I totally jacked this up. This is not good. And I was so upset. I really thought I had ruined what I had worked so hard to build, you know, and I woke up the next day to just 1000s of more followers. The video had been like I've shared it went viral, I had tons of people messaging me telling me that they loved my story. And I inspired them, and how could they do it? And that was like my lightbulb moment of like, oh my gosh, I can teach every single woman how I did it. Right, I can help them. I'll hit six figures, I'll just step by step show them. And I can keep sharing my story. And that moment for me, that was the moment that changed everything. That was the moment that I realized there was always a plan that I started in production. But I was never meant to stay there that I was meant to help these women that turned into me starting, you know, courses, to show them how I did it and started coaching. And I got out of production, y'all. I don't ever make tumblers anymore. But I had 35 businesses underneath me, we created a shopping network, I created my own app called the Ashley Fe app. And then a few years ago, I felt called to create a conference that combined business mindset and faith. I was doing podcasts, I'm sharing my story. People asked me to speak on stage, and I was loving it. And so when I got called to this to do this conference, I thought, I can't do that. No way. Right? Like, that can't be me. But I just I was in this moment of just saying yes, though. Like, I'm called, I say yes. So I said, Yes. Not having any idea what I was doing. And so I started embracing your ambition. And now we travel with it and have that conference. And I get to speak and emcee all the time. And so it's just been a whirlwind. And it all started with negative $54. To tumblers, to a shopping network to speak. It's been such a wild ride. But I'm so grateful for every step because I've learned how to become a servant leader and, and what it is I meant to do on this on this planet.

Robert Peterson 6:53
Nice. Well, we love that idea of of designing your life. And obviously, you designed it a little bit from desperation, now that you're now that you're no longer in that desperation in your teaching others talk a little bit about the ability as a entrepreneur to design the life that you want, and then build a business to support it.

Ashlee Branstetter 7:16
Yeah, oh my gosh, you know, a lot of people always say, Well, how do you balance it all? What's the enemy like, oh, it's Oh, it ain't balanced. Like there's no balance to it. What it is, though, is incorporating the business into my family, like my girls help with everything, right. They know the ins and outs of what I do. And I take them places with me. And they understand the different seasons of business, there's a season that is, so I have to be so in it, right, like fourth quarter for product based businesses with the shopping network. That's, that's my life. That is what I do. But then there are seasons where I just get to be with the family over the summer week camp all the time. I mean, I'm never home, I'm never around. And so what's awesome is, is having something like that, though, that we can make our own our own lives, right and put it where we need to go. And we understand the seasons of this is when Mom has to be here. And this is when we are full on family. And we take these big trips, and we do these things. And we really came from a place of negative $54 to being somewhere where we can we can do things and we can go experience life. And so my kids are just so used to having that. Like I said, I don't want to say balance because it seems like chaos sometimes, but having those seasons where they know, they know like this is job is first here, right? The business first in this season. But you know, we're taking a trip to Disney World, or we're taking a trip to Mexico, and we're going to do these fun things. And I love getting to teach them. One of my favorite things. If you ask any of my kids, I'll say you guys, what's the secret to business and they say you are you're the secret to the business. You're the secret sauce. And I'm like I love that I've been able to teach them and show them what it's like to really go for it to really try to live you know, my dream and then to help others do the same because they're to me, they're growing up with a legacy instilled in them to know to like, go for their dreams, you know, to help others do the same and to really put themselves out there and go for what it is they feel called to do. Nice.

Noelle Peterson 9:32
What did you want to do when you grew up as a child when you grew up?

Ashlee Branstetter 9:35
It's funny because my I grew up whenever I was really young, I was in pageants all the time, and I did talent shows I love to be on a stage. Loved it. I loved to be on stage. I loved the spotlight. And my mom would always tell me like you are such a star. And my my teachers would always say the same and so growing up young, I thought yeah, I'm gonna be I'm gonna be famous Like, I've got this, I'm amazing, right. And then when I got to high school in the girls did not see that in me, it was like, everything kind of crashed, you know, I got I got bullied for wanting to be on stages, I got bullied for thinking I was gonna be famous one day, and really, really bullied. And my mom was always there for me and my rock. And so I kind of lost all of that, you know, and I just thought, I'm just gonna, I'm gonna get a job, and I'm just gonna do what it is that I'm supposed to do. And I'm gonna push this idea in the back of my mind, you know, and let it go. And so it's funny when I started doing tumblers, like I told you guys, I didn't want to be in production, because I think deep down, I still wanted to be on stages. But I would never allow myself to say that, you know, I would never put that out there. And then being on stages has been magical. But there was this one, I did a TV show thing down in Dallas, in Dallas, Texas. And right before we went down there a few days before, I had like a complete panic attack. And I was like, I can't do this. I'm not pretty enough. I'm not smart enough. I, you know, and all these things kind of creeped into my head. And I told my husband was like, I'm not going, it's not gonna happen, I'm not getting on that plane. And the night before, I just remember sitting there thinking, I have to do this, I have to do this for all these women who have who have felt like this who have felt second best, who have felt like they can't do what it is that their heart truly says they're meant to do. I have to do this. And I got on that stage. And it was just, I killed it, y'all. It was amazing. And I just felt so in my element. And I just looking back and thinking how long I've put this off, like what I've truly wanted, I've put off for so long, just because I had fear and self doubt. And I let other people's opinions, you know, make me feel a certain way. So I'm so glad I'm there now. But yeah, I've always I've always had a thing for being on stage as people think I'm crazy. But I think it's a blast.

Robert Peterson 12:12
So to talk a little bit about that mindset shift and and use the drive of I need to do this for those women that feel this way. Talk a little bit about, obviously, your own mindset shift, but how you help others take make that shift in their own lives.

Ashlee Branstetter 12:29
Yeah, you know, one thing for me, when the business started taking off, I almost felt guilty because I wasn't able to volunteer my kids school and volunteer with my kids cheerleading, and do all these things. And it took a lot for me to realize that me being happy was me being the best mom to them. And so I feel so passionate helping women realize that, yes, our kids are so important, right? They are everything to me. But helping women realize that when we follow our passion, it actually betters our whole family. It's better my marriage, it's better to my children. Like we spend more time as a family than what we did before I had it just because I wasn't living in my purpose. And so I truly think that we are, we are here for a reason that we are also unique, and no one can do what you can do the way you can do it. And someone is waiting on you. This is one thing I tell people this all the time, because I've had so many women say you created a ripple effect. To me, that is like the best compliment. I feel like someone could give because that's what I want is to create a ripple effect and women that step up and say, I'm going to do this, I'm going to follow my dream, I'm going to live my purpose, I'm going to shut down that self doubt, right, and the imposter syndrome, all those things they still creep in to helping women to shut that down. Because someone's waiting on every single one of you to share your story to become who you're meant to be like someone's watching you and they need you to do it so that they have permission to do the same. And so I love helping women to kind of step into that light and see what they're capable of. Because I think we're capable of so much more than what we give our credit ourselves credit for. Especially if we allow you know the kingdom into but um, for me that's been such a big part is just realizing what I can do. And with with him right and just being who I am. And so I love helping women to step into the light realize that their story matters. And that, like I said, Someone's waiting on them. Like I truly feel like we all have a responsibility to do what it is we're called to do. Because that's how the world changes. That's how the ripple effect happens.

Noelle Peterson 14:44
Yeah, we I totally resonate with what you're saying, As kids we have these dreams and desires and then life takes over. Yeah, we take on these roles that society puts us on us and we don't necessarily take advantage and look at who we are Especially I feel as as women, being moms and mothers and, and not focusing on who we are as, as human beings and what God did put us on this earth for,

Ashlee Branstetter 15:08
yeah, 100% we kind of forget our dreams, or we lose them, or you just shovel them deep down, you know, into our soul, because we just feel like we have all these responsibilities. And, you know, I was tell, I was telling my girls that I coach the other day, because all of them feel like they're kind of on the struggle bus right now. And I'm like, Girl, me too. I've, I feel like I've got a lot of weight on me. But that's just like part of Mommy, you know, it's, it's like my household would fall, if I wasn't here, you know, like, I do all the things. And we put all this weight and this pressure and this stress on us, because we want everyone to be taken care of, you know, we just have that inside of us. But we have to be taken care of too. And we have to live in our purpose, because it makes us better. That's like the biggest things that I've discovered, like allowing myself to step into the light, to be vulnerable to let people see all the things has changed my life for the better, because it's made me better. And it's helped me to be a better mom and helped me to be a better wife and a better friend and a better coach and servant leader.

Noelle Peterson 16:11
Kind of present.

Robert Peterson 16:12
So you mentioned you mentioned your faith, you mentioned doing, you know, with God than rather than without God. And so, tell us a little bit about how your faith impacts your business, how it impacts who you are as a person who you're being.

Ashlee Branstetter 16:29
Yeah, I mean, well, what's crazy, I don't know, I just feel very prompted to share this when my mom was very, very sick. Still get emotional. I mean it How could I not, she was my rock. But 12 years ago, when she was really, really sick, we did a prayer circle around her. And it was the first time I'd ever prayed out loud. I'd always known God because my parents brought me up that way. But I just remember being so afraid to pray out loud. But when I was walking out this woman that I did not know, she stopped me and she said, I just bought this Bible today. And God's telling me, it's meant to be yours, that you're going to take it and you're gonna do huge things with it. And I was like, okay, you know, I'm like it. I was young, you know, I was like, 21. And I was like, Okay, that was That was crazy. I don't know what she means by that. And I walked out and my mom passed away later that year. And I was very angry with God. But I had promised her I'd always had faith, that Bible set on my, my bedside table for a long time without being opened. And so I finally kind of came to the point where I'm like, I have to let my faith back in the day that I hit negative 54. I prayed. And I was like, God, what do you want me to do? You know, where do I go from here? And when I feel like that day was the first day I had heard his voice so clearly, you know, like, go all in? And I was reluctant. I said, No, at first and I heard him, you know, do you trust me? And I went all in and I picked up that Bible, and I started allowing my faith to come back. And even though I was still angry at him, Listen, I still get angry at him every December because that's when my mom passed away, right? But I allowed that to come in. And I started to realize like, following those God promptings, those moments that you feel in your heart, where he's telling you to do something can make or break you, you know, how could I not follow that to that day, that negative tomorrow, I wouldn't be here. And then whenever I was sharing the story of someone asked me how I got started, had I not followed the god prompting to share the negative $54 story? The story would have never been heard. I wouldn't be on stages today. And same way with the event. Right? And so I think when he asked me to do the event, and I've written books, and that's all been from a God, prompting, I love his timing. It's always not my timing, ever, you know, he's like, write a book. I'm like, why now is not the time. But it always is. But when he called me to embrace your mission to combine faith, business and mindset, I thought I can't I can't do that. But, you know, I said, Yes, because it was a god prompting because I just knew in my heart that obedience was key to where I have gotten. I wrote a book recently, a chapter in a collaboration book. And the first word says obedience. That's the very first word of the chapter. Because if you asked me how I truly got from that point of negative 54, to where I am today, it's it's obedience. It's saying yes, to the call, because I just I could not have done it. Like, I don't know what made me to say, yes, that first time that negative 54, but it changed my world. And so that Bible, it's so cool that she said one day I would change the world that it has been on so many stages, it goes everywhere with me. And if it's a Christian event, I hold it up. If not, I set it on the podium, so everybody still gets to see it. And so I always say an angel gave it to me. And I hope that she sees that it's been all over this country one day, so

Noelle Peterson 20:00
Just the magnificent things God can do through through you. And through listening us we get to be like you said, you get to be stronger for who we are in our families and our spouses and everybody that we impact.

Ashlee Branstetter 20:12
Yeah, you know, I think a lot of people, I think this was me for a while to even I would separate my faith from business. You know, I never brought my faith into the shopping network for for a while. And it just for after a while, and I realized, like, man, God's doing so much good. I'm gonna start sharing it. And so I started sharing it in my business page, and I kind of combined everything in that has just become a whole situation with me, like people know, if they come watch me on a live or, you know, watch one of my women, they're gonna get faith too. And that's, I always say God is the CEO. And I handed it over to him a long time ago, because now that he's the CEO, the pressures off me. Whatever happens is on him, she gets to control that he can take the heat if things don't work out. I don't. There's no pressure here. I'm not the CEO. I love that.

Robert Peterson 21:06
So So what's been the impact of being an author?

Ashlee Branstetter 21:10
Yeah, it's, it's been cool. I still, it's funny. I'm trying to finish my personal story book. And every time I get I sit down and, and work on it for a while feelings about my mom started to come back up. And I kind of put it off a little bit. And everybody's like, when are you finishing it? Oh, like I'm trying. But the other books have been amazing. I have a devotional out because of God and business. And it's all about putting God into your business, in a purpose journal that goes along with it. And then I've got two collaboration books, where I've shared my story, someone that you know, so I hope my personal story book will come out very soon. But I do love helping other people with the collaboration books become best selling authors that way too. Because, like I said, earlier, I think everybody has such a unique story. And no one can share it or tell it or do it the way that you can. And it all deserves to be heard. So it's been really fun. We just put out our second collaboration book, I tried to the women I coach, I try to help them write a collaboration book. And then you know, we publish it and make them best selling authors. And we're two for two on number one best selling authors right now for the collaboration books. It's been fun, it's been.

Ashlee Branstetter 23:38
Yeah, you know, there's a big old note on my refrigerator for all of our family. And it says Make every thought thankful every thought whether it's fear, whether you're having, you know, thoughts about money or, or self esteem or you're being worried or anxious, we have that written on our fridge and we just constantly remind each other in that note reminds us no matter what the thought, there's something in there to be grateful for, you know, I have had, I've made a lot of mistakes. And letting go of the shopping network was one of the one of the hardest things that I've done, but I was following my heart, but I look back and I can get into this moment of if I'd done this or if I'd done this and, and feel all of these kinds of emotions, right? But if I can take a moment and just look at it from a different a different lens, right. And so you know, I'm so thankful that this happened because this is what I learned from it. And this is how I've grown from it. I know I wouldn't be the servant leader I am today if all these things wouldn't happen. There's a quote, I don't know how it goes, but it always pops into my head when I'm thinking of gratitude and how can I make this thought thankful? But it says stop seeing God through the lens of your circumstances and start seeing your circumstances through the lens of God or through the love of God I think is what I like That's so good. because there's just there's always a plan. I mean, you can hear from my story, it didn't make sense at all, to start from tumblers, and go into speaking and emceeing and event hosting. But it makes faith. And I'm just thankful for every single step of the journey. And like I said, the the note literally says, Make every thought, grateful. And so every thought that happens in this house, we find a way to be thankful for whatever it is.

Noelle Peterson 25:30
And it just makes such a difference for your day and your perspective as you go through everything that happens. Absolutely. So what about routines? What do you do regularly? Yeah, I

Ashlee Branstetter 25:43
mean, I have, I have such a morning routine that if I miss it, it's like, I don't know what to do with myself. So I wake up, I wake up at five before my family gets up. So I have timed myself. And of course, I pray first and ask God what it is, what is it that you want me to do today? Make sure that I have that in my schedule. Because I know as entrepreneurs, we can get super carried away in what we think we need to do. We forget that it's not our agenda. It's his. So I pray first, and then I do a devotional. And I read, I've read every Mark Batterson book there is he's my favorite author, but I like TD Jakes and so many others as well. So I read something of substance, you know, some kind of faith, or mindset or business books, something that's going to really help my brainpower. You know, I read every morning, and then I do my purpose journal, which is I write three things that I'm grateful for. I write the call that God has placed on my heart, I write down my why, why do I want this my to do list my 10 goals in a prayer. So that all happens in the purpose journal. That's actually why I created it, because I was doing those things every morning and a notebook. And I felt one day he was like, why don't you just make it into a journal? And I was like, yeah, that's. So really, the journal has been one of my favorite things I've produced just because I have so many people like, it's so monotonous. You know, there's not every day that I wake up, and I'm like, Yay, let me go write my 10 goals that are the same that I wrote yesterday. But writing them it does something to your brain and seeing it in writing, right? It does. It's like scientifically proven to help you accomplish them. And so to look back on all the goals that I've accomplished, but also all the prayers that have been answered that I've written along the way, is amazing. It's it's been such a journey. It's incredible.

Noelle Peterson 27:44
Just reminds me, you were talking about guy being the CEO, and he gets to take this the stress off of you. But also, when you're starting your day, and you let him tell you what is the important things. And yes, they go together. And it's not necessarily obvious, or simple. But it is so very helpful to allow that true.

Ashlee Branstetter 28:05
Yeah, after I do all all my routine, I finally wake my kids up, I get them ready for school, send them off. And then I eat the frog first. So I do the hardest thing first thing in the morning. That's that's like one of those important things that no one wants to do. Not even me, I hate it. But whatever is the hardest thing on that to do list that you wrote down, right? Whatever is the thing that you are like, I do not want to do that. Just do it just like very first thing, and then everything else just kind of falls into place. And it makes the day so much easier.

Noelle Peterson 28:37
You start off being very productive. Yes,

Ashlee Branstetter 28:40
I'm a morning person, though. So like, in the mornings, I'm all hyped up. And like, if you see me in the evenings, like I'm, I'm in bed reading by nine and asleep by 10. Like, I'm just, I'm done. Can't do evening stuff.

Robert Peterson 28:54
Yeah, we we were at a networking event and two of the girls are getting ready to leave there to go to something else. I'm like, oh, it's already past my bedtime. Like, there's no there's no next level or there's no after party for

Ashlee Branstetter 29:09
for the I can't do it.

Noelle Peterson 29:13
What inspires you, Ashley?

Ashlee Branstetter 29:16
Oh my gosh. I mean, when I look at my girls, I tell them the story of Mr. Jones, they all know the story of Mr. Jones and how he got to heaven. And he didn't accomplish the things he was set out to. And so I look at them and I tell people, I want to leave an inheritance for them. Absolutely. But more so I want to leave a legacy inside of them to know that they can go after their dreams to know that they have everything inside of them with the help of God. They can do what they were created to do. And I want to make my mom proud and see I'm getting emotional because she was my rock and she truly believed I had something in me and I was meant for more. So I'm inspired knowing that I'm keeping her legacy alive and showing that Bible The people all over this country, hopefully world one day. And just creating that legacy and the girls to that's going to live on I love what embrace your mission is and, and seeing people kind of have those aha moments, you know those breakthroughs of like, wow, if she did this, I can do this. If God did it for her, he could do it for me. And it just that is so inspiring. Just that feeling you get when watching someone just light up that way.

Robert Peterson 30:31
So speaking of legacy, how is building your business to this level allowed you to give back and contribute?

Ashlee Branstetter 30:38
Yeah, oh my gosh, I mean, we tie that's always been a thing. I've always believed in that one day, I want to be like JC Penney and tied 90% of my money in and keep 10 I think that's just the coolest thing ever. But one of our biggest goals as a family, you know, we help out with the church, a lot of stuff, and we love doing that. But one of our biggest goals is to create family mission trips, we want to take family mission trips with embrace your ambition. We're hoping to do one this year, we're hoping that we get to do one this year, but we're looking at next year, it's a little more feasible, because we want to take other families with us. But I've just always, I've always always been someone who I'm like, I want to be a full time missionary, like I would totally do that. As long as my family can do it with me. And so it's just always been on my heart to do mission trips, I want to I want to take the girls like I want the girls to help I want the girls to be part of it. And so that's something we've really been working on and looking into how to how does this happen, we have a place in Mexico that we know the owner. So Mexico, you know, is pretty easy first step for embrace her ambition to do mission trips. But yeah, one thing that I want so badly is like I said, II way mission trips, family mission trips, but also to take E ya all over the country and to do our event one day, and then the next day serve the local community. That is just how I want to wrap things up with my nice little pretty bow is event one day community one day and just make sure that we are serving people, I just, I want to I want to make an impact, I want to create a ripple effect, I want to leave an impact in this world and make it a better place.

Noelle Peterson 32:23
The mean, from experience, I can say sharing that with your kids, it's just you can't express the value in that. It's having your kids see the country in the world that as it is, through God's eyes.

Robert Peterson 32:36
Well, we should check because I spent 10 years helping arrange mission trips and taking teams all around the world. So we definitely can help help make that happen. And obviously, we were blessed to be full time missionaries for 10 years. And

Ashlee Branstetter 32:51
I would love to do that I probably drive my husband crazy, because we have a beautiful house. And we live in a beautiful community. And I am appreciative that and I'm so grateful. But all the time. I'm like, so when can we be traveling missionaries? Like when does this get to happen because like, I'm there, I'm ready, like, let's go, let's do this. That's when I feel like I'm like, most energetic. You know, like you're going in, you're doing all this work that like you feel so alive. Like, that is what I would just love to do with my kids and my husband. So and

Robert Peterson 33:22
I'll tell you that our biggest our biggest weakness or the piece that impacted me the most is that I can help people come to Christ. But their lives didn't change. And the reason I do what I do today, as an entrepreneur, coach and transformation coach is because I see the power of entrepreneurship, I see the power of business development, coming right alongside that faith transition. So not only can we introduce somebody to Jesus, but then we can say, look, with these tools of personal empowerment and business development. You can create the life that you need. And entrepreneurship is really the place where transformation can happen. That that changes lives from negative $54 to impact. And that's what I want to take back to South America, I want to take back to Africa and take to other places to help people be empowered and have the freedom that entrepreneurship can can really create.

Ashlee Branstetter 34:25
Yes, I love that. Because like I said earlier, I think I was separating business and faith but if you're willing to combine them. Yeah, that's the key. That's the secret. That's I mean, that is everything. Yeah. It just changed everything for me.

Robert Peterson 34:43
Well, and I think that that was the piece that that really felt like if anything in our mission work failed. It was it was sure they love Jesus and they have a relationship with Jesus and they're going to church and they're baptized and, and and their lives are different. but not significantly, not be impacted entrepreneurship can have not the impact that having the freedom of owning their own business can have. That's the transformation that, that I want to be able to today recognize and say, Oh, look, this, this takes it to another level. And I just didn't have the skill set then, that I have today. And so I look forward to, to applying that skill set, like you said, combining the faith and the business, in mindset. And, and those are the three keys to, to really creating life transformation.

Ashlee Branstetter 35:33
Yeah, I love that. Yeah, that's like, exactly why I created UAA. Because there were so many conferences out there. I love going to conferences. I mean, I will go to conference every week, right? But there was business, there was mindset, or then there was faith. And I'm like, what if I put them all three together? Because really, you need all three? I do think that to level up in one area of your life to level up in business, you need to level up spiritually. You need to level up mentally, you need to level up physically. I mean, it all goes together to get to that true next level.

Noelle Peterson 36:06
Yeah, and don't don't compartmentalize them, don't separate them together. So they mean, the the words for the wedding quarter, three strands is not easily broken. When you're putting it all together. It's a lot stronger. Yeah. So you talked about your mom being your rock. So I'm going to ask you about mentors and how mentors have helped you over the years.

Ashlee Branstetter 36:27
Yeah, I mean, obviously, my mom, she had such a light about her, you know, she was the woman like when she walked into the room everybody was drawn to. And I didn't see that I I had that. You know, it took me a long time to be like, Oh, I'm capable of what she was she was I can keep her legacy alive. So obviously, she has been such a mentor to me. And my grandmother, same way, you know, it's just kind of passed on. I think my mom would have been an amazing speaker and that we never got to that point. But um, so yeah, she's obviously a mentor. And then Jennifer allwood. She is just, I just think she is just the bee's knees. She is one of the people who, when I started my business, I was looking kind of for business coaching, and I stumbled across her. And she would talk about her faith periodically. And I was in that was kind of one of those things where I was like, I can talk about my faith and my story. And, and so you know, she's just been such a mentor. And I finally, like, I find, like, I'm like, I'm finally like, I was trying, but I, I had followed her for years and took all of her courses. And then we ended up being on two stages together. And she asked me to be on her podcast. And it was just like, I was probably like a rambling idiot on the podcast, because I was like, blown away that all of it was happening, you know. But now it's like crazy to look back as like, she was a mentor. And I actually put one of my goals in my purpose journal was to speak on stage with Jennifer allwood. And that happened, and then I got to be on her podcast. And I was like, this is why. But uh, but yeah, incredible, incredible woman, though.

Robert Peterson 38:08
Nice. So with all the business success that you have, what's your biggest challenge?

Ashlee Branstetter 38:13
Oh, man, biggest challenge. I think I'm impatient. I told you guys that, you know, what I envisioned for EIA is constant travel, and whether it's missions or whether it's doing the event, and then doing community service. And even when when God showed me that years ago, it was never just a one. You know, like, once a year conference, it was always a traveling conference. That's what he showed me. But we're just not there yet. And that is like one of those, like, I understand why we're not there. And I understand that I have more to learn and that he can't just hand it to me that easily, or I will fall apart, that there is a process to this. But I'm still so impatient. And I want it now because I just I know, it's needed. So that's been a challenge of because I do I have a business partner, and he's a little more, you know, chill than I, you know, like, I'm like, I want it. I just want to do it so bad because I just feel, you know, being there and being on stage and doing all that feels so alive in so it's hard not to just want it right now, even though I understand the process. So like one of my biggest challenges is just being patient and reminding myself that it's his time, and that it will come. He always has shown up, you know, and showed off and done, what has needed to be done. But if if I had it my way, I'd already be traveling every single weekend, pouring into people and doing mission trips and there's the little identity. She said hi Give me Give me 10 more minutes Yeah, is there a little red? Her eyes are so red. I don't know. It just makes me so sad. Sorry. I'm sorry.

Noelle Peterson 40:17
No, you're good. What do you love to do in your free time?

Ashlee Branstetter 40:21
Oh, travel. I mean I like I said I would travel I love experiences we even at Christmas we don't really do a lot of gifts we we go on an experience. And so I just I love to travel we love camping. I love the feeling of getting up in the mountains and not having cell service and just have to be a family. Just just deal with me talk and ladies, like, Come on girls. You gotta care, mom. But um, yeah, we camp we hike. We love whitewater rafting, we love climbing, my husband's is survival training expert. And so he teaches us those things. So yeah, we just we love being outdoors and traveling and seeing new things and doing new things all the time.

Robert Peterson 41:07
Well, obviously your daughter is there with you. And the blessing of being an entrepreneur and being able to stay home and take care of her what other blessings are there of raising a family while running your own business?

Ashlee Branstetter 41:20
Yeah, I mean, we're in the process of getting my husband his own business to so that we can truly travel and do what we want to do. I mean, there's, it is really nice, being able to, you know, we went to Mexico for Christmas, and being able to go down there and still have my computer and do what I needed to do, you know, while we were there and kind of just have that. And so it's it's really been such a blessing can't wait. So my husband's is at the same, same level. So we can truly just do all the things. But um, his is at a point now where, you know, we do get a lot of time off, which has been really great. And, you know, one thing whenever I hit the negative 54, and I was praying, and I said, God, I don't I don't want a full time job. And that might sound awful, because I know my family needs it. But my husband's Special Forces, he was gone all the time at that point. And I thought I want I want to pick up my kids, I want to take my kids to school, and they're already down one parent, you know, and so it's been such a blessing. And there are days that I totally complain about being lonely and I shouldn't be. It's been great to be able to be home with them. And I pick them up every day after school. And I mean, that's just a blast, the school is just over there. So sometimes I walk to get home and it's just been nice, you know, like being being home with them and picking them up and taking them to school and, and traveling all the time. I want to travel so much more than what we're traveling. So it's hard to say like we traveled because I want to be traveling all the time. I tried to convince my husband, I was like, Actually, I haven't convinced I have this plan. You know, I told you EIA to take it to these different places to serve the communities and then to do the events to just get an RV and just travel the United States with it. And he's like I'm in if you get it sponsored, I'm there. So like, I'm like, Okay, you said it, buddy. Because like, I know what I'm capable of. So, so that's like my new venture is like okay, like let's make this a reality. I know things take time.

Robert Peterson 43:28
One of one of our one of our recent guests call themselves professionally homeless. And so basically they they don't they don't stay at home they they're traveling from city to city doing conferences and events and, and taking care of their clients from from whatever, Airbnb they happen to be in.

Noelle Peterson 43:46
resorts or they're not even cooking. Yeah. Take care of you.

Ashlee Branstetter 43:50
Yeah. Yeah, I think that'd be so fun. But it goes back to the Don't be impatient actually. It's all it's all his time. And you know, I'm trying to put pieces together and hopefully he says, Okay, now as the now get ready, but we're waiting for your job, and he'll do his job. Exactly.

Robert Peterson 44:09
So So you talked about, you know, what you're capable of, but let's talk about the power of a dream in bringing something to fruition and creating something out of nothing.

Ashlee Branstetter 44:19
Yeah, I mean, it's, it's crazy. I remember, you know, I talked to God in the shower, I always tell people that I'm like, I talked to God in the shower, because I think it's the only time not the only time I talked to him in the mornings, but my mind is truly turned off, you know, and I can actually hear what's going on. And I asked him, I said, God, I have this big dream, like you've shown me what this looks like. It's the constant travel, it's the community serving. It's the mission trips. Like, how can I do this? Are you sure I can do this? And he said, You can't but I can. And I have held on to that I have held on to that. And my dream has like gotten bigger and bigger. Because as I kind of step into, and I start to see things moving, and I start to realize, like, he does have this, he really does. And it's crazy. I like to tell people, I always wear a shirt. This is chosen, at least at some point during the event, whether it's on stage, or whatever it is, I always wear a shirt that says chosen because I realized that many are called few are chosen. And it finally hit me what that meant. Like, everyone is called to something, everyone has a dream. And that dream is what you're meant to be doing. Very, very, very few people will say yes to it. Very few people have the courage to say, I'm gonna go for this, whatever that looks like, whatever, you know, God is wanting me to do, I'm gonna go for this. And so I always wear a shirt that says chosen because I stepped into that I decided to go for my dream. I like to tell people that I try not to focus on the how of everything, you know, I try to focus on, this is what I was told to do. And this is why I'm doing it. And God will handle the how, and step by step he has. He has shown the way, step by step.

Noelle Peterson 46:11
We have a friend that likes to say dream big enough that you can fit other people's dreams in it.

Ashlee Branstetter 46:16
That's good. I love that. Yes. All right.

Robert Peterson 46:19
So we end every episode with our guests sharing their words of wisdom. Ashley, what would you share?

Ashlee Branstetter 46:25
Oh, my gosh, I truly, truly believe like I just said that we're all called. There we are all on this earth for a purpose that we have something inside of us. And God is just waiting for you. He's waiting for you to say yes. And so as someone else because your dream. It's not about the haters. It's not about those people who have opinions of you. Their opinions are none of your business anyway, right? Your dream is not even about you. It's about what God made you to do. You're here for a purpose or in this time for a reason. And it's your time, it's your time to step into the light, create the ripple effect and go for it.

Noelle Peterson 47:05
Thank you so much. I needed to hear a lot of this. And I'm sure our listeners did too. So thank you for your time today, Ashley. Oh.