I Had Forgotten Who I Was

At the time, Ashley described herself as a “scrambled mom.”

She had three kids. She was a wife. She was an employee. She was taking care of everyone and doing everything that needed to be done. And somewhere along the way, she had started wondering:

'Who am I now?'

Ashley found Rise while she was feeling disconnected from her usual life.

She didn't know many people there. She wasn't sure what the weekend would be like. And, like a lot of women who arrive at Rise for the first time, she had to push through the uncomfortable part of doing something completely unfamiliar.

But once she arrived, something began to shift.

There were workshops she could choose from. Conversations around the fire. New people. Time outside.

And there was something else she hadn't expected:

space.

For a few days, she could simply be Ashley.

And she started remembering things about herself that had gotten buried underneath all the roles she carried. She remembered that she was a writer. That she loved to create. That she liked trying new things. That there were parts of herself she'd been missing.

The weekend didn't end when she drove home. In fact, that's where the bigger change began. After returning from Rise, Ashley started saying yes to things she would have previously been nervous to do alone. She went to events by herself. She met new people. She found community.

One weekend had given her enough confidence to keep trying things.

“I’m not just a mom or an employee or a wife,” she says. “I’m me, I’m Ashley.”

That distinction sounds simple. But how often do we actually get the chance to remember it?

One of the things Ashley loved most about Rise was that the weekend didn't require her to participate in everything. There were dozens of workshops and experiences to choose from, but she could decide what sounded interesting. Another workshop opened the door to learning more about astrology. A conversation about the body and hormones sparked new curiosity. A career workshop gave her a space to talk about something she didn't often get to discuss with other women.

And if she didn't want to do any of it?

She could rest.

Ashley says that Rise changed her life.

Two years later this journey led Ashley to start her own company, Soul Prompts. A card deck that encourages people to ask deeper questions. She set up a vending table at Rise Night Out. 

"I’m so proud of myself for not giving up when things didn’t seem to be working. 

Instead, I kept creating. I built my website. I showed up to my first vending event. I’m completing my Women’s Cyclical Living certification. And little by little, I’m building the life I’ve dreamed about."