Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Halim.
Hi Ashley, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I am currently experiencing a full circle moment in my journey. It has always been my desire to help people with my daily work, to truly find my purpose in life. But up until the last few years, I was just “going with the flow” of life, guided mainly by the opinions of others.
When I graduated from high school and was considering a degree, I initially wanted to go into Psychology or Social Work for the reasons mentioned above. But I was quickly discouraged by my parents and teachers in that regard because those professions “didn’t make a living”. I was proficient in many subjects, including mathematics, so I was pushed into STEM, ending up in the field of Computer Science at Spelman College.
Attending Spelman was truly a life-changing experience. While there, I met many young black men and women who were inspiring in a multitude of ways. I was able to learn my field in an environment that nurtured and supported me and pushed me out of my comfort zone in ways that I desperately needed to be. But, as a liberal arts institution, I was also able to explore outside of the world of STEM and rediscover those interests in art and psychology.
Post-graduation, I plunged into the field of Computer Science as a support engineer and absolutely hated it! However, this was a blessing in disguise, because it reminded me of my journey to find purpose and the importance of living a life that you love, not the one that others have in mind for you. I made a conscious effort to switch careers in those following months and years, going from support to software engineering and eventually to UX design (user experience). Alongside this, I was also tapping back into the artist within, becoming involved in the local art community and going back to dance classes as a means of expression.
Around the time that I entered the field of UX is when I began my own personal healing journey. I was introduced to healers both in my immediate community and through healing literature, and I was hooked! After reading “Sacred Woman”, I was determined to find a way not to only heal myself but to heal all of the women in my life. That is when I truly understood my purpose and what I have been striving towards ever since.
Capture Your Dream coaching (previously Dream Catcher LLC) was developed as a direct result of my years-long experience. The vision is and has always been to help others, especially black women, to achieve their wildest dreams by cultivating radical self-love and wellness into their day-to-day lives. What originally started as a boutique dance and movement studio has now evolved into a carefully curated coaching practice in which I share the spiritual tools and modalities I have collected and experienced over the years to ensure success. In addition to that, I have written the book, “Seeking Approval”, that will be published January 2023 and addresses the first step that I had to achieve in my healing journey – eliminating my need to people-please.
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?
What I have learned over the years is that every struggle is a struggle with self. It’s growing pains. I have lived what I consider to be a blessed life, and each hurdle that I have overcome along the way is just a space that I needed to heal. One of my greatest hurdles has been finding my own spiritual path. I grew up in a religious household and even went to a school funded and operated by my church from pre-K all the way to 12th grade. All that I knew was through the lens of my faith, which eventually proved detrimental for me. I went through several bouts of depression from adolescence to adulthood that I can now directly point back to beliefs I had internalized as a result of religion. Eventually, though, I realized I had been going through an endless cycle of religious duty and despair. I realized I was living in fear, not faith. So, I began questioning everything and establishing my own path. But with this journey of discovery, I also had to contend with the reality that venturing outside of faith would potentially alienate me from my close friends and family.
Though my journey looks different than others, it has caused me to appreciate the beliefs of others in newfound ways, to open my mind, and to love and accept others more deeply than before. It is through this spiritual path that I have experienced newfound internal freedom and peace unlike ever before. My spiritual journey has been my greatest act of living in authenticity and has led me directly to the work that I do today. Through this voyage, I have healed immensely and am prepared to help others do the same.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Capture Your Dream Coaching is a life and wellness coaching service designed to help others achieve their goals by living in flow. We offer lifestyle coaching, self-love coaching, and more. Utilizing spiritual modalities such as Human Design, Gene Keys, and Astrology, we are able to uniquely help our clients to not only bring clarity to their purpose and goals but provide them with the tools that will work best for them to achieve those goals.
When I look at the brand that I have built, I see not only myself but the legacy of women who have shaped who I am today. I am proud that, as a coach, I am able to extend that legacy by reconnecting other women to themselves, to the fullness of life. There is no greater joy than seeing someone experience the joy of living.
For those interested in a coaching journey, there are several different ways to get involved. The calendar for one-on-one coaching offerings will open beginning January 2023. All new clients will receive their first session free. I will also be launching workshops for those who want to learn about how to maximize their energetic makeup to change any part of their life. For those at the beginning of their healing journey, I would love to share my newest book, “Seeking Approval: How to Stop People Pleasing and Live a Life of Fulfillment”, which is now available for pre-order on my website and will be published on January 20, 2023 on Amazon. I love connecting with new people, so anyone can get in touch with me by subscribing to the health and wellness newsletter or contacting me through our website.
What makes you happy?
Ultimately what makes me happy in my career is to see other people happy and thriving, especially as a result of living a life they love. Throughout my work, I have strived to provide a space of peace for people, a place where they can lay down the stresses of the day and be uplifted. I experience immense joy when I can really connect with others and share in their life. Everyone has a story that is meaningful and important, and getting a glimpse into that is a joy in and of itself.
Pricing:
- Free – Introductory Session (20 minutes)
- $275 – Self-Love or Lifestyle Coaching 4-session package
- $1,000 – Design Your Life 1:1 Coaching Program (coming soon)
- $100 – Human Design Reading
- $80 – Individual Coaching Session
Contact Info:
- Website: captureyourdreamcoaching.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/captureyourdreamcoaching/
Image Credits
Danielle Jackson, photographer Victoria Smith, photographer Kevin Huff, photographer
