Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Brown.
Hi Ashley, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve been on a multi-year mission to feel better since I became a mother in 2004. After surviving a Category 4 hurricane that toppled a huge oak onto and into our house—with us in it—then a month later going through 13 hours of natural labor before having an emergency c-section, I was raw, depleted, fearful, and enormously sleep-deprived. I was a list-making perfectionist who dropped into a world where nothing was ever crossed off the list, and nothing was even close to perfect. And the only way out was through. I functioned, but for the first few years, I just shuffled ahead, trying to be a perfect mother and having to settle for good enough. Then slowly, like the sun peeking through clouds after a heavy rain, I began to see glimpses of myself. I am a positive person and was tired of being unhappy. I wanted not only to regain who I was pre-parenthood but to go beyond that to where I enjoy my life most of the time. I adore vacations, but every day can’t be spent at the beach (unfortunately). So I began a quest for joy. Over this time, I’ve read hundreds of books, taken multiple courses, and tried dozens of techniques to feel happier in my daily life and overcome the challenges I’ve faced. Now I share what I’ve learned with others to help them become happier in their everyday lives. As a “joy detective,” I provide happiness consultations that identify ways to boost day-to-day happiness with specific, easy-to-implement actions that can be taken immediately. I also share resources and simple tools, tricks, and techniques that can make a real difference.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
This path is not a steady ascent; it has ups and downs. I’ve experienced postpartum depression, PTSD, anxiety, heartbreak, unexpected loss, deep grief, and overwhelming uncertainty about the future. And, of course, the pandemic added its brand of stress to the mix.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us more about your business.
I’m a happiness consultant and published author. As a “joy detective,” I have in-depth conversations with clients where we look at their current life and identify areas that can be enhanced to boost day-to-day happiness. We’ll look at what might be standing in the way and address those issues with specific, easy-to-implement actions that can be taken right away. In our conversation, I’ll uncover clues that will guide me in crafting a customized set of suggestions to play with, including simple tools, tricks, and techniques that can make a real difference in their everyday life. I’ll tap my network of resources to provide just the right ideas. This personalized report will consider their particular issues, goals, lifestyle, schedule, responsibilities, personality, and interests. And if they like, I can also send a care package full of comforts and delights, lovingly selected just for them.
My experience sets me apart; I’ve been researching how to be happier for almost two decades. I have learned so much and am excited to share it with others so they can be happier. Happiness is a basic right–not a selfish luxury, as so many of us have been taught. Emotions are contagious. Humans unconsciously mirror each other’s body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions, causing us to feel what others are feeling. Without realizing it, we can “catch” sadness, anger, or anxiety from someone else. If we feel happier, it’s beneficial to those around us. What would our world look like if we were all happier? One of my favorite tools for boosting happiness is creativity. Studies have shown that creative activities improve your mood and reduce stress levels, even if you have no experience. Coring in a coloring book or doodling can calm, center, and relax you. I find that smooshing around different paint colors or dripping watercolors onto wet paper to see how they spread and mingle makes me astonishingly happy. That’s why one of my offerings is a creative playdate, where we can experiment together via Zoom with fun and easy activities.
So, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you before we go? How can they support you?
I offer Joy Jumpstart happiness consultations via Zoom or in person if you live nearby. These are available as 30-minute or hour-long sessions and can also come with a customized care package. I also offer 30- and 60-minute creative playdates to spark creativity and boost joy. For details on how we can play together, visit https://www.joydetectives.com/offerings.
In addition, I published an award-winning book on morning rituals, A Beautiful Morning: How a Morning Ritual Can Feed Your Soul and Transform Your Life. It’s available on Amazon as a paperback and ebook. Why are morning rituals important? How you start, each day affects the quality of your whole day and your life. A morning ritual inspires personal transformation by providing space to connect with yourself, discover what you truly want, and visualize how to achieve it. Being mindful in the morning centers and energizes you, helping you live with purpose, serenity, and joy.
A Beautiful Morning will encourage and support you in creating a daily practice that easily fits your current life and guides you toward increased happiness and fulfillment. I interviewed more than twenty women living their dreams, including New York Times best-selling author and life coach Martha Beck; painter, author, and creativity coach Tracy Verdugo; entrepreneur/producer/women’s wellness advocate (and wife of Spike Lee) Tonya Lewis Lee. And horse whisperer and Equus coach Koelle Simpson to explore how they start their days and their rituals’ positive impacts on their lives. Through these conversations, they share how a ritual can provide space for clarity and inspiration, refresh and restore you, enhance your relationships, empower you to be your best self, and steer your life with purpose toward a clear vision of what you want.
To learn more about the book and morning rituals, including links to multiple articles and a mini-course on how to create your morning ritual, you can visit https://abeautifulmorningbook.com.
Pricing:
- Joy Jumpstart 30-minute consultation and personalized report: $88
- Joy Jumpstart hour-long happiness consultation: $155
- Joy Jumpstart Deluxe happiness consultation, personalized report, and custom care package: $222
- Creative playdate: 30 minutes, $33; 45 minutes, $55
- A Beautiful Morning: How a Morning Ritual Can Feed Your Soul and Transform Your Life paperback on Amazon: $14.95
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.joydetectives.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joydetectiveashleybrown/
Image Credits
(for the two head shots of me; all other photos are my own) Evelyn Laws Photography
