Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Barrett.
Ashley, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
HONESTLY, I never ever saw myself being an entrepreneur and never saw myself being a part of the financial industry. My background is education… I got my degree in education and straight after college started teaching in the private school sector. 2014 I started a business with my mother part-time (who was a seamstress) making custom bowties and after about SIX months of promoting the business our clientele grew rapidly and our peak season was prom time. However, life happened and my mother fell sick which lead to things slowing down and over time we closed the shop. Which left me lost because that experience made me start to have a hunger for entrepreneurship and a burning desire to want to get paid off of my passion. By this time, I knew fashion was my passion and I started researching how to start an expression T-shirt line. Often I was left on read when I reached out for advice from other entrepreneurs I looked up to in the fashion industry.
Immediately I grew tough skin early and knew that if I wanted to be successful, it would be up to me. 2016 I invested in bulk Tees (20 at that time) and launched my expression T-shirt line which sold out in two days. Although things was going well in fashion, I still lacked some business skills and needed help with what to do financially with the money I was earning especially because I was over still working my 9-5 and majorly wanted to exit the working world. Towards the end of 2017, I received a phone call from one of my long-time best friends that is a financial broker but also a business coach. That call changed my life and with her coaching and expertise, my brand ” Fashion and Finance” emerged. She coached me on how to build a business by becoming a part of the financial industry and although I felt I was the worse person for the industry but the time I truly fell in love with financial literacy and found that it is one of the biggest reasons most entrepreneurs fail. So I embraced the unknown and went all in by quitting my job to focus on combining my two passions “Fashion and Finance”.
Fast forward the girl who sucked at NOT being good with money shifted her mindset and now has been able to retire her husband from the car sales industry, open an office, and became ranked in the top 16 senior financial professionals on the east coast and number 1 recruiter in our brokerage the first quarter of 2022. Now I’m often asked to be a panelist speaker at community events and woman empowerment workshops as well as being a guest on podcasts now. It’s been four years since I’ve worked for anyone and entrepreneurship has had its ups and downs but I absolutely love the fact that I own my time and I get to impact lives through educating on financial concepts, style tips, and business skills.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
NOOOO the road has not been easy at all but my struggles have made me better. Financial struggles (even with zero dollars I had to have faith and grind to get me through), car being broke down, family members who joked, laughed and made me feel like the scum of the earth for making the decision to follow my dreams. I’ve lost friends and often time became misunderstood by them which caused me to really be alone a lot during this journey. Mental health struggles and belief struggles to name a few of the internal struggles.
We’ve been impressed with Legacy Financial, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
In the year 2022, our Agency has committed to securing the financial future for a minimum of 500 families that desire to become their own bank. I am extremely passionate about financial literacy and rebuilding the wealth gap in our country. Legacy financial mission has always been too promote, advocate for and support financial literacy efforts across the U.S. especially in schools for kids and teenagers. The financial part of my brand is generational wealth and the mission will be to also pass knowledge along not just money. The fashion side’s mission is to specialize in ” Image ” branding, styling, and fashion re-sell through thrifting.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Reading books, traveling, enjoying family time and those things are my peace which is priceless!
Pricing:
- August consultations are free
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Styledbyashley_b
- Facebook: ashley barrett
Image Credits
Issa Bolden Photography
