Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Ashley Barnes, Founder of Ashley Castle Barnes, LLC., located in Sellersburg, IN, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I am a recovering people-pleaser and rule-follower and a multi-passionate creative with a passion for "following my weird." Leveraging my experiences as a neurodiverse corporate learning and development leader, holistic coach, poetry author, and Reiki Master/Teacher, I guide and inspire women to do the inner work that makes their lives better so they can positively impact the world around them. I do this through my writing, particularly poetry, and through my Reiki for Leaders programs, where I both guide women through healing processes and teach them how to use energy techniques to improve their own lives, work, or businesses.

Tell us about yourself

I think I've always had an inner drive to be of service to other people and help them to lead healthier and more purposeful lives. I thought I would become a therapist but ended up in the field of leadership development. It's rewarding to help people grow in their careers, but I still wanted to do more, so I decided to become a coach. I started the first iteration of my business as an integrative health coach. I did not love teaching people how to eat or exercise, but I was very drawn to the mental/emotional/spiritual aspects of wellbeing. I then learned energy work through a program at the hospital where I worked. It resonated with me so much that I sought out a local Reiki teacher and studied with her as well until I became a Reiki Master/Teacher. At the same time, I started writing again. I had been a writer but had stopped for many years during a very tumultuous time in my life. Writing and energy work brought me back to life and allowed me to finally start healing from many years of unprocessed traumas. Meanwhile, I loved doing Reiki, but I wanted more for my clients than one-off sessions. As I gained experience and started combining all I had learned to that point, I started seeing real transformations happening with people. Eventually, it became clear that all the people I was working with were leaders in their own way, and my focus on working with women so they could be more impactful came into being. With the massive changes that have taken place over the last few years with the pandemic, the need for leaders to do their inner work cannot be understated. When people heal, they create a ripple effect in the world around them. This is true for all leaders, but women are specially positioned to lead this change into the future.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Publishing three books of poetry, the most recent of which was endorsed by Marianne Cantwell, TEDx speaker, "The hidden power of not (always) fitting in," and author of the book, Be A Free Range Human.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

I'm creative and visionary, and I enjoy working in that space, as well as in the energy space with the people I serve. However, there is a tactical aspect to being a business owner that also must be attended to, and that's not the space I thrive in most. I have to carefully balance these two aspects in order to maintain momentum and not burn out.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. There is so much noise out there about what you need to be successful. But it's success through that coach/consultant/expert's lens, and your lens is always going to be the most important. So trust yourself and don't let "experts" convince you of anything that doesn't feel right for your unique self or business.
  2. Don't be afraid to start - over and over again. Try things, and don't be afraid to let them go if they don't resonate.
  3. Follow your weird. Be yourself. Let your freak flag fly. Not for the sake of being weird, but for the sake of being beautifully, authentically YOU.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://ashleycastlebarnes.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashbar25
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleycastlebarnes/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleybarnes/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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