When you have the opportunity to ask some of the most interesting people in the world about their lives, sometimes the most fascinating answers come from the simplest questions. The Thrive Questionnaire is an ongoing series that gives an intimate look inside the lives of some of the world’s most successful people.
Read below to hear Ashley Stahl’s morning routine, her stress-free email hack, and why she batches her workloads into “on” and “off” days.
TG: What’s the first thing you do when you get out of bed?
AS: I brew a cup of coffee, and pop my journal open to do “soul writing,” which (to me) looks like writing at the top of the page “what do I need to know today?” and allowing my intuition to tell me! There is so much wisdom inside of us that we’re not bringing into our awareness, and some of my best business ideas have come from this.
TG: What gives you energy?
AS: In my professional life, I get a lot of energy from music and writing. In the creative process of writing my career book for Hay House, I’ve noticed that listening to music is huge for my ability to generate content and words that really come from the heart. I also get really inspired by writing, as it’s most aligned with my natural gifts and way of being in the world. On a personal note, I get energy from my connections with girlfriends. I keep about 6 women in my awareness at any given time, and my friendships with them are so sacred to me.
TG: What daily habit or practice helps you thrive?
AS: Meditation. I meditate once a day for 20 minutes, and it’s been a game changer for my grounding and innovation.
TG: Name a book that changed your life.
AS: Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom … This book brought me straight into the meaning of life at a young age, and his rawness and realness has inspired me as a writer.
TG: Tell us about your relationship with your phone. Does it sleep with you?
AS: Unfortunately, yes. It’s something I’ve noticed has a place in my life it doesn’t need! Given that I help so many clients in their career with transitions and job hunting, I get attached to making sure I’m there for them. In fact, one client called in the middle of negotiating a job offer– putting them on hold! Glad I picked up 🙂
TG: How do you deal with email?
AS: I answer it every morning, and don’t look at it the rest of the day.
TG: How do you prioritize when you have an overwhelming amount to do?
AS: I batch my workload for “on” days and “off” days, meaning I’ll have days where I’m on the phone back to back, or doing podcast interviews back to back for my show (You Turn Podcast) and then other days that are devoted to my creative process of writing and content creation.
TG: You unexpectedly find 15 minutes in your day, what do you do with it?
AS: Take a walk. I love getting outside and I always find that I have more ideas after the walk. I’ll leave my phone at home if I’m feeling bold, too!
TG: When was the last time you felt burned out and why?
AS: I had an e-course called the Job Offer Academy do incredibly well over the course of 8 weeks, and with 6,000 new customers, I had to unexpectedly hire a few employees. The training process, the new customers– all of it– showed me that the company grew too quickly and for months, I was working all night trying to make sure everything was graceful. I eventually surrendered and shifted my business model, only after I was so burnt out I needed to take two months off. Burn out is real, and it changes the way your brain works when it’s not tended to. I am so passionate about helping women avoid it.
TG: When was the last time you felt you failed and how did you overcome it?
AS: After my e-course (Job Offer Academy) took off, the company grew too fast. Facebook ads got more expensive and our profits diminished quickly. This meant I needed to lay off members of my team and rework the business model, which happened during a massive burnout. The company went from $5 million in revenue to $500,000 in debt after a slew of bad business decisions. I was only 27 at the time and didn’t know how to run a company. I’ve since learned from it and paid off the debt. I learned that rock bottom is a a sacred place, and I got to know myself in such a special way during what was otherwise a painful time.
TG: What advice would you give your younger self?
AS: I’d tell my younger self that it’s all good, and that life is friendly. All thing things we worry about often don’t deserve our worry.
TG: Share a quote that you love and that gives you strength or peace.
AS: “Life life as if everything is rigged in your favor.” – Rumi
I believe it is.